Letters of Recommendation

There are many ways to show personality in an application: your essay, an interview, your extracurricular activities and letters of recommendation.

The only letter required for your application is from your high school counselor. This letter provides us with context on who you are as a student within your school, as well as background information on your high school in general. It can provide insight into how your courseload compares with what is offered at your school, and if there are any extenuating circumstances that may have impacted your grades or course selections. Counselors can also give us a sense of how you contributed to the school community and interacted within your peer groups.

You can submit between one and three optional recommendation letters in addition to the required counselor recommendation. A teacher, coach or volunteer coordinator who knows you well would be excellent choices.

Frequently Asked Questions

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William & Mary requires one letter of recommendation from your high school counselor to complete your application. To ensure the process goes smoothly, it is important to follow your school's policies when requesting this letter. Your counselor not only writes about who you are but also provides key academic information that helps put your application into context.

Additional letters of recommendation are optional but encouraged. We strongly prefer they come from core subject teachers, though letters from others, such as elective teachers, community members, coaches or supervisors, are also welcome if they highlight your strengths in and beyond the classroom.

You can submit between one and three optional recommendation letters in addition to the required counselor recommendation. You should choose someone who knows you well and has worked with you recently. More isn't always better, so focus on quality rather than quantity.

The best way to submit letters of recommendation is by adding your recommender through the Common Application system. We will also accept letters through platforms such as Scoir, Naviance, or Schoolinks. Be sure to follow your school's policies when requesting letters of recommendation.

If someone helping with your recommendation has trouble uploading their letter, they can contact [[admission]] for assistance.

If your teacher hasn't sent your recommendation letter by the application deadline, there is usually some extra time for a recommender to submit it. However, the best way to avoid this issue is to ask your recommenders well in advance of the deadline. We suggest giving them at least one month's notice and asking your recommenders personally before adding them in the Common Application.

While we cannot guarantee it, letters received within two weeks after the deadline will likely still be considered as part of the application.

We only confirm the receipt of required application materials. Since additional recommendation letters are optional, we cannot confirm whether we have received them.

If you are concerned about a letter, you may want to check with the recommender to confirm they have submitted it.

The counselor recommendation letter must come from your current school counselor because it includes important school-related information and required documents. However, if you had a previous counselor who knows you well, you can ask them to submit an optional recommendation. This can help provide additional insight into your background.

If you're homeschooled, the school counselor section of your application should be filled out by the person who oversees your education, like a parent or guardian.

We strongly recommend that homeschooled students submit additional optional recommendation letters. At least one of these letters should come from someone who is not a family member or directly related to you.

More details on applying as a homeschooled student can be found under Homeschooled Applicant Tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Topics

What letters of recommendation are required for a complete application? Do you require letters from certain academic subjects?

How many outside letters of recommendation can I submit?

How do I submit letters of recommendation?

My teacher hasn't sent my recommendation letter and it's past the application deadline. Will it still be considered?

I don't see a letter I requested in my portal checklist. Can you confirm that you have received it?

I have a new counselor I don't know well. Can I ask my previous counselor to submit the counselor recommendation?

Who fills out my letters of recommendation if I'm homeschooled?