Rotman Letter of Recommendation Questions: 2023-2024
- How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?
- List three to five attributes or characteristics that best describe the candidate (single words only, no sentences please).
- Of the qualities listed above, in which areas has the applicant distinguished himself/herself most?
- What would you consider the applicant’s primary area for improvement or growth?
- How would you rate the applicant’s potential for becoming a successful business leader?
- Please indicate your overall recommendation for this individual.
Rotman Letter of Recommendation Example – 1
1. List 3-5 attributes or characteristics that best describe the candidate
(single words only, no sentences please)
Zealous
Leader
Empathetic
Quick Learner
Sincere
2. Of the qualities listed above, in which areas has the applicant distinguished himself/herself most?
Out of the few things that have impressed me about Steve, the first one is his ability to learn quickly and adapt.
He has consistently demonstrated a strong understanding of problem statements and a deep interest in the backend of the company’s product app. This has been evident in his frequent questioning about the workings of different elements of the app. Because of this, I have been confident in involving him in various product development and app-related projects.
In March 2021, Steve was assigned to lead a team in the release of Aakash Byju’s App, which had a deadline of one month. The team was tasked with restructuring around 200 chapters of the app using content from two sources. Steve approached the project with efficiency, first learning and documenting the process for restructuring a single chapter, then developing a plan to do so for all chapters. He held a meeting with the team to explain the process and made suggestions for improving efficiency. Throughout the project, Steve’s execution was smooth and he kept track of progress, making it easy for me to update stakeholders on the project timeline and progress. His thorough understanding of the process and ability to complete the project seamlessly in such a short time was impressive.
The Aakash Byju’s App was released on schedule, earning praise for meeting the tight deadline. The app has been a huge success, with over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store. Steve played a crucial role in its release and was recognized with the “Juggernaut” award. He is now well-known within the team for his in-depth knowledge of app functionality and is actively transferring this knowledge to others.
Steve has particularly excelled in his ability to learn quickly and adapt, among the other qualities mentioned.
He has consistently demonstrated a strong understanding of problem statements and a deep interest in the backend of the company’s product app. This has been evident in his frequent questioning about the workings of different elements of the app. Because of this, I have been confident in involving him in various product development and app-related projects.
In March 2021, Steve was assigned to lead a team in the release of the Aakash Byju’s App, which had a deadline of one month. The team was tasked with restructuring around 200 chapters of the app using content from two sources. Steve approached the project with efficiency, first learning and documenting the process for restructuring a single chapter, then developing a plan to do so for all chapters. He held a meeting with the team to explain the process and made suggestions for improving efficiency. Throughout the project, Steve’s execution was smooth and he kept track of progress, making it easy for me to update stakeholders on the project timeline and progress. His thorough understanding of the process and ability to complete the project seamlessly in such a short time was impressive.
The Aakash Byju’s App was released on schedule, earning praise for meeting the tight deadline. The app has been a huge success, with over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store. Steve played a crucial role in its release and was recognized with the “Juggernaut” award. He is now well known within the team for his in-depth knowledge of app functionality and is actively transferring this knowledge to others.
3. What would you consider the applicant’s primary area for improvement or growth?
I believe Steve to be a confident and dedicated worker who takes pride in his work. He is known for taking full ownership of his tasks and approaching them with determination and focus. His drive and enthusiasm are evident in the way he approaches his work, and he is not easily distracted. But, sometimes, his enthusiasm gets the better of him.
Steve’s excitement for new projects sometimes caused him to neglect ongoing ones, as was evident when he became so focused on the app update project that the quality of his ongoing monthly tests project suffered. He was asked to work on both projects but was expected to manage his own workload and prioritize his tasks. However, upon reviewing his work on the monthly tests project, which he had been working on for over a year, I noticed some inconsistencies.
I realized that while he was working on the app update project, he had less time to review and address issues in the monthly tests project. I decided to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Steve to discuss this issue and offer guidance on prioritization. In the meeting, Steve took responsibility for the mistake and asked for help in understanding how to prioritize his work. I advised him to control his enthusiasm and not let it consume him, and I also proposed a solution to remedy the issue.
Steve took the feedback well, and I noticed him exhibiting more control over his excitement on multiple occasions. He also frequently sought my advice on prioritizing projects, which indicated to me that he was genuinely trying to improve and not just seeking to please me. I believe Steve has great potential due to his ability to reflect on himself and take feedback constructively.
4. How would you rate the applicant’s potential for becoming a successful business leader?
In my team, Steve has consistently demonstrated excellent managerial abilities and self-assurance, making it easy for him to convince and bring others on board. In order to facilitate smooth collaboration and meet tight deadlines at our fast-paced ed-tech company, I asked Steve to work closely with the content, product, and technical teams to understand the proposed content requirements, identify any potential issues, and review the proposed content upload process. Steve’s past accomplishments and thorough understanding of the app’s functionality make him well-suited for this task.
Since starting this project, Steve has been working closely with both teams and has gained a strong understanding of the product’s perspectives. He has also been approached by the product and technical teams with questions about app functionality, which he has been able to successfully guide them through or connect them with the appropriate solution holders. Additionally, Steve has proposed ideas to the product team to leverage older content and create new features and products, drawing on his knowledge of previous projects he has worked on.
Steve’s efforts and dedication to this task have demonstrated his ownership attitude. Both the product and technical teams have praised Steve for his ideas and support, and his efforts have contributed to the successful launch of three new features on the app, resulting in a 12% increase in daily app usage and an attempt rate of approximately 5000 students per week.
Ever since then, Steve has been at the forefront of the content team whenever a new release is planned. Steve is highly proficient in both technical and managerial aspects of the app, which earned him his third promotion in the company. His combination of technical expertise and strong leadership abilities make him an invaluable asset to the team. I believe Steve has the potential to become a highly successful business leader.
Rotman Letter of Recommendation Example – 2
- Explain your spike factor (something unique about yourself) that you believe will contribute to the Rotman community and is aligned with Rotman values. How will your spike factor help you succeed as an MBA student and beyond? (up to 500 words)
As someone who was born with facial palsy—a condition that affects facial movements, vision, and hearing—I have lived a life full of struggles just to fit in with “normal” kids. The spike factor that I believe aligns deeply with Rotman’s values is my openness to different perspectives and my commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion, especially for individuals from physically disabled communities. I believe I can share this outlook with my peers and help foster an environment of empathy and awareness.
Growing up, I was unable to independently perform simple daily tasks such as brushing my teeth, speaking fluently, or enjoying activities that most children take for granted. At one point, I was even recommended to attend a “special school” because I was considered different. I made a decision early on not to let my physical disability define who I was.
That decision marked the beginning of my journey. I joined reading and speaking clubs to improve my abilities. I stopped living up to others’ expectations and began asserting my right to live, learn, and contribute. I also started volunteering with other physically disabled individuals. Against all odds, I joined the National Cadet Corps—a physically demanding program—and graduated as class valedictorian.
I pursued Computer Science Engineering in a mainstream college environment. During my undergraduate years, I was part of a 25-member team that adopted a nearby village. I led the education department and mentored over 20 disabled children, helping them overcome their challenges and pursue their education. This experience cemented my life’s mission to advocate for inclusivity.
After graduation, I transitioned into a career in finance. I passed one of India’s toughest banking exams on my first attempt and joined the State Bank of India. Despite strong performance, I faced significant challenges in gaining equal opportunities. I was asked to sign an undertaking that I would be liable if I failed to perform on par with my physically able peers. I accepted the risk, took on challenging roles, and outperformed expectations.
Living with multiple disabilities, I’ve had to innovate daily just to complete routine tasks. But not all challenges can be solved by creative thinking alone. I often faced doubt—from my own staff, customers, and teammates—simply because of my disability. I had to work harder to earn their respect, which I eventually did. This opened doors to leading more complex projects, allowing me to build skills in marketing, credit, negotiation, and team leadership. My contributions were recognized by the Deputy Managing Director of SBI, and I was designated a Youth Icon for my work, receiving two promotions.
In alignment with my values, I also founded a platform—stevechopra.com—to help individuals invest in their personal growth and education.
I believe the biggest challenge today is creating spaces that are truly inclusive. My lived experience has instilled in me a powerful desire to break biases and uplift others. Having a disability is undeniably difficult, but it also offers one of life’s richest learning curves. At Rotman, I hope to share these insights, inspire resilience, and build a diverse, supportive community that thrives on different perspectives.
Rotman Letter of Recommendation Example – 3
1. How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?
I have directly worked with Rishav for more than 3 years. Rishav joined ZS Associates as a fresh graduate engineer. I am his direct reporting manager and I have supervised all his projects for the last 3 years.
2. List 3-5 attributes or characteristics that best describe the candidate (single words only, no sentences please)
Ownership
Versatility
Responsible
Persistent
3. Of the qualities listed above, in which areas has the applicant distinguished himself/herself most?
His strong sense of task ownership and versatility are two of his qualities that distinguishes him the most.
While working on the Synvisc project where he had a very small involvement, on times he went beyond his scope and took full ownership of the tasks to deliver quality results. After observing his sense of responsibility and the positive results that he delivered for the Synvisc project enabled me to give him additional responsibility on occasions when other tenured team members transitioned out. He picked up new skills in no time and used his strengths to taking ownership to do justice to his new roles by delivering timely results and enhancements. This showed me how versatile he is when it comes to quickly filling in someone else’s shoes and deliver work with quick turnaround times.
Over the last 1 year, he has shown great capabilities to quickly fill in the roles for some of the senior member who moved out of the team and seeing his capabilities to take on additional responsibility, I promoted him to Associate Consultant.
4. What would you consider the applicant’s primary area for improvement or growth?
While Rishav has been a great asset for the team, but in few of his initial engagement with clients we had some gaps which Rishav was not able to deliver upon. On discussing further with him we found out that majority of the issues where due to the incorrect understanding the requirements and communication gap with the client. I realized while Rishav is great at taking ownership of the task and run with it until the desired result is achieved, but he lacks project management skills & awareness about quality control measure we have before delivering anything to the clients, which he is now required to learn in his new role after promotion.
I gave him a constructive feedback and told him to seek the guidance of other senior team members to improve the quality of his deliverables, as this is not about learning technical tools anymore. Soft Skills are best acquired by taking guidance from experienced members in the team.
He has acted on the feedback and turned it around completely with increased focus on comprehensive quality control procedures and proper project management task. He created issue trackers where short and long-term mitigation plans for each issue were created and adhered to. He started having weekly cadence call with the clients to better understand their requirements and updating them on the project progress. His efforts have resulted in increased accuracy of his and his team’s deliverables.
5. How would you rate the applicant’s potential for becoming a successful business leader?
Synvisc has been the biggest and long lasting project that my team has worked upon our client Sanofi and Rishav has been involved since the very beginning of this project. He developed good in depth understanding of the client’s business model and gather data points which have enabled him to give specific insights to the client. These insights helped our client recognize the gaps in their sales performance and Rishav also suggested improvement measure they can take. Based on the this deliverable, I received very positive feedback about his work from the client.
Now after his promotion to Associate Consultant level he is leading a team of Associates and I strongly believe if he continues delivering results like this he can be a very successful leader.
Overall Recommendation
Rishav is a dedicated individual who puts his heart into his work. There is a definite sense of ownership and responsibility in him. He has delivered excellent performance and I think he is now ready to take on bigger responsibilities of leadership. I believe going for an MBA, is a step in right direction for his career and as a manager and mentor it’s a pleasure to recommend him for a reputed Business school like Rotman.
Rotman Letter of Recommendation Example – 4
1. How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?
I am a consultant at ZS Associates and I have worked with Rishav as his lead consultant across multiple projects for the past 2 years.
2. Of the qualities listed above, in which areas has the applicant distinguished himself/herself most?
Of all the qualities mentioned above, the qualities that puts Rishav ahead of the rest are his Problem Solving (Analytical skills) and his willingness to always go above and beyond to help the team.
While working with Rishav on the Sanofi Field Reporting project I have been involved with him on the development of different types of BI reports for multiple brands in pharma landscape spreading across business units from Diabetes/CV to Bio-Surgery. Using his structured approach to problem solving and deep understanding of the data, he has been able to efficiently solve complex business problems for the clients. He goes beyond his given job description and is quick to learn new technologies, which enables him to come up with efficient and robust solution for all the client request. He not only restricted himself to requirements that client provide but also the goes extra mile to provide insights to client which he feels might be relevant for analysis; this has been greatly appreciated by our client.
He is also a great team player and always ready to help others even in the busiest of his time. His deep data understanding and quick learning attitude has helped us in using him as a plug and play resource into different teams as and when required. After his promotion to the Associate Consultant level he has been leading a team of 3-4 associates methodically managing their work as well as his other engagements. Other aspect that I really appreciate about Rishav is that he is actively involved in the training and development of new team members and is a go-to guy for them. He also takes part in mentoring other ZSers in office level bootcamps and induction sessions.
3. What would you consider the applicant’s primary area for improvement or growth?
Rishav has been seeking feedback at intervals and had been working on them to improve the areas which needed attention. As mentioned above he is quick learner and puts suggestions into practice immediately to get on the track for improvement.
Having said this, there are still areas if improved, will help him grow further as he progresses to the leadership role. The primary area of focus right now for Rishav would be his people management & delegation skills. He had been mostly an individual contributor till date which required him to manage his own responsibilities, but with his recent promotion he is required to manage and develop his team and should focus more on his people management & delegation skills as he gets in more leadership roles. Now he leads a team of 4 which requires him to manage his tasks as well as tasks of his teammates.
Considering all the above factors, if Rishav masters the people management skills, it will surely put him as a confident and better leader in future.
4. How would you rate the applicant’s potential for becoming a successful business leader?
In 2017, I was working on a reporting project for one of our client with a team of 2 junior associates. The project was not in a very good shape due to the ever changing client requirements, which was further worsened due to the inconsistencies in the client data. Rishav had a prior experience in working with the same client contact. I roped in Rishav in the middle of the project to help us, when just 4 weeks were left on the deadline. His great working relationship with the client enabled us to get gain back their confidence and lock on the requirements. He put in extra hours at office to identify the gaps in the data and reported back to the data vendor to get them rectified quickly. All this enabled us to deliver the project accurately and well before the deadline.
His good understanding of the client problems coupled with ability to ask the right questions helped him to gain client’s confidence and align on the requirements, which in turn smoothened the project delivery. I believe his ability to maintain a long term working relationship with the client will enable him to develop a successful career in consulting domain and his a structured approach to problem solving in high pressure environments, will make him a successful business leader.
Overall Recommendation
Rishav is a very enthusiastic and highly motivated person who is always willing to learn. I totally support his decision to go for an MBA and this juncture of career and I believe a course in business management from a reputed school like Rotman would be ideal for him to fulfill his career dreams in consulting. He would bring his rich experience from healthcare data analytics field, along with his great sense of humour.
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