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)
Applying:
Berkeley / Haas,
Duke / Fuqua,
Michigan / Ross,
Stanford GSB,
Yale SOM
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Energy Project Manager
Post-MBA Target Industry:
Other
GRE: 328
GPA: 3.45
Years of Work Experience: 2.5
Location: Greater Boston
Post MBA Location: West Coast
Notes:
I have jumped around a bit in my early career, looking to get an MBA to find my niche in sustainability more efficiently and build financial analysis skills since I am strongly considering a pivot into climate investing. Looking for a school that offers strong sustainability offerings, ideally a joint Master's degree or concentration in energy/sustainability/climate
Applying:
Carnegie Mellon / Tepper,
Duke / Fuqua,
HEC Paris,
MIT Sloan,
NYU Stern,
UVA / Darden,
Yale SOM
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Former lawyer, Edtech, Non-profit
Post-MBA Target Industry:
Consulting, Technology, Non Profit/SI Companies:
Bain
, Booz Allen Hamilton
, BCG
GRE: 326
GPA: 3.3
Years of Work Experience: 9
Location: India
Post MBA Location: US
Notes:
I am a former lawyer who pivoted to Education in 2020. Since then, I have worked as a Chief of Staff at an admission consulting firm, as a Head of Operations at a testing/coaching service provider (startup), and as Senior Program Manager (Ops & Analytics) at a renowned non-profit in Early Childhood Education. I lead over 50 people in my current organization and have expanded state operations to cover thousands of parents, children, and childcare workers. I am also an amateur poet/translator volunteering at a regional language publication house/magazine.
Profile:
1) Engineering from IIT Bombay (Top engineering institution in India)
2) 8 months work experience in Japan at a battery manufacturing firm
3) over 2.5 years work experience at a Japanese management consulting firm in India within Automotive practice where I have been promoted 3 times (fast track) to currently a deputy senior consultant role with leadership experience of leading multi-national teams
4) Fluent in Japanese and 4 other languages
5) Mild community involvement (Have a band where I am the guitarist and Education outreach experience during college)
Goals
1) Short term - Auto industry consulting
2) Long term - Chief Strategy officer at Auto Industry with focus on sustainability strategy
US Army Special Forces veteran / Service Academy grad with low GPA but solid GRE. Several deployments around the world with unique experiences, including combat, cross-functional management, and forging diplomatic relations in new countries. Looking to pivot to consulting to broaden business acumen and focus on energy projects, with a long-term goal of breaking into PE Ops.
I’m 27 years old and was among the top 5 in my class during college. I am about to take the GMAT and start my admission process, aiming to apply in Round 2.
I worked as a Product Manager for a very successful LATAM startup, where I led a team to build one of the company's most important technology tools. I am passionate about solving user problems and enjoy networking.
My main concern is uncertainty about my post-MBA goals. I understand that an MBA is about the experience, meeting new people, developing skills and finding your optimal path. I believe that an MBA will help me address my concern, develop the essential skills to become a successful leader and probably pivoting in my current career.
Is this a common issue for potential MBA candidates? What's your thought on how can I assess this "issue"?
June 10th - Submitted application
July 2nd - Interview invitation received
July 10th - Interviewed (alum)
July 19th - Accepted via email (I couldn't answer the call)