Recommendations

Recommendations should be provided by employers, supervisors, professors, or others who are able to comment on your professional and educational background, goals and potential. At least one (1) of your recommenders should know you in a professional setting (full-time employment, internship, part-time employment, research, non-academic extracurricular activity, etc.). 

Please note: recommendations from friends, family members or acquaintances, and other sources not able to evaluate applicants on an academic or professional basis, will not be accepted.

Letters of recommendation must be written in or translated into English. Your recommendations must be submitted electronically through the online application system by your recommenders as described below. We do not accept recommendations submitted by email or postal mail.

Prior to requesting that your recommenders complete the recommendation online, be sure to check with them to ensure that you register them with the correct (preferably professional) email address. You must enter the names and contact information for each recommender directly into the application system. We will then contact the recommenders directly via email to provide them with detailed instructions on submitting their recommendations via the online system.

Please let your recommenders know in advance that they may upload an electronic document or scanned copy of a paper-based recommendation using the online system rather than using the provided text box response fields, but that they must upload their recommendation via the online system.

All recommenders will be asked to provide brief answers to the following questions. Recommenders may skip questions that are not applicable to what they know about you.

• How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant? Please clearly indicate your position in relation to the applicant (i.e. - professor/instructor, direct supervisor, mentor, advisor, colleague, etc.).
• Do you believe the applicant gives her/his maximum effort and perseveres towards the stated goal when given a task, assignment, or project? Please provide details to support your answer.
• Discuss how the applicant works in a group (including interpersonal skills) and/or functions in a leadership role.
• Describe the applicant's ability to communicate in oral and written form.
• Provide an example of a time when the applicant worked to solve a problem or handled a difficult situation in a professional manner.
• If you are able, please describe the applicant's understanding of, background in, and commitment to this academic/professional field.
• Please share any additional information about the applicant’s personal qualities, maturity, academic record, or professional record which you believe would be helpful to the Admissions Committee.
• Please select your overall recommendation regarding this individual's application for admission for graduate study at Carnegie Mellon University. (Recommenders must select one of these responses: Strongly recommend, Recommend, Recommend with reservations, Do not recommend.)