From the Admissions Office
September 27, 2007

Since many applicants are working on applications for our first round deadline on October 24, we wanted to continue our series of application tips by providing advice on essays and recommendation letters.

Your essays are a key part of your application. This is the section over which you have the most control and through which you can speak most directly to the admissions committee. Academic information can only tell part of the story, so we’re relying on you to tell us about your goals, passions, and what makes you unique. Here are a few guidelines for writing:

• Outline your thoughts. Before you start writing, it’s helpful to jot down your thoughts in a quick outline. By doing this, you’ll be sure your essays have a natural progression and include everything you want to convey. It’s also easy to make quick changes before you get too deep into the writing process. This can be a big time saver as you’re juggling business school applications, work, and your personal life.
• Write about what you know — you. We’re interested in learning about your goals, past experiences, and ideas. Don’t change your focus because you think it’s what we want to hear. Be true to yourself and create a cohesive focus throughout your essays. If you’re thinking about a career switch, be sure to “connect the dots” and tell us how you became interested in this new industry and what you’ve done, to date, to pursue this interest.
• Review before you submit. After you’ve finished your first draft, ask a friend or family member to read your essays. It’s helpful to have a fresh set of eyes go over your work, since you’ve probably been staring at your essays for weeks and may miss something. But remember — because we want to learn about you, please make sure your essays are your own work. A friend can give general advice, but shouldn’t draft any part of your application.

Recommendation letters are an equally important part of the application process, but are less within your control than essays because they’re written by someone other than you. If you follow a few simple steps, however, they can add important new dimensions to your application. Specifically, in soliciting recommendations, remember to:

• Plan ahead. Because your current or former supervisor is very busy, it’s best to ask far in advance. If you give them enough time, they’ll be able to write an informative letter that will help us learn more about you. It might be helpful to have a conversation with your recommender ahead of time to tell them about your career goals and why you want to get an MBA. Try to avoid giving them a copy of your essays, though, because their recommendation may end up sounding a lot like your words and not theirs.
• Ask someone who knows you well. The biggest mistake candidates can make with recommendation letters is asking the CEO of the company or some other high-ranking official who hardly knows them. Yes, the title is impressive, but the letter is usually not. A vague, two-paragraph recommendation doesn’t add much to your application. By asking someone in your department with whom you’ve worked closely, you’ll likely get a letter that includes plenty of details regarding projects you’ve worked on and your day-to-day initiatives. Don’t miss this opportunity to let your boss tell us about your great work.

We hope these tips help as you’re preparing your applications. As always, if you have additional questions, feel free to post on our online message board or email mba.admissions@yale.edu.

Admissions Office
Yale School of Management
135 Prospect Street
Box 208200
New Haven, CT 06520-8200c
203.432.5635, Admissions Office
203.432.6380, Visitor Center
fax 203.432.7004
mba.admissions@yale.edu