The Truth About Informal Business School Endorsements | Ep 105

What role do informal letters of recommendation play in business school admissions decisions? 

Host Harold Simansky is joined by Melissa Blakeslee, an experienced MBA admissions consultant and former admissions director, to clarify what these endorsements are and why most programs discourage them. In this episode, Melissa shares firsthand insight into how admissions committees evaluate external outreach, helping candidates understand when an extra recommendation can add value and when it might instead cause harm.

Listeners will discover how to handle recommendation offers from well-connected executives, what makes a campus visitor endorsement credible, and how to use specific school initiatives such as Chicago Booth’s “Shape the Class.” The conversation also addresses the proper timing for submitting outside endorsements and how to employ the strategy effectively when waitlisted.

This episode is especially valuable for MBA candidates who are still determining their recommendation strategy or have been placed on a school’s waitlist. Listeners will learn how to identify appropriate individuals to provide an informal note, how admissions readers assess fit, and how an unsolicited letter can inadvertently signal a lack of judgment.

00:00 Introducing Informal Letters of Recommendation

02:14 Defining Informal Endorsements Versus Recommendations

05:51 Using Campus Visit Endorsements to Emphasize Fit

07:58 How Endorsements Vary Across Business Schools

09:56 A Strategy for Waitlist and Deferred MBA Applications

13:01 Examples of Helpful Versus Damaging Endorsements

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Transcript

Introducing Informal Letters of Recommendation

Melissa Blakeslee 0:00

There's a big emphasis on fairness in this process, and because not everybody has access to people like that, they're not going to just say, okay, well, you're in because you know this person. Like that simply isn't fair.

Harold Simansky 0:14

If I go out of my way to talk to my uncle who knows the Minister of Finance for a particular country, it's like business schools will be like, like, why did you think that was a good idea?

Melissa Blakeslee 0:23

Someone who's influential, probably very connected, has no connection to the school, and doesn't know you as an applicant at all. Again, that's that's not what will move the needle. Something like Booth Shape the Class, where they say, hey, we want to hear from you. We want you to refer people, and they're not the only school that has that. Absolutely use that as it makes sense.

Harold Simansky 0:56

Today on the MBA Mission Podcast, we are discussing a topic that generates a lot of curiosity and quite a bit of confusion: the so-called informal letters of recommendation. You may have heard stories about applicants who had someone reach out to admissions on their behalf, an alum, a donor, or another well-connected member of the school community. But what role did these kinds of endorsements actually play in an admissions decision? When can they be helpful and when might they do more harm than good? To help us unpack this topic, I am joined today by my colleague Melissa Blakesley. Melissa is an experienced MBA admissions consultant and former MBA Admissions Director, who has worked with applicants across a wide range of backgrounds and top programs. She has seen firsthand how admissions committees evaluate every piece of the application, including when and whether informal endorsements should be part of the strategy. In our conversation today, we will clarify what these endorsements really are, why most schools actually discourage them, and how applicants should think about whether one might truly add value to their story. We'll also talk about who is actually appropriate to provide an endorsement, how it should be shared with the admissions committee, and the timing consideration applicants should keep in mind. So most schools require two recommendations, but how about that situation where you have someone else, whether it's a boss, maybe it's a VIP, a big donor to the school, and they want to write your recommendation, what happens at that point?

Melissa Blakeslee 2:13

That's a

Defining Informal Endorsements Versus Recommendations

Melissa Blakeslee 2:14

great question. Um I think in most cases you should not be submitting an additional recommendation beyond what the school has requested. So if they want one, submit one. If you end up on a wait list or you're deferred for an interview, sure. Maybe you ask someone else to send a second recommendation. Um I think there are times though where kind of the informal endorsement can be of value.

Harold Simansky 2:37

Okay, you use the word endorsement instead of recommendation. Is there significance to that?

Melissa Blakeslee 2:41

Sure. So I think when I think about an informal endorsement, I think about something that is not the formal letter of recommendation that answers, you know, what how did this how does this person's strengths compare to others? What's an area of constructive feedback you've given them? Um, but instead is a a heads up, I would say, to the admission committee. Um, hey, take take a very careful look at this candidate. And where those endorsements I think can be helpful, and I say can because I think it's quite rare, is in a situation where you know someone very, very well that has a deep connection with a school.

Harold Simansky 3:22

This is not an infrequent question for us. This idea here is that they go through the process and frequently the question is asked, sometimes directly, sometimes less directly. Hey, I know the CEO of JP Morgan, or I've heard of the CEO of JP Morgan, though I work there. Um, should I finagle a letter from them? Or is there something that really is more impactful, less impactful?

Melissa Blakeslee 3:46

Right. So I think there's a couple couple of thoughts. It depends. Uh first thing to know is that you are not at a disadvantage if you don't have an an informal rack or an informal endorsement. Most people don't have them. Right, right. It's it's rare to have one, and it's even more rare to have one that actually is meaningful or impactful. So, okay, you say you are very good friends with the CEO of JP Morgan. They know your work very, very well. Um, you've they've been a personal mentor of yours. They are an alum of one of your target schools. Absolutely. They should, if they offer, um, they should send a brief email, you know, explaining how you're a fit for the program, explaining if it's your top choice, you know, that it's your top choice. And just please take a careful look at this applicant. It's not obviously not a place for them to put pressure on the admission committee doesn't want to be told what to do, right? It can sure like anybody could backfire, right? So you have to do it a bit judiciously. Um, but that could work. Now, if you, you know, work five floors away and you've passed the JP Morgan CEO in the lunchroom. Like, no, no, that isn't a situation. Don't even bother, right? That's not a good use of um an informal endorsement. In reality, it will probably more likely hurt your access to the city. Right? Because I think it shows a lack of self-awareness, a lack of judgment if you if you use it in a situation like that.

Jeremy Shinewald 5:18

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Using Campus Visit Endorsements to Emphasize Fit

Harold Simansky 5:51

Now that makes sense. How about sort of going the other way? You have a friend who's at that school. Is it worth for them to communicate to the advice committee?

Melissa Blakeslee 5:59

I do. I do think a friend or, you know, occasionally I have clients who go to campus and they really connect deeply with someone on a school visit and they're like, oh, this person offered to write me, you know, um an endorsement. And absolutely, right? I do they carry a ton of weight? Probably not. But I think on the margins, if if a student or a couple of students can really articulate to the admission committee through email or just like a quick chat with the admissions director, like, oh, you know, I met Harold when he came to campus to visit. Here's all the ways that I think he's a really good fit for our school. I would, I would want him on my team, I would want him in my class. Um, I can see him being a really impactful alum. Then I think a note like that could could have some have some merit to it.

Harold Simansky 6:44

Right, right, right. But somebody who graduated 30 years before, not even from the business school or from the university, obviously, that makes a lot less sense.

Melissa Blakeslee 6:51

It doesn't make a ton of sense. And or, you know, it I had a client once who's, you know, I think it was my my mom knows the Minister of Trade of Hong Kong. Like, okay, someone who's influential, probably very connected, has no connection to the school, and doesn't know you as an applicant at all. Again, that's that's not what will move the needle on your candidacy. And I think unfortunately, there's an impression out there that people really need, oh, you know, it's about who you know, or it's um, oh, I know someone who got into HBS and they were friends with someone. I mean, that that just isn't the adcom can't put a ton of weight into that because they want to be fair, right? Like there's a big emphasis on fairness in this process. And because not everybody has access to people like that, they're not going to just say, okay, well, you're in because you know this person. Like that simply isn't fair.

Harold Simansky 7:47

Is it school dependent? I mean, will it vary from school to school as far as one always imagines that yeah, if the president writes it, will write a recommendation to Harvard that that's all it takes. But how about other schools?

How Endorsements Vary Across Business Schools

Melissa Blakeslee 7:58

Yeah, I mean, I I think it does vary from school to school, and you can kind of get a sense some schools don't want anything additional. They just want what they're asking for in the application. Um, most schools, though, if if a very influential donor or someone who has a close relationship with the dean and they know you very, very well, like that will be something that they do take into consideration. I think probably across schools, it won't be the reason you get in, right? It will not be the reason that you get in. But it's just one added component of the full holistic review that an admission committee will take into consideration. Um, I think one thing though that is important is say it's a very powerful CEO and she didn't go to this school that you're targeting, if she has no relationship with the school, again, like there's not a lot of value there. So I think you have to really think carefully. Not only do you have to be legitimately connected with this individual, they should have a connection with the school, whether that's a donor, a very heavily involved alum. Um, and usually the best approach, rather than like I said, you know, not filling out the formal recommendation form. Um, but sometimes say they're going to campus to speak.

unknown 9:19

Right.

Melissa Blakeslee 9:20

Okay, they have a quick meeting with the dean. Hey, I really want you to just ask the adcom to take a careful look at this application. That happened when I was an admissions director. The dean would walk down and say, Hey, I just had lunch with this person, their son is applying. Let's just make sure we take a careful look at the application.

Harold Simansky 9:39

Yeah, take another look.

Melissa Blakeslee 9:41

Take another look, right? And um, and and of course we would. And so I think that's where there can be a little bit of value to it. It's just that the adcom's always going to take a careful look at every application, but having that knowledge when they're reviewing it can be helpful.

Harold Simansky 9:55

The reality

A Strategy for Waitlist and Deferred MBA Applications

Harold Simansky 9:56

is this is a question that we get pretty frequently. And what I also frequently try to do is turn it around and say, okay, let's say you have this person do it for you. Let's say you don't get in. Let's say at that point you get in but end up not going. It's it's a very fraught situation. And if this person is as influential as you say they are, then it's like, oh, maybe it's going to really come back to bite you.

Melissa Blakeslee 10:18

Right.

Harold Simansky 10:19

With a very, very little up value.

Melissa Blakeslee 10:21

Right. And I think that's something too. When if they're writing a note or talking to the dean, it's great if they can say, This is Harold's first choice. Yeah. If he if he is admitted, he will attend. But they shouldn't do that unless it's actually true. Um, because yes, it can make the obviously this individual that you have some sort of relationship with doesn't want to ruin their relationship with the school, right? So you have to be very careful in how you know you manage that piece of it. And it can be a little sticky in certain situations. And so you just want to be mindful of that before you move forward with it. And again, I'll say I'll say it, it's not needed to get in. Right. Right. A nice to have in some cases where it's relevant, but it's definitely a small percentage of applicants have something like this.

Harold Simansky 11:13

Frequently I'll tell folks when it comes to wait list, that's really the time to start examining something like this.

Melissa Blakeslee 11:19

Yes. Yep. And I think if if you're doing it earlier than that, it should go in before your application is submitted, right? So once your application is submitted, the box is locked. The box is locked, right? Schools, I mean, think about some of these schools receiving 10,000 plus applications. They can't, one, it's not fair. Again, it comes back to fairness. Um, but two, just administratively, they they can't manage different pieces coming in from thousands of different applicants. And so if you want someone to do something like this and you think it's a really good decision and makes sense, it should go in, you know, prior to your application submittal. Or as you said, save it. Right. Save it for a wait list. Save it if you apply to Harvard and you're deferred for an interview. Maybe that gives you that little nudge for them to then meet you face to face. So I think that strategically, I think that can be a really good use. And sometimes to me makes a little more sense.

Harold Simansky 12:19

Essentially, then you're given the opportunity to tell me something more.

Melissa Blakeslee 12:22

Tell me something new, right? Yes, totally.

Harold Simansky 12:25

Yeah, when you get wait listed like that, particularly before the interview, what they're really telling you is in someone else said it on this podcast, I think, and it really wasn't me. Maybe it was Jeremy. It's like we are pretty convinced that we don't know what to do with you. Right. And I I think I think that's it. Yeah, so if at this point you can get a little bit extra more so that they're saying, okay, I really do want to talk to this person. That's that's certainly.

Melissa Blakeslee 12:44

That can just be that added little nudge to get you over.

Harold Simansky 12:47

Yeah, yeah, definitely. And and I was gonna ask you, Melissa, just what have you seen in terms of one of these endorsements that really um you loved and really had moved the needle, or what have you seen that really made you cringe?

Examples of Helpful Versus Damaging Endorsements

Melissa Blakeslee 13:01

So we'll we can start with the the negative. I think a situation where a client had someone who was influential and had uh was very well connected, but clearly didn't know this applicant at all.

unknown 13:17

Right.

Melissa Blakeslee 13:18

Right. And so um that again will will not benefit you. Um at best, it will just be disregarded. At worst, it will cause the admission committee really question your judgment. So I think that was a scenario where I suggested I I don't recommend that you share this. Um and they did they didn't, but I think that did that was cringe for me. It was just seeing kind of this paragraph that someone had drafted, and it there was nothing specific. It was fluff, right? It was essentially fluff. And so that's that would be in the no bucket. Don't do that. Um I think where it can where it would be really valuable is um a client who had a close relationship, um, small firm, but close relationship with the CEO, who was the lum of their target school. She didn't work directly with the CEO, but on a daily basis, but he knew her work very, very well. Um and he did a nice kind of endorsement for her, and she did get it. We don't know, is that why she got the interview? I don't know. But it it was something that did go in prior to the application submission. And I think in that case, because of the CEO's relationship and the relationship with my client, I think it was definitely a a positive for the application.

Harold Simansky 14:38

No, that makes sense. Listen, what I sometimes tell clients, if you're on the fence, talk to this person just a little bit, even if in the elevator, hey, I just want you to know I know you went to um MIT. I actually applied there. I just applied there, and at that point you sort of put it in their hands. And I think that that's sort of a way to thread the needle a little bit here.

Melissa Blakeslee 14:55

Right. I think you know, a lot of people want to help, right? And so I think you have to be careful about you know, peep people are not like a lot of people, you you may have a lot of big fans, right? But they they aren't all the right people to help. And so there's nothing wrong with actually telling someone that's okay. Yes, I'm all set, right, right? Right. So that's something to consider too, kind of the flip side of it is that you don't need this. And so, um, but if there is someone that you think could be a good fit, just kind of broaching it, seeing it seeing, oh, maybe they'll offer. Um, and again, kind of making sure that they approach it in a I guess subtle fashion. Right. I think it's it's subtle. It's not and I I I think most people who would be in that position would know, not to make a hard press. But that's right.

Harold Simansky 15:48

Um Yeah, particularly it really is about judgment. Right. At the end of the day, if I go out of my way to talk to my uncle who knows the Minister of Finance for a particular country, it's like business schools will be like, uh, why did you think that was a good idea? Exactly. Exactly. No, I no, I think that's right then. There are certainly schools that actually invite something like this. For example, University of Chicago has something called Shape the Class. How do what does one do with that opportunity, actually?

Melissa Blakeslee 16:14

Yeah, I mean, I think when the school really puts it out there and asks for that feedback, and typically they're they're looking for like student alum, um use it, right? But again, you have to make sure it's not just, oh, I passed this student in the hall when I was on my tour. I mean, you you have to have a real relationship. Um recently I had a client who, and he kept, he mentioned it in his Wharton essay. He wanted this per it's his like you know, his girlfriend's parents are alums of Wharton, and he wanted them to, you know, submit something, right? And you know, again, that's not necessarily the right, the right use. And certainly mentioning people that graduated in you know the 90s, not super relevant. Um, so I think something like Booth Shape the Class, where they say, hey, we want to hear from you, we want you to refer people, um, and they're not the only school that has that. Absolutely use that as it makes sense. Um, and that is that doesn't even need to be someone, you know, who is a big donor or who goes back and speaks on campus. That can be a student, that can be a very recent alum that you work in the office next to.

Harold Simansky 17:25

Yeah.

Melissa Blakeslee 17:25

Um, yeah, use those definitely to your advantage.

Harold Simansky 17:28

Definitely. And in my sense, they don't even have to say much other than this is a great person. I'd love to have him as a teammate. Exactly. Be a great member of the community.

Melissa Blakeslee 17:36

They fit with the school, and here's why I can see them in this program being successful.

Harold Simansky 17:42

That's perfect, then great. Well, Melissa, thank you very much. If you'd like to hear more from Melissa or more from me, or more from any one of our consultants, by all means sign up for a free 30-minute consultation at MBA Mission.com.

Jeremy Shinewald 17:54

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