CEIBS MBA Recommendation Questions
CEIBS online application is now live for the 2025-2026 admissions season, meaning that the CEIBS recommendation questions are now available for applicants and their recommenders. The application requires two referees who can authentically confirm the candidate’s management potential, character, and professional/academic accomplishments. An ideal referee should have supervised/worked closely with the candidate in a professional/academic environment within the organization. The reference letter must be submitted in either English or Chinese.
2025-2026 CEIBS Recommendation Questions
Referee’s Information
推荐人信息
- Referee’s Name 推荐人姓名
- Gender 推荐人性别
- Position/Title 职务/职称
- Employer 单位名称
- Contact Address 联系地址
- Telephone 电话
- Email 电子邮件
- How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity? 您认识申请人已有多长时间？您当时担任何种职务，与申请人是何种关系？
- In comparison with the applicant’s colleagues, what do you consider to be the applicant’s strengths? How do you think about the applicant’s leadership ability? 在您看来，申请人与他（她）的同级相比主要长处是什么？您如何看待他（她）的领导能力？
- In what areas do you think the applicant needs improvement or growth? To the best of your knowledge, what effort(s) has the applicant made to improve in the areas that you have mentioned? 请描述申请人的主要不足之处以及申请人如何对此进行了改进。
- Please comment on the applicant’s ability to work with colleagues, including his or her supervisors, peers, and subordinates. 请评述申请人与其他同事，包括他（她）的上级、同级和下级，合作共事的能力。
- Please provide any other comments or information that may help us assess the applicant for admission into the CEIBS MBA programme. 请提供其它您认为能帮助我院评价申请人的信息。
Please rate the applicant’s characteristics in comparison with his or her peers.
以申请人的同级为参照，请您就以下方面对申请人进行评估。
Referees are asked to rate skills using the following scale: Outstanding 优异 , Excellent 优 , Good 良 , Average 中 , Below Average 差 , Cannot Judge 无法判断
Skills:
- Intellectual Ability 智力
- Analytical Ability 分析能力
- Organisational Ability 组织能力
- Problem Solving Ability 解决问题能力
- Innovation Ability 创新能力
- Decisiveness 决断能力
- Leadership Ability 领导能力
- Teamwork Ability 团队合作能力
- Communication Skills 表达能力
- Integrity 正直
- Maturity 成熟
- Passion 工作热情
- Professionalism 专业态度
Please give your overall recommendation for the applicant’s admission to the CEIBS MBA programme. 请给出您对申请人的总体评价。
- Strongly recommend 极力推荐
- Recommend 推荐
- Recommend with some reservation 有保留的推荐
MBA Applywire
* Background: 28M, CEE Region (Underrepresented)
* Education: Bachelor of Economics (GPA: 8.3/10) from the top university in my home country.
* Education (Grad): Master in Finance (GPA: 4.7/5.0) from the top university in a second country (Poland).
* GMAT: 675.
* Work Experience: 5 years total.
* 2 years in Big 4 Transactions.
* 3 years in a local M&A Boutique.
* Note: Big 4 experience was gained concurrently with my studies. My Master’s schedule (3-4 days a week, 17:00-21:00) allowed for full-time professional engagement.
* Extracurriculars: Founder of a finance community for the CEE region (70+ members). We focus on mentoring and networking.
* Post-MBA Goal: Pivot into a Private Equity Mega Fund.
* The Pitch: Leveraging a unique CEE expertise. Poland is a booming market; as the economy matures, I expect increased MF activity (CVC is already active here). I also plan to scale my finance community into a primary regional hub.
I'm a GCC national at MBB in the region. Mostly worked on large-scale government projects, and hoping to continue in government after graduation (also a woman, not sure if that makes a difference but I see fewer women from my country applying to MBAs).
322 GRE (162V 160Q)
3.0 GPA from US T30 school (this one is painful but I had a strong upward trend after switching majors)
5 years experience (boutique + currently MBB)
Hey everyone,
I’d really appreciate an honest profile review and advice on how to best position myself over the next 4–5 years before applying to MBA programs (targeting M7 / T15, ideally with strong scholarship outcomes).
Background:
• 23M, URM (Latino, immigrant background)
• Graduated December 2025 from a non-target state school (Honors College)
• Major: Finance
• GPA: \~3.7–3.8
Work Experience:
Incoming: Management Rotation Program (Audit track) at a large U.S. financial institution (starting mid-2026)
• Rotational program with exposure to risk, capital markets, and enterprise functions
Current: Financial Analyst (Controls / Risk) at a large global tech company (co-op + full-time transition before MRP) not FAANG but similar
Prior internships:
A) 6 months internship Internal Audit – Housing Finance / Mortgage-related institution (Fannie/freddie)
B) 1 year internship and 1 year contract Risk & Compliance – Fixed Income / Debt Issuance organization (~$800B issuance exposure)
Exposure to MBS, capital markets, and financial risk frameworks
C) Summer experience for a regulatory agency (Pcaob, SEC, GAO)
Leadership & Extracurriculars:
• Director of Data Analytics – professional Latino association (2-5K members)
• Committee Member – State CPA Society (content + events)
Certifications / Plans:
Sitting for CFA Level I (May) → plan to complete CFA within ~3–4 years
Planning to complete CPA (150 credits + exams) within ~4–5 years
Short-Term Goal (pre-MBA):
Move from audit → capital markets / risk / transaction-related roles internally
Potentially pivot into roles closer to banking, valuation, or strategy
Long-Term Goal (post-MBA):
Investment Banking (M&A / Capital Markets) or potentially strategy consulting as backup
⸻
Questions:
1. How competitive is this profile today for M7 / T15 (assuming a strong GMAT, targeting 740+)?
2. What matters more in my case over the next few years:
• Internal mobility into capital markets–related roles?
• External jump (e.g., consulting, transaction advisory)?
3. Will CPA + CFA actually help for MBA admissions + IB recruiting, or is that overkill?
4. How can I best differentiate coming from a non-target + audit background?
5. What would you prioritize if you were me for the next 4–5 years?
I am a European 28-years-old engineer (automotive and oil&gas background) preparing my MBA applications. GMAT Focus 695 (97th percentile), IELTS 8/9, ~3 years of work experience.