Letters of Recommendation (LORs) Questions
How many Letters of Recommendation (LORs) are required?
Three Letters of Recommendation (LORs) are required. Please only submit three.
Can I submit my application if none or not all of my recommenders have submitted their letters?
Yes, you can submit your application if none or not all of your recommenders have submitted their letters. Though the rest of the application may be evaluated immediately following submission (e.g. Statement of Purpose, CV/Resume, etc.), Letters of Recommendation (LORs) will not be evaluated until all three are received or once the deadline has passed.
What happens if not all three of my recommenders submit LORs?
If your recommenders have not submitted their LORs by the application deadline, LORs evaluation will be affected but your application will still be reviewed. It is very unlikely that an applicant without all three LORs submitted by the deadline will be admitted to our program.
Can my recommenders submit Letters of Recommendation after the deadline?
Yes, recommenders can submit Letters of Recommendation (LORs) after the deadline. Recommenders are strongly encouraged to submit their LORs by the deadline, but will still be able to submit after the deadline. The application deadline is provided to recommenders in the LOR Request email. LORs submitted after the deadline may not be considered.
Can I submit my Letters of Recommendation using Interfolio?
Interfolio is not recommended. If you can only submit letters using Interfolio, that is acceptable.
Can I submit more than three Letters of Recommendation?
No, please submit only three Letters of Recommendation.
Will it negatively impact my application if I submit more than three Letters of Recommendation?
Submitting more than three Letters of Recommendation (LORs) will not negatively impact your application, though only the first three received will be evaluated. Please only submit three.
What should be prioritized when choosing letter writers?
Prioritize letters from people who can write about your research ability.
Who, as a letter writer, will have the most impact?
In order of descending impact:
- Research Principal Investigator (PI)
- This could be the head of a laboratory in an academic setting or a VP/Director-level supervisor in industry
- Non-PI Research Mentor
- This could be a Postdoctoral Fellow or Ph.D. Student who directly supervised you or a Scientist/Senior Scientist-level supervisor in industry
- Collaborating PI
- This would be the faculty member or VP/Director-level person in charge of a research group that collaborated with your group on your project
- Professor for a course I helped teach
- If you were a teaching or instructional assistant for a college/graduate course, this would be the professor who taught that course
- Course Instructor
- This is an instructor for a course you took
- Other (Please Specify)
What would the industry equivalent of a PI be?
- Research Principal Investigator (PI)
- This could be the head of a laboratory in an academic setting or a VP/Director-level supervisor in industry
- Non-PI Research Mentor
- This could be a Postdoctoral Fellow or Ph.D. Student who directly supervised you or a Scientist/Senior Scientist-level supervisor in industry
- Collaborating PI
- This would be the faculty member or VP/Director-level person in charge of a research group that collaborated with your group on your project