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)
Post-MBA Target Industry:
Technology, Consumer Goods, Other
GMAT: 720
GPA: 3.0
Years of Work Experience: 6
Location: Illinois
Notes:
Background:
-American and Middle Eastern dual Citizen
-Lead engineer and project lead in manufacturing and design roles at major car OEM. 3 promotions and youngest in department.
-3.0 MechE degree from T50 university. Hoping to offset the low engineering GPA with a gmat quant, six sigma greenbelt cert, and completed MBA MATH.
Goal:
-Want to leverage the transition to EV in transportation to swap from product development engineering at major OEM to corporate product planning and strategy.
Extracurriculars:
-D&I leadership role & major company wide projects.
-Teach community teen safe driving classes on local track.
-Volunteer in company young professionals organization.
Applying:
Cornell / Johnson,
Dartmouth / Tuck,
Duke / Fuqua,
Georgetown / McDonough,
Oxford / Saïd,
U. Washington / Foster,
UNC Kenan-Flagler
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Corporate Banking Strategy
Post-MBA Target Industry:
Consulting Companies:
Accenture
, AT Kearney
, Bain
, BCG
, Deloitte
, Ernst & Young
, KPMG
, McKinsey
GMAT: 710
GPA: 3.1
Years of Work Experience: 5
Location: Dallas
Post MBA Location: East Coast
Notes:
Looking to apply round 1, specifically Early Action at Duke as it is my top choice. Promoted 3 times at current company, Project Leader for 3 separate technology implementation initiatives for vertical at Fortune 500 bank, as well as leadership team member for acquisition. GPA low due health situation that impacted first two years of undergrad, made Dean's List final two years at Top 50 undergrad. Have client facing/transaction experience in banking but have been drawn to strategic initiative implementation the past 3 years, leading me to a desire to shift into consulting, specifically strategic/management with a focus on organizational behavior/mergers. Recipient of Presidential Service Award for community service related to environmental protection, state champion lacrosse coach. Would love to be on the East Coast (Boston or DC) as I have family in both cities. Thank you for any feedback!
Applying:
Berkeley / Haas,
Columbia,
Harvard Business School,
Stanford GSB,
U. Chicago Booth,
UPenn / Wharton
Intake Year: 2025
Pre-MBA Career: Communications Consulting
Post-MBA Target Industry:
Consulting, Media Companies:
Bain
, McKinsey
, 21st Century Fox
, Walt Disney
GRE: 329
GPA: 3.7
Years of Work Experience: 6
Location: London, UK
Post MBA Location: Bay Area or NYC
Notes:
I have applied in R2 for 2024 entry to CBS, MIT, HBS, and GSB. I did not receive an interview invite for any school except the GSB. I am wondering what my reapplication chances are and where I should focus on my areas of improvement. I have significant undergrad ECs but limited ECs/ charity work post undergrad.
Deferred from R1, then interviewed and accepted in R2. Literally cried and over the moon now. Debating between $$$ at Wharton and HBS (leaning towards the latter!)