State University of New York (SUNY) Binghamton - School of Management

MBA, Professional Fast Track - Manhattan (1 year)

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MBA Requirement: Letter of Recommendation

Many applications require the submission of one or more letters of recommendation. The assessment of an independent third party helps providers to get an accurate impression of the applicant. We have put together an overview of the topic and also have a sample.

In contrast to the job reference, which does not allow negative reviews about the employee, the letter of recommendation usually gives an honest and credible picture of the applicant . Because if, for example, the professor could not recommend someone with a clear conscience, he would not sign such a letter.

Correspondingly, a letter of recommendation helps greatly to improve your chances of applying for a place on the course . Depending on the university, the form can vary - we give an overview.

Who should issue a letter of recommendation?

The letters of recommendation should be issued by a qualified person who knows you well enough to correctly and accurately assess your performance and work. It is usually noticeable when the letter of recommendation is issued by someone who does not know the applicant well, since this person usually uses standardized formulations and phrases. Most of the time, applicants contact a professor who has just completed their first degree and / or the current employer.

In addition, you should also make sure that the issuer of the letter of recommendation has a positive reputation, otherwise a bad reputation can also throw a negative light on you .

What content should a letter of recommendation have?

Letters of recommendation usually follow a specific structure and scheme.

However, it may also be that the university provides templates or samples for download - then of course you can also fill them out. The HTWG Konstanz writes, for example, "Two letters of recommendation must be attached to your application. Please enclose them in a sealed envelope with your application. For these letters of recommendation, only use the appropriate form that is attached to the application documents".

If there is no template or other requirements, the letterhead and the corresponding data of the exhibitor are at the beginning of the Letters of Recommendation, followed by the name and address of the recipient.

In the following , the exhibitor should briefly introduce his person and role and make it clear how he relates to the applicant. The exhibitor must also consider the specific duration of the cooperation or the collaboration and explain the conditions under which it took place.

The core part follows: the personal assessment. This should make it clear what the applicant is and why the exhibitor has agreed to make a corresponding recommendation. The exhibitor describes the advantages, the work attitude, outstanding character traits, the specialist knowledge and skills of the applicant and also goes into special achievements or awards.

Finally, he can also give an assessment that relates to the future and further training potential of the applicant and can be understood as a recommendation for an MBA study place.

The letter of recommendation should be signed by the exhibitor by hand.

What you should pay attention to

There are a number of (formal) requirements that should definitely be met when writing a letter of recommendation. As a rule, these should be known to the exhibitor; however, you should always check their compliance and insist on a change if necessary.

1. The official letterhead of the company or the university, including the appropriate logo, should always be used for the letter of recommendation (unless the university explicitly requests otherwise) .
2. Make sure that the exhibitor creates a sufficiently personal connection and does not use phrases or superlatives. These look implausible or dubious and therefore make a bad impression.
3. The letter of recommendation should be kept short and not exceed a length of one DIN-A-4 page .
4. The letter of recommendation must be addressed to a specific addressee . Written evaluations without a special recipient are not letters of recommendation, but so-called reference letters.
5. Check whether the university has any special requirements. The University of Mainz writes, for example, "The employer's letter of recommendation should also include information about the employer's financial and time support ."

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