RECOS FAQ

RECOS FAQ

If you have graduated a few years ago
Though a few years may have passed since you graduated college, you should try contacting your professors.
Professors keep records on students for years, so you might be pleasantly surprised to find a professor or two who can write on your behalf.
Enroll in a class or two so that you have a chance to get to know faculty and they have a chance to get to know you. Excel in those classes and volunteer to help the faculty with their research and you'll be on your way to a great letter.

For those who are working
Ask a supervisor or employer to write on your behalf. A supervisor can write about your work ethic, enthusiasm, maturity, and life experience. The trick is ensuring that your referee understands what graduate admissions committees are looking for in applicants. Provide your referee with all the information he or she needs to write an excellent letter.


Help your Recommender by telling him that RECO should
Include a description of your work-related experiences
Why you wish to attend graduate school
Your skills and abilities
Examples of how your current work demonstrates those skills and abilities.
Ask faculty, administrators, and supervisors who know you well and are in a professional capacity in which they can evaluate your qualifications for graduate study.
Your letter writers should know your work and be able to provide examples to support their points.
They should hold a positive view of you and be able to describe your potential for academic and professional work.
Aim for a set of letters from several individuals who can describe your range of skills.
Letters should cover your academic and scholastic skills, research abilities and experiences, and applied experiences (e.g., co-operative education, internships, related work experience).


Universal Recommendation Form
Most schools will ask your recommenders for the same information. Most will also ask your recommenders to jump through a lot of hoops, filling in grid boxes and writing evaluations.

Because recommenders don't usually have time to do that much work for each of six schools (the minimum you should apply to), it's a good idea to have them write one very comprehensive letter of recommendation that you can use for all of your applications.

The "Universal Letter of Recommendation" form below . The summary of most commonly asked questions is a good starting point for those of you who need to help your recommenders craft a very comprehensive letter that you can use for all of your schools. The schools will accept such a letter in place of the complicated form because they know the form is time consuming.

Use this outline as a rough guide. You don't need to address every issue in it, but try to hit the topics that pertain to you or that show you in the best light. Also, look at the applications and try to determine whether some other questions might play to your strengths. If they do, be sure to include them in the list of questions you submit to your recommender.

Don't worry too much about the structure of the letter, just have your recommender answer the questions. Structure isn't as important as content, so have your recommender focus on providing some insight into your personality and values.

When your recommender has finished the letter, have him address separate copies of it to each school. (Just be sure not to write one school's name at the top and another school's name in the body of the letter.)

Universal Business School Recommendation Form

Name of Person Completing the Recommendation:
Position/Title:
Organization:


In what context and for how long have you known the applicant? Please comment on the frequency of interaction. Please give exact dates. Is this person still employed by your organization?

In your answers, please describe specific activities or accomplishments that demonstrate this candidate's strengths and weaknesses.


1. What are the applicant's principal strengths and special talents? / Provide a short list of adjectives that describe the applicant's strengths.

2. Discuss the applicant's competence in his area of responsibility or specialization (i.e. organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to complete assignments).

3. How does the applicant's performance compare with that of his or her peers? How does he accept constructive criticism? How has the applicant grown during his employment with you?

4. Comment on the applicant's ability to work with others, including superiors, peers and subordinates. Would you enjoy working for the applicant? / Please discuss observations you have made concerning the applicant's leadership abilities and group skills.

5. Comment on the applicant's maturity.

6. How would you describe the applicant's sense of humor?

7. In what ways could the applicant improve professionally? / What aspect of the applicant would you most like to change? / In which areas could the applicant exhibit growth or improvement? Has he worked on these areas?

8. How well has the applicant made use of available opportunities? Consider his initiative, curiosity and motivation.

9. What do you think motivates the candidate's application to the MBA program? Do you feel the applicant is realistic in his professional ambitions? / Has the applicant given careful consideration to his plans for entry into the MBA program? / Please comment on your impression of the applicant's capacity for graduate work.

10. Comment on the applicant's business ethics.

11. What is your overall assessment of the applicant's potential for success as an effective and inspiring upper-level manager?

12. Please provide detailed comments on the applicant's degree of self-confidence.

Feel free to make additional statements concerning the applicant's accomplishments, managerial potential and other personal qualities. / Comments regarding the applicant's aptitude for graduate work and a career in business and management will be especially appreciated.

Don't try to address every issue on the page; instead, pick those that show you in the best light. Start by writing a brief answer to each question. Only after you have good replies should you worry about fitting them together into a coherent letter