Answer the following questions recommending yourself for admission to the MIT Sloan MBA Program:

• How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant? • How does the applicant stand out from others in a similar capacity? • Please give an example of the applicant's impact on a person, group, or organization. • Please give a representative example of how the applicant interacts with other people. • Which of the applicant's personal or professional characteristics would you change? • Please tell us anything else you think we should know about this applicant.

To the Admissions Office, MIT Sloan School of Management I write in support of XXX application to the MBA program at MIT Sloan School of Management. I have known XXX since he joined the Operational Transaction Services practice at ABC over two years ago and have worked as the manager on a number of XXX's client-facing engagements and internal business development initiatives.XXX strikes me as an innovative and inspiring leader with a strong interest in finance and capital markets. What sets XXX apart from his peers at ABC is his strong code of ethics. XXX is one of the few people I have worked with that strongly adheres to the firm’s ethical standards and always wants to do the right thing for the client and the firm. For instance, he managed the expenses and billings for the team in one of our engagements. This is usually a very administrative and tedious task that is thankless and above and beyond typical client service responsibilities. While most others would have merely run a few easy database reports, XXX would diligently review each line item on the expense invoice and contact team members to reconcile expenses to firm policies. In this regard, the project leaders and I recognized his contributions at multiple occasions.

XXX has exhibited an innate intellectual curiosity and willingness to contribute on client projects in any way he could. During the first project I worked with him on, I had asked him to take the information captured from the client and use it to develop an automated tool that could be used in future transaction assessments. Without any formal training on the necessary technology, XXX dove in and began structuring a framework. His ownership and perseverance in advancing the tool developed functionalities far beyond the original requirements I had asked for. He created the first beta version of an operating model assessment tool that ultimately standardized how our firm approaches divestiture advisory services. The tool he developed has become a key piece of intellectual property and differentiator over our competitors.

Additionally, I recognize strong leadership aptitude in XXX that allows him to inspire and motivate his team members. On a recent project, I had instructed XXX to manage and liaise with our support team in India to execute an integration plan. In addition to his daily responsibilities, XXX led three team members with debrief meetings twice a day at 7AM and midnight to accommodate the difference in time zones. XXX'S approach in leading the team quickly won their support and proved to be especially productive as it allowed project progression to continue on a twenty-four hour basis. XXX encouraged the support team to take ownership of assignments and empowered them to make their own decisions. In doing so, the support team felt enthused that their talent and discretionary efforts directly advanced the project. As a result of the strong collaboration between the Indian and US teams, the integration closed successfully in accordance with the proposed plan.

While XXX’s perseverance and drive for owning his assignments are outstanding, it sometimes can lead to inefficiency. His persistence in delivering a polished work product can sometimes lead to excessive analysis and rework when product quality is not up to his standards. In time sensitive situations, I have advised XXX to delegate more work to others who may be in a better position to focus on the necessary core requirements. Since my suggestion to him, he has made a conscious effort to adopt this approach. During business development initiatives that require urgent production of client proposals, XXX has been instrumental in overseeing the overall progression while entrusting team members with specialized expertise to create the pieces.

Lastly, XXX is also keenly interested in investment analysis and actively manages a personal portfolio. We have discussed investment theses as well as global macro trends on multiple occasions. What struck me most was that XXX had taken the pains to understand the trends and drivers behind the performance of certain companies, particularly the financial sector. His knowledge and command on understanding the markets exceeds the regular scope of expertise among his peers. While most junior associates are singularly focused on core job functions, XXX takes the time and effort to understand the broader forces that shape the business world. In this regard, the MIT Sloan experience will serve to deepen and expand his areas of insight and focus.

Based on my involvement working with XXX, I believe that the MIT Sloan experience will not only serve as strong base for business knowledge and context but more importantly, enrich XXX’s persona to grow as a mature and motivational leader in the business community.