Wharton Letter (seperate from a letter of reco)- one of my colleagues is on the Wharton Board of Overseers, assuming respectable stats (i.e. 700, 3.5 GPA, 4 years MM PE) what kind of weight would a phone call or letter carry?
COULD BE DETERMINATIVE IF HE IS WILLING TO PUT ANY PERSONAL CAPITAL ON THE LINE, AND SAY OR SUGGEST, “THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME’ –OF COURSE, NOT IN THOSE WORDS, BUT THAT IS THE SUBTEXT. BELIEVE ME IF DUDE IS ON THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS, HE KNOWS WHAT TO SAY. WELL, I TAKE THAT BACK, SOMETIMES REAL HEAVY HITTERS PROVE TO BE INCOMPETENT AT THIS (I’VE ACTUALLY COACHED A FEW BY PROXY, E.G. TOLD THE APPLICANT WHAT MR. BIG SHOULD SAY), BUT ANYWAY, THEY ARE USUALLY PRETTY SAVVY. REAL SIMPLE TEST W. BIGFEET: HAVE THEY EVER DONE THIS BEFORE? HAVE THEY EVER MADE THE CALL, AND GOTTEN A POSITIVE OUTCOME (AS FIRST TEST). MORE SIG. HAVE THEY EVER SHOOK STUFF UP –VIZ. GOTTEN SOMEONE OFF WL, LIKE REAL FAST, OR EVEN REVERSED A NO INTERV. TO AN INTERVIEW, ETC. (IT HAPPENS, ALTHO RARE, BUT IT HAPPENS).
Harvard Letter – similar question, former college roommate is at HBS and I have good relationships with two Harvard professors…would letters from any of these individuals help? ROOMMATE AT HBS IS JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE IVY WALL, UNLESS A SUPERSTAR AND/OR DEE DEE FAV. (THAT SOMETIMES HAPPENS BUT ALSO WAY RARE). TWO HARVARD PROFS? HARVARD COLLEGE? NOT LIKELY UNLESS WE ARE TALKING SUPERSTAR PROF [SANDEL, SKIP GATES, IN THEIR TIME, SUMMERS & WEST, NICE TO PUT THEM TOGETHER LIKE THAT 
]. IF B SCHOOL PROF, RECORD IS MIXED, DEPENDING ON STATUS, AND WILLINGNESS TO SPEND ON YOU.
Read the full article: Influence of Overseers and Prof pull at Wharton and HBS