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Common App 101: Letters of Recommendation | Complete Guide

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Acing standardized tests , writing a compelling personal statement and supplements , and maintaining a high GPA are all challenging tasks, but at least you have the comfort of having control over these critical components of your college application. A letter of recommendation , on the other hand, requires you to trust a teacher or advisor to advocate for you and help you get into your top choice universities. Because of the unique nature of the letter, we’ve put together a list of the things you need to consider when you ask someone to write your letter of recommendation.

The letter of recommendation is an integral part of the college application for a reason. Much like your personal statement, a recommendation letter provides more insight into the person behind the application. In a way, your letters of recommendation provide an even better picture of you, because they allow your prospective colleges to see you through the eyes of a trusted teacher, counselor, or mentor .

These individuals can speak to your best qualities as a student and as a person: Do you work hard to improve your grades when you struggle with a particular unit? Crack a joke when your teammate seems upset about losing a game? Hold the door open for your peers? Lend a helping hand to your confused classmate struggling through a problem set? These are all questions a good recommender can answer in a strong letter of recommendation.

Aside from the fact that most college applications will require you to provide one or more letters of recommendation, asking for letters of recommendation is a great way to practice skills of self-advocacy, time-management, and even humility.

Perhaps the most important question you’ll ask yourself is who to ask for a letter of recommendation. Depending on the schools to which you’re applying, you may need three or more different recommenders:

• N Counselor
• N "Other" Recommender

The first two are pretty self-explanatory; you can choose any teacher and counselor at your school, but don’t ask just anyone. You should choose a teacher who knows you well and who you believe will put time and effort into writing a recommendation letter that reflects your unique personality and skill set . Choosing a teacher who also advises an extracurricular activity you’re in or a teacher you’ve known since sophomore year can help ensure you have a meaningful connection . Choosing a teacher who can speak to your passion for a specific field, particularly if it’s one you plan to study in college, can also be a good move.

Some schools have specific recommendations for who you should ask to write letters on your behalf if you want to apply to their programs, so be sure to research each school’s specific requirements. Here’s an example from MIT .

“MIT requires two letters of recommendation from teachers. One recommendation should be from a math or science teacher, and one should be from a humanities, social science, or language teacher, although this is not a hard requirement. ” – MIT Admissions

Though it’s not a hard requirement , it’s a good idea to demonstrate your strengths in STEM if you’re planning to apply to a STEM major.

The third category, “ Other Recommender ” might be a little more confusing. Commonapp.org describes “Other Recommenders” as “Arts Teacher, Clergy, Coach, College Access Counselor, Employer, Family Member, Peer, [or] Other.”

As you know, with freedom comes responsibility, so you should be extra scrutinizing when you select your outside recommender. This recommendation letter is a chance to reveal much more than what your test scores and transcripts disclose about you; choose a recommender who understands your character, interests, and potential, and who will be able to relay that to your college admissions officer. For all of your letter writers, you should ideally choose someone who has known you for multiple semesters and can provide honest and unique insight into who you are as a person .

Think strategically about how your recommendation letters can strengthen your application as a whole. While many students assume that the best recommendations come from teachers whose courses they have aced, this is not necessarily the case.

If you have established through your extracurriculars and transcripts that you are a particularly strong science student, but you have scored lower in English courses, you might choose an English teacher who knows you well to attest to the progress you’ve made, the hard work you put in to improve your writing, and the dedication you had to learning the material.

All of these things are not apparent in a numerical score or letter grade, and having a teacher attest to those qualities can make even the weaker points in your application look more like strengths.

Since many colleges and universities have different deadlines, and early action and early decision applications complicate this even further, there’s no single date by which you should request a letter of recommendation . In general though, we recommend asking your recommenders for a letter in the late spring of your junior year, and at minimum, at least two months before the submission deadline . This will give your letter writers plenty of time to review your resume, write the letter, and tackle any technical issues they might encounter during the submission process.

In the words of the Common App , “The more advance notice you give, the more time they have to craft a well-written letter.”

Keep in mind that you can submit your application through The Common App before your recommenders submit their letters. That means you can’t use your teachers’ potential procrastination as an excuse for your own. Getting your application in early means less stress, so make sure you stay proactive about submitting all of your materials ahead of time and check in with your teachers to ensure they submit your letters on time.

Between school and sports practice or your many other extracurricular involvements, it might not be possible for you to meet with your recommender in person. Or, you might be reaching out to someone you interned for over the summer or whose team you no longer play on, and no longer see day to day. If that is the case, you can definitely send your request for a letter of recommendation over email.

Asking for a letter of recommendation from a coach will be slightly different from asking for a letter of recommendation from a teacher, employer or internship supervisor. Here are examples you can use for guidance as you draft your own emails.

Unless you’ve applied for competitive internships or summer programs before, you might not have had the chance to learn the etiquette for asking for a recommendation letter. The first thing to bear in mind is that, as awkward and new as this feels for you, your teacher has likely written dozens of letters of recommendation for other students over the years. They already know the drill, so let that give you comfort if you have been working yourself up about asking them. Plus, if you’re asking someone who already has a strong personal connection with you, they want the best for your future and are eager to help you achieve the goals you’ve set your sights on!

If you are asking a current teacher, you should ask them privately after class or during an extra help session . If you plan to ask a teacher whose class you aren’t currently in, you can stop by their classroom in between classes, before or after school, or write them an email asking them to meet.

Hover over the hotspots to view tips and details.

Make sure to be flexible with your own schedule to accommodate theirs.

You should approach your teacher in a one-on-one setting when asking for a letter of recommendation. Here are four things you should prepare in advance of the meeting.

You want to provide as much context as possible so they can tailor the letter toward your application or help complement what you include in your application. You should also ask them if they’d like you to provide any additional information that might aid them in the process.

Some teachers will ask students to complete a letter of recommendation questionnaire, while others prefer to schedule a meeting to discuss students’ accomplishments, goals and future plans in person or over Zoom.

The list of schools you’re considering applying to

Insert update and/or note of gratitude here

Provide reasons as to why you think they would be able to write a strong letter on your behalf

Then, you will want to add a specific anecdote about a project or assignment you are particularly proud of.

If you completed a research internship at any point during your high school career, you might consider asking your internship supervisor to write your third letter of recommendation. An internship supervisor can likely speak to your interest in a field or research topic, your work ethic, and your ability to be resourceful as you seek answers to your questions, among other things. They can also write about your capstone project or final research presentation, if you completed your internship with either.

To: Mr/Mrs/Ms X From: You Subject: Question about College!

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms X,

I hope all is well! I wanted to reiterate how much I enjoyed interning for you this past summer. Since August, I have been continuing to explore my interest in neuroscience by taking Cognitive Neuroscience at my local university. I am also working to complete my Junior Research Paper about advances in Alzheimer’s research.

I have also been preparing to complete my college applications over the next few months. I was wondering if you would be willing to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf. I feel as though you could write a strong letter of recommendation for me because I grew a lot as a student and researcher during my time interning for you.

I was particularly proud of the final presentation I gave about my summer research during our lab meeting in August, and of the presentation I gave at the High School Research Symposium the following week. Completing my summer internship was particularly challenging at times, especially when I felt I lacked the biochemistry knowledge needed to understand certain molecular pathways and reactions relevant to our research, but putting in the extra time needed to understand them was particularly rewarding. Thank you again for all of your guidance and for answering all of my questions.

If you would be willing to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf, I would love to schedule a Zoom meeting or phone call to catch up, discuss the letter and to answer any questions you might have. I would also be happy to send you my resume and college list, or any other materials that might be helpful!

All the best, Your Name

While your teacher can speak to your qualities in the classroom, a coach can speak to your qualities on and off the field. A coach can tell your admissions officers about your dedication to your sport, your ability to collaborate and communicate with your teammates, or to lead your team through a difficult game or scrimmage.

To: Mr/Mrs/Ms X From: You Subject: Question about College! Dear Coach ______,

I hope all is well and that you’ve been enjoying your free time in the off-season!

In addition to obsessively watching collegiate tennis, I have spent the last few months competing with the school’s soccer team during the spring season. We recently placed ___ in the ___ tournament, and I believe the technical skills, conditioning, and mental fortitude that you helped me build during the tennis season have been invaluable on the soccer field this spring.

As I look towards the summer, I am beginning to prepare for my college applications in the fall. I know our pre-season will begin in a few months’ time, but I wanted to reach out now to ask if you would be willing to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf.

I think you would be able to write a strong letter on my behalf because you have been there to support my growth as a player, as a leader, and as a person over the last ____ years. I have really enjoyed leading our team in warm-ups, organizing competition logistics and of course, our team dinners as a junior captain. Being a part of this team has been the highlight of my high school experience, and I can’t wait to see what our final season together will bring.

If you would be willing to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf, I would love to schedule a Zoom meeting or phone call to catch up, discuss the letter, and answer any questions you might have. I would also be happy to send you my resume and college list!

The step-by-step process of submitting your recommendation letter through the Common App will look something like this: Select the people you want to submit a letter of rec on your behalf, and ask them following the advice outlined above. Send them your resume, college list and other information about you to give them more context.

After August 1st, log into the Common Application website, and add your recommenders to your “Invite and Manage Recommenders” list.

Go to the Recommenders and FERPA section of one of your schools in the My Colleges tab. Before you can assign your recommender(s), you’ll need to complete the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) release authorization process. We recommend waiving your rights.

Then, you can assign your recommender(s) to each school you are applying to. By assigning recommenders, you are notifying the Common App which letters you want to be sent to which school on your list. Make sure to meet each of your school’s specific requirements regarding letters of recommendation as you choose which letters are sent to which school. Some schools allow three letters while others only allow two, so be sure to double check each school’s policy on their admissions website.

Your recommenders will be invited to submit their letter of recommendation online (either through Common App or Naviance eDocs, depending on the school).

Check in online periodically. If the submission deadline is drawing near and your recommenders haven’t yet submitted their letters, check in with each one.

Be patient with your recommenders throughout this process. Once they have submitted your letter, be sure to take the time to write them a handwritten note thanking them for writing your letter of recommendation! Once you start hearing from colleges, keep them updated with your success stories, as they will want the chance to congratulate you!

For more guidance on how to assign your recommenders on the Common Application, read this .

One of the best ways to say thank you and express your appreciation for a teacher or other recommender is by giving them a handwritten card. You should write your note in your own voice, genuinely and thoughtfully expressing how they have supported you in your academic and/or personal journey. Avoid using platitudes like “you are the best teacher in the world,” and instead, write a note that conveys their unique contribution to your growth. You can write about fond memories and stand out events you’ve shared with the teacher in or outside of their class. Even as you express your thanks in writing, you should also make an effort to verbalize your gratitude in person when you give them your letter. Spark a conversation, thank them for advocating for your candidacy, and let them know you will keep them in the loop about your college decisions.

Yes, letters of recommendation are an essential component of the college admissions process. They provide valuable insights into a student's character, academic abilities, and personal qualities from the perspective of teachers, counselors, or mentors. Strong letters of recommendation can positively influence an applicant's chances of acceptance, highlighting their strengths and potential for contributing to their future campus communities.

Admissions officers use letters of recommendation to gain a holistic understanding of applicants and assess their suitability for admission to their institution. Letters of recommendation speak to the qualities of a student that are not encapsulated in their “on-paper” materials and provide a third-party perspective on a student’s candidacy.

Yes, letters of recommendation are typically confidential documents. While students are given the option to waive or not to waive their right to access their letters of recommendation (the FERPA Waiver on the Common App), it is typically encouraged that students waive this right. Admissions officers expect recommenders to provide candid and honest assessments of students' abilities and character without fear of repercussions or influence from the student or the student’s family. Confidentiality ensures the integrity and authenticity of the recommendation process, allowing recommenders to provide genuine and unbiased evaluations.

Recommenders will send their letters to counselors, upload them to Naviance or the Common App, or send them directly to the colleges or universities electronically or via mail.

It is essential for students to check the specific requirements and deadlines set by each institution to which they are applying and communicate deadlines to their recommenders to ensure that their letters of recommendation are submitted on time. Do not worry if your recommender sends your letter before you send in your other application materials. If letters are submitted before students’ applications, they will be stored in students’ files for safekeeping until applications are complete and ready for review. On the other hand, while some colleges may allow recommenders to submit letters after the application deadline, not all do, so it is best to adhere to the designated timeline to avoid any delays or complications in the admissions process.

Depending on the schools to which you’re applying, you may need three or more different letters of recommendation from a teacher, a school counselor, and one other recommender, such as a mentor, employer, or coach who has had significant interactions with you and can speak to your strengths and accomplishments. Students should be diligent in checking each school’s requirements for recommendations before requesting their letters.

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How to Write a Letter of Recommendation [With Tips & Template]

Every now and then, applying for a position will require that you also submit a letter of recommendation. 

Or, maybe, a coworker will ask you to write a recommendation letter for their new job application.

If you're not certain how to go about it, don't worry - nothing about recommendation letters needs to be complicated. Especially once you learn the nitty-gritty of the topic. 

This is exactly what this article is here to teach you!

What is a Recommendation Letter?

What should a letter of recommendation include.

• How to Write a Letter of Recommendation

3 Types of Recommendation Letters

• How to Ask For a Recommendation Letter
• Recommendation Letter Template

A letter of recommendation is a formal document confirming and recommending a person’s work, skills, or academic performance and potential. 

Typically, a recommendation letter is required for: 

• University admissions
• Fellowships or internship positions
• Job applications
• Volunteering opportunities

You should ideally write a recommendation for someone whose abilities and work ethic you are familiar with - for example, a colleague, student you taught, your employee, or someone you supervised at work.

Similarly, if you’re the one asking for a recommendation letter, you should ask someone who can attest to your professional or academic abilities. 

The types of recommendation letters are:

• Academic recommendation letters.
• Employment recommendation letters.
• Character recommendation letters.

Here’s what each type of recommendation letter is about:

#1. Academic Recommendation Letters

Academic recommendation letters are typically required to be submitted by students during the admission processes of graduate and undergraduate schools. 

Generally, each prospective student is requested to submit up to three references, which can be written by any education professional familiar with the candidate’s academic background. 

Academic reference letters include:

• Recommendation letter for undergraduate/graduate school
• Recommendation letter for a scholarship
• Recommendation letter for a fellowship program

#2. Employment recommendation letters 

This type makes up the most popular type of recommendation letter.

Sometimes, employers can ask you to submit up to 3 recommendation letters as part of your job application.

More often, though, a recruiter might ask you for recommendation letters if they already like your resume and want to learn more about you. 

Employment recommendation letters are written by former - or current - coworkers, employers, or supervisors.

If you can choose, pick someone with more years of experience than you. After all, the more senior they are, the more weight their recommendation carries.

Employment recommendations include: 

• Recommendation letter for a coworker
• Recommendation letter for a (former) employee

#3. Character recommendation letters

Character recommendation letters, also known as personal references, are used to describe an individual’s personality by someone who knows them well, including close friends, coworkers, or employers. 

Personal references serve many purposes, the primary ones being court cases dealing with criminal issues such as drunk driving offenses, or legal situations such as child adoption procedures. 

It is not uncommon, however, to have a potential landlord or even immigration officials ask for a personal reference. 

Personal references include: 

• Recommendation letter for a friend
• Recommendation letter for a tenant
• Recommendation letter for a patient

Recommendation letters follow a particular format and layout that make writing them significantly easier. 

In this section, we’ll cover how to do each the right way, starting with:

Letter of Recommendation Format

A letter of recommendation includes the following sections: 

• The salutation ; if you are addressing someone whose name you know or writing a personal recommendation letter, the salutation can be addressed to “Dear Mr./Mrs./Dr. Smith.” Otherwise, you may use the generic “to whom it may concern.”
• The introduction , which first and foremost includes your statement of recommendation (i.e. “ it is my pleasure to recommend… ”). It is common to also briefly state who you are and what your expertise is.
• The overview, or a description of the applicant’s top skills, attributes, and strengths.
• A personal story describing more of the applicant’s skills and qualifications.
• The closing statement , or the final call for action, is where you encourage the recruiter to contact you if additional information is needed.
• The signature , where you repeat your name and include your full contact information.

Letter of Recommendation Layout 

When it comes to the layout of the recommendation letter, all you need to do is follow some basic formatting rules. Here are the most important ones: 

#1. One page length. This rule applies to resumes too, but it’s even more essential for the recommendation letter. Recruiters go through hundreds of them, so chances are they appreciate concise, to-the-point letters that don’t waste their time. And besides, a good recommendation letter doesn’t have to be an essay to get the recruiter ‘hooked’ - especially if you follow the above format. 

#2. Single-spaced lining, with space between paragraphs . This also keeps your reference letter within the limit by shortening the text. 

#3. Traditional font. Don’t go for something too creative - pick a classic that works. We recommend Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, Ubuntu, Roboto or Overpass.

#4. 1” margins on all sides . This creates enough white space around the margins and makes the letter easy to read. Additionally, the text should be aligned to the left - although this is a standard alignment for most documents.    

#5. 10-12pt font size . This is the font size range that makes the document easy to read. Adjusting the font size is another good way to keep your recommendation letter within the length limit.

Recommendation letters usually follow similar layout rules as resumes. Learn more about font size and style from our article on the best resume font, size, and format . 

Recommendation Letter Template 

Struggling to write a recommendation letter? 

Just follow our tried-and-tested template! 

To whom it may concern: 

[Recommend the referee for the position they are applying for.]

[Briefly introduce yourself and state your position/ job title , as well as your work experience .]

[Tell how you know the referee and describe their top skills, qualifications, and strengths.]

[Share a personal story with the referee where you highlight their strong points and key achievements .]

[Add a few more of the applicant’s skills and positive traits, preferably fitting the job description.]

[Show your availability to provide additional information for the referee if needed.]

Best Regards

[Your full signature and contact information]

How to Ask for a Recommendation Letter 

Need to ask someone for a recommendation letter? Here’s what you need to know.

The go-to person for your recommendation letter will depend on the type of reference you’ll need. 

For example, if you need an employment recommendation letter , your top choices should involve people who are familiar with your work ethic and professional abilities, but with whom you’ve also had a positive professional relationship. For example:

• Your team lead
• Department head
• CEO of the company
• Direct manager
• A coworker you’ve worked with together on a project

If you are a recent graduate with little work experience, you can ask a mentor or college professor to write you a professional reference. 

In case you need an academic recommendation letter , consider asking a professor with whom you’ve worked closely and can positively attest to your academic potential and achievements.

Your thesis advisor, for example, would make a good choice to ask for an academic reference. If you never wrote a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis, any professor who knows you as more than just a face in a sea of students should do the trick. 

Finally, keep the following in mind when the time comes to ask for a recommendation letter: 

• Whoever you end up asking, talk to them about it in advance . Then, follow up with a formal email that should contain all reference-related information, such as the submission details and deadline. The email can also include a description of what you’re currently doing (professionally, academically, or independently), what qualifies you for the position, and some relevant skills, achievements, or noteworthy facts.
• If you’re asking for a professional recommendation letter, make sure to also include your resume and the job description in the follow-up email. This way, the person writing the letter will know more about you and your new position and will be able to write a more relevant recommendation by tailoring your skills to the job, or by mentioning some of your (relevant) achievements.
• Notify the contacts you’ll be asking - considering that in most cases recruiters ask for up to three recommendation letters - at least two weeks in advance. This will give them enough time to prepare and write a good recommendation letter. This is especially important for academic references because professors are usually writing several recommendation letters simultaneously.
• Consider attaching a recommendation letter template such as the one provided in this article to your email. The template will considerably ease or guide them through the process of writing the letter.
• Follow up by sending thank you notes to everyone who writes you a recommendation letter. Sending a letter of appreciation is a courtesy act that will let them know you are grateful for the time and effort they took to recommend you positively.

If you’re also looking to update your resume or create one, head over to our guide on how to write a resume in 2024 !

5 Tips on How to Write a Letter of Recommendation

There’s more to writing a recommendation letter than just following the layout instructions or sticking to the format.

We’re referring to content quality, which happens to be the trickiest part of the process. 

In this section, we’ll teach you how to write a recommendation letter that will impress the recruiter and help your referee!

Tip #1. Write an Attention-Grabbing Introduction  

First things first - the introduction.

This is where you need to grab the reader’s attention and get them interested in reading the recommendation letter. 

How to go about it? Before formally (and briefly) introducing yourself, aim to write an attention-grabbing recommendation statement, instead of a generic one the recruiter probably knows by heart already. 

Let’s explain this more practically: 

Dear Mr. Smith, 

I am pleased to recommend Sarah McKay for the Communications Assistant position.

Nothing wrong with this introduction at first glance, right? It’s a standard way of opening a recommendation letter after all. 

Well that’s exactly what’s wrong with it - it’s way too common. No, this probably won’t get your application disqualified, but it won’t impress the recruiter either.

Want yours to strike the right note? Try something like this instead:

Dear Mr. Smith,

I am sincerely glad to be the one recommending Sarah McKay for the Communications Assistant position.

This recommendation statement is not significantly different from the previous one, except for one thing: it gives the reference letter a head start by implying that recommending Sarah is an honor. And that’s more likely to get the recruiter’s attention - or, at least, curiosity. 

In case you’re struggling to come up with an attention-grabbing introduction, simply mention one of the following points, and you’re good to go: 

• A little-known fact about the candidate. 
• Your general consideration of the candidate’s qualities.
• A remarkable achievement or award the candidate might have won.  

Tip #2. Establish a Meaningful Relationship With the Candidate 

All recommendation letters explain what the relationship with the referee is before listing their skills and qualifications. 

To make the recommendation more meaningful, you should show the recruiter you are just the right person to attest to the candidate’s abilities. And that’s not something you can convey by simply stating how you know them. Take the following example:   

I have taught Jake Political Science for four years. 

Does this example tell the recruiter how you know the applicant? Sure, it does. 

But it does so in a boring way and without establishing a convincing relationship with them. For all the recruiter knows, Jake is just one out of a thousand students you’ve taught over the years.

It has been a pleasure for me to teach Jake for four years and guide him through his remarkable Bachelor’s thesis in Conflict Resolution.

Notice the difference? This example specifies the writer is Jake’s thesis advisor, which makes the recommendation all the more meaningful. 

Tip #3. Tailor Your Recommendation to the Application 

Want to put in the extra effort and make sure your referee truly stands out?

Tailor the recommendation letter to the job / university program they’re applying for.

Tailoring your letter to the candidate’s application is easiest when you’re recommending someone for employment (you can just check the job requirements), but it works for any type of recommendation (incl. academic). All you need to do is match the referee’s skills and strengths to whatever they’re applying for. 

Let’s assume, for example, that you’re recommending a co-worker for a marketing manager position.

Some of the job requirements are: 

• +5 years of professional experience in marketing
• Experience developing marketing campaigns 
• Excellent communication skills 
• Project-management and multi-tasking skills 

To tailor your recommendation to the job requirements, all you need to do is mention them as your referee’s best qualities. For example: 

Even after seven years working together, Ema’s skillful way of effectively communicating with clients and co-workers alike doesn’t cease to amaze me. It only comes second to her multi-tasking abilities, which I’ve witnessed throughout the many marketing campaigns we have developed and managed. 

As you can see, there’s not much to it. 

All you need to do is check the job requirements, pick several skills and qualifications, and make them part of your referee’s top skills, strengths, or personality traits.  

Tip #4. List the Candidate’s Achievements 

Mentioning some of the candidate’s achievements is another great way to help your referee really stand out.

After all, skills, strengths, and character traits are awesome, but they can also come across as meaningless if you can’t back them up with facts. 

What do we mean by this?

Let us explain:

Here’s how a typical personal story in a recommendation letter looks like:

I came to truly appreciate Eric’s work ethic, passion, and attention to detail the first time I assigned him to do a report on child trafficking. Eric was respectful of journalistic ethics but also willing to chase the story relentlessly, believing in its value and importance. 

Sure, this is a perfectly acceptable personal story. 

However, it doesn’t do much more than just list the referee’s skills, traits, and work experience through a subjective lens. 

What we’re saying is, it doesn’t really sell the candidate.

Now, let’s compare it to the following:

Eric’s ability to chase after difficult stories first became apparent when I assigned him a report about child trafficking. Despite the challenging topic, Eric not only pulled through but achieved more than expected by a) identifying a trafficking ring that put more than 50 minors into forced begging, b) interviewing 10 of the older minors and managing to bring that trafficking network down once the reportage went public and c) increasing the TV Channel’s ratings by 40% in 3 weeks. 

By mentioning those achievements, your account of the candidate’s experiences is a lot more “factual,” as well as impressive for the recruiter.

Not sure which achievements to include? Check out these 101+ achievements to list on your resum e !

Tip #5. Polish Up Your Recommendation Letter

Finally, here’s 5 more simple tips to get your recommendation letter ready:

• Maintain positive rhetoric . At no point throughout your reference letter should the recruiter sense a hint of doubt regarding the applicant’s skills and qualifications.
• Don’t overdo the positivity. Extremes are never good - which means being overly positive might also come across as a bit suspicious or weird (even if everything you're saying is true). 
• Follow the submission instructions . A bunch of employers, but also educational institutions, will provide instructions on how to submit the recommendation letter. We recommend you ask the candidate to double-check them and give you a heads up, because if you submit the recommendation letter wrong, the candidate might lose their chance.
• Use a business tone . Even when you’re being creative, your writing tone should maintain a business tone - polite, and as formal as possible.
• Mind your grammar and spelling . This is another tip that goes for all things application-related. You won’t compromise the referee’s chances with a typo, but your recommendation won’t matter much either if it’s filled with simple grammar/spelling mistakes. Run your letter through a grammar and spell-check app once you’re finished with it, just to be on the safe side of things.

Recommendation Letter FAQ

Still have some questions on how to write a letter of recommendation?

Find your answers below!

1. What is a professional letter of recommendation?

A professional letter of recommendation - also called an employment recommendation letter - refers to an official document that is typically required when you apply for a job and which describes the applicant’s professional skills, experiences, and qualifications. 

Professional letters of recommendation are typically written by current or previous employers or supervisors. A coworker can also write you a professional letter of recommendation, but it’s not as optimal as a coworker is not really an authority figure (and might just be a friend doing you a favor instead of being honest).

2. What should be written in a letter of recommendation?

Letters of recommendation generally follow the following format: 

• A formal salutation
• An introduction (which includes a recommendation statement and your professional title)
• An overview of some of the applicant’s skills, strengths, or qualifications, which you can tailor to the application
• A personal story where you can mention some of the applicant’s achievements
• A closing statement and call for action
• A signature , with your contact information

3. Who should I ask for a letter of recommendation?

If you’re asking for an academic letter of recommendation, you can ask:

• Current or former professors
• Academic mentors
• Thesis advisors

If you’re asking for a professional recommendation letter, though, you can ask:

• Current or former employers
• A supervisor or professional mentor
• Former professors
• Experienced coworkers

4. How do you start a recommendation paragraph?

To keep the recruiter reading your recommendation letter interested, you should start with an attention-grabbing introduction - specifically, an interesting recommendation statement. 

This statement is the opening sentence of the letter and it should optimally express your conviction to recommend the applicant in a non-generic way. 

If you’re struggling with coming up with something creative, just start with one of the following:

• A little-known or impressive fact about the candidate
• Your general consideration of the candidate’s qualities
• A remarkable achievement, or an award the candidate might have won

5. How do you end a letter of recommendation?

A letter of recommendation concludes with a call to action or a request towards the recruiter   showing your availability and willingness to provide additional information if needed. After mentioning that you remain available to discuss the candidate’s qualifications, you may finalize the letter with your signature - your name, title, and company.

Key Takeaways 

And that’s a wrap! We hope this article will make the process of writing a recommendation letter easier for you. 

Let’s go over some of the main points we covered: 

• A letter of recommendation is a formal letter confirming and recommending a person’s work, skills, or academic performance and potential.
• Recommendation letters follow a particular format and layout. The format typically consists of 1) the letterhead and full contact information, 2) a salutation, 3) an introduction, 4) an overview, 5) a personal story, 6) a closing sentence and 7) your signature.
• The three types of recommendation letters are employment, academic, and character recommendation letters.
• Who to ask for a recommendation letter depends on the type of reference you need. As a rule of thumb, pick someone who knows your skills and strengths well and whom you’ve had a positive experience (professional or academic) with.

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Letter of Recommendation

Aug 12, 2022 • knowledge, information.

University letters of recommendation: an essential guide

Letters of recommendation can make or break a student’s university application, so it’s important that we get them right

Phillip Wenturine

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There are a plethora of documents that go into compiling the perfect college application. From transcripts to predicted grades, activity lists, resumés or CVs, essays, recommendation letters, certificates and more – each element of the application holds a different purpose and separate weight of importance, often varying from country to country and university to university.

By the senior year (Year 13), academics are nearly finalised, so there’s little wiggle room when it comes to improving that element of the application: senior GPA is set and calculated; IB predictions are nearly issued.

But beyond academics, some universities require recommendation letters, and this is where a student can stand out more, highlighting and emphasising their skills, qualities and abilities. 

These recommendation letters can sometimes illuminate the true heart and soul of the student, beyond their transcripts or personal-statement essay. The words in these letters can make or break a student’s application, so it’s important we get them right and tell their story with the thought and effort it deserves. 

Teacher letters of recommendation

In a teacher’s recommendation letter, students are brought to life beyond their grades, showcasing their holistic potential.

Teachers seize the chance to praise consistent academic excellence, to spotlight specific projects or skills, and to contextualise grade fluctuations resulting from personal circumstances.

These letters illustrate growth, revealing students’ readiness for university life. The emphasis is on articulating acquired skills and potential – a narrative far more impactful than grades alone. While an A-grade student may excel in tests, a B-grade student might exhibit invaluable traits, such as grit and resilience, best articulated through personalised advocacy.

Recommendation letter timelines

To support students and teachers, it’s important to highlight the importance of the teacher recommendation letter early on to teachers and students alike. Let students know as early as grades 10 and 11 (Years 11 and 12) that it’s important to build relationships with teachers well in advance of senior year. The best letters come from those teachers who have an excellent rapport with the student in question.

Ask students in the spring of junior year (Year 12) to select those teachers they would like recommendation letters from. The recommendation should ideally come from a core-subject teacher (maths, science, social studies, English) rather than an elective teacher, unless the elective is a field in which they intend to pursue a career.

To support the teachers, we work with students to compile what we call a brag sheet. Students answer a series of questions about themselves, in order to give the teacher the best context for writing the letter.

We tell teachers that if the student does not provide this brag sheet, or if they feel that the student has not performed well enough in their class to deserve a letter, they are allowed to respectfully decline the request to write the letter.

We also remind teachers that they do not need to agree to write any more than 20 letters. It is unfair if students all ask one teacher – who may then end up writing 60 letters – for a recommendation letter, while other teachers only have to write a few.. With that in mind, we also remind students of the importance of being organised and requesting the letter from their preferred teacher early on.

Writing the letters

Here are some examples of the questions we ask students on their brag sheets, which then give teachers a starting point for their letters:

• What do you hope this letter will show about you that your GPA doesn’t?
• What was a challenge that you faced in this class, and what actions did you take to overcome it?
• Describe how this class influenced you, either through academic content or teacher interaction.
• Give between one and three examples of times when you have exceeded expectations with your communication skills, and also some areas where you can reflect that you may need growth.
• What majors or careers interest you?

To support the teachers further, we host a writing workshop in the spring of each year to give them examples of strong and weak letters (all confidential). We coach them in "show, don't tell" when it comes to writing about students’ strengths, as well as giving them concrete examples of how best to advocate for students and highlight their strengths.

We review what each different country’s universities desire from these letters, as some universities – such as the US – appreciate a holistic view of the student (for example, highlighting student athletes or detailing extracurriculars). By contrast, the UK is very academic-focused and prefers to read about the student’s abilities when working on class projects, research and outside endeavours in the field of study.

Counsellor recommendation letters

Some universities – mostly in the US – also allow a counsellor letter of recommendation. This letter goes beyond academic ability in the classroom and speaks more to students’ characteristics, personality, outside involvement and external factors helpful for an admission committee to review in the context of other application documents.

The counsellor’s role is to fill in the missing pieces of an application: we help identify and tell a student’s story, covering any hardships, exceptional leadership abilities, impressive commitment to community and so on.

Now more than ever, admission committees are telling us that they trust the counsellor and teacher letters to help give them the full picture of a student, and to help them judge whether or not they will be the best fit for their incoming class and able to thrive on their campus.

We send our students what we call a junior questionnaire, in order to collect the information necessary to write these letters successfully.

Some examples of the questions on the junior questionnaire:

• What languages do you speak, and to what level of fluency?
• Please provide some details about your family and highlight any diversity and/or adversity that you have experienced. 
• Have there been any major circumstances that have impacted on your personal or academic life? 
• What are three adjectives you would use to describe yourself? Think deeply about this one. 
• How have you used your time outside of school, and can you elaborate on any particular projects, clubs, work experience, internships, or volunteer work that speaks to consistency in an activity, leadership experience or a particular commitment to have an impact on your community?

External letters

Sometimes students may wish to have an outside recommendation letter from a coach – for example, if they are a student athlete.

Overall, references should be academic-focused, but some universities that accept more than one letter are willing to receive one from an outside observer, too. In these cases, the person should be someone who oversees the student as the coach of a sport or the supervisor of an internship or work-experience programme.

The external referee should give this letter to the counsellor to send off on their behalf, as all recommendation letters must confidential and never shared with the student. 

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how does the common app handle letters of recommendation.

I'm a bit confused about the recommendation letter process on the Common App. How exactly do I invite my teachers? And once they submit it, can I see the letters or will they remain confidential? Thanks in advance!

The Common Application (Common App) streamlines the process of requesting and submitting letters of recommendation. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to handle recommendation letters on the Common App:

1. Start by going to the "Recommendations and FERPA" section of the Common App, which is typically found within the "My Colleges" tab for each college on your list.

2. Before inviting recommenders, you'll need to complete the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) waiver. This waiver grants the college permission to view your recommendation letters. It's important to note that most colleges require you to waive your rights to view the letters, and doing so can help increase the credibility of the recommendations.

3. With the FERPA waiver completed, you can proceed to invite your teachers and other recommenders (e.g., counselor, coach, employer, etc.). You will need to provide their full name and email address.

4. Once you've entered their information, an email invitation will be sent to them with instructions on how to create an account on the Common App system and upload their letter of recommendation. Keep in mind that you should discuss this request with your recommenders in-person or through a separate email, as the Common App's invitation may not be enough for them to understand the context or timeline.

5. Your recommenders will submit their letters directly to the Common App, and you will not be able to view them if you have waived your FERPA rights. This confidentiality helps maintain the integrity of the recommendations and ensures that your teachers and other recommenders can offer candid assessments of your abilities and character.

6. You can monitor the status of your recommendation letters in the "Recommendations and FERPA" section. It will show whether a recommender has accepted your invitation, started preparing the recommendation, or submitted it. You can send them reminders or make changes to their information as needed.

Remember to give your recommenders ample time (at least a month, preferably more) to write and submit their letters. Stay in communication with them to ensure they are aware of the deadlines and provide any necessary information.

Good luck with your college applications!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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The Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR)

Streamlining the lor process.

One of the biggest pain points for applicants in the MBA application process has been asking managers to fill out multiple recommendations, which deters the applicants from applying to more schools. For recommenders, completing multiple letters of recommendation can also be a stressful experience. Not being able to spend enough time on each letter leads to less thoughtful and insightful recommendations. To address these challenges, GMAC has been working with a group of leading business schools to help reduce the burden of asking for — and submitting — letters of recommendation. The goal is to make life easier for MBA applicants and recommenders, as well as provide better insights for schools.

The Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR) is a recommendation form developed with the goal of saving recommenders and alumni valuable time by providing a single, common set of questions. The questions remain embedded in each participating school’s existing application system, so it requires few significant changes.

Some key benefits of the Common LOR:

• Provides deeper insights into the candidacy of applicants by capturing the best practices from leading programs and leveraging the latest science in executive evaluation
• Offers potential for expanding prospective student pipeline and having more applications by making it easier for applicants to ask for multiple LORs
• Frees up valuable time for recommenders and allow them to dedicate focus and energy to craft a more robust and insightful letter

While GMAC is supporting this initiative, it is the business schools who are leading the effort, with GMAC helping to convene, gather information from industry experts, and solicit input from candidates from around the globe.

Listen to an Overview of the Common LOR

Access the Template

Who's Using LOR?

Schools using the common lor form, how to participate.

Schools are welcome to try the new form for the admissions cycle. The Common LOR is available to use free of charge by any program around the globe. Participating programs can customize the Common LOR to accommodate any unique questions required by the programs. 

The Common LOR is available to use for  free  by any program around the globe. Participating programs can customize the Common LOR to accommodate questions required by the programs.

Terms of Use (PDF) Common LOR Sample Instructions

If you would like to learn more and are interested in participating, please complete the form below:

Common LOR Sections

Section 1: personal information about the recommender, section 2: leadership assessment grid.

The grid is comprised of 12 competencies and character traits that contribute to successful leadership. The competencies and character traits are grouped into five categories:

• Achievement 
• Influence 
• People 
• Personal Qualities 
• Cognitive Abilities

Section 3: Recommendation Questions (Open-ended Questions for Recommenders)

• Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.
• How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples.
• Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
• Is there anything else we should know? (Optional)

Click here for Instructions on how to use

The form is also available for READING PURPOSES ONLY in the following languages: 

• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: Simplified Chinese (Word)
• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: French (Word)
• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: German (Word)
• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: Korean (Word)
• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: Spanish (Word)
• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: Italian (Word)

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how do i submit letters of recommendation.

Letters of Recommendation

Hopefully, you have the perfect teachers in mind to ask for your letter of recommendation. Once you've asked these teachers, how do you actually get their letters to your colleges?

This guide will go over everything you need to know about submitting your recommendation letters, whether you're using the Common Application, a customized school application, and/or Naviance. To start, what are the options for submission?

What Are Your Options for Submitting Recommendation Letters?

Technically, there are two options for submission: online or by mail. Note the use of "or"; colleges don't want teachers to mix and match. In other words, schools don't want a single teacher to submit her ranking form online and then send her letter by mail. If she's submitting online, then she should submit everything online. If by mail, then everything should go by mail. Generally speaking, most students reading this will have their recommenders submit their letters online.

Since you're already doing more than enough with the college application process, you might be relieved to hear that you don't actually have to submit your letters! Your teachers and counselor are responsible for uploading the rec letters to whatever system you're using.

What you are responsible for, though, is inviting them . Make sure you give them clear deadlines, send a reminder email, and double check that your schools received their letters. Whichever mode you're using to apply—the Common Application, Universal Application , school-specific app, and/or Naviance software—you'll assign your recommenders. The rest is up to them!

In rare cases, your recommender might prefer or need to send her letter of recommendation by snail mail. This may be the case if you're sending an extra supplemental recommendation, or if your school uses Naviance and you need to assign a recommender outside of your immediate school faculty. This method is usually fine, though not preferred, by colleges—just notify your college to expect the arrival of this document.

As you can tell, there are various ways to apply , and, therefore, there are different ways to deliver your letters of recommendation to colleges. Let's consider how exactly your recommenders will submit in a few different scenarios.

How Do Your Recommenders Submit Their Letters Online?

Online rec letter submission is generally a straightforward process. First, you invite, or "assign," your recommenders. Then, your recommenders get an email prompting them to upload their letters.

The main question you need to answer is what system you're using to invite your recommenders, whether you're applying via an online school application, the Common App, Naviance, or a combination of all three. Let's look at all these options, starting with school-specific applications.

Scenario 1: Assign Recommenders Through Your School Application

In this scenario, you're applying to school through its individual online application system. Schools in the University of Texas system, for example, use their own applications and don't participate in the Common App.

If your college allows or requires recommendation letters, then it will have a page on which you can invite your recommenders. Typically you'll be asked to fill in their first and last names, position (like English Teacher), and email address .

For example, in addition to supporting rec letter upload through the common app, the University of Texas application has its own " Document Upload System ." If your college doesn't want you to send recommendation letters, like University of California schools, then you won't find this function on your application.

Some school applications will also prompt you to respond to a question about FERPA . Generally speaking, you should go ahead and waive your right to view recommendation letters, as they're expected to be confidential between letter writers and the admissions officers who read them.

All of the above instructions should work for the Common Application too. The only difference is that you'll probably have to assign recommenders for more than one college.

Scenario 2: Assign Recommenders Through the Common Application

Your first step in completing the recommendation letter requirement through the Common Application is signing your FERPA waiver. Once you sign this, you'll be able to invite recommenders.

First, head to the "Colleges" tab. From there, you'll be able to assign recommenders by each individual college on your list. Each school, by the way, customizes its own page. If your school requires two teacher recommendations, for example, then you'll see space to invite two teacher recommenders.

Many schools also allow you to assign one or two "Other Recommenders." This space is for letters beyond the requirements. Before sending any supplemental letters, check to learn your colleges' stance: some colleges actively discourage the submission of extra materials.

Once you invite your recommenders, your teachers will receive emails prompting them to submit their letters. Your recommenders are responsible for uploading their recs by the stated deadlines. Conveniently, you'll see a status change once your letters are uploaded (usually yellow means not yet, and green means you're good to go!).

While your letters will be attached to your application, they won't actually get sent to your colleges until you hit submit and pay the application fees (or use a fee waiver). That means that the final step of actually getting your letters to the admissions committee is ultimately in your hands.

While inviting your recommenders through your online applications is a simple process, it's not actually how you'll send your letters if your high school uses the e-docs delivery software, Naviance. Read on to learn how Naviance links up to your applications to collect required documents , like your recommendation letters.

Scenario 3: Assign Recommenders Through Naviance / Family Connection

Many high schools use the college e-docs software program Naviance . Your counselor controls one end of Naviance from her account, and you control and access another part with yours (called Family Connection ).

Naviance lets you search for colleges and keep track of deadlines and submitted documents. At the same time, your counselor can upload documents, like the secondary school report and school transcript. Your Naviance account and all the documents it collects, including your recommendation letters, will sync up to your Common Application and any other school applications that accept e-docs .

If you are using the Common Application, you'll need to "match" your Common App and Naviance accounts. You'll enter the name of your high school on the Common App and sign the FERPA waiver. Once you've done this, your "Assign Recommenders" page should look like this:

As you can see, you won't actually be inviting your recommenders through the Common Application. Instead, you'll invite your recommenders directly through Naviance.

Since your Naviance account is directly connected to your high school, you can just select your teacher recommenders from a drop down list that has all the teachers in the school. You simply choose the teacher and add a personal note, making sure to indicate which colleges you want her to write letters for.

While this process makes it easier on you—you don't have to collect your teachers' first and last names and email addresses—it also has some limitations. Can you see what they are?

Limitation of Naviance: Supplemental Recommendations

Instead of manually entering your teachers' contact info, as described above, Naviance asks you to select your teachers from a drop down menu. While this makes your teacher recommendations easy to request, it doesn't allow you to ask anyone outside of your school's faculty.

Some students wish to send supplemental recommendations , like from a private music teacher, coach, or supervisor. Others may have switched high schools and want to ask a teacher from their previous school, or perhaps one who recently retired and has been removed from the drop down list of current faculty.

If any of these scenarios apply to you, then you'd have to invite your external recommender through your online application. If you find yourself exceeding the number that your application allows, then you could print out the evaluation form and have your recommender send her documents by mail. (Of course, exercise caution about sending too many extra letters!)

This process may sound a bit complicated, but once you sit down at your computer, you'll actually find it to be pretty intuitive. You'll either assign recommenders through your online applications, or you'll choose them through Naviance.

Finally, you may have some recommenders who have full-fledged technophobia and insist on sending their letters by mail. While not preferred by colleges, this method is actually pretty easy.

How to Submit Recommendations Through Mail

Despite rumors of a shutdown a few years ago, the post office is still going strong and available to deliver your orange envelopes to colleges. If your recommender wants to send a hard copy, make sure to print out any ranking form that needs to accompany the evaluation letter.

Then give your recommender a pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelope. Typically, these envelopes should be sent to the school's undergraduate admissions office. As with all your recommenders, make sure this teacher knows your deadlines, and follow up with her to check that she sent it in.

Don't worry if this package arrives before you submit your application. The college will start a file on each applicant and collect any materials that arrive within that file before eventually sitting down to review it as a complete application.

Since there are a few different options, let's review the key steps that you need to know for submitting your recommendation letters.

How to Assign Recommenders: An Overview

You may find yourself using a school application and/or the Common Application to apply. Additionally, you may also have a Naviance account connected to your school.

Without Naviance, you simply invite your recommenders directly through your online applications by providing their full names, positions, and email addresses. With Naviance, you'll need to sync up your applications and invite your recommenders through your Naviance account , manually indicating which colleges you want them to write letters for.

If you run into any technical difficulties through the process, make sure to speak to your counselor about troubleshooting. The most common place that students get stuck is the FERPA waiver. Until you've completed that step, you can't move onto your recommendation requests.

Apart from inviting your recommenders, is there anything else you need to do in your quest for great evaluations?

What Else Do You Need to Do?

Besides choosing your teacher recommenders carefully, make sure to ask well in advance of deadlines —at least a month before, if not in the spring of your junior year.

Send them a reminder email—perhaps masquerading as a thank you note—about a week before your deadlines, and sign into your application and/or Naviance accounts to make sure they've uploaded their recommendations . Finally, make sure to thank your recommenders for all their help in getting into college!

What's Next?

Now that you know how to submit your recommendation letters, make sure you understand what separates the great letters from the forgettable ones. Check out this full guide on what makes a good recommendation letter and what makes one not so effective.

A lot of your colleges of interest might participate in the Common Application. Check this full list of Common App schools to see if yours allows this convenient option.

For more on the step by step process of applying to college , from choosing your high school classes to taking campus tours, take a look at this detailed guide.

Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.

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How To Get a Letter Of Recommendation For Business School

Shannon Cook - BusinessBecause

Shannon Cook is a Writer for BusinessBecause and GMAC Media.

Letters of recommendation are critical to a strong business school application but securing a good one requires some effort from MBA applicants.

Knowing what a strong recommendation letter should look like, and who to ask for your personal reference letter, will stand you in good stead for this part of the process.

Why is a letter of recommendation needed for a student's application?

A letter of recommendation simply demonstrates to an admissions officer that you are a highly professional, well-regarded, individual who would be ready for the rigorous nature of a business school program.

Courtney Elmes, interim associate dean at California State University, says: "Think of the letter of recommendation as a guarantor of your success at business school, helping your target business school see your true potential as an applicant and professional.

"The professional recommendation allows us to gain a glimpse into your character and what makes you unique – to hear stories that provide a different perspective and that round out your application. All of that makes the MBA recommendation letter very important,"

The recommendation letter comes as an addition to your own letter that you will write for the business school application, which might be a personal statement, essay, or both.

Look at recommendation letter specific examples and recommendation templates

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to the recommendation letter but there are a few ways you maximize your chances of success. One way to make the process a lot easier is by gaining access to a recommendation template or recommendation sample letter.

The Graduate Management Admission Council™ (GMAC™), the makers of the GMAT™ exam, collaborated with a group of leading business schools to help develop a new set of “common” questions, with one goal in mind: to make requesting letters of recommendation easier for both the person writing the professional letter and the student.

The Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR) free template saves valuable time, providing a single, common set of questions. This approach allows letter writers to use the same responses for multiple letter submissions, alleviating the workload if applying for multiple schools.

The Common Letter of Recommendation form has three sections, covering the key letter of recommendation questions that schools require from the student.

Section 1: Personal information about the letter writer

This is where the person writing the recommendation letter identifies themselves and their relationship to the student.

Section 2: Leadership assessment grid of candidate

This section is divided into five categories, each identified for the way they help assess the candidate against 16 traits and competencies—such as influence, achievement, and cognitive abilities.

Section 3: Letter of recommendation questions

This essay-style section provides three prompts which must be answered in 500 words or less.

• Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization. (Recommended word count: 50 words).

Please provide specific examples.  (Recommended word count: 500 words).

• Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (Recommended word count: 500 words).

There is a final open-ended question, “Is there anything else we should know?” that is optional and has no word count limit.

All responses can include specific examples or information about the student's work ethic, position, skills, and qualities. The recommender may wish to focus the letter on one example or home in on a few areas about your hard work and positive attitude.

General instructions for submitting the Common Letter of Recommendation

Once you’ve verified that you’re applying to a participating Common LOR school , refer to the steps below to streamline the experience for your recommender:

• Download the Common Letter of Recommendation PDF Template and email it to all recommenders once they’ve agreed to advocate for you in a letter of recommendation for business school.
• Provide your target schools with the name and email address for each recommender.
• Advise your recommenders to be on the lookout for the official invitation email from the school and follow the school’s instructions for submitting the recommendation.

For schools that offer the facility to complete recommendations online through a secure website, the recommender can use the completed Common LOR template to copy and paste their responses into the school’s online system.

For schools that accept the Common LOR by email or paper submission, ask your recommender to use the completed Common LOR template to copy and paste responses into the official form before emailing or mailing the completed recommendation to the school.

Ready to get started on your letters of recommendation for business school? Before you approach anyone, check out these expert tips , or watch the short video, “ Mastering the Letter of Recommendation .” 

If you or your letter writer needs the recommendation template in a different language, please click the appropriate link below. Note that it should still be filled out in English.

• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: Simplified Chinese  (Word)
• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: French  (Word)
• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: German  (Word)
• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: Korean  (Word)
• Common Letter of Recommendation Template: Spanish  (Word)

Select the right person to write the letter of recommendation

While an academic letter of recommendation is an asset to a graduate school candidate, your business school letter of recommendation should come from a professional. As our experts suggest , your ideal letter of recommendation would be from someone directly above you in the organization who has worked with you in a professional environment for at least one year, and can easily discuss how you fulfill your job description.

These professional contacts can best attest to the characteristics and competencies that make you a successful leader.

The person writing the letter could be your employer, such as a hiring manager or someone else in a position that's senior to you.

Remember, you shouldn't write the letter of recommendation yourself. You should also avoid choosing someone just because they have an impressive title, such as CEO, if this individual doesn't know you know you well or is unable to provide key information and details about your position and performance.

Request your recommendation letter in advance

The best way to ensure that your recommender writes a strong recommendation letter is by asking well in advance. A rushed request for a letter of recommendation is likely to lead to a letter that does not sufficiently emphasize your great qualities and skills.

Give your nominated person enough time – at least one to two months – to give you a thoughtful and sincere business school letter of recommendation that's signed off in good time before the deadline.

It’s also more effective to make an in-person request for your reference letter. Grab lunch or coffee with them so you can express why you’re excited about applying to graduate business school, and candidly discuss your strengths and weaknesses.

Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball, says: “Instead of looking at the resume, essays and reference letters as standalone components, thinking of them as pieces of a bigger jigsaw puzzle can help. This would help the applicant plan the entire application in advance, instead of assuming that a sharp and coherent picture will appear magically at the end.”

Asking for your letter of recommendation in good time also allows the recommender enough time to ask further questions about the process. It can also help to provide your recommender with a clear deadline that's mindful of the individual's busy schedule.

Provide supporting materials for your personal reference letter

Give your recommender other materials that will accompany your MBA application, such as your MBA resume and application essay.

Provide as much guidance on the letter of recommendation process as possible by including a common LOR template  that conveniently includes all the elements your business school letter of recommendation needs. Also, encourage them to give specific examples or anecdotes that promote your strengths and leadership qualities.

Stacy Blackman, founder of Stacy Blackman Admissions Consulting, says: “The best way for your recommenders to help you stand out from thousands of other highly qualified applicants is by painting a clear picture of who you are both professionally and personally. Standing out is especially important for traditional applicants from finance and consulting.”

You may also wish to provide the writer of your recommendation letter with a short note about your personal career goals, how the business school program in questions fits into your goals, and what you hope to bring the classroom or school culture.

Remember, the more information you give to your recommender, the more likely you will receive a recommendation letter that touches on all the key points. It's important to not overwhelm, however  – providing a one-page letter is sufficient.

Express your gratitude to the writer of your professional letter

Remember, these are busy people and the time they give you is valuable. Reciprocate that by taking the time to acknowledge their efforts. Send your recommenders a handwritten card or thoughtful email and keep them posted on your acceptance status. The recommendation letter is just one part of your overall business school application. Find out more tips and advice about the MBA application process in the BusinessBecause MBA Application Guide . If you're looking to join a master's degree, you can find expert advice in the Master in Management Guide.

Shannon Cook is a Writer for  BusinessBecause  and GMAC Media. She is responsible for writing and managing sponsored and non-sponsored editorial content relating to the business school journey, as well as covering the latest business news trends. She also heads up the video series, building brand awareness of BusinessBecause across social media channels and the website.

Shannon earned a BA in English Literature with Legal Studies from the University of Sussex and an MA in International Journalism from the University of Leeds.

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The Recommender system is a free solution that streamlines the recommendation process and supports all your students applying through Common App. It helps you organize and submit letters of recommendation. Here, you can track requests, manage your school's information, and submit transcripts. Go to the Recommender guide to learn more. 

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Create a Common App practice student account as an education professional to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of navigating the application.

These resources will help you work with your students

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Take a look at this year's Common App essay prompts

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Help students learn about the transfer process — including credit evaluations, paying for college, and additional support for military-connected or parenting students.

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The most up to date ADA-Compliant, PDF version of the Common App for transfer application can be found here . Common App is dedicated to assisting any student who is unable to fully read or use the system. Please have the student e-mail us at [email protected] with their name and phone number. A member from our solutions center team will then reach out to discuss options on how to best proceed and assist the student in this process.

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How to Get the Best Recommendation Letters for Law School

Think through the references you will ask for letters and when and how you will approach them.

Good Law School Recommendation Letters

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Make sure the person who writes your letter of recommendation is someone you have a good relationship with.

Although they are rarely decisive, recommendations letters are a meaningful factor in law school admissions.

Most other law school application materials, such as personal and diversity statements , present your case in your own voice. Recommendation letters are one of the few ways for admissions officers to hear others’ impressions of you.

While your transcript and test scores may say a lot about your academic skills, they don’t communicate what kind of person you are, or how you think or relate to other people. One student might get straight A's while acting like a pompous jerk, while another helped others, steadily improved through hard work or had the courage to take on challenging research.

Hearing stories about you from a professor or work supervisor helps law admissions officers build a three-dimensional picture of who you are and how you might contribute to the law school community.

This is why it is important to approach recommendation letters strategically, even though they’re just one part of your application process. 

Whom to Ask for a Recommendation Letter

Unless you are an older applicant who has been in the workforce for many years, you should get at least one law school recommendation letter from a professor. Others might come from other professors, mentors or supervisors from an internship, job or activity .

One mistake that applicants make is to request a recommendation letter from someone they think is a big shot – a well-known professor, a high-level executive or a family friend who is a venerable lawyer or local politician.

This is only a good idea if such a person teaches or works with you directly and can speak knowledgeably about your work and your goals. If your relationship is more indirect or distant, it can come across as superficial and uninformative, like a vague book blurb by a celebrity who seems unlikely to have read the book.

Above all, ensure the recommendation letter will be positive! If you detect signs that you have chosen the wrong reference to write a letter, move on to someone who can speak about your strengths more knowledgeably and enthusiastically. 

What a Recommendation Letter Should Include

If a recommendation letter is simply a series of compliments strung together, it will sound generic, no matter how effusive or truthful it is. An effective letter should back up its claims with specific details and examples of times when you stood out because of your dedication, helpfulness, initiative or insight.

A recommendation letter does not have to be unwaveringly positive. In fact, a letter that shows how you have grown, overcome adversity, responded constructively to feedback or taken responsibility for yourself can show the kinds of “ soft factors ” that law school admissions officers seek.  

How to Request a Recommendation Letter

Once you have identified a reference who is likely to write you a strong recommendation letter, ask him or her politely. Explain why you are applying to law school, why you think he or she would be a good reference and when you will need the letter.

Be prepared for the recommender to ask for your resume or other materials. For example, a professor might ask to see copies of your papers for the class, or any feedback received.

You might offer to provide more information or details as needed or to discuss the letter in a meeting or phone call. However, do not crowd your initial request with ideas and advice. That could come across as presumptuous.

If a recommender has a personal connection to a school you are applying to, consider requesting a school-specific letter , in addition to a more general recommendation letter.

Finally, avoid writing a recommendation letter yourself . If a recommender asks you to do so, gently explain why this is a bad idea and instead offer to provide ideas and notes that he or she could incorporate into his or her own letter. 

How Many Recommendation Letters to Request

Very few law schools require more than one recommendation letter. Many limit you to two, although some allow up to five.

It is important that all your recommendation letters are strong and substantive, because they may take time away from other aspects of your application. Quality matters more than quantity.

If you are worried that one of your letters is not as strong as the others, don’t submit it. A mediocre letter could very well overshadow better letters read alongside it. Just think about how often you read a mixed review that turns you off of a business, even if the other reviews seem positive. 

When to Request a Recommendation Letter

Recommendation letters are submitted and processed through the Credential Assembly Service of the Law School Admission Council. Since they can take a couple of weeks to process, it’s a good idea to get them in before you plan to apply.

Anticipate that your recommender may need at least a few weeks to write the letter, particularly at busy times of the year. That means that you should request recommendation letters more than a month before you plan to apply.

For applicants planning to apply in the fall, it is best to request letters over the summer or early fall. It’s OK to request letters earlier, as well. For example, if you just finished a summer internship where you worked together well with your boss, you might request the letter before leaving, even if you don’t plan to apply anytime soon. 

What if Your Recommendation Letter Is Delayed?

While law school admissions are rolling , a week or so of delay will not be of consequence. So, consider waiting until your application is complete before you submit it.

That said, if it is late in the cycle, or if you are aiming to meet an early decision deadline , waiting may not be an option. As long as you have the minimum number of recommendation letters required, your application can be submitted. You can always add further letters to your file later.

Remember that a law school is unlikely to review your application as soon as it is received. So, if a recommendation letter is delayed for a few days, it is unlikely to matter. If the letter is important and it may be delayed for some time, notify the admissions office by phone or email that another recommendation letter is forthcoming and ask if your application could be put on hold until it is received.

Of course, the best way to ensure that a recommendation letter does not hold up your application is to request it several weeks in advance. The law school admissions process is stressful enough without having to wait on other people!

Tips to Boost a Law School Application

Tags: law school , graduate schools , education , students

About Law Admissions Lowdown

Law Admissions Lowdown provides advice to prospective students about the law school application process, LSAT prep and potential career paths. Previously authored by contributors from Stratus Admissions Counseling, the blog is currently authored by Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach , an admissions consultancy. Kuris is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has helped hundreds of applicants navigate the law school application process since 2003. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

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Home Business Letter of Recommendation MBA

Letter of Recommendation for MBA Template

Create a letter of recommendation for MBA to highlight your strengths and enhance your application with compelling professional endorsements.

Updated May 22, 2024 Written by Raina Chou | Reviewed by Brooke Davis

A Letter of Recommendation for an MBA is a document that demonstrates an applicant’s readiness for an MBA program by highlighting their commendable character traits and past achievements.

Typically drafted by professionals or academics who know the applicant well, the letter is vital to the MBA application process. It provides admissions officers with an endorsement of the applicant’s potential success, offering unique insights that reinforce the applicant’s overall application and showcase their suitability for advanced business studies.

Who to Select

How to write, mba recommendation letter: example, letter of recommendation for mba sample, frequently asked questions.

Ideal candidates to write your recommendation letter for an MBA can include managers, supervisors, or mentors who:

• Have directly observed your work and can provide specific examples of your skills and leadership;
• Are respected professionals in your field ; their reputation strengthens their recommendation and offers context for your achievement;
• Has given you constructive feedback and observed how you implemented it. This shows your ability to handle and grow from criticism, a key trait for success in an MBA program.

Business schools generally prefer professional recommendations . Therefore, aim to get letters from professional sources, especially if two are required.

If three letters are required, having one from an academic source is acceptable, especially if they can speak to your intellectual abilities and achievements.

Building Relationships

Begin building and nurturing professional relationships well in advance of applying. This will ensure you have credible and supportive individuals who can vouch for your capabilities when the time comes.

How to Request

Meet with your potential recommenders face-to-face if possible. Follow these steps to ensure your recommender provides a compelling and relevant letter:

• Thank them for meeting with you and making your request respectfully. Emphasize that a stellar recommendation letter is crucial to your MBA admission chances. Example: Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me today. I really appreciate your support and guidance throughout my time here. I am currently applying for an MBA program and would be honored if you could write a letter of recommendation for me. Your insights and observations about my work would be invaluable to my application. I understand this is a significant request, and I truly appreciate any assistance you can provide.
• Provide details. If the recommender agrees to write a recommendation letter for you, briefly share information about: •  the MBA programs you plan to apply to, including their values, cultures, and specific requirements on formatting and submission; •  a brief description of your academic and professional background (e.g., CV) and goals; •  a draft of your essay (if you feel comfortable sharing). You can either provide hardcopy materials or send them via email.
• Highlight key attributes. Discuss your key attributes and how to highlight them with the recommender. While you may have predetermined qualities to emphasize, invite the recommender to share their insights for a broader perspective. Ask what makes you stand out among other well-qualified individuals.
• Offer concrete examples. After determining what to highlight, provide at least one concrete example for each key attribute to illustrate your strengths and achievements.
• Use templates and guidelines. These can act as a starting point but stress the importance of their authentic voice in the letter. Reassure them that their authentic perspective is valuable and that the letter does not need to be perfect, just honest and supportive.
• Set realistic deadlines that give them ample time to write and refine the letter. Offer to send them a reminder when deadlines approach.
• Thank them again for their time and support, and emphasize how much you value their assistance.

How do I ask recommenders to submit letters for multiple graduate programs?

When applying to multiple graduate programs, it’s common to feel awkward asking recommenders to submit multiple letters. However, recommenders typically write one strong letter and do minimal customization for each specific school, which can be a quick process.

Step 1: Introduction

Include the following aspects in the introduction:

• A formal greeting;
• A self-introduction introducing yourself, your title, and your affiliations;
• An introduction of the applicant;
• Your relationship with the applicant; and
• How this relationship influences your decision to recommend them for the MBA program

Step 2: Body Paragraphs

The body of the letter should consist of 2-3 paragraphs and focus on specific examples and qualifications, organized logically.

Below are some actionable steps and examples to create a great MBA recommendation letter:

• Example : During our project to revamp the company’s client management system, Jane led a cross-functional team, ensuring clear communication and effective collaboration. Her leadership resulted in a 20% increase in client satisfaction within six months.
• Example : Tom’s commitment to sustainable business practices was demonstrated through his work in developing eco-friendly packaging solutions. His dedication aligns well with your program’s focus on ethical leadership.
• Example : While Sarah initially struggled with delegating tasks, her willingness to seek feedback and improve has been impressive. Over the past year, she has developed into a confident leader who effectively empowers her team.

Step 3: Conclusion

The conclusion should reiterate your endorsement and highlight the applicant’s potential for success in the MBA program. Extend an invitation to the university to contact you for further information if needed. Conclude with a formal sign-off, including your printed name and signature.

Step 4: Proofreading and Submitting

Ensure that you have thoroughly proofread your letters for clarity, proper grammar, and formatting. Review the submission instructions carefully and coordinate with the applicant to ensure timely submission.

[Company Letterhead]

Admissions Committee Harvard Business School Soldiers Field Boston, MA 02163

Dear Members of the Admissions Committee,

I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Emily Johnson’s MBA application as she applies for the MBA program at Harvard Business School. As the Vice President of Marketing at ABC Industries, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Emily for the past three years. Having observed her skills and leadership firsthand, I am confident in recommending her for your MBA program.

Emily has repeatedly demonstrated exceptional leadership and problem-solving abilities. One notable example is her role in launching a new product line. Emily led the marketing team by conducting extensive market research, organizing brainstorming sessions, and ensuring effective collaboration through regular meetings and project management tools. Her strategic planning and adaptability resulted in a 30% increase in market share within six months. Her leadership in coordinating efforts and overcoming challenges was crucial to the project’s success.

Emily’s dedication to corporate social responsibility further illustrates her fit for Harvard Business School. She initiated a company-wide program to support local community projects, identifying partners, developing proposals, and creating a volunteer task force. Her innovative approach significantly enhanced our corporate image and employee morale.

While Emily has many strengths, her ability to learn and grow is what sets her apart from other MBA applicants. Initially, she faced challenges in managing cross-departmental projects due to differing priorities and communication styles. However, Emily proactively sought feedback from her peers and mentors while attending workshops on project management and effective communication. She implemented what she learned by setting clearer goals, improving her delegation skills, and fostering a more inclusive team environment. Over the past year, Emily has transformed into a confident leader who successfully manages complex projects and fosters a collaborative work environment.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly endorse Emily Johnson for the MBA program at Harvard Business School. Her leadership skills, dedication to social responsibility, and continuous personal growth make her an ideal candidate. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or (123) 987-6543 if you require any additional information.

Robert Miller Vice President of Marketing ABC Industries [email protected] (123) 987-6543

Copy the free sample or download a customizable letter of recommendation template below.

___________________ [Recommender’s Name] ___________________ [Recommender’s Institution] ______________________________________ [Recommender’s Address] ___________________ [Recommender’s Phone Number or Email Address]

___________________ [Date]

___________________ [Recipient’s Name] ___________________ [Recipient’s Institution] ______________________________________ [Recipient’s Address] ___________________ [Recipient’s Phone Number or Email Address]

Dear ___________________ [Recipient’s name],

It is with great enthusiasm that I write to recommend ___________________ [Applicant’s name] for the ___________________ [Course/degree applied for] at ___________________ [Name of institution offering this course/degree]. Having had the pleasure of engaging with ___________________ [Applicant’s name] as their ___________________ [Relation to applicant] for ______ [Time] at ___________________ [Name of institution], I have been impressed by their commitment to achieving and maintaining a high standard in all endeavors. This positions me well to attest to their suitability for this application.

During their tenure in ___________________ [Applicant’s field of study/interest], ___________________ [Applicant’s name] has consistently demonstrated ___________________ [Applicant’s attribute/skill]. A notable achievement was their commitment in _____________________________________ [Description of achievement]. As a result, _____________________________________ [Result of achievement].

Moreover, ___________________ [Applicant’s name] has shown remarkable ___________________ [Applicant’s attribute/skill] through their involvement in _______________________________ [Description of achievement]. Because of this, ___________________________ [Result of achievement].

Beyond ___________________ [Applicant’s name]’s accomplishments in ___________________ [Applicant’s field of study/interest], they have made significant contributions to ______________________________________ [Description of achievement], showcasing their ___________________ [Applicant’s attribute/skill]. Through these contributions, _____________________________________ [Result of achievement].

To conclude, I am confident in recommending ___________________ [Applicant’s name] for the ___________________ [Course/degree applied for]. I have no doubt that they will continue to grow and inspire others in their future endeavors.

I am happy to provide any additional information or discuss ___________________ [Applicant’s name]’s journey further. I can be reached at ___________________ [Recommender’s phone or email].

___________________ [Recommender’s Name] ___________________ [Recommender’s Department or Title] ________________________________ [Recommender’s Email or Phone]

What is the Common Letter of Recommendation?

The Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR) , created by the Graduate Management Admission Council, streamlines the MBA recommendation process with a standardized template. It includes key questions that a traditional recommendation letter addresses. Despite its format, using the pointers on the template page—such as emphasizing specific examples and maintaining authenticity—can still help you craft a compelling and detailed Common LOR for multiple schools.

How do I politely remind recommenders to send letters before the deadline?

It’s common for professors to complete recommendations near the deadline. Politely remind them by having the application system send a reminder email with the submission link. Follow up with a courteous email if needed and thank them for their time. If the deadline is imminent, consider visiting their office during a convenient time to discuss it if possible.

What does it mean when a professor says, “You can give my name and contact information” after I request a letter of recommendation?

This means the professor agrees to be your recommender. When you apply, you will provide the institution with the professor’s name and contact information. The institution will then contact the professor directly with instructions on how to upload the recommendation letter. You do not need to write the letter yourself.

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