Stanford Graduate School of BusinessApplication Week 2026: Letters of Recommendation
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Welcome And Session Overview 0:01
Wil Torres, Global Admissions Director at Stanford Graduate School of Business, opens by thanking recommenders for their guidance, mentorship, and advocacy for applicants. He outlines that the session will cover how the letter fits into Stanford's admissions process, tips for writing an effective letter, and answers to frequently asked questions. He notes that contact information will be included in the email recommenders receive, and encourages them to reach out with any questions.
Holistic Review Process 1:01
Stanford uses a holistic review process, meaning every part of the application, including the recommendation letter, helps build a picture of who the applicant is and what they have done. There are no formulas, benchmarks, cutoffs, or quotas, and questions like how many applicants are taken from a given country or firm are treated as context rather than criteria. Admissions looks at how students think, lead, and see the world, including their clarity of purpose about a future self, especially for MBA and MSx applicants. Applicants submit two letters of recommendation through a platform that includes short answer questions, competency assessments, and a place to upload the letter itself, which recommenders must submit themselves rather than through the applicant.
What Makes A Strong Letter 6:00
The most effective letters offer specific evidence, saying why this person is the best a recommender has worked with, using real examples and a behavioral approach such as describing a time when the person handled feedback. Three helpful categories are examples and anecdotes, context and significance such as organizational norms or industry shifts, and the recommender's own observations and assessments. Letters can be in any format, do not need to be addressed to Stanford, and can be written in another language if accompanied by a translation done by someone other than the applicant. Heavy reliance on AI is discouraged because it tends to flatten useful detail. Personal email is fine if work email isn't possible, and if someone can no longer serve as a recommender, the applicant can simply switch without any negative effect on their admission chances.
AI-generated summary. It can be wrong or incomplete - check anything that matters against the original.
