Hello.

I learnt a lot from this board. Thank you so much for the information available.

Today I have a question about references, not about schools. In some cases, you don't have any difficulties to get necessary references, but maybe I could face such difficulty. So I was wondering some of you might have similar difficulties as mine, right? And I wanted to ask your opinion how to deal with this issue.

I'm a Japanese. Many Japanese don't often change jobs. In my case, I've been working for the firm for almost ten years. One factor is I don't want the firm to know I'm enrolling such program. Another one is many people in Japan just don't speak English.

I'm considering a few schools and they require two or three references. A prospectus of a school stipulates such reference should be from person who know my --recent-- situation. Meanwhile I cannot have such person in the firm. (You might assume I could ask someone who already left the firm. For example, one of my previous boss left the firm, but he lost his position and was replaced by me, so I cannot ask him.)

In the previous firm, I could have some people who speak English and maybe could help me. But I've not met them for 10 years and they are so senior, such as chairman at the time.

My question is below:

1) If I understand well, usual application process requires references at the timing of application, not at the timing of preliminary assessment. So If, for example, I wanted to apply to three schools, I need to secure all the references for the three schools. Am I right? Because the guys I would ask are senior, it is not so easy to have them prepare for three kinds of references, considering I've not met them for 10 years.

2) I assume almost all school require references from person who know my recent situation. Then such guys in the previous firm cannot meet requirement?

3) Even with sufficient career, is it difficult to loose the condition of such references?

Thank yyou so much.

Best regards,

In general, you really want recommendations from your supervisors in your current position. If your previous job was 10 years ago, people there will not have much to say about where you are now, and that's pretty critical. An older reference would work, but it's really, really not ideal. Another option would be to ask another person in your current firm, maybe who isn't your supervisor, but whom you trust and who knows your work.

Another point is that many business schools will accept translations of reference letters. There is usually specific protocol for this (for example, translations may need to be certified, stamped and sealed) - so ask he schools that you're applying to.

https://olin.wustl.edu/EN-US/academic-programs/full-time-MBA/admissions/Pages/apply.aspx

Washington University-Olin doesn't require letters of recommendations. It's AACSB accredited and it's been ranked in Financial Times and others consistently. You can consider it if you want.

http://find-mba.com/schools/usa/missouri/wustl-olin

Here us the list of some other schools

https://aringo.com/mba-without-letters-of-recommendation/

Depending on your post-mba goals, you may consider these schools if they've got what you want.

[Edited by Riya on Jan 13, 2017]

Thank you all.

I asked some schools in my mind and it seems they could accept references from my previous firm.

Riya, I'm afraid Washington University costs more than 50,000 dollars which I cannot afford :-)

Yea, it does.. Ok ! Good luck :)