160 Great Application Essays for Business School

Introduction
Although recommendation letters are increasingly Web-based documents, they
have traditionally followed the format and conventions of a standard business
letter, including the brief general introduction: "It's my distinct pleasure to write
this letter of recommendation on behalf of .. ." or "I'm delighted to have this
opportunity to wholeheartedly endorse Joe Blow for admission to ..." Even a
sentence or two of bright, positive language can establish a tone of enthusiasm
that, ideally, will pervade the entire letter.
The recommender can then follow this with a sentence that summarizes the
key qualities she'll be focusing on in the letter. It's difficult to avoid platitudes in
these lead-in paragraphs, but admissions officers have an uncanny ability to sniff
out the insincere. The recommender can give these general sentences concrete-
ness by staying focused on what's distinctive about you: "Svetlana's unusually
analytical mind, gift for building rapport, and natural sales skills make her one
of the most promising young managers I have encountered in 20 years in the
industry."
Your recommender may even consider opening the letter creatively with an
anecdote about the first time you worked together, the first time you revealed the
person behind your professional persona, or a moment when you exceeded
the recommender's expectations. This approach will vividly demonstrate the
recommender's special relationship with you and immediately distinguish the
letter from the stuffy norm.
The introduction is also a good place for the recommender to provide a few
sentences of background information on herself-where she earned her degree(s)
and which organizations she has worked for and in what capacity, up to her
present title. Such information enhances the recommender's credibility as some-
one whose opinion merits respect. Recommenders who have MBAsshould
obviously note this fact, especially if they are alumni of the school in question.
The opening paragraph can conclude with an explicit description of the pool
of peers against which the recommender is comparing you, including the approx-
imate number of people in that group: "all the marketing managers I've worked
with in my career,""the 25 peers in Wue's consultant training cohort:' "the 50
odd MBAs I've interacted with professionally:' "the 30 analysts under me in the
Equities Research division." The recommender than quantitatively ranks you
among this group: "top two account representatives:' "upper 5 percent." This
ranking statement can also be inserted at the end of the letter or in response
to a school's specific question for it. In Subodh's sample letter, for example,
his recommender appropriately saves this "pool comparison" statement for
Columbia's specific question "How does the applicant's performance compare
with that of his or her peers?"

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

 CHAPTER 5: Credible Enthusiasm: Letters of Recommendation 161

How Long and in What Context?

This is the de rigueur first question of every recommendation letter. Because it
asks a straightforward factual question, there's very little "positioning" your
recommender can do for you here: she either knows you well or she doesn't. If
she does, she can make that knowledge crystal clear by very specifically noting
the range and depth of interaction she's had with you. This is where many appli-
cants falter by assuming that this is a "no-brainer" that can be answered in a single
sentence: "I've known Caldwell since October 2002, when he began reporting
to me as business development manager:' Your recommender needs to go
deeper than this.
The recommender must detail your professional relationship with her: How
did your recommender first get to know you? Did she hire you? What qualities
did she first notice in you? What were your job responsibilities when you first
began working with the recommender? What, early on, was your hierarchical
relationship with the recommender? Did you report directly to her? How often
would you meet or talk with her? Continually (offices or cubicles side by side)
or intermittently-twice a day, once a week? If only once a week, did you meet
only formally in meetings, for example? If so, were these group or one-on-one
meetings? How have your professional responsibilities and hierarchical reporting
relationship changed over time? How frequently do you interact with the recom-
mender now and in what sorts of circumstances-ongoing daily interaction,
meetings, travel situations? If you no longer work together, when did you last
work with your recommender and how often do you keep in touch? These are
the sorts of detailed questions you need to address.
If this seems like overkill, remember that if your recommender can establish
early on that she has extensive and sustained knowledge of you, she will have
created a climate of credibility that will make all her upcoming assertions about
you more believable. Conversely, if your relationship with the recommender is
not as close or as longstanding, you may want to keep this paragraph short and
sweet-or consider another recommender.
Having established this detailed context as succinctly as possible, the recom-
mender can conclude this section by explicitly asserting her authority to
recommend you: "For these reasons, I believe I'm in a particularly strong position
to comment authoritatively on Caldwell's skills and potential."

Strengths or Talents
In many ways, this is the most important part of the recommendation letter-the
recommender's opportunity to describe what really makes you special and to back
it up with examples. Which strengths should you emphasize? Again, avoid" hard-

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

162 Great Application Essays for Business School

working" or "diligent:' These qualities are assumed and will hardly distinguish you
from others as a potential senior manager. You want the strengths that your rec-
ommender discusses here to complement the three or four themes illustrated in
your essays. The themes need not match identically, of course.
Some variance between essays and recommendation is good because one of
the functions of a recommendation letter is to provide new information. So if
your recommender details three strengths, two could be the same strengths you
cited in your essays, for example. The same rough ratio might also govern the
overlap between the stories described in your essays and those in your recommen-
dations. That is, two could be unique to this recommendation, and one could
be a story you also discussed in your essays.
The recommender should describe your strengths straightforwardly in a theme
sentence or two: "One of Rajesh's special talents is decisive decision-making." The
body of the paragraph (several sentences in length) should consist of evidence
sentences that cite specific examples of your strength. These examples are the
payload of the recommendation letter-the proof that your recommender isn't
just blowing laudatory smoke rings. Without them, your letter is sunk.
If you are, for example, a finance professional or IT consultant, it goes without
saying that you have strong technical or analytical skills. Encourage your recom-
mender to focus on strengths that might not be assumed in your profession, such
as leadership, creativity, interpersonal skills, or strategic vision.

Interpersonal and Teamwork Skills

So much of your time in business school will be spent in groups that for most
applicants the recommender's response to questions about teamwork and inter-
personal skills is more important than his comments on your analytical or quan-
titative skills (which in any case the admissions committee can assess through
your transcript, GMAT score, and resume). Moreover, because people skills are
a broad and amorphous talent, they must be demonstrated in your recommen-
dation letter through examples, examples, examples. Note that in Subodh's sample
letter, for example, his recommender goes out of his way to provide sustained
and specific evidence of Subodh's skill with superiors, peers, and subordinates.
One way of grasping how important people skills are to business schools is
to consider the sheer variety of interpersonal terms that show up on schools'
recommendation form grids:
Handling conflict

Building consensus

Motivating teams

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

 CHAPTER 5: Credible Enthusiasm: Letters of Recommendation 163

Negotiating successfully

Mentoring subordinates

Demonstrating multicultural skills

Interacting with peers

Interacting with subordinates

Making presentations

Influencing others

Communicating well orally

Exhibiting a sense of community

Inspiring trust and confidence

Respecting others

Demonstrating integrity

Being personally accountable for one's behavior

The interpersonal ideal may well be the applicant with a friendly, even fun-
loving demeanor who treats people with respect while inspiring them to do
their best. But there are as many "right" ways to show interpersonal and team-
work skills as there are terms for it. Be sure to provide your recommender
with the details of your finest interpersonal moments. They need not be for-
mal work examples. Sometimes the most effective examples are informal stories
like going beyond the call of duty to help a colleague with a personal problem
or lifting your group's morale through some personal gesture.

A recommendation that hints at the wrong kinds of interpersonal adjectives-

arrogant, harassing, prejudiced, antisocial, socially inept-ean have a decisively
negative impact on your chances of admission.

Weaknesses

No section of the recommendation letter is more dreaded, important, or mis-

understood than the "weaknesses" question (sometimes euphemized as "areas
of improvement"). Most letters whistle past the graveyard when it comes to
addressing weaknesses. They either ignore them ("If Ralph has any weaknesses,
I am not aware of them:') or dress up virtues as vices ("perfectionist:' "works
too hard"). Both approaches fail because (1) they're frankly hard to believe, and
(2) too many applicants use them. They fundamentally misunderstand the
purpose of the question.

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

164 Great Application Essays for Business School

In reality, schools expect your recommenders to be quite supportive, so they

do not include the weakness question expecting to learn of horrific faults like
"abusive" or "unscrupulous:' (A small fraction of recommenders do, of course,
report such deal-breaking weaknesses.) Rather than flushing out the bad apples,
the main purpose of the weakness question is simply to learn where otherwise
outstanding applicants need further development. Many applicants' paranoia
about this question's dark intent leads them to immediately think in terms of
personal weaknesses, and, unsure which kind are acceptable, they offer weaknesses
that are really strengths, like "perfectionism:' Some schools, like Dartmouth, make
it harder to wriggle out of the weakness question by asking the recommender
for three areas needing improvement.

But unless the school's question insists on a personal weakness, a much safer
approach is for the recommender to identify professional weak nesses. For example,
your recommender may commend you on your superb financial analysis and
corporate finance skills but advise you to gain formal training in portfolio
analysis, venture capital, and international finance. These are hardly weaknesses
schools will hold against you-indeed, they strengthen your case for needing an
MBA! In other words, steer your recommender toward discussing weaknesses
that (1) complement the reasons for needing an MBA given in your goals
essay and that (2) no one would expect you to have overcome at this point
in your career. The recommender must, however, be specific about these func-
tional or professional weaknesses or the schools may suspect another attempt
at evasion.

It may be that your weaknesses really aren't functional, of course. What per-
sonal skills weaknesses are acceptable? It's often a question of degree. A weakness-
"poor communication skills"-that can expedite your file to the ding bin
becomes tolerable if it's a mild and correctable form of the flaw: "Needs to polish
her oral presentation skills."Such repairable weaknesses can include everything
from a "tendency toward linear thinking:' "too quick to compromise:' and "still
too risk-averse"to "immature about corporate politics" or "too deferential toward
senior management:' and the like. If your personal weakness is not an egregious
vice,doesn't routinely impede your effectiveness, and can be rectified, then admit-
ting it may not damage your chances of admission.

Usually, citing one weakness is sufficient (unless the school asks for more), but
a two-sentence response won't cut it. The recommender should provide a brief
example in which you demonstrate the flaw. He should then indicate what you
have been doing to rectify it (if you have), followed by another more recent exam-
ple of the new and improving you. (Since weakness questions ask for current
flaws,the recommender should not imply that you've completely eliminated the
weakness.)

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

 CHAPTER 5: Credible Enthusiasm: Letters of Recommendation 165

Don't fear the weakness question. Even one frank, detailed admission that
you aren't the first perfect human being will go a long way toward overcoming
the skepticism that schools bring to each new glowing recommendation letter.
By providing contrast, weaknesses can actually accentuate your positives.

Career Potential

If the last three recommendation topics have focused on your past and present,
this last key topic is all about your future. Though worded differently from school
to school, it essentially asks the recommender to assess your likelihood for future
success. Since the recommender obviously can't know how things will turn out
for you, it's tempting to fire off a short, general-sounding paragraph along the
lines of, "Tony will succeed at whatever he sets his mind to." This won't score
many points with the admissions committee, so it's best to approach this ques-
tion in the following three concrete ways:
1. Past record of atypical success. The recommender can quickly cite the evidence
that you have succeeded at an atypical pace thus far in your career: early pro-
motions, special management training programs, "high-pot" status, unusual
raises and bonuses-anything that shows you outperforming your peers.
The recommender can then make the logical deduction for the admissions
committee: your past history of atypical success strongly suggests that your
unusual success will continue.
2. Business school and goals. First, the recommender can explain why she believes
you want and need an MBA. The recommender with an MBA can draw from
her own experience of the MBXs affect on her potential. The recommender
without an MBA can simply mention the hard or soft skills that she believes
you will gain in business school. Second, the recommender can provide the
committee with as much detail as she has about your post-MBA goals. The
greater the detail, the more thoughtful and forward-looking you will appear.
This will increase the likelihood that the committee will believe you will actu-
Ally realize your potential. In discussing goals, the recommender should always
make clear why she thinks these goals are reasonable and achievable for you.
3. Five or ten years ahead. The recommender can sketch out a likely scenario
(synchronized with your goals essay, of course) for you five or ten years down
the road-including job title, industry and type of employer, or general
responsibilities. This can graphically indicate how much potential she really
thinks you have. That is, a recommender who states you will be roughly on a
par with your peer MBAs ten years from now may not impress the committee.
Conversely, a snapshot of you outperforming your peers would confirm the
recommender's strong sense of your potential.

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

166 Great Application Essays for Business School

Conclusion
Like the introductory paragraph, the conclusion sums up the main themes that
distinguish you and, with a ringing final endorsement, completes the sustained
tone of enthusiasm that should characterize the letter. If the recommender has
not ranked you against your peers, he or she can do so here. Unless you're using
an "ail-in-one" recommendation letter, the name of the target school can be
repeated here to emphasize that the letter is tailored to the school. In his sample
letter, for example, Subodh benefits from his recommender's own Columbia
connection, which he shrewdly elaborates on in the letter's closing paragraphs.
It's usually also a good idea to have the recommender share his or her direct
phone number with the committee: "Please don't hesitate to call at (123) 555-7890
if you have any questions whatsoever about Caldwell:' This further demonstrates
the recommender's enthusiasm by showing that he or she is willing to say even
more. It also lends the letter a note of authenticity since no applicant forging a
letter would invite the committee to uncover the deception.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: WHAT NOT TO DO

With respect to letters of recommendation, don't

1. Choose your recommenders poorly. Avoid VIP recommenders who know

your first cousin's second wife and met you only once for 30 seconds. This
mistake also includes family members and friends or former professors who
gave you an A five years ago but never talked to you.
2. Write it for the recommender. Why? Because schools don't like it. Find a
recommender who thinks enough of you to write it himself or herself. If
all else fails, find a consulting service like Accepted.com that can interview
the recommender for you, saving him or her time while keeping you out
of the process.
3. Omit examples. This is recommendation letter sin number one. Letters that
lack anecdotes or stories to flesh out the recommender's claims are almost
worthless in the committee's eyes.
4. Use vague, generic language. "Bill is a top performer with a really sharp
mind and a winning personality." This is an empty, uncompelling claim.
Schools want substantiated facts and anecdotes that reveal personality and
distinctiveness.

5. Adopt an impersonal, dry "corporate" tone thinking this lends gravitas and
credibility. A recommender who continually refers to you as "the applicant"
will sound like he regards you as a mere cog in the corporate wheel or, worse,

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

 CHAPTER 5: Credible Enthusiasm: Letters of Recommendation 167

can't recall your name. Similarly, an entire letter of sentences like "Project
deliverables were aligned with Ricardo's scope analysis, impacting our
strategic benchmarks across all metrics" can ruin an otherwise enthusiastic
letter.

6. Wander from the question. Too many recommendation letters suffer from
attention deficit disorder. Eager to be enthusiastic but even more eager to
avoid specifics, the recommender begins praising one of the applicant's
strengths but then quickly moves on to four more without ever illustrating
the first.

7. Pretend you have no weaknesses. Many applicants are so psyched out by their
competition that they believe a letter that admits even the slightest weakness
will scuttle their chances. The opposite is actually true: a letter that omits a
weakness loses credibility and invites suspicions that some sinister personal
failing is being covered up.

8. Attempt to evade the weaknesses question by using stale, overused, generic

weaknesses like "perfectionism:' "works too hard:' or "too hard on himself."
Better to mention the functional deficiencies that you're going to business
school to fix.

9. Contradict your application's themes. Don't be a quant-savvy marketer in

your essays, resume, and interview but a quant-challenged marketer in your
recommendation letters. Stay on message.

10. Focus only on factual achievements rather than portraying yourself as some-
one with a unique set of strengths. A letter that's chock full of impressively
detailed accomplishments is light-years stronger than a vague letter devoid
of examples. But the ideal letter will place such accomplishments in a broader
context to show why your performance was atypical and will connect them
to the themes ("innovative leadership:' "international profile:' etc.) that unite
your whole application.

WRITING PROMPT EXERCISES

The following four exercises will help you apply the advice offered in this chapter
by giving you step-by-step instructions for key stages of the recommendation-
writing process.

Exercise 1

Assuming that you follow schools' preferences and don't draft your recommen-
dations yourself, the only writing you'll do in this phase of your application is

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

168 Great Application Essays for Business School

the cover memo you give your recommender to guide him through the process.
Look at the items that we recommended you definitely give your recommender
earlier in this chapter for the topics your cover letter should discuss. You should
already have done your resume. If you've approached your application process
strategically, you'll have started or even finished your essays. If so, you'll notice
that almost all the topics you should cover in your cover memo were addressed
in your main goals essay: why you need an MBA, what your post-MBA goals are,
and what you think is unique and compelling about your candidacy (traits, not
just skills).
In drafting the memo for your recommender, briefly summarize the themes
and stories of each of your essays in one or two sentences. If you haven't started
your essays, preparing this note will serve as an excellent method for data-mining
the themes and stories you want to tell. Don't worry about the length of the cover
memo; just make sure it covers all the core stories and positioning themes that
define your application. When the content is down on paper, begin whittling it
so the memo runs no more than one or two pages.

Exercise 2
Now comes the crucial part. You have a cover memo that indicates what stories
and themes you've told in your essays. But if you want a recommendation letter
that truly complements your essays, you need to take this cover memo to the next
levelby proactively guiding the recommender toward discussing other examples,
unused in your essays, that also illustrate your themes.
Suppose you discussed three or four work-related accomplishments in some
detail in your essays. Assume that your recommender will need at least four or
five examples to answer the school's recommendation questions. Also assume
that it's OK for one or two of these examples to be the same accomplishments
you discussed in your essays (though seen from a different angle). To identify the
remaining three examples, scour your resume, your performance reviews for the
past two years, and your memory for untold gems that reinforce your themes and
that your recommender personally witnessed. (Second-hand accomplishments-
"As I later learned from Akira's project manager .. :'-are rarely effective.)
Now, align each of these accomplishments with the theme (leadership, team
skills) it best exemplifies. Then flesh it out using the three-part equation we dis-
cussed earlier in this chapter: (1) problem or challenge, (2) how you resolved the
problem or challenge, (3) tangible positive outcome of your solution. Finally,
add to your cover memo any details that you'd like the recommender to include
or aren't sure he'll remember, gratefully hand it to him, and let him do the rest.

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

 CHAPTER 5: Credible Enthusiasm: Letters of Recommendation 169

Exercise 3
As we've seen, an effective recommendation letter is not only detailed and enthu-
siastic but strategic. Besides guiding your recommender toward discussing the
accomplishments that reinforce your essays' themes, you can also ensure that he
helps you combat the assumptions that admissions officers may bring to your
application: the quantitatively challenged sales rep, the interpersonally unpolished
techie, the individualistic entrepreneur who never saw a team he didn't try to
run, the investment banker without a social conscience, and so on.
First, list the generalizations about skills or personality traditionally associated
with your industry or profession. Pull out your resume and essays, and, perhaps
with a friend's help, check if any part of your application is unintentionally
telegraphing these stereotypes to the admissions committee. Is your resume stuffed
with a bit too much technical jargon? Does your list of community involvements
start looking patchy after the second activity? If you do find anything that subtly
hints at your profession's stereotyped weakness, ask your recommender to help
you offset it with stories that work against type, perhaps by giving him outlines
of examples that refute them. An applicant who has no international experience
could encourage her recommender to discuss the details of her success on a
multinational team. The solo entrepreneur could ask his recommenders to
describe the team-building exercises he implemented at his start-up.

Exercise 4
Ensuring that your recommenders write effective letters comes down to the
granularity of their comments about you. Consider one of the most common
recommendation letter topics: your impact on your organization. Broad claims
like, "Lian's impact on our division's bottom line has been extraordinary" will
die on the vine if they are not followed by an incisive and persuasive example.
Youcan help your recommender dig out those examples by first asking yourself
the right questions about your impact in the organization. Suppose you're a
manager of a hospital. Ask yourself fine-grained questions like these:
1. How did you handle changes in demand for patient care?

2. What new technology did you introduce at your hospital?

3. How did you enhance your hospital's performance on regulatory surveys?

4. In what ways and by what percentage did you reduce costs without compro-
mising quality of care?
5. How did your hospital improve in patient satisfaction metrics?

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

170 Great Application Essays for Business School

6. Did you implement any strategies for managed-care contracting in your

hospital?
7. Did you negotiate contracts that benefited the hospital?

8. How did you handle noncompliance issues?

Bring out the full extent of your impact by asking the right questions. Then
Give this information to your recommender.

SAMPLE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

Here's an example of everything an effective recommendation letter should be:
meaty, enthusiastic, and balanced.

Subodh J. (Admitted to Columbia Business School)

I am very happy to have the opportunity to recommend Subodh Jain for admis-
sion to the MBA program of Columbia Business School. Subodh has outstanding
analytical skills and exceptional individual and interpersonal attributes that
will make him a truly exceptional contributor at Columbia and a brilliant
leader. [←Brief introduction establishes tone of enthusiastic endorsement.]

What is your relationship to, and how long have you known the applicant?
Is this person still employed by your organization? (Yes/No) If "No;' when
did he/she depart?
I first met Subodh at the beginning of 2000 when he joined Satyan Partners,
the strategy division of Satyan Consulting, as an intern. At that time I was a
manager entering my sixth year with Satyan. Over the course of the following
two years I had the privilege of supervising Subodh during several strategy
engagements, representing fifteen full-time months, with leading Asian personal
computer manufacturers. [f-Specific information on nature of recommender's
relationship with Subodh builds credibility.] In January 2002, following an engage-
ment during which we developed the integrated desktop PC strategy for IndiaPC,
Subodh decided to join Dell where he took on the operational responsibility of
launching their new corporate laptop offerings in Japan. At the time, Dell Japan
was the last PC maker to enter the market. Today, with more than 10% market
share, Dell Japan is poised to become the fifth largest personal computer maker,
just behind NEC.
Following Dell's successful launch in Japan, I heard Subodh was thinking of
seeking out a new challenge. I immediately met with him to convince him to
return to Satyan Partners, which, happily, he did in autumn 2003.Very soon

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

 CHAPTER 5: Credible Enthusiasm: Letters of Recommendation 171

after his return we had the opportunity to work together on a company-wide

operational review for China Computer's entering president. It was our last
engagement together. Subodh notably demonstrated his ability to deal with
senior members of the Executive Committee, especially with Mr. Xie Lee, the
current head of the Consumer Desktop Division. Subodh also showed his ability
to put his technical expertise into practice.
Subodh is still working with Satyan Consulting and enjoying continued
success. He recently sold his first engagement, which he is currently managing.
As for me, in 2004 I left Satyan to return to my home city of Chennai where I
work as a freelance consultant to senior executives at Wipro and Tata Group.

Provide a short list of adjectives. which describe the applicant's strengths.

To name only a few of the most relevant adjectives, Subodh is extremely bright,
curious, versatile, efficient, autonomous, team-oriented, ethical and very mature.
The following questions/answers will help to better substantiate why I think these
characteristics accurately represent Subodh. [ ←Kethar than just list adjectives,
recommender refers reader ahead to the rest of the essay where these adjec-
tives are i1iustrated with examples.]

How does the applicant's performance compare with that of his or her peers?

When working with Satyan, I considered myself privileged to work with a group
of twenty-five highly talented and motivated individuals. As a Senior Manager I
have had the opportunity to manage several consultants who "keep me on my
toes". By that I mean that they do not hesitate to challenge my ideas and force
me to better myself.
I can truly say that Subodh is the most talented person I've worked with in
what is a very strong peer group of twenty-five people. [f-Bold statement of
extreme praise makes letter stand out from less enthusiastically endorsed
applicants. Will he back it up?] I'm not the only one to think this. Our staffing
meetings would oftentimes dissolve into heated discussions over who would have
the privilege of adding Subodh to their team. He is what we refer to amongst
ourselves as a "Fast-Tracker': Subodh received the "far exceeds requirements"
notation on his last five evaluations. This is the highest possible ranking and is
only awarded to the top 3% in an office. [←Provides substantial detail to
support "most talented" claim.]

What makes him so effective?

Subodh learns extremely quickly, isvery curious and has the versatility to succeed
in any context. After only four and half years of work experience, he has proven
his ability to adapt and succeed both in consulting and in industry. Moreover,

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

172 Great Application Essays for Business School

his software background provides him with much stronger analytical and quan-
titative skills than most of his peers. During the India PC assignment in 2001,
Subodh built a marketing plan with multiple variables that enabled us to model
customer acceptance scenarios and compare them. This greatly helped the client
make his $175 million investment decision. Few senior consultants could have
done this job. [←Brief example effectively demonstrates analytical skills.]
Combined with his experience in corporate strategy and marketing, this ana-
lytical/quantitative skill makes Subodh an "all-terrain" consultant, able to go
through complex Excel models and contribute to more qualitative and business-
driven projects.
What further sets Subodh's performances apart from those of his peer group are
his autonomy and initiative. Subodh will not wait for his project manager to tell
him what to do; he will systematically suggest a course of action and propose an
implementation plan. Once a plan is agreed upon, he will take full responsibility
for delivery and will typically far exceed expectations. This was the case during
the last engagement we worked on together for China Computer. The project
identified several initiatives for driving efficiency and liberating upwards of
$1.5 billion in free cash flow. Subodh contributed significantly to this project
by assuming the full responsibility for a whole segment of the project-the con-
sumer laptop division-representing one fourth of the total synergies. Normally,
this type of project is awarded to a manager, but we felt Subodh had the required
skillsand maturity. As usual he proved us right. On the strength of this project in
particular he won his ticket to be promoted to Manager in June 2004. [(-Second
set of key strengths is also backed up by concrete example.]
Another important characteristic of Subodh's is that he has excellent relational
skills with clients and does not require the same level of guidance as most of his
peers. He is not just a consultant but also a true counselor to his clients, which
is demonstrated by the repeat business he generates. Once clients have worked
with him, they ask for him specifically. Recently, for example, IndiaPC, who
remembered his contribution in 2001, directly contacted Subodh. Subodh went
on to sell this client an $800,000 project; a feat rarely achieved by first-year
managers. [(-Third set of strengths backed up by concrete example.]

How has the applicant grown during his/her employment with you? Please
comment on the applicant's maturity.
Subodh has progressed at an exceptionally rapid pace in all dimensions expected
of a consultant: analytical capability, aptitude to "storyboard", client impact,
ability to take on growing responsibility within projects and manage cross-
functional teams.
Furthermore and as previously discussed, Subodh has also been able to develop
his marketing skills and recently sold an engagement to IndiaPC in difficult
market conditions. I believe that this latest achievement is in good part related

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

 CHAPTER 5: Credible Enthusiasm: Letters of Recommendation 173

to his experience in industry. I can remember that our discussions were often
punctuated by Subodh's concern for putting his consulting experience to the test
of business reality. And indeed, I witnessed a positive difference in his abilities
after his eighteen-month Dell experience. On top of his former assets, Subodh
had developed a better knowledge of operational constraints and had more
empathy for the client.
As far as maturity is concerned, one clear sign of it is that despite his growing
reputation and influence Subodh has remained true to himself: easygoing, always
helpful and extremely professional. In short, Subodh takes his work and clients
very seriously but does not take himself too seriously which, in my mind, is a very
strong sign of maturity.

Comment on the applicant's ability to work with others, including superiors,

peers and subordinates. If the tables were reversed, would you enjoy working
for the applicant?
Subodh is very easy to work with. All stakeholders in a project always appreciate
him because he naturally creates good personal connections thanks to his smiling
personality.
As previously stated, senior managers, partners and clients will specifically
request Subodh for almost any type of project because of his autonomy, versatil-
ity and efficiency. Subodh clearly understands the roles, responsibilities as well
as the strengths and weaknesses of these stakeholders. He knows when to involve
the right players to maximize his work's potential for success. This was confirmed
to me when I observed the way he worked with managers on sever alassignments.
He was able to quickly understand each environment and efficiently adjust to
different styles of management.
Subodh's peers respect his judgment and will often times turn to him as they
would to a project manager for expert advice. More importantly he contributes
to the success of all projects because he is a "true team player".I have personally
and frequently seen Subodh help a colleague complete an assignment after he
himself had already put in a sixteen-hour day. During a strategic project that we
worked on for six months I saw another example of his commitment to the team.
Because of some last-minute adjustments we had spent all night working on a
business plan. Our presentation was at 8:00 am and by 6:00 am we had hardly
finished. Subodh took it upon himself to finalize the deck and get everything
ready so that I could take a shower and gather my thoughts prior to making the
presentation to a twenty-person project committee. Trust me, had he not offered
to do this, what turned out to be a successful presentation could have been a
disaster. [←Revealingly eoeciitc anecdote shows Subodh'f3 human side.]
Subodh's subordinates value the fact that he sets out a clear direction, takes
the time to work closely with them, and "teaches" them the skills required to be
a good consultant. First, in terms of knowledge transmission, Subodh has the

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

174 Great Application Essays for Business School

ability to adapt to his audience and make tricky concepts sound simple. This
greatly helped us integrate consultants into assignments that required strong tech-
nical backgrounds. Secondly, Subodh has an excellent capacity to translate
technical insights into something meaningful for the client's business.
Finally, I would enjoy being managed by Subodh because he gains respect;
he does not impose it. I know that he would provide me with strong direction
as well as the room I need to develop my own views and opinions. Moreover, he
would provide the input and support I would need to improve my deliverables
and myself.

In what ways could the applicant improve professionally? How does he/she
accept constructive criticism?

Subodh's attitude towards seeking out professional feedback is exemplary .In each
of the five evaluations I conducted on him, he explicitly asked for weaknesses
and made sure to work on them for the next evaluation. He is one of the rare
consultants who is more interested in the feedback session than the discussion
about pay and bonus, although this also mattered to him, of course.
As I said previously, Subodh is superbly talented, and as one of our very best
consultants, he does not have many weaknesses. However, as his background is
in engineering he would definitely benefit from the formal management training
provided by the Columbia Business School MBA program. He will acquire new
skillsand knowledge such as financial analysis, entrepreneurial management, and
organizational behavior that will complement his own technology expertise.
Interacting with Columbia Business School's diverse student body will allow him
to broaden his perspectives and overall boost his ability to anticipate and manage
change. Subodh is a very talented person and clearly a future leader, so the MBA
will round out his skills. [←Kacommender takes advantage of Columbia's
request for a professional weakness by naming functional areas Subodh can
address in business school.]

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

Subodh is inherently curious. When most consultants are presented with a new
project they will typically ask if it is a strategy engagement and if it is in their
industry of choice. In contrast, Subodh seems to first ask himselfwhat he can
learn from working on the project. In terms of his initiative, as previously
discussed, this is an area where he definitely sets himself apart from his peer
group. For example, on a project in which his team lacked information about
new technologies such as home-based networked computing, Subodh decided
to organize a four-week benchmark in London, U'K, He first got a few agree-
ments in principle to meet with some U'K, start-ups and then successfully sold
the idea to our Managing Partner and the client. The benchmark proved very

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

 CHAPTER 5: Credible Enthusiasm: Letters of Recommendation 175

helpful to the client and became a reference used by Satyan practitioners through-
out the European practice, involving five officesand representing more than five
hundred consultants.
Another example of Subodh's motivation to make full use of opportunities
is the work we did on integrated desktop PCs in 2001. [←The recommender's
repeated ability to cite supportive examples makes his enthusiasm for Subodh
seem eminently logical.] Early that year Subodh was asked to work on an initial
assessment of the integrated desktop PC business plan for a competitive manu-
facturer. While he knew almost nothing about this technology he rapidly became
a reference with the client at both the engineering and marketing levels, and deliv-
ered much more than was initially asked of him. As a result, he was instrumental
in turning this small engagement into a fifteen-person project that lasted for
nearly a year and a half. Three years later, when the client wants to further
develop integrated desktop computing, he asks for Subodh.

Comment on your observations of the applicant's ethical behavior.

Subodh is a straight shooter. He calls it as he sees it and does not shy away from
stating his opinions. On one occasion, a client had asked us to "stretch" the num-
bers for a business plan. We were considering following the client's request,
because we were getting a lot of pressure from the client and internally. But
Subodh vigorously reminded us that doing so might well serve our interests in
the short term but it could ultimately come back to haunt us.
Given the amount of pressure on us, it really took a lot backbone for Subodh
to speak his mind and defend his opinions. I honestly cannot think of any other
consultant in Subodh's peer group who would have held their ground in the face of
direct resistance from the Managing Partner. [←Impressive claim.] Furthermore,
and more importantly, he was simply right.

What do you think motivates the candidate's application to the MBA program
at Columbia Business School? Do you feel the applicant is realistic in his/her
professional ambitions?
Subodh is a realistic person. Unlike many consultants I have encountered, he has
alwaysadopted a pragmatic and hands-on attitude in the way he sets his goals
and makes decisions. In the years 2000-2001, like many technology consultants,
Subodh had many opportunities to join start-ups working on very promising
technologies such as wireless home computing or PC-based home theater tech-
nology. Notwithstanding those attractive possibilities, Subodh decided to work
on the launch of integrated desktop PCs, a technology that is encountering
important success in India today. In retrospect, this choice happened to be the
right one at the time. While this could be viewed as chance, I know for a fact
that Subodh considered all options available to him and chose the one he felt
was the most realistic,had the best chance of success, and would best enable him

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com

176 Great Application Essays for Business School

to develop professionally. Because of the maturity of integrated desktop PCs as

a technology and the conclusions Subodh had drawn from his four-week bench-
mark in the U'K, Subodh finally chose integrated desktop PCs versus wireless
home computing and PC-based home theater, which were not yet mature tech-
nologies for the Indian market.
This exemplifies why I am convinced that Subodh has realistic professional
ambitions and that his decision to apply to Columbia is well thought through.
Personally, I think that Subodh's solid experience in industry and consulting is
the key to understanding his wish to attend an MBA program now. This is truly
the perfect time for him to complement his skills and experience with the rich-
ness, rigor and diversity of a Columbia MBA. I am convinced that Subodh has
the required talent to achieve his goals and make the most of his past experience
in developing new PC technology on a large scale.
As regards Subodh's choice of Columbia, I like to think I had a slight impact
on his preference. I can remember how attentive he was when I would tell him
about my personal experience working in New York as a consultant during my
graduate studies in electrical engineering. I frequently used the services of
Columbia's library and learned to appreciate the quality of your facilities.Subodh
and I had these discussions quite early in our relationship but I recall that
Subodh was already very interested in the prospect of studying at Columbia.
[~PersonalizingSubodh's application to Columbia by mentioning recommender's
own esteem for Columbia is a nice touch.]
Obviously, Subodh's choice of your MBA program has much to do with its out-
standing reputation. However,I would venture to say that the renowned diversity
and hands-on approach of your program are likely the key drivers of his choice.

Are there any other matters, which you feel we should know about the applicant?
I sincerely believe that Subodh would prove a valuable addition to your esteemed
MBA program. I believe that his experience, strong technical expertise and well-
rounded personality will make him an asset to your program and his classmates.
Moreover, he is simply a great person to be around. He possesses a contagiously
positive outlook on things, is the personification of the term "team player",
has a strong sense of ethics and is consistently driven to better himself and his
environment.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Subodh possesses the skills to
successfully graduate from your program and hold up the Columbia tradition
of excellence in the international business community.

Sincerely,

鸳鸳相抱 ChaseDream 首发 http://forum.chasedream.com