Recommender Questions for Programs that start in 2024

Important Notes
It is essential that you check the school website for the most accurate, complete and up-to-date information.
Especially if you are a re-applicant.

The recommenders should work on the official form, either hardcopy, or online. They should not go by the information contained on this page alone.

Sometimes schools change the questions mid-season, so be aware, and have your recommenders be aware they should verify the questions before submitting their answers.

Pay attention to the word limits.

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Something changed? Any comments? Please update us: mistake@ARINGO.com

INSTRUCTIONS

New applicants are required to submit two recommendations. Reapplicants only need to submit one new recommendation. Recommendations should be written by individuals who are well acquainted with your performance in a work setting, preferably from a direct supervisor or manager. Here is a sample Recommendation Form for your reference.
Here is the how, who, what, where, when and why of recommendations:
How & How Many: Fill out the details within the recommendations section in the application. Two recommendations are required for new applicants and one new recommendation is required for reapplicants (you may ask an individual who submitted a recommendation for you in a prior year to submit a new one). If you need to change your recommender or their e-mail, click “Exclude” (warning: recommender will lose all work already entered) and re-enter via Add Recommender.
Who: Choose recommenders who can speak to your work performance, capabilities, and potential for graduate studies and future career success. Use your best judgment on whom to ask for a recommendation — direct supervisors are generally preferred, and other options could include current or past supervisors/managers, professional colleagues, and clients (peers, family members, and professors are generally not good selections).
What: The recommendation form asks recommenders to evaluate your strengths and areas of growth, plus rate you across a variety of metrics.
Where: Recommendation forms can only be sent and received electronically so your recommender must have a valid e-mail address.
When: Recommendations should be submitted by the round deadline in which you are applying, and it is your responsibility to ensure we receive recommendations in time. To send a reminder to a recommender, click on the Edit link next to their name and then click the Send Reminder button at the bottom of the pop-up screen. We encourage you to contact your recommenders as soon as possible to give them sufficient time (the recommender’s access code is valid for 180 days from the date you save their information).
Why: We are interested in learning more about your professional past performance, future potential, and overall fit from individuals who have worked closely with you.

QUESTIONS

Recommender Information

  • First (Given) Name
  • Last (Family) Name/Surname
  • Current Organization
  • Current Position/Title
  • Industry
  • Telephone number (including country code)
  • Email Address
  • Alternative E-mail: If you are using your personal email account for this recommendation, please enter your work email address which may be used as a verification of your identity if the applicant is admitted.
  • Context of Relationship
  • Recommender’s relationship to applicant
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • During which period of time have you had the most frequent contact with the applicant?
  • If you are affiliated with UCLA, please select the option that most closely matches.

Competency Ratings

For each skill below, select: No Basis ; Below Average ; Average (top 50%) ; Good (top 25%) ; Excellent (top 10%)

  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Professional Maturity
  • Resilience
  • Self-Confidence
  • Communication
  • Analytical & Problem-Solving
  • Motivation & Initiative
  • Work Quality
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership Potential

Is there anything about your competency ratings on which you would like to comment? (optional) (textbox)

Comments and Examples

Please answer the following questions and provide specific examples where possible.

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Recommended word count: 50 words) (textbox)

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles?
e.g., what are the applicant’s principal strengths? (Recommended word count: 300 words) (textbox)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended word count: 300 words) (textbox)

4. Is there anything else we should know? (optional)
Upload file, Or, type or copy-and-paste your document here: (textbox)

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to their peer group? (select)

Overall, I … (select)

INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit letters of recommendation from two individuals who know you well and can offer specific examples of your performance at and contributions to an organization. Avoid choosing recommenders based on their title or status. We are more concerned with content and substance rather than reputation.
One letter of recommendation should come from a supervisor. We are looking for objectivity in the letter, and we want to hear from someone who can assess both your strengths and your weaknesses.
We prefer to hear from a current supervisor, although we understand that this may not be possible. If you are unable to ask your current supervisor, please explain the circumstances in the optional essay.
If you work for a family business or own your own company, please submit a letter from a client or outside party who does business with you and can provide an objective assessment.
The other letter can come from another professional contact or from someone who has worked with you in an organization or club, or on a volunteer project. This letter can offer a different perspective on your skill sets outside of your professional environment.
We have no preference regarding who supplies your second letter of recommendation.
Our only guideline is that it should add new and valuable insight to your candidacy.
How to Submit Letters of Recommendation
The recommendation form is part of the online application. You will be prompted to provide the names and email addresses of your recommenders, and we’ll send them an email directing them to the online form. Chicago Booth does not accept letters of recommendation via mail or fax.

QUESTIONS

Reference Information
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Title
  • Company Name
  • Industry
  • Contact Information
  • Country
  • Street
  • City
  • State
  • Postal Code
  • Email Address:
  • Phone Number:
  • Reference Relationship:
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • Do you have an MBA degree?
  • Are you in any way affiliated with The University of Chicago or Chicago Booth?
Skills Assessment
Please assess the candidate’s skills in the following areas. Your honest and candid assessment greatly helps the Admissions Committee in evaluating the candidate.
Most candidates will have a range of marks; it is rare for a candidate to exceed expectations in all areas.
For each skill, select: Unable to Assess ; Area of Concern ; Opportunity for Development ; Solid/Meets Expectations ; Strength/Exceeds Expectations ;
  • Ability to adapt to change
  • Self-awareness/Maturity
  • Openness to feedback and constructive criticism
  • Interpersonal skills with colleagues/subordinates
  • Interpersonal skills with superiors/executives
  • Confidence
  • Initiative/Self-Motivation
  • Collaboration/Teamwork
  • Critical thinking and problem solving skills
  • Respect for diverse perspectives
  • Capacity to lead
Peer Comparison
  • Based on your professional experience, how does the applicant rate within his or her peer group? (select)
  • Please indicate the reference group for this comparison: ________
  • Overall, I: (select)
Letter of Recommendation
Please provide a written letter of recommendation in support of the applicant addressing the following questions:
1. How do the applicant’s performance, potential, background, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified candidates in similar roles? Please provide specific examples.
2. Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
(upload file)

Instructions

First-time applicants require one recommendation. Reapplicants are required to submit one new recommendation.
Please enter information for one individual you wish to submit a recommendation on your behalf. They should be able to speak directly about your performance and professional promise.
If you have been working full-time for at least six months, your recommendation should ideally be from your current supervisor. If you are unable to secure a recommendation from your direct supervisor, please submit a statement of explanation in the Employment section of your application. Beyond your direct supervisor, other recommender options include: a former direct supervisor or another professional associate, senior to you, who can share their insights on your candidacy.
If you have worked full-time for fewer than six months, your recommendation should be from a person who can comment on your managerial abilities. You may ask a summer employer or another person whom you feel can objectively assess your professional promise. If you are a college senior, we encourage you to apply for the Deferred Enrollment Program.
Please note:

We expect that you, the applicant, will not participate in the drafting or submitting of your recommendation. The relationship to your recommender should be accurate.
We ask that the recommender upload their recommendation on letterhead, whenever possible.
Please enter the institutional or professional email address of your recommender. References submitted from personal or anonymous email accounts (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo, 123.com, 163.com, qq.com etc.) will be subject to your admissions being rescinded if significant discrepancies are found.
Applications are not considered complete until all required information is submitted; this includes your recommendation, which must be submitted no later than two weeks after the date that you submit your application.
Reapplicants, please be sure this is one new recommendation letter.
Make sure that you and your recommender adjust spam filters to allow emails from apply@gsb.columbia.edu.
If admitted, your recommender will be contacted by Re Vera Services, LLC to verify the authenticity of the letter of recommendation. Inaccurate information will necessitate a supplemental review, and offers of admission may be rescinded if significant discrepancies are found.

QUESTIONS

Recommender Information

  • Prefix
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Organization
  • Position/Title
  • Industry
  • Relationship
  • Email
  • Telephone
  • Country
  • City
  • State

Business Card Upload – Please provide your current business card. (upload)

MBA Information – Do you have an MBA? (select)

Recommendation Upload

Please consider the following guidelines when writing your recommendation:

  • How do the candidate’s performance, potential, background, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples.
  • Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.

Limit your recommendation to 1000 words. Please submit your recommendation as a PDF or Word document on letterhead, if possible. Thank you once again.
(upload file)

INSTRUCTIONS

We require one recommendation as part of our application process. Candidates may include a second recommendation with their materials, if desired. However, you will want to be sure this additional recommender is offering new insights regarding you and your candidacy.

Identifying Your Recommender:

Who makes a good recommender? Consider choosing someone who knows you well and has supervised you in a professional setting and directly observed your work (typically within the last few years). Identify someone who will help us learn more about your accomplishments and leadership potential through specific examples and anecdotes. Strictly academic recommendations are typically less helpful in our evaluation.

When choosing your recommender (and setting expectations), be sure to keep in mind what they will be asked to do. Our recommendation process is completely electronic, and your recommenders will fill out two pieces of information — a ratings grid in which they will evaluate you across a set of competencies and a series of short answer questions. Recommendations are typically the slowest part of the application process, so identify your recommenders well in advance of your target deadline. Make sure they understand why you’re pursuing an MBA and why you’re interested in Darden. We also suggest sharing a copy of your resume with them so they have some perspective on the full arc of your career. And last but not least: Stay in touch. We find that most recommenders are deadline-oriented, so make sure they know your application timing.

About the Recommendations Process:

Once you enter your recommender’s information and contact details, they will receive an email with a link to our recommendation materials. Occasionally, this email gets caught in spam filter and does not reach the recommender. In this situation, simply contact our Admissions team (darden@darden.virginia.edu) and we will re-send the recommendation link to your recommender.

Our recommendation process is completely electronic, and your recommendation will automatically associate with your application once the recommendation is submitted. In other words, once you have finished your portion of the application, you may go ahead and submit your materials. However, once you have submitted your application, you will be unable to edit your application or enter additional recommender information.

We find that most recommenders are deadline-oriented, so be sure to stay in touch to make sure they know your application timing. You will receive an email notification once your recommender submits their recommendation. You will also notice a green check mark next to their name and information on your Application Status page (a red “X” will display if the recommendation is still pending).

QUESTIONS

Section 1 – Recommender Information

  • Prefix
  • First (Given) Name
  • Middle Name
  • Last (Family) Name/Surname
  • Current Organization
  • Current Position/Title
  • Industry
  • Address
  • Country
  • Street
  • City
  • State
  • Postal Code
  • Telephone number (including country code)
  • Email Address
  • (Optional) Alternative email (If you are using your personal email account for this recommendation, please enter your work email address which may be used as a verification of your identity if the applicant is admitted.)
  • Context of Relationship
  • Nature of relationship
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • During which period of time have you had the most frequent contact with the applicant?
  • Please select the option(s) that most closely matches your affiliation with Darden or the University of Virginia, if one exists.
  • May we contact you regarding this applicant?
  • Did you use a translator?

Section 2

In this section, you will find 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories:

– Achievement
– Influence
– People
– Personal Qualities
– Cognitive Abilities

For each competency, please highlight the selection that corresponds to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluating the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors of the previous level.

1. Initiative: Acts ahead of need/anticipates problems

2. Results Orientation: Focuses on and drives toward delivering on goals, objectives, and performance improvement

3. Communication, Professional Impression & Poise: Delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in; uses listening and other attending behaviors to reach shared understanding; remains calm and measured even in time of crisis or conflict

4. Influence and Collaboration: Engages and works with people over whom one has no direct control

5. Respect for Others: Acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions

6. Team Leadership: Manages and empowers a team of formal or informal direct reports, including virtual teams

7. Developing Others: Helps people develop their performance and ability over time

8. Trustworthiness/ Integrity: Acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs or intentions

9. Adaptability/ Resilience: Adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty. Maintains calm optimism in the face of challenge, problems, or apparent failure

10. Self Awareness: Aware of and seeks out additional input on own strengths and weaknesses

11. Problem Solving: Frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues, conducts analysis on the issues, and produces acceptable solution

12. Strategic Orientation: Thinks beyond one’s span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work

(Optional) Is there anything about your competency ratings on which you would like to comment? (textbox)

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to her/his peer group? (select)

Overall, I … (select)

Section 3

Please answer the following questions and provide specific examples where possible.

1. How would you characterize your relationship with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization? (Word limit: 50 words) (textbox)

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Recommended word count: 500 words) (textbox)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended word count: 500 words) (textbox)

4. (Optional) Is there anything else we should know?
Upload file, Or, type or copy-and-paste your document here: (textbox)

1. How long have you known the candidate? In which context? (textbox, max. 1000 characters)

2. What do you consider to be the candidate’s most noteworthy qualities? (textbox, max. 500 characters)

3. What are the areas in which you believe the candidate needs to improve? (textbox, max. 500 characters)

4. Please comment on the candidate’s potential for management. Describe an occasion in which you observed the candidate in a leadership role. (textbox, max. 500 characters)

Please give us your opinion in terms of the following criteria (for each, select: exceptional ; good ; average ; poor ; unobserved)

  • Leadership potential
  • Organizational skills
  • Teamwork
  • Maturity
  • Self-confidence
  • Creativity

Additional Comments

Please add information on the ratings you have assigned and make any additional comments about the applicant’s motivation, ability, leadership potential or any personal qualities you would like the Admissions Committee to take into account. (textbox, max. 32000 characters)

Upload additional supporting letter here: (upload file)

INSTRUCTIONS

All recommenders are required to use the common letter of recommendation form associated with the online application. An application may be submitted, but it will not be considered “complete” until we have received your recommendation.
The most valuable recommendations come from individuals who know you well in either an academic or professional setting. Recommendations from relatives or family friends are discouraged by the Admissions Committee.
In addition to the professional recommendation, if you have a Fuqua alum or current student who would like to submit an endorsement on your behalf, please share this endorsement form link with them so they may tell us why you would be an asset to our program. Our alumni know what it takes to be successful at Fuqua and we welcome alumni endorsements of your candidacy. Please note, endorsement forms are not required and only provide compelling support for a candidate when they are written by an alum or current student who knows you well.
Please refer below to the recommendation requirements for the specific program to which you are applying. Check with your recommender(s) to ensure they have received the recommendation request, as corporate firewalls may sometimes impact email delivery.
One letter of recommendation is required. The most valuable recommendations come from people who know your professional skills and abilities. We require that you submit one recommendation from your current or previous supervisor. If you do not have an immediate supervisor, you may submit a recommendation from someone who knows you well in your current position and can critique your professional performance. If you are unable to provide a recommendation from your current supervisor, please clarify in the text box below.
If you are a reapplicant and would like to submit a new letter of recommendation, you must first remove your previous recommender(s) by clicking “Edit” and then deleting the recommender. After removing that information, simply click “Add Recommender” and input the contact information for your new recommender.

QUESTIONS

Section 1 – Recommender Information

  • Prefix
  • First (Given) Name
  • Middle Name
  • Last (Family) Name/Surname
  • Current Organization
  • Current Position/Title
  • Industry
  • Address
  • Country
  • Street
  • City
  • State
  • Postal Code
  • Telephone number (including country code)
  • Email Address (view only: entered by applicant)
  • (Optional) Alternative email (If you are using your personal email account for this recommendation, please enter your work email address which may be used as a verification of your identity if the applicant is admitted.)
  • Context of Relationship
  • Nature of relationship
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • During which period of time have you had the most frequent contact with the applicant?
    Please select the option that most closely matches your affiliation with The Fuqua School of Business or Duke University, if any, or else select Not affiliated.
  • May we contact you regarding this applicant?
  • Did you use a translator?

Section 2

In this section, you will find 16 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories:

– Achievement
– Influence
– People
– Personal Qualities
– Cognitive Abilities

For each competency, please select the one button that corresponds to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors of the previous level.

Achievement

1. Initiative: Acts ahead of need/anticipates problems

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Reluctant to take on new tasks; waits to be told what to do; defers to others
2 – Willing to step in and take charge when required to do so
3 – Takes charge spontaneously when problem needs attention
4 – Volunteers for new work challenges; proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks
5 – Proactively seeks high-impact projects; steps up to challenges even when things are not going well

2. Results Orientation: Focuses on and drives toward delivering on goals, objectives, and performance improvement

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand; unsure how work relates to goals
2 – Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals
3 – Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies
4 – Documents activities and outcomes to learn from past; introduces incremental improvements to raise the effectiveness of team
5 – Invents new approaches with measurably better results; works to deliver best-in-class performance improvements

Influence

3. Communication, Professional Impression & Poise: Delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in; uses listening and other attending behaviors to reach shared understanding; remains calm and measured even in time of crisis or conflict

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Struggles to get point across; neglects to understand audience’s input or perspective; lacks confidence and gets flustered under pressure
2 – Works to get point across; acknowledges feedback; reframes statements when necessary to make them clearer; speaks politely; remains composed in known circumstances
3 – Present views clearly and logically structures content for a broad audience; listens and responds to feedback; prepares in advance to appear confident; leaves a positive and professional impression; responds confidently in unfamiliar situations
4 – Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups; restates what others have said to check for understanding; comes across as confident; responds rapidly and strongly to crisis; looked to for advice and guidance
5-Structures content for senior-level meetings; maintains composure when challenged; solicits opinions & concerns, discusses them openly and adjusts communication; remains cool under pressure during conflict or crisis; channels emotion into positive action

4. Influence and Collaboration: Engages and works with people over whom one has no direct control

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Does not seek input and perspective of others
2 – Accepts input from others and engages them in problem solving
3 – Seeks first to understand perspectives of others; takes actions to gain their support for ideas and initiatives
4 – Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence, and achieve results
5 – Uses tailored influence approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes

People

5. Respect for Others: Acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view
2 – Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered
3 – Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views
4 – Praises people publicly for their good actions; ensures that others’ opinions are heard before their own
5 – Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect; reinforces respect with public praise when individuals solicit and use input from others

6. Team Leadership: Manages and empowers a team of formal or informal direct reports, including virtual teams

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Struggles to delegate effectively (e.g. micromanages); does not organize activities or provide appropriate information to complete tasks
2 – Assigns tasks and tells people what to do; checks when they are done
3 – Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; structures activities; holds members accountable
4 – Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows the impact of individual/team contributions
5 – Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; rewards those who exceed expectations; provides strong organizational support

7. Developing Others: Helps people develop their performance and ability over time

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Focuses only on one’s own growth; critical of others’ efforts to develop
2 – Encourages people to develop; points out mistakes to help people develop and praises them for improvements
3 – Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
4 – Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development
5 – Identifies potential in others; inspires others to develop by providing feedback, mentoring/coaching, and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change

Personal Qualities

8. Trustworthiness/ Integrity: Acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs, or intentions

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Follows the crowd; takes path of least resistance; gives in under pressure
2 – Acts consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs when it is easy to do so
3 – Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs despite opposition
4 – Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk; demonstrates the values of the team or organization publicly
5 – Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost; holds people accountable to the team or organizational values

9. Adaptability/ Resilience: Adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty. Maintains calm optimism in the face of challenge, problems, or apparent failure

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Prefers existing ways of doing things; fears failure; becomes anxious under challenging situations
2 – Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so; remains calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
3 – Champions adoption of new initiatives and processes; exhibits level-headedness in most environments including challenging ones; persists until obstacle is overcome
4 – Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement; remains optimistic and forward-looking in difficult situations that may result in failure
5 – Energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward; seeks to be the first into unknown or unfamiliar situations; welcomes learning opportunities created by failure; learns from mistakes and rebounds quickly from setbacks

10. Self Awareness: Aware of and seeks out additional input on own strengths and weaknesses

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Lacks awareness of how he/she is perceived; denies or offers excuses when confronted
2 – Acknowledges fault or performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data
3 – Describes own key strengths and weaknesses accurately; welcomes feedback from others and discusses opportunities to change with select individuals
4 – Actively seeks out feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths; explores reasons for problems openly, including own faults
5 – Seeks out challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve; identifies and engages with resources—people, processes, or content—to maximize strengths or mitigate weaknesses

Cognitive

11. Problem Solving: Frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues, conducts analysis on the issues, and produces acceptable solution

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Avoids problems; when faced with problems, sticks to what worked before, or chooses an obvious path
2 – Offers solutions when the risk is low; focuses on immediate, short-term implications instead of the big picture
3 – Looks beyond the obvious; identifies and focuses on the critical information needed to understand a problem, identifies root cause(s), and comes up with reasonable solutions
4 – Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods or several layers deep; integrates perspectives from a variety of sources to arrive at unexpected but practical and effective solutions
5 – Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems; solves tough and interconnected problems and can explain how the pieces are connected

12. Strategic Orientation: Thinks beyond one’s span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work

0 – No basis for judgment
1 – Focuses on completing work without understanding implications
2 – Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis
3 – Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance
4 – Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organization strategy and will have impact on long-term business performance
5 – Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance

(Optional) Is there anything about your competency ratings on which you’d like to comment? (textbox)

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to her/his peer group? (select)

Overall, I … (select)

Section 3

Please answer the following questions and provide specific examples where possible.

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Recommended word count: 50 words) (textbox)

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Recommended word count: 500 words) (textbox)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended word count: 500 words) (textbox)

4. (Optional) Is there anything else we should know?
Upload file, Or, type or copy-and-paste your document here: (textbox)

INSTRUCTIONS

Two letters are required, with one from your current direct supervisor.
We require two letters of recommendation and prefer that at least one come from a current employer.
Select individuals with whom you have had considerable professional interaction, such as your supervisor or a major client.
The title or status of those you select is not important. What does matter is how closely your letter writers have worked with you and whether they can attest to your value as an employee, your professional accomplishments, and your personal qualities and interpersonal skills in an organizational context. For this reason, we strongly discourage academic references.
Letters of recommendation from co-workers, someone you have supervised, relatives, or personal and family friends are inappropriate and can be detrimental to the review of your application.
Please do not submit more than two letters, and if you choose not to obtain a letter from your current supervisor, be certain to explain why.
Recommenders may submit letters of recommendation online, or by completing, printing, and mailing a hard copy recommendation using this form (https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/231966/FT/App%20Bootcamp/ftmba-letter-of-recommendation.pdf). If the online recommendation is chosen, your recommender will be given access to an online form.

QUESTIONS

Section 1: Recommender Information

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Organization
  • Work Location (Country)
  • Position/Title
  • Relationship
  • Industry
  • Telephone
  • Email Address

Section 2: Leadership Assessment Grid

In this section, you will find 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories: – Achievement – Influence – People – Personal Qualities – Cognitive Abilities For each competency, please select the one button that corresponds to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of needed development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors described in the previous level.

ACHIEVEMENT

Initiative – Acts ahead of need/ anticipates problems

  • No basis for judgment
  • Reluctant to take on new tasks, waits to be told what to do, defers to others
  • Willing to step in and take charge when required to do so
  • Takes charge spontaneously when problem needs attention
  • Volunteers for new work challenges, proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks
  • Proactively seeks high-impact projects, steps up to challenges even when things are not going well

Results Orientation – Focuses on and drives toward delivering on goals, objectives, and performance improvement

  • No basis for judgment
  • Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand, unsure how work relates to goals
  • Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals
  • Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies
  • Documents activities and outcomes to learn from past, introduces incremental improvements to raise the effectiveness of team
  • Invents new approaches with measurably better results, works to deliver best-in-class performance improvements

INFLUENCE

Communication, Professional Impression & Poise – Delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in; uses listening and other attending behaviors to reach shared understanding; remains calm and measured even in time of crisis or conflict.

  • No basis for judgment
  • Struggles to get point across, neglects to understand audience’s input or perspective, lacks confidence and gets flustered under pressure
  • Works to get point across, acknowledges feedback, reframes statements when necessary to make clearer, speaks politely, remains composed in known circumstances
  • Presents views clearly and logically structures content for a broad audience, listens and responds to feedback, prepares in advance to appear confident, leaves a positive and professional impression, responds confidently in unfamiliar situations
  • Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups, restates what others have said to check for understanding, comes across as confident, responds rapidly and strongly to crisis, looked to for advice and guidance
  • Structures content for senior-level meetings, keeps composure when challenged, solicits opinions and concerns, discusses them openly and adjusts communication, remains cool in strong conflict or crisis, channels emotion into positive action

Influence and Collaboration – Engages and works with people over whom he/she has no direct control

  • No basis for judgment
  • Does not seek input and perspective of others
  • Accepts input from others and engages them in problem solving
  • Seeks first to understand perspectives of others, takes actions to gain their support for ideas and initiatives
  • Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence, and achieve results
  • Uses tailored influence approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes

PEOPLE

Respect for Others – Acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions

  • No basis for judgment
  • Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view
  • Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered
  • Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views
  • Praises people publicly for their good actions, ensures that others’ opinions are heard before their own
  • Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect, reinforces respect with public praise when individuals solicit and use input from others

Team Leadership – Manages and empowers a team of direct reports or peers on project based teams (includes virtual teams)

  • No basis for judgment
  • Struggles to delegate effectively (e.g. micromanages), does not organize activities or provide appropriate information to complete tasks
  • Assigns tasks and tells people what to do, checks when they are done
  • Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team, structures activities, holds members accountable
  • Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration, shows the impact of individual/team contributions
  • Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities, rewards those who exceed expectations, provides strong organizational support

Developing Others – Helps people develop their performance and ability over time

  • No basis for judgment
  • Focuses only on one’s own growth, critical of others’ efforts to develop
  • Encourages people to develop, points out mistakes to help people develop and praises them for improvements
  • Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
  • Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development
  • Identifies potential in others, inspires others to develop by providing feedback, mentoring/coaching, and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Trustworthiness/Integrity – Acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs or intentions

  • No basis for judgment
  • Follows the crowd, takes path of least resistance, gives in under pressure
  • Acts consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs when it is easy to do so
  • Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs despite opposition
  • Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk, demonstrates the values of the team or organization publicly
  • Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost, holds people accountable to the team or organizational values

Adaptability/Resilience – Adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty. Maintains calm optimism in the face of challenge, problems, or apparent failure

  • No basis for judgment
  • Prefers existing ways of doing things, fears failure, becomes anxious under challenging situations
  • Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so, remains calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
  • Champions adoption of new initiatives and processes, exhibits levelheadedness in most environments including challenging ones, persists until obstacle is overcome
  • Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement, remains optimistic and forward-looking in difficult situations that may result in failure
  • Energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward, seeks to be the first into unknown or unfamiliar situations, welcomes learning opportunities created by failure, learns from mistakes and rebounds quickly from setbacks

Self-Awareness – Aware of and seeks out additional input on own strengths and weaknesses

  • No basis for judgment
  • Lacks awareness of how he/she is perceived, denies or offers excuses when confronted
  • Acknowledges fault or performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data
  • Describes own key strengths and weaknesses accurately, welcomes feedback from others and discusses opportunities to change with select individuals
  • Actively seeks out feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths, explores reasons for problems openly, including own faults
  • Seeks out challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve, identifies and engages with resources—people, processes, or content—to maximize strengths or mitigate weaknesses

COGNITIVE ABILITIES

Strategic Orientation – Thinks beyond one’s span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work

  • No basis for judgment
  • Focuses on completing work without understanding implications
  • Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis
  • Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance.
  • Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organization strategy and will have impact on longterm business performance
  • Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance

Problem Solving – Frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues, conducts analysis on the issues, and produces acceptable solution

  • No basis for judgment
  • Avoids problems, when faced with problems, sticks to what worked before, or chooses an obvious path
  • Offers solutions when the risk is low, focuses on immediate, short-term implications instead of the big picture
  • Looks beyond the obvious, identifies and focuses on the critical information needed to understand a problem, identifies root cause(s), and comes up with reasonable solutions
  • Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods or several layers deep, integrates perspectives from a variety of sources to arrive at unexpected but practical and effective solutions
  • Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems, solves tough and interconnected problems and can explain how the pieces are connected

Is there anything about your ratings on which you would like to comment? (Optional) (textbox)

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this applicant compared to her/ his peer group?

  • Unable to assess
  • Below average
  • Average
  • Very good (well above average)
  • Excellent (top 10%)
  • Outstanding (top 5%)
  • The best encountered in my career

Overall, I…

  • Do not recommend this applicant
  • Recommend this applicant, with reservations
  • Recommend this applicant
  • Enthusiastically recommend this applicant

SECTION 3. RECOMMENDATION QUESTIONS

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Up to 50 words) (textbox)

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Up to 500 words) (textbox)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Up to 500 words) (textbox)

4. Is there anything else we should know? (Optional) (textbox)

We strongly prefer that you use this form for your recommendation. Alternatively, you may upload a letter of recommendation. (upload file)

I certify that this recommendation was written entirely by me using my own words. The applicant was not involved in crafting any portion of this written recommendation. (select – yes/no)

INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit two recommendations (no more, no less!) from individuals who can speak directly about your professional performance and promise. Recommendations must be completed online.
Who should I choose to be my recommenders? The Admissions Committee suggests (but does not require) that one recommendation be from your direct supervisor. This is a guideline, not a requirement. We are aware that not all candidates will be able to do this.

The other recommendation should be from someone who can comment on your leadership skills and/or potential; this may be a former supervisor, another professional associate, or even a client (e.g. if you work in your family business or if you are an entrepreneur). In general, we discourage peer recommendations and recommendations from professors but recognize that each applicant brings a different set of experiences. So, please use your best judgment on who you decide to ask – you’ll want to choose people who will help you put your best foot forward.

Worth mentioning here, because we are asked this a lot: No, we don’t give special consideration to recommendations written by HBS alums, and you don’t need to have an HBS recommender to be admitted. (Most admitted students don’t!)

QUESTIONS

Part 1: Your Information

  • Name
  • First Name
  • Middle Name
  • last Name
  • Contact Information
  • Telephone
  • Country
  • Street
  • City
  • State
  • Postal Code
  • Current Employment
  • Organization
  • Position/Title
  • Do you know this applicant from a previous employer?
  • Are you a graduate of the Harvard Business School MBA program?

Part 2: Relationship Context

  • Relationship Type (SELECT)
  • Relationship Context (SELECT)
  • Number of applicants you are recommending to the HBS MBA Program this year: ___
  • Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, their role in your organization: (textbox, 300 characters)

Part 3: Candidate Evaluation

Leadership Attributes

The MBA Admissions Board would like to learn more about the candidate’s strengths and areas of development. For each attribute, please indicate how you have experienced the candidate. All candidates are growing professionally and therefore some of their attributes are likely to be more developed than others. It is helpful to the Admissions Committee to understand your assessment of the candidate’s relative strengths compared to areas they are actively working to develop. To that end, we ask that you distribute the ratings across the whole grid accordingly.

For each attribute – mark: No Basis for Judgment / Potential Area of Concern / Developing / Strong / Distinctive

  • Adaptability and resilience
  • Awareness of and respect for others
  • Curiosity
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Initiative
  • Integrity
  • Interpersonal skills with colleagues and subordinates
  • Interpersonal skills with superiors
  • Professional maturity
  • Self-awareness
  • Self-confidence
  • Teamwork: engagement and collaboration
  • Teamwork: leadership and development of others

Please use this space to comment on the ratings you have assigned, elaborating on relative strengths and opportunities for further development. (Required) (textbox, 500 characters)

Skills Assessment

The MBA Admissions Board is also interested in your evaluation of the candidate’s skills based on the interactions you have had with the candidate.
For each skill, select: No Basis for Judgment / Potential Area of Concern / Developing / Strong / Distinctive

  • Analytical thinking
  • Creative problem solving
  • Listening skills
  • Quantitative skills
  • Verbal communication
  • Written communication

Please use this space to comment on the skills ratings you have assigned, elaborating on relative strengths and opportunities for further development. (Required) (textbox, 500 characters)

Part 4: Open Response Questions

Please respond to the questions below in a single document.

1. How do the applicant’s performance, potential, background, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples. (Recommended: 300 words)

2. Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended: 250 words)

3. (Optional) Is there anything else we should know? Please be concise.
(upload file)

Part 5: Certification & Submit

I certify the information provided in this recommendation is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

INSTRUCTIONS

You are required to provide us with two referees who can complete a recommendation form. The referees should be individuals well acquainted with your performance in a professional or academic context. Once you have uploaded their contact details they will automatically be contacted by us to fill out an online reference.

QUESTIONS

Relationship to candidate:

  • How long and in what capacity have you known the candidate? (textbox)
  • If this is a work related reference, in what position is/was the candidate employed and for how long? (textbox)

Candidate’s abilities:

Please evaluate the candidate in terms of the qualities below: (for each, select: outstanding>>>below average)

  • Intellectual or academic ability
  • Competence in current position
  • Oral communication skills
  • Written communication skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Leadership skills
  • Teamwork skills
  • Initiative / problem solving skills
  • Creativity / Innovative

Proficiency in English:

Candidate’s first language? (select)

If the candidate’s first language is not English, please comment on his/her level of competence:

  • Written (select)
  • Listening / Comprehension (select)
  • Spoken (select)
  • Reading (select)

Candidate’s strengths and weaknesses:

  • What do you consider to be the candidate’s principal strengths / talents? (textbox)
  • What do you consider to be the candidate’s weaknesses or areas that need improvement? (textbox)

Candidate information

How long have you known the candidate?

  • Less than 1 year
  • Between 1 and 4 years
  • Between 5 and 9 years
  • Between 10 and 19 years
  • 20 years or more

What was your relationship with the candidate?

  • I am or have been their partner in a venture
  • I am or have been their direct boss
  • I am or have been their indirect boss or boss of their boss(es)
  • I am or have been their colleague
  • I am or have been his direct or indirect subordinate
  • I am or have been their customer
  • I am or have been a business provider to their organization
  • I am or have been their teacher
  • I am or have been their classmate
  • I am or have been their personal friend
  • Other(s)

In three words, how would you describe the candidate?
_________          _____________                  _____________
From a professional perspective, what stands out about the candidate? (textbox, characters 500 Max)

In your opinion, how would the candidate benefit from the program? (textbox, characters 500 Max)

Additional comments about the candidate (textbox, characters 500 Max)

INSTRUCTIONS

One Letter of recommendation is required. You may register up to 3 recommenders for this application if you consider it necessary.
This letter should reflect your capacities in the work environment. Recommendations from former employers or clients, and extra-curricular activities such as Volunteer Organizations can also be considered.
Recommendation letters can be submitted in Spanish and/or English.
If you are not sure if your recommender meets our criteria please contact your admissions director to clarify.
Please enter the following information to allow your letter writers to submit your recommendations online. It is imperative that you accurately enter the information as your recommender will receive an automated email informing him/her of the online process and the instructions and questions on what they need to complete for your application.
The recommenders can still fill up their forms and submit up to 10 days post the round deadline.
Enter the contact information of your recommender below, and then click “Send Invitation”. You may add additional recommenders by selecting the + icon. If you need to edit or remove an individual, use the trash can icon to delete the entry. Please note, once the status is submitted, you will not be able to remove the recommender from your application.

QUESTIONS

Please elaborate on your professional relationship with the candidate providing details on such – the duration of your relationship, nature of projects you worked on, and so on, etc) (textbox, 100 words)

1. How do the candidate’s performance, potential, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples. (textbox, 300 words)

2. Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (textbox, 250 words)

INSTRUCTIONS

Two professional recommendation letters are required, providing information about your leadership and management potential. As such, at least one recommendation should come from your workplace; your current supervisor or manager is usually a good choice. The other recommendation should be from someone who has had a chance to evaluate you in a professional setting, for example, a client, a former supervisor or a colleague from your community service or extracurricular activities. Academic recommendations are acceptable but they are less likely to address our main interest, which is to assess your ability to work with and manage others as well as your potential for senior management. If you feel it would add value to your application, you may also upload an optional third letter of recommendation as part of the supporting documents.
It is important to note that your recommenders can submit their online letters to us at their earliest convenience and up to the deadline to which you are applying.

QUESTIONS

Your Personal Details
  • Family Name
  • First Name
  • Nationality/Passport
  • Organization
  • Professional Title
  • Street
  • Town
  • Postal Code
  • Country
  • Email
  • Telephone
Have you attended an INSEAD Programme? If yes, please specify which one?
Since INSEAD reserves the right to verify all credentials and information on a candidate’s file, please ensure you have indicated where you can be reached.
Relationship to Candidate
Please, specify your relationship to candidate:
  • Professional/Educational/Personal
How long have you known the candidate? Define your relationship with the candidate and the circumstances whereby you met. (textbox, no limit)
How do you rate the candidate on the following criteria?
For each, select:
  • Outstanding (top 2%)
  • Very Good (top 10%)
  • Above Average (top 25%)
  • Average (top 50%)
  • Below Average (bottom 50%)
  • Unobserved
  1. Competence in his/her field
  2. Professionalism
  3. Focus on the task at hand
  4. Readiness to use opportunities for achievement
  5. Creativity and resourcefulness
  6. Intellectual curiosity
  7. Energy and drive
  8. Personal integrity
  9. Ability to work in a team
  10. Organizational ability
  11. Oral communication skills
  12. Written communication skills
How do you rate the candidate’s potential for becoming a responsible and successful manager in international business compared with other students or employees whom you have known in a similar capacity?
  • Excellent (top 2%)
  • Very good (top 10%)
  • Above average (top 25%)
  • Average (top 50%)
  • Below average (bottom 50%)
Please give your answers to each of the following questions.
1. Comment on the candidate’s career progress to date and his/her career focus. (textbox, no limit)
2. What do you consider to be the candidate’s major strengths? Comment on the factors that distinguish the candidate from other individuals at his/her level. (textbox, no limit)
3. What do you consider to be the candidate’s major areas for development/improvement? (textbox, no limit)
4. Comment on the candidate’s potential for senior management. Do you see him/her as a future leader? (textbox, no limit)
5. Describe the candidate as a person. Comment on his/her ability to establish and maintain relationships, sensitivity to others, self-confidence, attitude, etc. Specifically comment on the candidate’s behaviour or skills in a group setting/team environment. (textbox, no limit)

INSTRUCTIONS

One letter of recommendation is required, but you may submit up to two for review by the committee. You should seek recommendations from people capable of commenting on your professional, leadership, and intellectual capabilities. The most useful evaluations are from people who are able to speak with certainty about your leadership, maturity, team orientation, analytical skills, and interpersonal skills. Examples include a current supervisor, colleague, client, or former supervisor.
Provide contact information for at least one and a maximum of two individuals who are eager to endorse your candidacy. At Johnson, we view official letters of recommendation as a vital part of the final evaluation process. Carefully follow the instructions below.

QUESTIONS

Recommender Information

Comment on the following topics when constructing the letter of recommendation:

  • Strengths and outstanding qualities
  • How applicant gets along with others
  • Oral and written communication skills
  • English language ability if English is not the applicant’s native language
  • Areas of improvement (weaknesses)
  • Anything else you would like to say about the applicant

Please write on company letterhead if company policy allows and also note that a one page recommendation letter is sufficient. Please upload the letter of recommendation at the bottom of this form.

  • Prefix
  • Recommender First Name
  • Middle Name
  • Recommender Last Name
  • Employer
  • Position/Title
  • Industry
  • Address Line 1
  • Address Line 2
  • City
  • Country
  • Zip/Postal Code
  • Recommender Phone
  • Email
  • Professional Email
  • What is the context of your relationship to this recommender?
  • Current Employer
  • What is or was your recommender’s role in relation to you?
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • If you are affiliated with the Johnson School or Cornell University, please select the option that most closely matches.
  • May we contact you regarding this applicant
  • Do you use a translator

Applicant Assessment

For each competency, please mark the one button corresponding to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid, honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level build upon behaviors of the previous level.

*Initiative: Acts ahead of need/anticipates problems

No basis for judgement
Reluctant to take on new tasks; waits to be told what to do; defers to others
Willing to step in and take action when required to do so
Takes charge spontaneously when problem need attention
Volunteer for new work challenges; proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks
Proactively seeks high-impact projects; steps up to challenges even when things are not going well

*Results Orientation: Focuses on and drives toward delivering on goals, objectives, and performance improvement

No basis for judgement
Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand; unsure how work relates to goals
Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals
Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies
Documents activities and outcomes to learn from past; introduces incremental improvements to raise the effectiveness of team
Invents new approaches with measurably better results; works to deliver best-in-class performance improvements

Communication, Prof Impression & Poise: Delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in; uses listening and other attending behaviors to reach shared understanding; remains calm even in time of crisis or conflict

No basis for judgement
Struggles to get point across; neglects to understand audience’s input or perspective; lacks confidence and gests flustered under pressure
Works to get point across; acknowledges feedback; reframes statements when necessary to make them clearer; speaks politely; remains composed in known circumstances
Present views clearly and logically structures content for a broad audience; listens and responds to feedback; prepares in advance to appear confident; leaves a positive and professional impression; responds confidently in unfamiliar situations
Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups; restates what others have said to check for understanding; comes across as confident; responds rapidly and strongly to crisis; looked to for advice and guidance
Structures content for senior-level meetings; maintains composure when challenged; solicits options and concerns, discusses them openly and adjusts communication; when in strong conflict or crisis, remains cool under pressure; channels strong emotion into positive action

*Influence and Collaboration: Engages and works with people outside of one’s direct control

No basis for judgment
Does not seek input and perspective of others
Accepts input from others and engages them in problem solving
Seeks first to understand perspectives of others; takes actions to gain their support for ideas and initiatives
Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence, and achieve results
Uses tailored influence approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes

*Respect For Others: Acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions

No basis for judgment
Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view
Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered
Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views
Praises people publicly for their good actions; ensures that others’ opinions are heard before their own
Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect; reinforces respect with public praise when individuals solicit and use input from others

*Team Leadership: Manages and empowers a team of direct reports or peers on project based teams (includes virtual teams)

No basis for judgment
Struggles to delegate effectively (e.g. micromanages); does not organize activities or provide appropriate information to complete tasks
Assigns tasks and tells people what to do; checks when they are done
Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; structures activities; holds members accountable
Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows the impact of individual/team contributions
Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; rewards those who exceed expectations; provides strong organizational support

*Developing Others: Helps people develop their performance and ability over time

No basis for judgment
Focuses only on one’s own growth; critical of others’ efforts to develop
Encourages people to develop; points out mistakes to help people develop and praises them for improvements
Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development
Identifies potential in others; inspires others to develop by providing feedback, mentoring/coaching, and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change

*Trustworthiness/Integrity: Acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs or intentions

No basis for judgment
Follows the crowd; takes path of least resistance; gives in under pressure
Acts consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs when it is easy to do so
Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs despite opposition
Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk; demonstrates the values of the team or organization publicly
Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost; holds people accountable to the team or organizational values

*Adaptability/Resilience: Adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty. Maintains calm optimism in the face of challenge, problems, or apparent failure

No basis for judgment
Prefers existing ways of doing things; fears failure; becomes anxious under challenging situations
Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so; remains calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
Champions adoption of new initiatives and processes; exhibits level-headedness in most environments including challenging ones; persists until obstacle is overcome
Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement; remains optimistic and forward-looking in difficult situations that may result in failure
Energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward; seeks to be the first into unknown or unfamiliar situations; welcomes learning opportunities created by failure; learns from mistakes and rebounds quickly from setbacks

*Self Awareness: Aware of and seeks out additional input on own strengths and weaknesses

No basis for judgment
Lacks awareness of how he/she is perceived; denies or offers excuses when confronted
Acknowledges fault or performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data
Describes own key strengths and weaknesses accurately; welcomes feedback from others and discusses opportunities to change with select individuals
Actively seeks out feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths; explores reasons for problems openly, including own faults
Seeks out challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve; identifies and engages with resources—people, processes, or content—to maximize strengths or mitigate weaknesses

*Problem Solving: Frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues, conducts analysis on the issues, and produces acceptable solution

No basis for judgment
Avoids problems; when faced with problems, sticks to what worked before, or chooses an obvious path
Offers solutions when the risk is low; focuses on immediate, short-term implications instead of the big picture
Looks beyond the obvious; identifies and focuses on the critical information needed to understand a problem, identifies root cause(s), and comes up with reasonable solutions
Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods or several layers deep; integrates perspectives from a variety of sources to arrive at unexpected but practical and effective solutions
Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems; solves tough and interconnected problems and can explain how the pieces are connected

*Strategic Orientation: Thinks beyond one’s span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work

No basis for judgment
Focuses on completing work without understanding implications
Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis
Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance
Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organization strategy and will have impact on long-term business performance
Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance

(Optional) Is there anything about your ratings on which you would like to comment? Please share any additional thoughts about the candidate and/or clarify your ratings below. (textbox)

Recommendation Questions

You may answer all of these question by uploading a letter of recommendation.

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (textbox, Recommended word count: 50 words)

2. How does the applicant’s performance compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples. (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (textbox, Recommended word count: 500 words)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (textbox, Recommended word count: 500 words)

4. (Optional) Is there anything about your ratings on which you would like to comment?

Please upload recommendation letter: (upload file)

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this applicant compared to her/his peer group? (select)

Overall, I (select)

INSTRUCTIONS

MBA applicants are required to submit one professional letter of recommendation.

Your recommender should speak to your academic and interpersonal abilities, technical aptitude and/or professional experiences in tech, your experience working on teams, and any areas of improvement.

Your letter of recommendation should come from a current or former manager, supervisor, or someone who has managed/supervised you in a professional capacity. Unless you are a full-time entrepreneur, we generally advise that you do not choose clients, co-founders, or colleagues to write your recommendation. Only one letter is required, but you may submit an additional letter if relevant to your candidacy for the program.

*If you are an entrepreneur, CEO, and/or co-founder of a company, you may submit a recommendation from a co-founder, long-term client, or previous supervisor. While not required, we recommend submitting two recommendation letters if this applies to you.

Questions marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

*If your recommender is having issues receiving the recommendation email, it might be that their company firewall is preventing the email from going through. If this is the case, they may use their personal email or you may have your recommender email us the letter.

*Note, the recommendation letter can be submitted after the deadline date but the application will normally not be reviewed until recommendations are received.

QUESTIONS

Below are instructions for writing your letter of recommendation:

Please provide a letter of recommendation for the applicant. Ideal letters are no more than 700 words, and should address the following list of attributes based on your experience with the applicant.

Appraisal of academic and interpersonal abilities:
Examples: Quantitative aptitude, teamwork, dependability, leadership, motivation

Technical aptitude and/or professional experiences in tech:
Examples: Specific programming and data structure platforms, entrepreneurship, innovation

Project and Team-based activities:
Examples: Leadership, time management, communication, conflict resolution, technical documentation and research

Areas of improvement:
Provide an example of when you provided the applicant feedback and describe that interaction?

Your Contact Info

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Employers Name
  • Professional Title
  • How do you know the applicant?
  • How many years have you known the applicant?
  • Are you affiliated with Cornell University?
  • The applicant may request us to share your letter of recommendation with other Cornell program admissions offices. Please indicate below whether you give us your permission. If not, your letter of recommendation will not be shared with the other admissions offices.

Please upload your recommendation letter below. (upload file)

INSTRUCTIONS

You will need one reference from a supervisor. We do not accept academic references or those from relatives, peers, or colleagues. The reference must come from someone who has worked with you in a supervisory or managerial role.
Choose your referee and get them started early so your application is not held up by late reference submission.
Your referee will receive an automatic reference request once you have entered their contact details on our online application system.
You are required to provide one reference. This reference should come from a line manager or a supervisor.
You are required to submit a reference from a supervisor. If you are an entrepreneur, own your own business or work for a family business, you can select a supplier or client.

QUESTIONS

Contact information

  • First name
  • Surname
  • Job title
  • Organisation
  • Phone
  • Email
  • Address line 1
  • Street address
  • Address line 2
  • Street address
  • City
  • Post code / Zip
  • Country
  • Length of time you have known the applicant?
  • In what capacity have you known the applicant?

Rate the applicant

Please use the table below to appraise the applicant in the context of her or his peer group.

  • What is the peer group that you are using? ____________
  • Number in peer group ___________
  • Applicant’s ranking within peer group _______

For each skill below, select from drop-down: (below average ; average ; good ; outstanding ; exceptional)

  • Integrity
  • Ability to work with others
  • Creativity
  • Motivation
  • Self-confidence
  • Analytical skills
  • Written communication skills
  • Oral communication skills
  • Leadership potential
  • Responsibility for own action
  • Quantitative numerical skill

Reference letter

Please provide us with a one-two page letter of reference for the candidate.
Please include the following in your reference letter:

  • Date
  • Your job title
  • Your organisation
  • Your name
  • Your signature (can be electronic/typed/scanned)
  • Please tell us anything that you think will help the Admissions Committee evaluate the candidate’s application, but in particular we would like you to address the following issues:

Reference criteria

Please complete the following if you are a Supervisor or Peer Referee:

1. Elaborate and / or provide us with concrete examples if you have rated the applicant as below average, outstanding or exceptional on any of the qualities in the ‘Rate the Applicant’ Section.

2. Describe what you like most and least about working with the applicant.

3. Tell us about any particular weakness the candidate has compared to other peers / team members that you regularly work with.

4. Describe the applicant’s attitude and behaviour when working with: (a) managers/supervisors (b) peers (c) subordinates.

5. Suggest what you think the applicant will be doing in ten years.

Please complete the following if you are an Academic Referee:

1. Elaborate and/or provide us with concrete examples of how the applicant has demonstrated the intellectual capacity to undertake this postgraduate programme. For example, demonstration of quant skill, capability of rigorous analysis & critical reflection of problems, mastering understanding in theoretical concepts.

2. Please provide us with any further relevant information about the candidate’s experience, abilities and temperament that you feel would be relevant.

3. Please indicate where the applicant was ranked in the class.

Please upload your reference letter here: (upload file)

INSTRUCTIONS

Letters of recommendation are particularly useful to us because they provide insight into your experience and accomplishments as a leader through the eyes of someone else.
You’ll need to submit two letters of recommendation for your application to be considered complete. Ideally, one letter should come from a current supervisor or manager. The second should come from someone who can evaluate your professional performance and your managerial/leadership potential (e.g., former supervisor, previous employer, client).
Please choose your recommenders carefully as additional letters of support are neither required nor encouraged.
We prefer that one recommendation come from your current supervisor; however, we understand that there are several factors involved in getting a master’s degree. So, with that in mind, if you are not submitting a recommendation from a current supervisor, please select one of the following reasons: (select)

QUESTIONS

Recommender information

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Organization
  • Position/Title
  • Industry
  • Your relationship to the candidate
  • Phone Number
  • Country
  • City
  • State
  • Postal Code
  • Highest Degree Earned
  • Are you a Kellogg Alumnus?
  • Have known candidate since:

Please comment briefly on the context of your interaction with the applicant and their role in your organization. (textbox)

What has been the candidate’s most significant contribution to your organization? Provide measurable impact if applicable. (textbox)

Leadership assessment

Listed below you will find a section listing some competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. For each item, please select the response corresponding to the behavior that the candidate most typically exhibits. Your candid, honest appraisal of the candidate will be helpful to the Admissions Committee.
Please assess the candidate on the following skills/qualities. (for each skill, select from drop-down menu)

  • Results Orientation
  • Strategic Orientation
  • Team Leadership
  • Influence and Collaboration
  • Communicating
  • Information Seeking
  • Developing Others
  • Change Leadership
  • Respect for Others
  • Trustworthiness

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to their peer group? (select)

If needed, please explain any rankings above. (textbox, 250 characters)

Do you recommend this candidate for Kellogg? (select)

Are you willing to speak with an admissions officer about this candidate? (select)

Should the candidate accept an offer of admission, I understand I may be contacted by Re Vera Services as part of the application verification process, via phone and/or email, to verify authenticity of this letter of recommendation. (please type your full legal name) ________

Recommendation upload

Please address all of the following questions:

1. Kellogg has a diverse student body and values students who are inclusive and encouraging of others with differing perspectives and backgrounds. Please tell us about a time when you witnessed the candidate living these values. (300 words)

2. How does the candidate’s performance compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples. (300 words)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the candidate. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (250 words)

4. (Optional) Is there anything else you would like us to know?

(Upload file)

INSTRUCTIONS

The Admissions Committee requires one professional letter of recommendation, preferably from a supervisor (past or present) or someone who can speak to your strengths, accomplishments and leadership potential. If you do not have full-time, post-graduate work experience, we will accept an academic recommendation or a recommendation from a part-time job or summer internship.

Please designate your recommender below, which will send an e-mail to them with instructions and a link to the recommendation form directly. Be sure to notify your chosen recommender of the application deadline for the round in which you are applying. We permit a 10-business day grace period past the deadline for recommendations to be received, but note that this will delay the processing of your application.

QUESTIONS

Section 1 – Recommender Information

  • Prefix
  • First (Given) Name
  • Middle Name
  • Last (Family) Name/Surname
  • Current Organization
  • Current Position/Title
  • Industry
  • Address
  • Country
  • Street
  • City
  • Postal Code
  • Telephone number (including country code)
  • Email Address
  • (Optional) Alternative email (If you are using your personal email account for this recommendation, please enter your work email address which may be used as a verification of your identity if the applicant is admitted.)
  • Context of Relationship
  • Nature of relationship
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • During which period of time have you had the most frequent contact with the applicant?
  • If you are affiliated with the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School or The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill please select the option that most closely matches.
  • May we contact you regarding this applicant?
  • Did you use a translator?

Section 2

In this section, you will find 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories:

– Achievement
– Influence
– People
– Personal Qualities
– Cognitive Abilities

For each competency, please select the one button that corresponds to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors of the previous level.

1. Initiative: Acts ahead of need/anticipates problems

No basis for judgment
(1) Reluctant to take on new tasks; waits to be told what to do; defers to others
(2) Willing to step in and take charge when required to do so
(3) Takes charge spontaneously when problem needs attention
(4) Volunteers for new work challenges; proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks
(5) Proactively seeks high-impact projects; steps up to challenges even when things are not going well

2. Results Orientation: Focuses on and drives toward delivering on goals, objectives, and performance improvement

No basis for judgment
(1) Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand; unsure how work relates to goals
(2) Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals
(3) Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies
(4) Documents activities and outcomes to learn from past; introduces incremental improvements to raise the effectiveness of team
(5) Invents new approaches with measurably better results; works to deliver best-in-class performance improvements

3. Communication, Professional Impression & Poise: Delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in; uses listening and other attending behaviors to reach shared understanding; remains calm and measured even in time of crisis or conflict

No basis for judgment
(1) Struggles to get point across; neglects to understand audience’s input or perspective; lacks confidence and gets flustered under pressure
(2) Works to get point across; acknowledges feedback; reframes statements when necessary to make them clearer; speaks politely; remains composed in known circumstances
(3) Present views clearly and logically structures content for a broad audience; listens and responds to feedback; prepares in advance to appear confident; leaves a positive and professional impression; responds confidently in unfamiliar situations
(4) Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups; restates what others have said to check for understanding; comes across as confident; responds rapidly and strongly to crisis; looked to for advice and guidance
(5) Structures content for senior-level meetings; maintains composure when challenged; solicits opinions and concerns, discusses them openly and adjusts communication; remains cool under pressure during conflict or crisis; channels emotion into positive action

4. Influence and Collaboration: Engages and works with people over whom one has no direct control

No basis for judgment
(1) Does not seek input and perspective of others
(2) Accepts input from others and engages them in problem solving
(3) Seeks first to understand perspectives of others; takes actions to gain their support for ideas and initiatives
(4) Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence, and achieve results
(5) Uses tailored influence approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes

5. Respect for Others: Acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions

No basis for judgment
(1) Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view
(2) Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered
(3) Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views
(4) Praises people publicly for their good actions; ensures that others’ opinions are heard before their own
(5) Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect; reinforces respect with public praise when individuals solicit and use input from others

6. Team Leadership: Manages and empowers a team of formal or informal direct reports, including virtual teams

No basis for judgment
(1) Struggles to delegate effectively (e.g. micromanages); does not organize activities or provide appropriate information to complete tasks
(2) Assigns tasks and tells people what to do; checks when they are done
(3) Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; structures activities; holds members accountable
(4) Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows the impact of individual/team contributions
(5) Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; rewards those who exceed expectations; provides strong organizational support

7. Developing Others: Helps people develop their performance and ability over time

No basis for judgment
(1) Focuses only on one’s own growth; critical of others’ efforts to develop
(2) Encourages people to develop; points out mistakes to help people develop and praises them for improvements
(3) Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
(4) Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development
(5) Identifies potential in others; inspires others to develop by providing feedback, mentoring/coaching, and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change

8. Trustworthiness/ Integrity: Acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs or intentions

No basis for judgment
(1) Follows the crowd; takes path of least resistance; gives in under pressure
(2) Acts consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs when it is easy to do so
(3) Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs despite opposition
(4) Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk; demonstrates the values of the team or organization publicly
(5) Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost; holds people accountable to the team or organizational values

9. Adaptability/ Resilience: Adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty. Maintains calm optimism in the face of challenge, problems, or apparent failure

No basis for judgment
(1) Prefers existing ways of doing things; fears failure; becomes anxious under challenging situations
(2) Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so; remains calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
(3) Champions adoption of new initiatives and processes; exhibits level-headedness in most environments including challenging ones; persists until obstacle is overcome
(4) Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement; remains optimistic and forward-looking in difficult situations that may result in failure
(5) Energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward; seeks to be the first into unknown or unfamiliar situations; welcomes learning opportunities created by failure; learns from mistakes and rebounds quickly from setbacks

10. Self Awareness: Aware of and seeks out additional input on own strengths and weaknesses

No basis for judgment
(1) Lacks awareness of how he/she is perceived; denies or offers excuses when confronted
(2) Acknowledges fault or performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data
(3) Describes own key strengths and weaknesses accurately; welcomes feedback from others and discusses opportunities to change with select individuals
(4) Actively seeks out feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths; explores reasons for problems openly, including own faults
(5) Seeks out challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve; identifies and engages with resources—people, processes, or content—to maximize strengths or mitigate weaknesses

11. Problem Solving: Frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues, conducts analysis on the issues, and produces acceptable solution

No basis for judgment
(1) Avoids problems; when faced with problems, sticks to what worked before, or chooses an obvious path
(2) Offers solutions when the risk is low; focuses on immediate, short-term implications instead of the big picture
(3) Looks beyond the obvious; identifies and focuses on the critical information needed to understand a problem, identifies root cause(s), and comes up with reasonable solutions
(4) Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods or several layers deep; integrates perspectives from a variety of sources to arrive at unexpected but practical and effective solutions
(5) Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems; solves tough and interconnected problems and can explain how the pieces are connected

12. Strategic Orientation: Thinks beyond one’s span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work

No basis for judgment
(1) Focuses on completing work without understanding implications
(2) Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis
(3) Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance
(4) Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organization strategy and will have impact on long-term business performance
(5) Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance

(Optional) Is there anything about your competency ratings on which you’d like to comment? (textbox)

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to her/his peer group? (select)

Overall, I … (select)

Section 3

Please answer the following questions and provide specific examples where possible.

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Recommended word count: 50 words) (textbox)

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Recommended word count: 500 words) (textbox)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended word count: 500 words) (textbox)

4. (Optional) Is there anything else we should know?
Upload file, Or, type or copy-and-paste your document here: (textbox)

INSTRUCTIONS

You need to ask someone to act as your referee, this person could be either of the following:
  • your current employer (if you don’t want to ask your employer to be a referee, a colleague is acceptable)
  • someone else who knows you well in a work context, for example a former employer or long-standing client.
After you input your referee’s details into the online application form we will send them an email with log-in details for our online reference system. London Business School reserves the right to contact your referee for further information in connection with your application.

QUESTIONS

Confirm contact details
Here are your details, as provided by the applicant. You can check them and make any changes on this page.
  • Title
  • First name
  • Family name
  • Job title
  • Country
  • Organisation
  • Address 1
  • Address 2
  • City
  • County / State
  • Post code / Zip code
  • Telephone number
  • Email address
  • Are you an alumna/alumnus of London Business School or connected with the institution in any way? If so please tell us which class or who you are connected with.
Comments
Please answer the following questions regarding the applicant, making sure to save your work regularly.
As a guideline for completing the reference form you should aim to write no more than 500 words per question. Please note that 500 words is the maximum amount and not a requirement.
1. How do you know the applicant? How long have you known them for? (textbox)
2. What would you say are the applicant’s key strengths and talents? (textbox)
3. What would you say are the applicant’s key weaknesses or areas for improvement? (textbox)
4. How do the applicant’s performance, potential and personal qualities compare to those of other individuals in similar roles? (textbox)
5. What do you think this person might be doing in ten years’ time? Why? (textbox)
Ratings
Please rate the applicant, comparing them with other members of his or her peer group, on the qualities listed below using the following scoring system:
1 = High 3 = Average 5 = Low
  • Intellectual or academic ability 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Quantitative skills 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Initiative / ability to take decisions 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Problem-solving skills 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Organisational skills 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Leadership skills 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Team skills 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Impact / charisma 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Self confidence 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Self motivation 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Spoken English communication skills 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
  • Written English communication skills 1 (High)  2  3  4  5 (Low)  Not observed
Please indicate your overall recommendation on a five point score from (1) Highly Recommended to (5) Not Recommended
  • Recommendation 1  2  3  4  5
Please feel free to elaborate on your recommendation. (Note: If you prefer to submit additional comments in a separate letter, please email this to apply.mba@london.edu.) (textbox)

INSTRUCTIONS

We require one recommendation from a person who has supervised your work and/or assessed your performance. The Admissions Committee limits each application to one letter of recommendation and cannot accept additional recommendations.

While completing your application, you will be able to send your recommender an invitation to submit their recommendation. Professional recommendations are strongly recommended (i.e. direct supervisor, indirect supervisor, or a client). If you are unable to request a letter of recommendation from your direct supervisor or feel that another recommender would be more appropriate, please explain why in your optional essay statement. Once your letter of recommendation is received, you will receive an automated email.
To give us an independent perspective on your application, please provide one recommendation of your professional experience.

Ideally, the person you select should be a recent or current direct supervisor. If you are unable to ask a recent or current direct supervisor for a recommendation, we advise you to select an indirect supervisor or a client for your recommendation. The Admissions Committee is looking for insights from an individual who has a superior knowledge of you as a professional and should speak to your work qualities and career potential.

QUESTIONS

Recommender Information

  • Prefix
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Email Address
  • Current Organization
  • Current Position/Title
  • Industry
  • Context Of Relationship
  • Nature Of Relationship
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • Degree Earned
  • Graduation Month
  • Graduation Year
  • Did you use a translator?

Recommendation

In this section, you will find 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories:

– Achievement
– Influence
– People
– Personal Qualities
– Cognitive Abilities

For each competency, please select the one button that corresponds to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors of the previous level.

1. Initiative: Acts ahead of need/anticipates problems

No basis for judgment
Reluctant to take on new tasks; waits to be told what to do; defers to others
Willing to step in and take charge when required to do so
Takes charge spontaneously when problem needs attention
Volunteers for new work challenges; proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks
Proactively seeks high-impact projects; steps up to challenges even when things are not going well

2. Results Orientation: Focuses on and drives toward delivering on goals, objectives, and performance improvement

No basis for judgment
Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand; unsure how work relates to goals
Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals
Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies
Documents activities and outcomes to learn from past; introduces incremental improvements to raise the effectiveness of team
Invents new approaches with measurably better results; works to deliver best-in-class performance improvements

3. Communication, Professional Impression & Poise: Delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in; uses listening and other attending behaviors to reach shared understanding; remains calm and measured even in time of crisis or conflict

No basis for judgment
Struggles to get point across; neglects to understand audience’s input or perspective; lacks confidence and gets flustered under pressure
Works to get point across; acknowledges feedback; reframes statements when necessary to make them clearer; speaks politely; remains composed in known circumstances
Present views clearly and logically structures content for a broad audience; listens and responds to feedback; prepares in advance to appear confident; leaves a positive and professional impression; responds confidently in unfamiliar situations
Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups; restates what others have said to check for understanding; comes across as confident; responds rapidly and strongly to crisis; looked to for advice and guidance
Structures content for senior-level meetings; maintains composure when challenged;solicits opinions and concerns, discusses them openly and adjusts communication;remains cool under pressure during conflict or crisis;channels emotion into positive action

4. Influence and Collaboration: Engages and works with people over whom one has no direct control

No basis for judgment
Does not seek input and perspective of others
Accepts input from others and engages them in problem solving
Seeks first to understand perspectives of others; takes actions to gain their support for ideas and initiatives
Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence, and achieve results
Uses tailored influence approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes

5. Respect for Others: Acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions

No basis for judgment
Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view
Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered
Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views
Praises people publicly for their good actions; ensures that others’ opinions are heard before their own
Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect; reinforces respect with public praise when individuals solicit and use input from others

6. Team Leadership: Manages and empowers a team of formal or informal direct reports, including virtual teams

No basis for judgment
Struggles to delegate effectively (e.g. micromanages); does not organize activities or provide appropriate information to complete tasks
Assigns tasks and tells people what to do; checks when they are done
Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; structures activities; holds members accountable
Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows the impact of individual/team contributions
Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; rewards those who exceed expectations; provides strong organizational support

7. Developing Others: Helps people develop their performance and ability over time

No basis for judgment
Focuses only on one’s own growth; critical of others’ efforts to develop
Encourages people to develop; points out mistakes to help people develop and praises them for improvements
Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development
Identifies potential in others; inspires others to develop by providing feedback, mentoring/coaching, and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change

8. Trustworthiness/ Integrity: Acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs or intentions

No basis for judgment
Follows the crowd; takes path of least resistance; gives in under pressure
Acts consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs when it is easy to do so
Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs despite opposition
Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk; demonstrates the values of the team or organization publicly
Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost; holds people accountable to the team or organizational values

9. Adaptability/ Resilience: Adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty. Maintains calm optimism in the face of challenge, problems, or apparent failure

No basis for judgment
Prefers existing ways of doing things; fears failure; becomes anxious under challenging situations
Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so; remains calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
Champions adoption of new initiatives and processes; exhibits level-headedness in most environments including challenging ones; persists until obstacle is overcome
Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement; remains optimistic and forward-looking in difficult situations that may result in failure
Energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward; seeks to be the first into unknown or unfamiliar situations; welcomes learning opportunities created by failure; learns from mistakes and rebounds quickly from setbacks

10. Self Awareness: Aware of and seeks out additional input on own strengths and weaknesses

No basis for judgment
Lacks awareness of how he/she is perceived; denies or offers excuses when confronted
Acknowledges fault or performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data
Describes own key strengths and weaknesses accurately; welcomes feedback from others and discusses opportunities to change with select individuals
Actively seeks out feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths; explores reasons for problems openly, including own faults
Seeks out challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve; identifies and engages with resources—people, processes, or content—to maximize strengths or mitigate weaknesses

11. Problem Solving: Frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues, conducts analysis on the issues, and produces acceptable solution

No basis for judgment
Avoids problems; when faced with problems, sticks to what worked before, or chooses an obvious path
Offers solutions when the risk is low; focuses on immediate, short-term implications instead of the big picture
Looks beyond the obvious; identifies and focuses on the critical information needed to understand a problem, identifies root cause(s), and comes up with reasonable solutions
Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods or several layers deep; integrates perspectives from a variety of sources to arrive at unexpected but practical and effective solutions
Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems; solves tough and interconnected problems and can explain how the pieces are connected

12. Strategic Orientation: Thinks beyond one’s span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work

No basis for judgment
Focuses on completing work without understanding implications
Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis
Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance
Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organization strategy and will have impact on long-term business performance
Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance

(Optional) Is there anything about your competency ratings on which you’d like to comment? (textbox)

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to her/his peer group? (select)

Overall, I … (select)

Additional Questions

Please answer the following questions and provide specific examples where possible.

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (textbox, Recommended word count: 50 words)

2. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (textbox, Recommended word count: 500 words)

3. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (textbox, Recommended word count: 500 words)

4. (Optional) Is there anything else we should know? If so, please upload a pdf file. (upload file)

INSTRUCTIONS

List one recommender who will complete a reference form in support of your application. Once you click the “Submit Recommendation Request” button below, your recommender will receive an email from ApplyWeb with instructions.
If you are not selecting a direct supervisor as your recommender, please address why in the optional essay.
Please note that a member of the admissions committee or third party vendor may reach out to your recommender to verify their recommendation.
To send the recommendation request email, please click the ‘Submit Recommendation Request’ button below.

QUESTIONS

Recommender Information

  • Context of Relationship:
  • Nature of relationship
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • During which period of time have you had the most frequent contact with the applicant?
  • If you are affiliated with Ross School of Business or University of Michigan, please indicate how.
  • Did you use a translator?

Recommendation Form

In this section, you will find 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories:

  • Achievement
  • Influence
  • People
  • Personal Qualities
  • Cognitive Abilities

For each competency, please select the one button that corresponds to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors of the previous level.

Achievement

1. Initiative

No basis for judgment
Reluctant to take on new tasks; waits to be told what to do; defers to others
Willing to step in and take charge when required to do so
Takes charge spontaneously when problem needs attention
Volunteers for new work challenges; proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks
Proactively seeks high-impact projects; steps up to challenges even when things are not going well

2. Results Orientation

No basis for judgment
Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand; unsure how work relates to goals
Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals
Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies
Documents activities and outcomes to learn from past; introduces incremental improvements to raise the effectiveness of team
Invents new approaches with measurably better results; works to deliver best-in-class performance improvements

Influence

3. Communication, Professional Impression, Poise & Presence

No basis for judgment
Struggles to get point across; neglects to understand audience’s input or perspective; lacks confidence and gets flustered under pressure
Works to get point across; acknowledges feedback; reframes statements when necessary to make them clearer; speaks politely; remains composed in known circumstances
Present views clearly and logically structures content for a road audience; listens and responds to feedback; prepares in advance to appear confident; leaves a positive and professional impression; responds confidently in unfamiliar situations
Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups; restates what others have said to check for understanding; comes across as confident; responds rapidly and strongly to crisis; looked to for advice and guidance
Structures content for senior-level meetings; maintains composure when challenged; solicits opinions and concerns, discusses them openly and adjusts communication; when in strong conflict or crisis, remains cool under pressure; channels strong emotion into positive action

4. Influence and Collaboration

No basis for judgment
Does not seek input and perspective of others
Accepts input from others and engages them in problem solving
Seeks first to understand perspectives of others; takes actions to gain their support for ideas and initiatives
Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence, and achieve results
Uses tailored influence approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes

People

5. Respect for Others

No basis for judgment
Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view
Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered
Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views
Praises people publicly for their good actions; ensures that others’ opinions are heard before their own
Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect; reinforces respect with public praise when individuals solicit and use input from others

6. Team Leadership

No basis for judgment
Struggles to delegate effectively (e.g. micromanages); does not organize activities or provide appropriate information to complete tasks
Assigns tasks and tells people what to do; checks when they are done
Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; structures activities; holds members accountable
Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows the impact of individual/team contributions
Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; rewards those who exceed expectations; provides strong organizational support

7. Developing Others

No basis for judgment
Focuses only on one’s own growth; critical of others’ efforts to develop
Encourages people to develop; points out mistakes to help people develop and praises them for improvements
Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development
Identifies potential in others; inspires others to develop by providing feedback, mentoring/coaching, and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change

Personal Qualities

8. Trustworthiness/ Integrity

No basis for judgment
Follows the crowd; takes path of least resistance; gives in under pressure
Acts consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs when it is easy to do so
Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs despite opposition
Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk; demonstrates the values of the team or organization publicly
Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost; holds people accountable to the team or organizational values

9. Adaptability/ Resilience

No basis for judgment
Prefers existing ways of doing things; fears failure; becomes anxious under challenging situations
Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so; remains calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
Champions adoption of new initiatives and processes; exhibits level-headedness in most environments including challenging ones; persists until obstacle is overcome
Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement; remains optimistic and forward-looking in difficult situations that may result in failure
Energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward; seeks to be the first into unknown or unfamiliar situations; welcomes learning opportunities created by failure; learns from mistakes and rebounds quickly from setbacks

10. Self Awareness

No basis for judgment
Lacks awareness of how he/she is perceived; denies or offers excuses when confronted
Acknowledges fault or performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data
Describes own key strengths and weaknesses accurately; welcomes feedback from others and discusses opportunities to change with select individuals
Actively seeks out feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths; explores reasons for problems openly, including own faults
Seeks out challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve; identifies and engages with resources—people, processes, or content—to maximize strengths or mitigate weaknesses

Cognitive

11. Problem Solving

No basis for judgment
Avoids problems; when faced with problems, sticks to what worked before, or chooses an obvious path
Offers solutions when the risk is low; focuses on immediate, short-term implications instead of the big picture
Looks beyond the obvious; identifies and focuses on the critical information needed to understand a problem, identifies root cause(s), and comes up with reasonable solutions
Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods or several layers deep; integrates perspectives from a variety of sources to arrive at unexpected but practical and effective solutions
Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems; solves tough and interconnected problems and can explain how the pieces are connected

12. Strategic Orientation

No basis for judgment
Focuses on completing work without understanding implications
Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis
Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance
Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organization strategy and will have impact on long-term business performance
Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance

(Optional) Is there anything about your competency ratings on which you’d like to comment? (textbox)

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to her/his peer group? (select)

Overall, I… (select)

Recommender Questions

Please answer the following questions and provide specific examples where possible.

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (50 words)

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (500 words)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (500 words)

4. Is there anything else we should know? (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

We require two professional or academic references.
Using the online application form you will need to submit two references, preferably from professional referees. Once your referee details are input into the form, your referee will receive an automatic email from the School with details on how to complete the online reference form. Please note we can only accept references from a valid work/professional/institutional email address and not from Gmail/Hotmail accounts.

QUESTIONS

Evaluation grid:

For each skill below, select: Needs Improvement ; Developing ; Competent ; Exceeds Expectations ; Unknown/Not Observed

  • Intellectual Curiosity
  • Leadership skills
  • Ability to work in a team
  • Energy and drive
  • English language ability

Letter:

Please upload a letter below, to elaborate on your ratings you have given the candidate above. Please also indicate, for how long you have known the candidate and in what capacity, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and how you think the candidate would benefit from the programme. (upload file)

INSTRUCTIONS

One Letter of Recommendation is required. A detailed recommendation can tell us a lot about you. Make sure you select an individual qualified to speak about your results as a professional and your potential as a leader. Some important details:

  • MBA applicants must submit one letter of recommendation.
  • A recommendation from a professional contact is preferred, ideally a manager or supervisor.
  • We do not accept recommendations from family members.
  • Your letter of recommendation must be received by the deadline date for the round you are applying (see above for our deadlines.) It is your responsibility to remind your recommender to make sure it is submitted on time.
  • You will be instructed to add your recommender’s contact information and they will be sent instructions on how to submit their letter.

Additional References

We want to make sure we give you the best chance to show us your strengths, so please provide us with contact information for two additional professional references. If we still have questions after reading your application, we might reach out to one or both of these references. Similar to your recommender, these additional references should be able to speak to your professional and/or academic background. These two individuals should be different from your recommender.

Some important details:

  • All MBA applicants must provide contact information for two additional references.
  • References should be different from your recommender.
  • Please enter the names and contact information (phone and email) for each additional reference as well as where they work and their relationship to you.
    If the Admissions Committee wishes to contact any of your references, we will reach out directly to the reference to set up a mutually convenient time to talk.

QUESTIONS

Recommender Information

  • Prefix
  • First (Given) Name
  • Middle Name
  • Last (Family) Name/Surname
  • Current Organization
  • Current Position/Title
  • Address
  • Country
  • Street
  • City
  • Postal Code
  • Telephone number (including country code)
  • Email Address
  • (Optional) Alternative email (If you are using your personal email account for this recommendation, please enter your work email address which may be used as a verification of your identity if the applicant is admitted.)
  • Context of Relationship
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • May we contact you regarding this applicant?

Occasionally candidates would like to be considered for other MIT programs or partner schools and ask us to share their applications with these programs. Please indicate below if you would like us to share your recommendation.

  • I authorize MIT Sloan to share my recommendation.

Ratings

Please rate the applicant on the following criteria, in relation to other high potential people you know.

1. Truly Exceptional (best in 5 years)

2. Outstanding (best in year)

3. Above Average (top 25%)

4. Average (top 50%)

5. Below Average (bottom 50%)

6. Unobserved

  • Leadership Potential
  • Creativity
  • Resourcefulness
  • Intellectual Curiosity
  • Energy and Initiative
  • Ability to Work in a Team
  • Oral Communication Skills in English Language
  • Written Communication Skills in English Language
  • Presence
  • Analytical Thinking and Reasoning

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to their peer group? (select)

Overall, I … (select)

Recommendation Letter

Please upload a letter or one document that addresses the following questions and cites specific examples or observations about the candidate. Recommendations should be no longer than two pages.

1. How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?

2. How does the applicant stand out from others in a similar capacity?

3. Please give an example of the applicant’s impact on a person, group, or organization.

4. Please give a representative example of how the applicant interacts with other people.

5. Please tell us anything else you think we should know about this applicant.

6. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.

Upload file, Or, type or copy-and-paste your document here: (textbox)

INSTRUCTIONS

Stories about your behaviors, impact, and personal qualities told by others play an essential role in our evaluation of your application.

Your letters of recommendation should provide specific examples and anecdotes that illustrate what you have done and how you have done it.

Required: Two letters of recommendation. One recommendation from your current direct supervisor (or next best alternative) at work, and one recommendation from someone else who has supervised you.

Both letters of recommendation must be submitted by the deadline of the round in which you apply. You must not have any involvement in the drafting, writing, translation, or submission of the letters, including having any outside party review or edit the letters before they are submitted.

First Recommendation

Current Direct Supervisor or Next Best Alternative
You must obtain at least one recommendation from your current direct supervisor. We understand, however, that you may be in a situation that prevents you from providing a recommendation from your current direct supervisor. For example, you may:

Be self-employed
Work for a family business in which a family member is your supervisor
Have begun a new position where your direct supervisor does not know you well
Have not notified your direct supervisor that you are applying to business school
Be a student
If you are unable to provide a letter from your current direct supervisor, use your judgment in finding an alternative source for your recommendation: a previous supervisor, an indirect manager, a client, a member of your board of directors, or any other individual who supervises your work.

If you don’t have full-time work experience, you may use a direct supervisor from a summer, part-time, or internship position. Alternatively, you may ask someone who managed you in an extracurricular, research, volunteer, or community activity.

Second Recommendation

Someone Else Who Has Supervised You
The strongest recommendations typically come from your workplace. You may select a recommendation from your professional, community, or extracurricular experiences. Having two recommendations from the same organization is fine. We recognize that work environments are fluid, so we give you the option of choosing the individual who can best represent your potential impact.

Choosing Your Recommenders

We are impressed by what a recommendation letter says, not by the title or background of the individual who wrote it or the writing skills of the recommender. You should choose individuals who:

Know you well through significant, direct involvement with you within the last three years
Will provide detailed anecdotes and examples to support their assertions
Are sufficiently enthused to spend time writing a thoughtful letter

QUESTIONS

Recommender Information

  • First Name (Given)
  • Last Name (Family)
  • Organization
  • Job Title
  • Location
  • Country
  • City
  • Phone
  • Phone
  • Extension
  • Phone Type
  • Home
  • Mobile
  • Work
  • May we contact you at work regarding this applicant?
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • During which period of time have you had the most frequent contact with the applicant?
  • You have been registered by the applicant as providing this type of Letter of Recommendation.
    • Current Direct Supervisor
    • Other
  • Are/were you the applicant’s direct supervisor?
  • Comment briefly on the context of your interaction with the applicant. If applicable, describe the applicant’s role in your organization.  (textbox, 320 characters)
  • Did you use a translator?
  • If you are a Stanford GSB alumna/alumnus, enter your degree class year. If you are not, leave blank.
  • How many candidates are you recommending to Stanford GSB this year?

Leadership Assessment

Listed below you will find a number of competencies that contribute to successful leadership. Within each category, mark the one button corresponding to the behavior that the candidate most typically exhibits. We acknowledge that all candidates have both areas of strength and areas of development. If you select the highest rating, provide specific examples in your letter.

Initiative

No basis for judgment
Reluctant to take on new tasks; waits to be told what to do; defers to others
Willing to step in and take charge when required to do so
Takes charge spontaneously when problem needs attention
Volunteers for new work challenges; proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks
Proactively seeks high-impact projects; steps up to challenges even when things are not going well

Results Orientation

No basis for judgment
Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand; unsure how work relates to goals
Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals
Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies
Documents activities and outcomes to learn from past; introduces incremental improvements to raise the effectiveness of team
Invents new approaches with measurably better results; works to deliver best-in-class performance improvements

Communication, Professional Impression & Poise

No basis for judgment
Struggles to get point across; neglects to understand audience’s input or perspective; lacks confidence and gets flustered under pressure
Works to get point across; acknowledges feedback; reframes statements when necessary to make them clearer; speaks politely; remains composed in known circumstances
Presents views clearly and logically structures content for a broad audience; listens and responds to feedback; prepares in advance to appear confident; leaves a positive and professional impression; responds confidently in unfamiliar situations
Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups; restates what others have said to check for understanding; comes across as confident; responds rapidly and strongly to crisis; looked to for advice and guidance
Maintains composure when challenged; solicits opinions and concerns, discusses them openly and adjusts communication; when in strong conflict or crisis, remains cool under pressure; channels strong emotion into positive action

Influence and Collaboration

No basis for judgment
Does not seek input and perspective of others
Accepts input from others and engages them in problem solving
Seeks first to understand perspectives of others; takes actions to gain their support for ideas and initiatives
Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence, and achieve results
Uses tailored influence approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes

Respect for Others

No basis for judgment
Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view
Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered
Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views
Praises people publicly for their good actions; ensures that others’ opinions are heard before their own
Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect; reinforces respect with public praise when individuals solicit and use input from others

Team Leadership

No basis for judgment
Struggles to delegate effectively (e.g. micromanages); does not organize activities or provide appropriate information to complete tasks
Assigns tasks and tells people what to do; checks when they are done
Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; structures activities; holds members accountable
Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows the impact of individual/team contributions
Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; rewards those who exceed expectations; provides strong organizational support

Developing Others

No basis for judgment
Focuses only on own growth; critical of others’ efforts to develop
Encourages people to develop; points out mistakes to help people develop and praises them for improvements
Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development
Identifies potential in others; inspires others to develop by providing feedback, mentoring/coaching, and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change

Trustworthiness/ Integrity

No basis for judgment
Follows the crowd; takes path of least resistance; gives in under pressure
Acts consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs when it is easy to do so
Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs despite opposition
Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk; demonstrates the values of the team or organization publicly
Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost; holds people accountable to the team or organizational values

Adaptability/ Resilience

No basis for judgment
Prefers existing ways of doing things; fears failure; becomes anxious under challenging situations
Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so; remains calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
Champions adoption of new initiatives and processes; exhibits calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement; remains optimistic and forward-looking in difficult situations that may result in failure
Energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward; seeks to be the first into unknown or unfamiliar situations; welcomes learning opportunities created by failure; learns from mistakes and rebounds quickly from setbacks

Self Awareness

No basis for judgment
Lacks awareness of how they are perceived; denies or offers excuses when confronted
Acknowledges fault or performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data
Describes own key strengths and weaknesses accurately; welcomes feedback from others and discusses opportunities to change with select individuals
Actively seeks out feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths; explores reasons for problems openly, including own faults
Seeks out challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve; identifies and engages with resources – people, processes, or content – to maximize strengths or mitigate weaknesses

Problem Solving

No basis for judgment
Avoids problems; when faced with problems, sticks to what worked before, or chooses an obvious path
Offers solutions when the risk is low; focuses on immediate, short-term implications instead of the big picture
Looks beyond the obvious; identifies and focuses on the critical information needed to understand a problem, identifies root cause(s), and comes up with reasonable solutions
Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods or several layers deep; integrates perspectives from a variety of sources to arrive at unexpected but practical and effective solutions
Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems; solves tough and interconnected problems and can explain how the pieces are connected

Strategic Orientation

No basis for judgment
Focuses on completing work without understanding implications
Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis
Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance
Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organization strategy and will have impact on long-term business performance
Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance

Feel free to comment if you need to clarify the ratings you have assigned. (textbox, 500 characters)

Summary

  • Based on your professional experience, how would you rate this candidate compared to their peer group? (select)
  • Overall, I (select)

Recommendation Questions

The most useful recommendations provide detailed descriptions, candid anecdotes, and specific evidence that highlight the candidate’s behavior, actions, and impact on those around them. This kind of information helps distinguish the very best individuals from a pool of many well-qualified candidates. Write your answers to the following questions in a separate document and submit it through our online form.

Questions:

  1. How does the applicant’s performance compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Provide specific examples (e.g., what are the applicant’s principal strengths?). – Up to 500 words
  2. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. – Up to 500 words
  3. (Optional) Is there anything else we should know?

Do not include graphics or icons such as company letterhead.

Save your recommendation form before uploading your document by clicking on the Save for Later button below. To upload your document:

  • Click on the Choose File or Browse button.
  • Locate your document and click on Open in the pop-up window.
  • Once uploaded, the name of your document will appear to the right of the Choose File or Browse button.

Upload Letter of Recommendation (upload file)

INSTRUCTIONS

You are required to submit one EQ Endorsement. A second EQ Endorsement is optional, but not required.
If you are a reapplicant to NYU Stern’s MBA program, you are not required to submit an EQ Endorsement. Your endorsement from the previous cycle that you applied in will be reviewed as a part of your application. Additional EQ endorsements are optional, but not required.
EQ Endorsements should come from individuals who can objectively assess your potential for success in NYU Stern’s MBA program and in your future career, and who can act as a persuasive advocate of your EQ strengths. View details on the EQ Endorsement.
The EQ Endorsements should be completed online. Please provide the names and contact information of endorsers below.
Once you have added your endorser information below, an email will be sent to him/her with instructions on how to proceed with the online endorsement. If you would like to send a reminder email, click the endorser’s name below and then click the “Send Reminder” button at the bottom of the box to automatically generate a reminder email.
Make sure to have your endorser whitelist the stern.nyu.edu domain to ensure receipt of our notification. If your endorser is having difficulty accessing your endorsement using his or her company email address, have your endorser provide you with his/her personal email address. Then use that personal email address to create and send a new endorsement request from the application.

For those endorsers who wish to submit their endorsement on paper or who require a translation, you must contact NYU Stern MBA Admissions via email at admchair@stern.nyu.edu for prior approval.

QUESTIONS

Recommender information

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Organization
  • Title
  • Relationship
  • Phone Number
  • Email
  • Date Submitted
  • Signature
  • Is the applicant currently employed by your organization?:
  • Are you an alumna/alumnus of the NYU Stern School of Business?

EQ Endorsement

Please rate the applicant in relation to his or her peers. (for each, select: outstanding ; excellent ; good ; average ; below average ; unable to judge)

  • Analytical/Quantitative Ability:
  • Oral Communication Skills:
  • Written Communication Skills:
  • Initiative:
  • Integrity:
  • Leadership:
  • Maturity:
  • Teamwork:
  • Professionalism:
  • Emotional Intelligence (EQ):

Please mark your overall recommendation regarding this applicant’s admission to NYU Stern: (select)

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (textbox, Up to 50 words)

2. How does the applicant’s performance compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles (if applicable)? Please provide specific examples. (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (textbox, Up to 500 words)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (textbox, Up to 500 words)

4. IQ+EQ is a core value of NYU Stern, and we seek exceptional individuals who possess both intellectual and interpersonal strengths. Emotional intelligence (EQ) skills such as self-awareness, empathy, communication and self-management are at the core of our community of leaders.
Please provide one specific and compelling example to demonstrate the applicant’s emotional intelligence. (textbox)

5. (Optional) Is there anything else we should know? (textbox / upload file)

I confirm that I am the EQ Endorser identified above, that I have written this endorsement in its entirety and that the applicant did not draft, write, influence, coerce, or submit this document.

INSTRUCTIONS

So, we’ve heard all about you from you. Now it’s time to hear about you from someone else!

We require just one recommendation and prefer that you select someone from your professional life. Ideally you would pick a supervisor (current or previous) but someone who can speak to your strengths at work would be best.

Here’s how this works – enter the name and contact information for your recommender below and we will email him/her with instructions for completing the recommendation online. You must provide a professional email address for your recommender. We will reach out to your recommender as soon as you complete this section and click on “Send to Recommender.”

Your application cannot be forwarded to the Admission Committee for review until your recommender has submitted their recommendation.

After you submit your application, check back to see the status of your recommendation and, if needed, nudge your recommender to ensure they submit quickly. We don’t want anything to hold up your application!

We use the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR). The Common LOR is intended to save you and your recommender valuable time by providing a single set of recommendation questions for each participating school. This allows your recommender to use the same answers for multiple letter submissions, alleviating the workload of having to answer different questions for each school multiple times. You benefit because it makes the ask for several different letters to be written on your behalf much easier. In addition, translated copied of the standard questions are available in several other languages that you can provide to your recommender as support.

QUESTIONS

Section 1 – Recommender Information

  • Prefix
  • First (Given) Name
  • Middle Name
  • Last (Family) Name/Surname
  • Current Organization
  • Current Position/Title
  • Industry
  • Address
  • Country
  • Street
  • City
  • State
  • Postal Code
  • Telephone number (including country code)
  • Email Address
  • (Optional) Alternative email (If you are using your personal email account for this recommendation, please enter your work email address which may be used as a verification of your identity if the applicant is admitted.)
  • Context of Relationship
  • Nature of relationship
  • How long have you known the applicant?
  • During which period of time have you had the most frequent contact with the applicant?
  • If you are affiliated with the Tepper School of Business or Carnegie Mellon University, please select the option that most closely matches.
  • May we contact you regarding this applicant?
  • Did you use a translator?

Section 2

In this section, you will find 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories:

– Achievement
– Influence
– People
– Personal Qualities
– Cognitive Abilities

For each competency, please select the one button that corresponds to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors of the previous level.

1. Initiative: Acts ahead of need/anticipates problems

0-No basis for judgment
1-Reluctant to take on new tasks; waits to be told what to do; defers to others
2-Willing to step in and take charge when required to do so
3-Takes charge spontaneously when problem needs attention
4-Volunteers for new work challenges; proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks
5-Proactively seeks high-impact projects; steps up to challenges even when things are not going well

2. Results Orientation: Focuses on and drives toward delivering on goals, objectives, and performance improvement

0-No basis for judgment
1-Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand; unsure how work relates to goals
2-Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals
3-Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies
4-Documents activities and outcomes to learn from past; introduces incremental improvements to raise the effectiveness of team
5-Invents new approaches with measurably better results; works to deliver best-in-class performance improvements

3. Communication, Professional Impression & Poise: Delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in; uses listening and other attending behaviors to reach shared understanding; remains calm and measured even in time of crisis or conflict

0-No basis for judgment
1-Struggles to get point across; neglects to understand audience’s input or perspective; lacks confidence and gets flustered under pressure
2-Works to get point across; acknowledges feedback; reframes statements when necessary to make them clearer; speaks politely; remains composed in known circumstances
3-Present views clearly and logically structures content for a broad audience; listens and responds to feedback; prepares in advance to appear confident; leaves a positive and professional impression; responds confidently in unfamiliar situations
4-Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups; restates what others have said to check for understanding; comes across as confident; responds rapidly and strongly to crisis; looked to for advice and guidance
Structures content for senior-level meetings; maintains composure when challenged; solicits opinions and concerns, discusses them openly and adjusts communication; remains cool under pressure during conflict or crisis; channels emotion into positive action

4. Influence and Collaboration: Engages and works with people over whom one has no direct control

0-No basis for judgment
1-Does not seek input and perspective of others
2-Accepts input from others and engages them in problem solving
3-Seeks first to understand perspectives of others; takes actions to gain their support for ideas and initiatives
4-Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence, and achieve results
5-Uses tailored influence approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes

5. Respect for Others: Acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions

0-No basis for judgment
1-Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view
2-Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered
3-Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views
4-Praises people publicly for their good actions; ensures that others’ opinions are heard before their own
5-Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect; reinforces respect with public praise when individuals solicit and use input from others

6. Team Leadership: Manages and empowers a team of formal or informal direct reports, including virtual teams

0-No basis for judgment
1-Struggles to delegate effectively (e.g. micromanages); does not organize activities or provide appropriate information to complete tasks
2-Assigns tasks and tells people what to do; checks when they are done
3-Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; structures activities; holds members accountable
4-Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows the impact of individual/team contributions
5-Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; rewards those who exceed expectations; provides strong organizational support

7. Developing Others: Helps people develop their performance and ability over time

0-No basis for judgment
1-Focuses only on one’s own growth; critical of others’ efforts to develop
2-Encourages people to develop; points out mistakes to help people develop and praises them for improvements
3-Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
4-Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development
5-Identifies potential in others; inspires others to develop by providing feedback, mentoring/coaching, and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change

8. Trustworthiness/ Integrity: Acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs or intentions

0-No basis for judgment
1-Follows the crowd; takes path of least resistance; gives in under pressure
2-Acts consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs when it is easy to do so
3-Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs despite opposition
4-Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk; demonstrates the values of the team or organization publicly
5-Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost; holds people accountable to the team or organizational values

9. Adaptability/ Resilience: Adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty. Maintains calm optimism in the face of challenge, problems, or apparent failure

0-No basis for judgment
1-Prefers existing ways of doing things; fears failure; becomes anxious under challenging situations
2-Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so; remains calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
3-Champions adoption of new initiatives and processes; exhibits level-headedness in most environments including challenging ones; persists until obstacle is overcome
4-Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement; remains optimistic and forward-looking in difficult situations that may result in failure
5-Energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward; seeks to be the first into unknown or unfamiliar situations; welcomes learning opportunities created by failure; learns from mistakes and rebounds quickly from setbacks

10. Self Awareness: Aware of and seeks out additional input on own strengths and weaknesses

0-No basis for judgment
1-Lacks awareness of how he/she is perceived; denies or offers excuses when confronted
2-Acknowledges fault or performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data
3-Describes own key strengths and weaknesses accurately; welcomes feedback from others and discusses opportunities to change with select individuals
4-Actively seeks out feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths; explores reasons for problems openly, including own faults
5-Seeks out challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve; identifies and engages with resources—people, processes, or content—to maximize strengths or mitigate weaknesses

11. Problem Solving: Frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues, conducts analysis on the issues, and produces acceptable solution

0-No basis for judgment
1-Avoids problems; when faced with problems, sticks to what worked before, or chooses an obvious path
2-Offers solutions when the risk is low; focuses on immediate, short-term implications instead of the big picture
3-Looks beyond the obvious; identifies and focuses on the critical information needed to understand a problem, identifies root cause(s), and comes up with reasonable solutions
4-Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods or several layers deep; integrates perspectives from a variety of sources to arrive at unexpected but practical and effective solutions
5-Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems; solves tough and interconnected problems and can explain how the pieces are connected

12. Strategic Orientation: Thinks beyond one’s span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work

0-No basis for judgment
1-Focuses on completing work without understanding implications
2-Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis
3-Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance
4-Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organization strategy and will have impact on long-term business performance
5-Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance

(Optional) Is there anything about your competency ratings on which you’d like to comment? (textbox)

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to her/his peer group? (select)

Overall, I … (select)

Section 3

Please answer the following questions and provide specific examples where possible.

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Recommended word count: 50 words) (textbox)

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Recommended word count: 500 words) (textbox)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended word count: 500 words) (textbox)

INSTRUCTIONS

First time applicants must submit two letters of reference (LOR). Reapplicants who applied in the 2022-23 application cycle need to submit only one new LOR from a reference who did not previously write to Tuck on their behalf.
For suggestions on selecting and preparing your references, read our guidance on the Tuck360 blog.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows you to access your educational record if you enroll at Tuck. You may waive your right of access to your letter(s) of reference if you so choose. Your decision to waive or not to waive your right of access will have no bearing on the handling of your application.
You must submit two LORs unless you are a reapplicant who applied during the most recent admissions cycle. Reapplicants who applied during the most recent admissions cycle need to submit only one new LOR from a reference who did not write to Tuck on your behalf last year.

Details:

In the application, you will be asked to enter your reference’s information. We will email each reference a unique link to our LOR form. All LORs must be submitted virtually by your reference(s) via this process.
References who cannot write in English should write in their native language and have the LOR translated by an outside translation service. Do not translate the LOR into English for your reference.
Your reference must be the sole author of your LOR. Drafting, writing, translating, or submitting your own LOR, even if asked to do so by your reference, violates Tuck’s admissions policies and Academic Honor Principle. You are responsible for informing your references of this policy.
You are also responsible for notifying your references of your application deadline and ensuring your LORs are submitted on time. We review your application only if all required LORs are received by your application deadline. Otherwise, we will move your application to the next admission round. If your application is not complete by the final deadline it will be evaluated as is. If you would like to make changes to your list of references, please contact us.

Selecting Your References:

Request LORs from people who can demonstrate that you are smart, accomplished, aware, and encouraging.
If possible, your current direct supervisor should write one of your LORs. You will be asked to provide a brief explanation in the Other Employment Information section of your application if you cannot provide an LOR from a direct supervisor. If more than a brief explanation of recommender choice is needed, you may further clarify your choice with a few sentences in the Optional Information section of the application.
LORs from professors who did not supervise professional work, from friends, family members, or coaches, do not enhance your candidacy.

QUESTIONS

Section 1: Reference Information

  • Name
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Telephone
  • Relationship to Applicant
  • Education
  • Highest Degree Earned
  • Granting Institution
  • Organization
  • Position/Title
  • Organization Location
  • Country
  • City
  • State

Section 2: Recommendation Questions

Tuck has adopted the essay questions posed by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Common Letter of Recommendation. Please respond to all of the following questions in the space below. If you have written your reference letter in a Word document, please copy and paste your letter into the space below.

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.

4. Is there anything else we should know?

(textbox, no limit)

INSTRUCTIONS

We require two letters of recommendations from individuals who are well acquainted with your performance in a work setting, preferably from a current or former supervisor.

The title or position of the evaluator is not as important as his/her ability to comment knowledgeably and specifically about you. Submit recommendations from people who can speak directly about your aptitudes and capabilities.

Go to the Recommender section of the MBA Application Instructions to see the questions asked of recommenders and for more details.

It is possible that after having selected your recommenders, to alter this selection. If the recommender has not submitted a recommendation, you can change the recommender by clicking the Manage your Recommenders’ button below. You cannot change a recommender once he/she has completed and submitted their recommendation.

Please also note that this page cannot be updated directly and will not reflect any changes made to the recommender’s name or email address on the activities page. However this system will capture the updated information as well as send an email to the new recommender if the email address is updated.

The people submitting reference letters on your behalf should submit their letters to our admissions office electronically through our application system.

You must enter the names and contact information for each recommendation provider.

We require all recommendations to be submitted electronically. After you have contacted your recommenders, please complete the form on the Recommendations page.

After selecting your recommenders, it is possible that you’ll need to alter this selection. If a recommender has not begun their recommendation, you can delete them and assign another recommender. Please note that your new recommender will not appear on the recommendation page of your application, however we will see the new listing when you submit your application.

QUESTIONS

Summary Appraisal

Please look at this list of personality characteristics and choose up to two traits that you feel best represent the candidate you are recommending to the Wharton MBA Program. (TIP – You do not have to choose two, only up to two.)

Determined, Humble, Disciplined, Engaged, Intellectually Curious,Analytical, Flexible, Persistent, Conscientious, Results Oriented

  • 1 (select)
  • 2 (select)

Please look at this list of personality characteristics and choose up to two traits that you feel best represent the candidate you are recommending to the Wharton MBA Program. (TIP – You do not have to choose two, only up to two.)

Collaborative, Persuasive, Innovative, Confident, Self-Aware, Professional, Resilient, Energetic, Emotionally Stable, Agreeable

  • 1 (select)
  • 2 (select)

Applicant Assessment

1. Please provide example(s) that illustrate why you believe this candidate will find success in the Wharton MBA classroom. (Word count: 300) (textbox, 7500 characters max)

2. Please provide example(s) that illustrate why you believe this candidate will find success throughout their career. (Word count: 300) (textbox, 7500 characters max)

3. (Optional) Is there anything else we should know? (textbox, 7500 characters max)

INSTRUCTIONS

Why We’re Asking?

Recommendations are an important window into understanding your professional impact and how you lead and collaborate within an organizational setting. They are a way for us to gain additional perspective on your candidacy from people who have worked with you and who know you well.

Who Should Write Your Recommendations?

Unless you are applying as an undergraduate student, your two recommendations should be professional in nature. We strongly recommend that one of your recommendations come from a current supervisor. However, we know that sometimes this is not possible, and you will have an opportunity to explain your choice of recommenders in the Work Experience section if neither of your recommendations comes from someone who currently supervises you.
Undergraduate students applying to the Silver Scholars Program must provide one letter from an academic instructor and one letter from a professional experience. More detail can be found here.
To help you find recommenders who can best speak to your past experiences, we accept letters written in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. The Yale SOM Admissions Committee will be responsible for translating letters written in Spanish and Mandarin.
Once you have entered the required recommender information, click the “Send to Recommender” button to email the online recommendation form to your recommender.
To ensure the objectivity and independence of your recommendations, the written product must be entirely the work of your recommenders. Although you may discuss the recommendations with them, you may not have any involvement in drafting or submitting your letters of recommendation. We know that your recommenders are busy, and they may ask your assistance in drafting a letter for their review. Please resist this pressure and ask someone else instead. An authentic letter coming from an individual who is familiar with your work will always be the better option than a letter that was not wholly written by an independent source, even if that person is your current supervisor.

QUESTIONS

Recommender Information

  • First (Given) Name
  • Middle Name
  • Last (Family) Name/Surname
  • Current Organization
  • Current Position/Title
  • Address
  • Postal Code
  • Telephone number (including country code)
  • Email Address
  • Did you graduate from the Yale School of Management?
  • Context of Relationship
  • Nature of relationship
  • Did you use a translator?

Leadership Assessment

In this section, you will find 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories:

– Achievement

– Influence

– People

– Personal Qualities

– Cognitive Abilities

For each competency, please select the one button that corresponds to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors of the previous level.

Achievement

1. Initiative: Acts ahead of need/anticipates problems

  • No basis for judgment
  • Reluctant to take on new tasks; waits to be told what to do; defers to others
  • Willing to step in and take charge when required to do so
  • Takes charge spontaneously when problem needs attention
  • Volunteers for new work challenges; proactively puts in extra effort to accomplish critical or difficult tasks
  • Proactively seeks high-impact projects; steps up to challenges even when things are not going well

2. Results Orientation: Focuses on and drives toward delivering on goals, objectives, and performance improvement

  • No basis for judgment
  • Focuses on fulfilling activities at hand; unsure how work relates to goals
  • Takes actions to overcome obstacles to achieve goals
  • Independently acts to exceed goals and plans for contingencies
  • Documents activities and outcomes to learn from past; introduces incremental improvements to raise the effectiveness of team
  • Invents new approaches with measurably better results; works to deliver best-in-class performance improvements

Influence

3. Communication, Professional Impression & Poise: Delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in; uses listening and other attending behaviors to reach shared understanding; remains calm and measured even in time of crisis or conflict

  • No basis for judgment
  • Struggles to get point across; neglects to understand audience’s input or perspective; lacks confidence and gets flustered under pressure
  • Works to get point across; acknowledges feedback; reframes statements when necessary to make them clearer; speaks politely; remains composed in known circumstances
  • Present views clearly and logically structures content for a broad audience; listens and responds to feedback; prepares in advance to appear confident; leaves a positive and professional impression; responds confidently in unfamiliar situations
  • Uses tailored language that appeals to specific groups; restates what others have said to check for understanding; comes across as confident; responds rapidly and strongly to crisis; looked to for advice and guidance
  • Structures content for senior-level meetings; maintains composure when challenged; solicits opinions and concerns, discusses them openly and adjusts communication; remains cool under pressure during conflict or crisis; channels emotion into positive action

4. Influence and Collaboration: Engages and works with people over whom one has no direct control

  • No basis for judgment
  • Does not seek input and perspective of others
  • Accepts input from others and engages them in problem solving
  • Seeks first to understand perspectives of others; takes actions to gain their support for ideas and initiatives
  • Uses tailored approaches to connect with others, influence, and achieve results
  • Uses tailored influence approaches to create and leverage a network of strategically chosen individuals to improve collective outcomes

People

5. Respect for Others: Acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions

  • No basis for judgment
  • Unwilling to acknowledge others’ points of view
  • Open to considering others’ views when confronted or offered
  • Invites input from others because of expressed respect for them and their views
  • Praises people publicly for their good actions; ensures that others’ opinions are heard before their own
  • Uses empathy and personal experience to resolve conflicts and foster mutual respect; reinforces respect with public praise when individuals solicit and use input from others

6. Team Leadership: Manages and empowers a team of formal or informal direct reports, including virtual teams

  • No basis for judgment
  • Struggles to delegate effectively (e.g. micromanages); does not organize activities or provide appropriate information to complete tasks
  • Assigns tasks and tells people what to do; checks when they are done
  • Solicits ideas and perspectives from the team; structures activities; holds members accountable
  • Actively engages the team to develop plans and resolve issues through collaboration; shows the impact of individual/team contributions
  • Recruits others into duties or roles based on insight into individual abilities; rewards those who exceed expectations; provides strong organizational support

7. Developing Others: Helps people develop their performance and ability over time

  • No basis for judgment
  • Focuses only on one’s own growth; critical of others’ efforts to develop
  • Encourages people to develop; points out mistakes to help people develop and praises them for improvements
  • Gives specific positive and negative behavioral feedback to support the development of others
  • Provides overarching practical guiding principles and recommendations that are applicable in multiple situations to direct or focus efforts on specific areas of development
  • Identifies potential in others; inspires others to develop by providing feedback, mentoring/coaching, and identifying new growth opportunities as well as supporting their effort to change

Personal Qualities

8. Trustworthiness/ Integrity: Acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs or intentions

  • No basis for judgment
  • Follows the crowd; takes path of least resistance; gives in under pressure
  • Acts consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs when it is easy to do so
  • Acts spontaneously and consistently with stated intentions, values, or beliefs despite opposition
  • Initiates actions based on values or beliefs even though the actions may come with reputational risk; demonstrates the values of the team or organization publicly
  • Demonstrates high personal integrity even at personal cost; holds people accountable to the team or organizational values

9. Adaptability/ Resilience: Adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty. Maintains calm optimism in the face of challenge, problems, or apparent failure

  • No basis for judgment
  • Prefers existing ways of doing things; fears failure; becomes anxious under challenging situations
  • Adapts to new methods and procedures when required to do so; remains calm in unfamiliar situations until confronted with obstacle
  • Champions adoption of new initiatives and processes; exhibits level-headedness in most environments including challenging ones; persists until obstacle is overcome
  • Seeks out disruptions as an opportunity for improvement; remains optimistic and forward-looking in difficult situations that may result in failure
  • Energized by projects with high uncertainty but potential for high reward; seeks to be the first into unknown or unfamiliar situations; welcomes learning opportunities created by failure; learns from mistakes and rebounds quickly from setbacks

10. Self Awareness: Aware of and seeks out additional input on own strengths and weaknesses

  • No basis for judgment
  • Lacks awareness of how he/she is perceived; denies or offers excuses when confronted
  • Acknowledges fault or performance problem when confronted with concrete example or data
  • Describes own key strengths and weaknesses accurately; welcomes feedback from others and discusses opportunities to change with select individuals
  • Actively seeks out feedback to explicitly address desired improvement areas or build on strengths; explores reasons for problems openly, including own faults
  • Seeks out challenging and potentially risky experiences to improve; identifies and engages with resources—people, processes, or content—to maximize strengths or mitigate weaknesses

Cognitive

11. Problem Solving: Frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues, conducts analysis on the issues, and produces acceptable solution

  • No basis for judgment
  • Avoids problems; when faced with problems, sticks to what worked before, or chooses an obvious path
  • Offers solutions when the risk is low; focuses on immediate, short-term implications instead of the big picture
  • Looks beyond the obvious; identifies and focuses on the critical information needed to understand a problem, identifies root cause(s), and comes up with reasonable solutions
  • Gathers and analyzes key information using complex methods or several layers deep; integrates perspectives from a variety of sources to arrive at unexpected but practical and effective solutions
  • Applies logic to break complex problems down into manageable parts or sub-problems; solves tough and interconnected problems and can explain how the pieces are connected

12. Strategic Orientation: Thinks beyond one’s span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work

  • No basis for judgment
  • Focuses on completing work without understanding implications
  • Understands immediate issues or implications of work or analysis
  • Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have improved near-term business performance
  • Develops insights or recommendations within area of responsibility that have shaped team/organization strategy and will have impact on long-term business performance
  • Develops insights or recommendations beyond area of responsibility with impact on long-term business strategy and performance

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to her/his peer group? (SELECT)

Overall, I … (SELECT)

Letter of Recommendation

Please write an assessment of the applicant that addresses the prompts below. We are looking for your candid and accurate assessment of the applicant’s potential to be a successful leader and the specific traits the applicant possesses that evidence this potential. Please be as specific as possible and use concrete examples where applicable. Do not incorporate anything drafted by the candidate in your recommendation or have the candidate submit the recommendation on your behalf.

Please note that Yale SOM welcomes you to upload and submit letters of recommendation written in English, Chinese (Mandarin), or Spanish. Yale University will translate the letter to English for admissions review.

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Recommended word count: 50 words)

2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Recommended word count: 500 words)

3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended word count: 500 words)

4. Are you in a position to know whether the applicant is sponsored for the MBA by his or her current employer? If so, please comment.

5. (Optional) Is there anything else we should know?

I am submitting my recommendation letter in this language:

  • English
  • Chinese
  • Spanish

Upload a PDF or Word document here.