The Vanderbilt / Owen MBA application requires one professional recommendation, preferably from a current or former supervisor. The Vanderbilt recommendation questions follow the Common Letter of Recommendation from GMAC. There is an option for the recommender to forgo the CLoR and submit a letter instead.
2023-2024 Vanderbilt Owen MBA Recommendation Questions
Section 1: Recommender Information
Highest degree earned
Institution name:
Type of recommendation letter:
Academic
Professional
Personal
Research Advisor
Relationship to applicant:
Colleague
Professor
Research Advisor
Spiritual Leader
Mentor
Past Supervisor
Current Supervisor
Other
Other than the request for this recommendation, when was the last time you interacted with this applicant?
Section 2: Leadership Assessment Grid
In this section, you will find 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories:
Achievement
Influence
People
Personal Qualities
Cognitive Abilities
For each competency, please select the one button that corresponds to the behavior that you have seen the applicant most consistently exhibit. We acknowledge that all applicants have both areas of strength and areas of development. Your candid and honest appraisal will assist in evaluation of the applicant. Please assume that each level builds upon behaviors of the previous level.
Achievement
1. Initiative: Acts ahead of need/anticipates problems
2. Results Orientation: Focuses on and drives toward delivering on goals, objectives, and performance improvement
Influence
3. Communication, Professional Impression & Poise: Delivers messages and ideas in a way that engages an audience and achieves buy-in; uses listening and other attending behaviors to reach shared understanding; remains calm and measured even in time of crisis or conflict
4. Influence and Collaboration: Engages and works with people over whom one has no direct control
People
5. Respect for Others: Acknowledges the value of others’ views and actions
6. Team Leadership: Manages and empowers a team of formal or informal direct reports, including virtual teams
7. Developing Others: Helps people develop their performance and ability over time
Personal Qualities
8. Trustworthiness/ Integrity: Acts consistently in line with or follows explicit values, beliefs, or intentions
9. Adaptability/ Resilience: Adapts to changing demands and circumstances without difficulty. Maintains calm optimism in the face of challenge, problems, or apparent failure
10. Self Awareness: Aware of and seeks out additional input on own strengths and weaknesses
Cognitive
11. Problem Solving: Frames problems, analyzes situations, identifies key issues, conducts analysis on the issues, and produces acceptable solution
12. Strategic Orientation: Thinks beyond one’s span of control and into the future to reshape the approach or scope of work
Is there anything about your ratings on which you would like to comment? (Optional)
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 this applicant
Recommend this applicant with reservations
Recommend this applicant
Enthusiastically recommend this applicant
Section 3: Recommendation Questions
Please answer the following questions and provide specific examples where possible.
Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Up to 50 words)
How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (e.g., what are the applicant’s principal strengths?) (Up to 500 words)
Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Up to 500 words)
- Black woman
- Poor GPA was due to health senior year (was a 3.1-3.3 each year pre-senior year)
- Studied sociology at non-target
- National award/grant-winning, published author
- Strong volunteer experience (5 years at same position w/some leadership)
- Currently unemployed/"job hopping" background due to job market and post-COVID health situation (strongest/longest experience was 2 years in HR at Fortune 100)
- Strong background in academic research and writing
- Zero quant background
- Interested in ESG, consulting, or HR post-MBA, but still deciding
Post-MBA Target Industry:
Consulting, Technology, Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Asset Management, inc. HF, Commercial Banking, Media, Family Business, Entrepreneurship Companies:
Ernst & Young
, Bank of America
, Facebook
, Google
, IBM
, Microsoft
, Oracle
, First Round Capital
, Kleiner Perkins
, NEA
, Bain Capital
, Goldman Sachs Principal Investment Group
, TPG
, Goldman Sachs
, JP Morgan Asset Management
, Bank of America
, 21st Century Fox
, Walt Disney
GMAT: 640
GPA: 3.41
Years of Work Experience: 4
Location: Malaysia
Post MBA Location: USA
Notes:
My designation is CEO IJM CORP BHD, Malaysia. It is my futute prospect career. I want MBA for that career.
Post-MBA Target Industry:
Technology Companies:
Amazon
, Facebook
, Google
GPA: 3.63
Years of Work Experience: 6
Location: CA
Notes:
Already working as a product manager. Left my job recently to take a break. before going to business school. Looking to use B-school to transition into a role of Director of Product Management/Strategy.