Oxford Saïd MBA Recommendation Questions
The MBA application for Oxford Saïd Business School requires a minimum of two references, at least one professional. If you are unable to provide a letter from your current direct supervisor, then a previous supervisor, an indirect manager, a client, a member of your board of directors, or any other individual who supervises your work would be acceptable. Alternatively, ask someone who managed you in an extracurricular, research, volunteer, or community activity. Choose individuals who know you well through significant, direct involvement with you within the last three years and will provide detailed anecdotes and examples to support their assertions.
Admissions can only accept references from a valid work, professional, or institutional email address and not from Gmail or Hotmail accounts. The Oxford MBA recommendation questions for the current admissions season are below.
2026-2027 Oxford Saïd MBA Recommendation Questions
The recommender is asked to rate the applicant on the following five traits:
Intellectual Curiosity
- Needs Improvement
- Developing
- Competent
- Exceeds Expectations
- Unknown/Not observed
Leadership Skills
- Needs Improvement
- Developing
- Competent
- Exceeds Expectations
- Unknown/Not observed
Ability to Work in a Team
- Needs Improvement
- Developing
- Competent
- Exceeds Expectations
- Unknown/Not observed
Energy and Drive
- Needs Improvement
- Developing
- Competent
- Exceeds Expectations
- Unknown/Not observed
English Language Ability
- Needs Improvement
- Developing
- Competent
- Exceeds Expectations
- Unknown/Not observed
Please upload a letter to elaborate on your ratings you have given the candidate above. Please also indicate, for how long you have known the candidate and in what capacity, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and how you think the candidate would benefit from the programme.
MBA Applywire
Quick snapshot: 28-year-old Austrian, currently a consultant at an MBB firm in Vienna, selected into the firm’s private equity ringfence and staffed exclusively on commercial due diligences and value creation programs for PE funds. Promoted to Consultant after 18 months, six months ahead of the standard track, following a six-month cross-office assignment in Riyadh that is reserved for top-performing Associates. By matriculation in fall 2027 I will have roughly 2.5 years of full-time experience, plus earlier internships at Austria’s embassies in Washington, DC and Tokyo and a year as Founder’s Associate at a sustainability startup during my master’s.
Academics: B.Sc. in Business, Economics and Social Sciences, graduated 1st of 2,961 students (3.99 US-equivalent GPA) in five of six semesters, and an M.Sc. in Economics, graduated 1st of 70 with a perfect GPA, both from a leading public university in the DACH region. GRE 332 (168Q / 164V / 5.0 AW).
Outside work I co-organize Pride@BCG in my office and onboard new joiners, coach high school students through a year-long business program, completed a diploma in diplomacy and economics with the UN Youth Association, co-headed my university’s high-potentials society, and trained in Michelin-starred kitchens — I still cook as a freelance private chef.
Post-MBA goal: a US-based investing role at the intersection of private capital and public purpose — impact investing, sustainable finance, or the investment arm of a foundation or mission-driven institution. Long term I want to bridge investing and policy across the US and Europe, and eventually give back to Austria in a civic or public leadership role.
2 years in family business after undergrad. And in my 4th job in 5 years - have been working with BCG as consultant on contract for 2 years now (project has social impact - affordable digital access angle)
Worked for 2.5 years in social impact sector. Before that 1 year 3 months in KPMG as data science consultant.
Veteran. Company sponsored.