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Guide/04 People & Supporting Materials

Letters of Recommendation

Who to ask, when and how to ask, and what separates a strong letter from a generic one.

Chapter 14 of 244 min readUpdated September 23, 2026 Preview

When students first think about recommendation letters, the instinct is usually to ask the teacher who gave them their best grade. Don't.

Admissions officers already have your transcript. They aren't reading letters to confirm your GPA — they're reading them for evidence of who you are. That changes who you should ask...

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What’s in this chapter

  1. 1What letters are actually for
  2. 2Who to ask
  3. 3When to ask
  4. 4How to ask
  5. 5What makes a letter strong
  6. 6Additional recommenders