HBS Admissions Consulting——Getting a recommendation
Recommendations are a critical part of your application, yet you have no control over what your recommenders write about you. Or do you? When I applied to HBS, this was one area that made me very anxious and hesitant about applying. How does my recommender know what to write? Does he even remember me since it's been over a year since we spoke? Has he ever written a recommendation before? to HBS?! What if he writes something negative, after all he has nothing to gain if I get in and nothing to lose if I don't?
Here's my advice on getting a recommendation that'll make you blush:
The first decision you have to make is who to ask for a recommendation. The general rule of thumb is to choose three (the usual number of required recommendations) people you know professionally, personally, and extracurricular-ly. Well, that's a pretty good rule for most applicants. If written well, those recommendations will show that you're well-rounded and that you have demonstrated achievement and leadership in those three areas. But, is that all you need to get into HBS: a well-rounded application? Unfortunately, the answer is NO!
Instead, select recommenders whose recommendation will most complement your essays. Not merely a recommendation that will plug a hole or fill in a gap. That's just not good enough for HBS. You need a recommendation that amplifies what you will write (plan ahead! more on this later) in your essays. If one essay will be on your passion for community service, one recommender had better be someone who had supervised you on a volunteer project. Otherwise, the Admissions Committee will be left wondering, "Did he make all that stuff up?"
That doesn't mean every essay should be backed up by a recommendation. That would just be redundant and waste a lot of valuable real estate on your application. Again, your recommendations need to COMPLEMENT your essays, not echo. Another example: if you plan to dedicate three essays to your professional accomplishments, leaving only one remaining, you would be best served to complement your professional achievements with recommendations that can speak about your passions, extracurricular achievements, community involvement, etc.
(Happy to write more about this, if you want.)
The second big decision is deciding what you want your recommenders to write about you. Yes, that's actually a decision you can and should be making! Too many applicants think they're powerless when it comes to recommendations or that it's unethical to influence a recommendation. Not true. When it comes to your application, think of yourself as a coach and a recommender as a player on your team. You have to figure out their skill level; you have to give them your play book. If they're not good enough or they don't understand the plays, you should pull them from the game.
I'll write more on this in my next post. |
