Dispelling Recommendation Letter Myths - 工管

In our previous post, we shared a recent email sent by the Purdue Krannert

School of Management admissions team to potential applicants that dispels many

common letter of recommendation myths. We have pasted this email again below,

and would like to address these points so that you can ensure that your letter

of recommendation is as persuasive as possible.

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Dear Applicant,

You've tracked down your old boss or coworker, reminded them (perhaps a few

times) that you're under a deadline. Then you've collected them and sent them

in. But does our admissions team actually read all those letters?

Absolutely. In fact, they're an incredibly important part of your application.

We place a significant value on what your colleagues have to say about your

work ethic, interpersonal skills, and leadership potential.

The recommendation letter is unique because it is one of the only components

of the application that is not in direct control of the applicant. Strong

recommendation letters are written by someone who knows you well and can

articulate your strengths as well as the areas in which you can improve. We

prefer recommendation letters come from a professional (as opposed to a

personal) contact, preferably a direct supervisor. We also prefer the letters

be as detailed as possible, offering specific examples illustrating your

qualifications.

It's also important to know that we strongly discourage letters of

recommendation from anyone who does not know the applicant well - even if they

are a person of prominence. On occasion, we will call references if we have any

questions about an applicant or would like additional information about

anything written in a letter of recommendation.

As always, we are here to help. Contact us anytime with questions or to speak

with an admissions program manager.

Sincerely,
Andrae Sailes
Associate Director of Admissions
Purdue MBA & Master's Programs

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Typical Question:

Letters of recommendation are not very important right? They
cannot improve my chances of being admitted, can they?


Answer:


Letters of recommendation can make a huge impact if they can convince the

admissions committee that the applicant possesses some of the key attributes

that graduate programs highly value. The email above specifically lists work

ethic, leadership and interpersonal skills as attributes that Purdue emphasizes;

but this could also include adaptability, self-confidence, creativity,

analytical and problem solving skills, among others. As the Purdue admissions

officer mentions, they prefer to hear real life examples that can give them a

clearer picture about the applicant's performance and talents. Does this mean

that the recommender should provide 6-7 stories to prove that the applicant

possesses 6-7 different strengths? Of course not! But if the applicant

displayed significant leadership potential and analytical ability while

leading a difficult research project, or if the applicant came up with an

incredibly creative idea to solve a problem at work, the recommender should

definitely describe this story in detail, highlighting the skills the applicant

displayed in the process.


This is why advance preparation is needed. Don't assume that your recommender

remembers the details of every project you have worked on and all of your

accomplishments as a student or employee. Do meet with the recommender, tell

them about your application strategy and remind them of your accomplishments

and the projects that you have worked on. This will ensure that your letter of

recommendation is as complete and persuasive as it can possibly be.



Typical Question:

I heard that my recommendation letter should not exceed one
page - is that true?



Answer:


There is a persistent rumor that a recommendation letter must not

exceed one page, because if it does, the admissions committee will consider

it too long, too burdensome to read, and ignore it. The Purdue email above

should dispel this myth. In that email, it emphasizes that they "prefer the

letters be as detailed as possible" Basically, if a letter was limited to one

short page, it probably would not contain much detail and certainly would lack

examples that demonstrate the applicant's abilities. Thus, tell your

recommender to feel free to exceed one page if they wish (but to follow any

formatting instructions the school has provided).


Typical Question:

I'm planning to choose a recommender with an impressive title (like my
company's CEO, who doesn't really know me) - that's the best choice right?


Answer:

No! If we had $1 for every time an applicant asked this question, we could

probably buy a luxury German sedan by now! Admissions officers at top

universities consistently indicate their preference to hear from someone who

is intimately acquainted with your professional or academic abilities. Not

only will submitting a letter of recommendation from someone who doesn't know

you well not help you application, but it could actually be detrimental, as

the admissions office will seriously question your judgment.


We hope this was helpful to all of you future applicants!

Regards,

David



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創陞教育（Transcend Admissions Consultants）

David Johnston
Georgetown University Law Center
[email protected]
http://transcendadmissions.com/ Plan. Execute. Succeed!

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