Deferred MBA Recommendation Letters Done Right | dMBA Weekly Check-In: February 24, 2025
Your recommendation letters can make or break your deferred MBA application—so how do you ensure they work in your favor?
Letters of recommendation are the “black box” of the deferred MBA process. While you, as an applicant, may have full control over who you choose to represent you in this application section, the rest is up to your trusted partner.
Or so it seems.
Today, we’re going over a topic that is deceivingly tricky: how to not piss off your recommender, but more importantly, how to influence the narrative of your letter of recommendation (LOR).
In today’s email…
On Your Radar: This week’s deferred MBA admissions events
Tip of the Week: Make your recommender’s job easy
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On Your Radar
Columbia (CBS): Virtual Deferred Enrollment Program Information Session
When: Monday, February 24, 2025, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Interested in the Deferred Enrollment Program? Register for this webinar to hear from CBS admissions about the program and our application process.
Darden (UVA): Future Year Scholars Program Virtual Coffee Chat
When: Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Chats are small group events for prospective students who are interested in learning more about Darden.
Yale SOM: Silver Scholars Q&A
When: Thursday, February 27, 2025, 8:00 PM to 8:45 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Join us for a live online Q&A session hosted by a Yale SOM Silver Scholars Admissions Committee member. These are small, interactive sessions where all participants are encouraged to share their audio and video, replicating the group conversation you would experience during an in-person campus visit.
Darden (UVA): Future Year Scholar Program Information Session
When: Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 12:00 PM to 12:45 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Interested in learning more about the MBA degree and the deferred enrollment pathway? Join Katherine Alford and Merav Frazier from Darden Admissions to learn more about this opportunity.
Haas (Berkeley): Accelerated Access Info Session
When: Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM PST
Where: Virtual
Details: Curious about Accelerated Access, the deferred admission application pathway to Berkeley Haas's top rated full-time MBA program? In this session, you'll learn about the value of an MBA, what makes Berkeley Haas special, and what we look for in outstanding candidates to the program.
Harvard (HBS): 2+2 Program Information Session
When: Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 5:00 PM to 5:45 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Calling all college students! Join this virtual info session hosted by a member of the HBS MBA Admissions Team to learn about the MBA program, the admissions process and financial aid, and the 2+2 deferred admissions pathway.
Stanford GSB: Ask the Admissions Office - Deferred Enrollment
When: Thursday, March 13, 2025, 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM PST
Where: Virtual
Details: Sometimes you just have a question. Join us for this Q&A session with members of the MBA Admissions team dedicated solely to addressing what's on your mind.
Editor’s Note
Many dMBA schools offer on-campus events regularly, which I do not always include in these posts. I’ll usually highlight them here if they are deferred MBA-specific.
Looking for a full list of dMBA admissions sites?
Check out our FREE updated 2025 dMBA admissions guide here!
MBAxcel Tip of the Week: Make your recommender’s job easy.
I don’t know about you, but personally, I hate being a burden to others.
Consequently, asking for letters of recommendation was probably the most uncomfortable part of the deferred MBA application process for me. And while I’m confident that my recommenders were more than happy to help me pursue my dream of attending business school, it still felt difficult to ask for free labor and ask people to praise me in formal writing.
It’s a lot to ask of someone to write your recommendation! Every school has different prompts, and as an applicant yourself, you know how difficult it can be to keep track of all of the deadlines and requirements.
Luckily, there’s a lot of small acts of kindness that you can initiate to give your recommender a better experience, starting at the beginning…
Give your recommender time and space.
If you haven’t asked an individual in your life to be your recommender yet for this application cycle, do it now.
Out of all items in your application, the LOR is not something you want to procrastinate on. In theory, the more time you give your recommender, the more prepared they’ll feel to write something about you that is insightful and eye-opening for the admissions board.
Now, today’s post is not about how to choose a recommender (although, if you’re looking for that, let me know!). But, hopefully, you have a few individuals in mind, whether they’re professors or managers or even business partners.
Keep in mind that if you’re asking a professor, they may have several letters queued for other students applying to graduate school. In my experience, most instructors will take LOR requests on a first-come, first-served basis, so the earlier you start, the better chance you have at getting a recommendation from the individual who can speak to your qualities the best.
Make a cheat sheet.
Your recommender’s likely got a ton on their mind and, chances are, your MBA application is not the most important thing going on in their life. Making a cheat sheet is going to be a game-changer for them.
So, what goes into this cheat sheet? Here are some ideas from the ones I made for my recommenders:
Overview of deferred MBA program
List of schools/programs that you are applying to
Due dates for each application
Requirements for recommendations (pulled directly from the schools’ admissions sites, see here for an example from Stanford GSB)
Resources: Resume, LinkedIn, portfolio/website, featured work online
Narrative
Pause. What is the “narrative?”
Good question. It’s simple, but critical: your narrative is your story. Your case for admission to business school. Why are you here? Why are you applying to the deferred MBA? What do you hope to get out of this?
These are all questions that we’ve covered before on MBAxcel!
Specifically, use the cheat sheet as an opportunity to tailor your recommender’s writing angle. What is it that you want your recommender to emphasize about you?
Ideally, every part of your application should tell the reader something different about you.
To maximize the amount of information that the admissions team learns about you, using the LOR to reveal a different side of you is crucial.
Sure, your GMAT score might tell them that you’re good at taking an exam. Your GPA might tell them that you study hard. And your resume might show them that you’ve got the “skills to pay the bills,” as a former professor of mine loved to say. But your recommendation tells the reader something incredibly different: how do others see you?
Therefore, it’s important to use this cheat sheet as a means to explain your case to your recommender. What is your goal with the deferred MBA, and how can they help you achieve it? Can they speak to your leadership skills? Your work ethic? Your kindness? What is it that your recommender can provide to boost your application further than what you can do yourself?
Feeling stuck?
If you’re looking for a sample cheat sheet, I’ll post mine for paid subscribers on the Resources section of this site! Over the next few weeks, I’m looking to expand benefits for paid subscribers to MBAxcel, including successful sample essays and resumes as well as exclusive access to essay feedback and office hours with me. If you’ve found the content I post here helpful, please consider becoming a paid supporter of this publication!
Follow up with your recommender.
As you approach the upcoming deadlines, it’s a good idea to check in with your recommender for two main reasons:
Serving as a reminder to write your recommendation letter
Giving guidance or feedback before submission
It’s very likely that your recommender won’t show you what they wrote and will not ask for feedback; however, in the lucky case that they do, take advantage of that opportunity. This is a good place to fact-check your recommender or provide further insight into how their letter fits as a puzzle piece of your entire application.
Shoot your recommender a quick email or set up a coffee chat just to check in and be supportive! You don’t want a confused recommender writing your letter.
Send a token of gratitude.
When all is said and done, I think it’s nice to show your appreciation with a gift of some sort. It doesn’t have to be fancy – even a handwritten thank you note is a nice touch. Personally, I bought each of my recommenders a nice, customized fountain pen from Etsy and gave it to them after applications were in. Regardless of what that gift is, say “thank you” to your recommender! They’ve done a ton for you!
Keep your recommender posted!
When summer rolls around and you get that call from your dream business school that you got in (hooray!), let your recommender know! The deferred MBA is not a solo endeavor by any means, and your recommender is a huge part of your success. Give them a call or send them an email to keep them informed of the great news!
Postscript.
How’s the grind? How are you feeling? What can I do to help? Send me a note or leave a comment! I’d love to hear your story and help you achieve your deferred MBA dreams.
Take care! See you in a bit.