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It defines four recommender categories—personal, professional, academic, and high school official—and describes their roles, including transcript access and letter submission practices. The guide covers how programs set recommendation requirements, when invitations are optional, how to ask respectfully with at least three weeks’ notice, and what materials to share to help recommenders highlight relevant experiences and program priorities.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/recommendation-process-guide-for-common-app-recommendation-letter-invites-and-requirements/274793/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/recommendation-process-guide-for-common-app-recommendation-letter-invites-and-requirements/274793.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Xiajie","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-02","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":35},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"What is the purpose of a recommender’s input in the Common App?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"A recommender’s input helps clarify and support the information you share in your application, strengthening the overall context of your profile.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What are the four types of recommenders in the Common App and what does each do?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"The four types are personal, professional, academic, and high school official. Each focuses on different aspects of your background, such as personal character, workplace contributions, student performance, or having direct access to final high school transcript records.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How should you ask someone to write a recommendation letter, and when should you invite them?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"Ask first to confirm they’re willing to write the letter, ideally in person, and be respectful of their time. Invite recommenders at least three weeks in advance of the deadline to give them time to write a well-crafted letter.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},274793,1790240169,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":35,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":73,"language":135,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":136,"faqs":137,"seo_title":138,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":139,"read_time":9},8814010472675,"https://avatar.qwps.com/avatar/WGlhamll","Understanding the recommendation process  \nMany programs ask you to include letters of recommendation with your application. These letters are submitted by recommenders. A recommender’s input helps clarify and support the information you share in your application.  \nWho are recommenders?  \nRecommenders are people who have worked with and supported you in your life. They can be individuals from your academic history, like a professor. They can also be people who worked with you in your community, such as coaches or employers.  \nThere are four recommender types in the Common App: personal, professional, academic, and high school official.  \nPersonal  \nA personal recommender provides information about you as an individual outside of a professional or academic setting. Examples might include a former or current coach, mentor, community member, or friend.  \nProfessional  \nA professional recommender can share  \ninformation about you within a workplace setting. Such a recommender might be a former or current manager, professional mentor, and/or colleague.  \nAcademic  \nAn academic recommender should be able to provide information about you as a student. Academic recommenders could be a former or current professor, academic advisor, or faculty sponsor.  \nHigh school official  \nA high school official should have direct access to your final high school transcript and high school record. High school officials include a former highschool guidance counselor or college counselor.  \nHigh school officials are asked to upload your final high school transcript. They do not, however, submit letters of recommendation on your behalf.  \n[commonapp.org](commonapp.org) © 2025 Common App, Inc.  \nRecommendation requirements Each program can determine their own recommendation requirements. They can choose the number and type of recommenders they accept. You can see each program’s requirements within your application.  \nIf a program allows recommendations to be added, but doesn’t require them, you don’t have to invite any. It’s best to assign a recommender only if you think their recommendation will support your application.  \nAsking for a letter of recommendation  \nBefore inviting a recommender in your application, it’s important to ask if they are willing to provide a recommendation first. It’s best to ask in person, but an email isok too. When asking, be respectful of your recommenders’ time. You should ask for a letter of recommendation at least three weeks in advance of a deadline. The more advance notice you give, the more time they have to craft a well-written letter.  \nWhen you are ready to send your invitations, go to the Program Materials section. You can invite recommenders in a program’s Recommendations tab. For more details about this process, check out the application guide [on](on commonapp.org)[ ](on commonapp.org)[commonapp.org](on commonapp.org).  \nSupporting your recommenders  \nTo help your recommender with the process, it’s a good idea to share some information about yourself they can reference. For example, a copy of your current resume or written examples of experiences you have had with them (ex.“I served as your lab assistant in 2007, where work contributed to 3 of your published articles.”).  \nSimilarly, if there is something specific about a program that you’d like your recommender to highlight, let them know. For example,“since the school I am applying to values citizenship, please provide examples of the civic projects you and I worked on together.”  \nIt’s also a good idea to stay in contact with your recommenders. Help keep them updated on your application deadlines and other important information. You can also track the status of your recommendations within your application.  \nDon’t forget to thank your recommenders for writing those letters! A thank you note goes along way.  \n[commonapp.org](commonapp.org) © 2025 Common App, Inc.","cbCaipZX0iAdRS0J","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipZX0iAdRS0J","pdf",140855,"English","# Understanding the recommendation process\n## Who are recommenders?\n## Recommendation requirements\n# Asking for a letter of recommendation\n## When to invite a recommender\n## Where to send invitations in the application\n# Supporting your recommenders\n## Share materials and details\n## Keep in contact and track status\n## Thank your recommenders","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of a recommender’s input in the Common App?\",\"answer\":\"A recommender’s input helps clarify and support the information you share in your application, strengthening the overall context of your profile.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the four types of recommenders in the Common App and what does each do?\",\"answer\":\"The four types are personal, professional, academic, and high school official. Each focuses on different aspects of your background, such as personal character, workplace contributions, student performance, or having direct access to final high school transcript records.\"},{\"question\":\"How should you ask someone to write a recommendation letter, and when should you invite them?\",\"answer\":\"Ask first to confirm they’re willing to write the letter, ideally in person, and be respectful of their time. Invite recommenders at least three weeks in advance of the deadline to give them time to write a well-crafted letter.\"}]","Recommendation Process Guide for Common App - Recommendation Letter Invites and Requirements | PDF",1789482950]