MIT Sloan MBA Recommendation Questions

The online MBA application for the MIT Sloan School of Management requires a single recommendation, preferably from a professional contact and ideally a manager or supervisor who is qualified to speak about your results as a professional and your potential as a leader. Recommenders must submit online; MIT is only able to accept electronic recommendation letters.

The MIT MBA recommendation questions for the 2025-2026 admissions season are available below.

2025-2026 MIT Sloan Recommendation Questions

Section 1: Recommender Information

• Context of Relationship
• Nature of relationship
• How long have you known the applicant?
• Occasionally candidates would like to be considered for other MIT programs or partner schools and ask us to share their applications with these programs. Please indicate if you would like us to share your recommendation.

Section 2: Ratings

Please rate the applicant on the following criteria, in relation to other high-potential people you know.

1. Truly Exceptional (best in 5 years)
2. Outstanding (best in year)
3. Above Average (top 25%)
4. Average (top 50%)
5. Below Average (bottom 50%)
6. Unobserved

Each of the qualities/characteristics listed has a drop-down menu for the recommender to choose their rating:

• Leadership Potential
• Creativity
• Resourcefulness
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Energy and Initiative
• Ability to Work in a Team
• Oral Communication Skills in English Language
• Written Communication Skills in English Language
• Presence
• Analytical Thinking and Reasoning

Based on your professional experience, how do you rate this candidate compared to her/his peer group?

• Unable to assess
• Below average
• Average
• Very good (well above average)
• Excellent (top 10%)
• Outstanding (top 5%)
• The best encountered in my career

Overall,…

• I do not recommend
• Recommend this applicant, with reservations
• Recommend this applicant
• Enthusiastically recommend this applicant

Section 3: Recommendation Letter

Please upload a letter or one document that addresses the following questions and cites specific examples or observations about the candidate. Recommendations should be no longer than two pages.

1.     How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?

2.     How does the applicant stand out from others in a similar capacity?

3.     Please give an example of the applicant’s impact on a person, group, or organization.

4.     Please give a representative example of how the applicant interacts with other people.

5.     Please tell us anything else you think we should know about this applicant.

6.     Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.

Note: MBA applicants must provide contact information for two additional references. Similar to the role of a recommender, these additional reference contacts should be able to speak to the applicant’s professional and/or academic background. A member of the admissions committee may reach out to these references at any time during the evaluation process, should there be additional questions about the applicant’s background and/or experiences.