Letters of Recommendation Tips

What is a Letter of Recommendation?

Letters of recommendation, also known as letters of evaluation, or letters of reference,

are statements typically written by an employer, professional business connection,

teacher, coach or by someone who can recommend an individual's work or academic

performance. They are used to support an applicant's accomplishments and abilities

from an objective perspective.

● Not all graduate programs require a letter of recommendation, contact your

or submitted by the applicant or another party on behalf of the recommender

● The deadline to submit a recommendation is the same date as the application

deadline. Please make sure that your recommenders are able to adhere to this

deadline.

● You may start your Cal State Apply application and send the recommendation

requests at any time before the deadline.

● You must send your recommendation requests before submitting your Cal State

deadline.

Things to take into consideration

● All recommendations can be submitted electronically by recommenders

● Research each program's requirements -

programs have specific requirements regarding recommender roles or

relationships before listing recommenders on your application. Many programs

have strict guidelines and completed recommendations cannot be removed or

replaced.

*Not all programs require letters of recommendation.

● Inform your recommenders of what to expect - Once you choose your

recommenders, be sure to inform them about the process

and that they will be

completing the recommendation electronically. We recommend obtaining the

email address that the recommenders monitor daily. They should expect an

Submit a Request

1. Once you have started your Cal State Apply application for Cal State East Bay,

navigate to the “program materials” section of the application to find the

recommendation section.

2. In the Recommendations section, click Create Recommendation

3. Enter the recommender's full name and email address.

4. Select the date by which you would like this recommendation completed.

This

date should be before your program(s) deadline.

5. Enter a brief message or note for the recommender.

6. Select whether you want to waive your right of access to the recommendation.

See W

aiver below.

7. Click the checkboxes to indicate your permission for us (and programs) to

After the Recommendation Has Been Submitted

● Use the Check Status tab to monitor the status of your recommendations.

Completed recommendations are marked as "Complete" and have a Complete

Date listed. Follow up with your recommenders if their recommendations are still

marked as "Requested" or "Accepted."

● It is your responsibility to ensure that recommendation requests are received and

completed on time. Cal State Apply will not notify applicants about missing

recommendations.

● Please note that after a recommender has made a submission, it cannot be

Troubleshooting

Resend the Recommendation Request

Change the Recommender's Email Address

If you entered an incorrect email address for any recommenders (or if any

recommender asks that you send the request to a different email address), you must

delete these requests and then re-add them with the correct email.

Changing Your Recommender

• If you need to change your recommender, please log in to Cal State Apply and

navigate to the Program Materials portion of the application.

• Delete the request for the person you are no longer using. Enter the name and

email address for the new recommender.

• Please keep in mind that the deadline for recommendations is the same as the