Curiosity killed the cat. It can kill your MBA aspirations if you can’t resist the temptation to view your recommendation letters.
Poor recommendation letters are the kiss of death for any MBA application, because b-schools know it’s the most objective applicant information they will receive outside the personal interview.
You can pump your own stock all day long, but if the recommender you trust and who knows you doesn’t sing your praises, it sends a very negative signal to the admissions committee that you may be more fluff than the right stuff as an applicant.
You must go the extra mile with your MBA recommenders to choose those who are truly in your corner and have a genuine interest in your success as an applicant.
Every business school candidate endures the same gauntlet of applications before they claim a coveted seat in their target MBA program. On the way in, we all must gather recommendations from trusted supporters and former supervisors. While it’s not always easy to choose good recommenders, it’s vital to a successful result (i.e. being accepted). To reduce the risk of a less than inspired or poorly written b-school recommendation, it’s tempting to take a peek at them before you submit.
Business schools give you the option to read your entire mba application - including the recommendation letter - Don’t do it.
The one thing that’s worse than submitting a bad letter of recommendation, is to submit a recommendation that you have had the chance to review (after the fact). Remember that your recommender knows whether or not you have chosen to read the recommendation, and adcoms know what they say and how they rate you can be influenced by this decision. Waiving your right to view the recommendation letter ensures the admissions committees that the recommender had the freedom to be truly objective, without fear of backlash or losing face with you. This means true objectivity remains intact.
The best situation is having a supervisor who lavishes praises in your recommendation without your ever knowing the details.
In order to achieve this, spend some thoughtful time choosing whom to invite into your MBA application process, and then even more time casting your vision to them so they can do a deep dive into the details of why you are uniquely qualified to succeed as an MBA candidate.
For information on how we can guide your business school application process, email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com or go to http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/contact