Request Recommendations
References are a required part of the Graduate School application. Students must submit the names and contact information for their references directly on the application. These faculty receive an email with a link to an online form to complete the reference and upload a letter of support.
Number of Recommendations
Most fields require two or three letters of recommendation. Please check field admissions requirements for your proposed field.
Recommenders
Ph.D., M.A., and M.S. applicants: Letters must be submitted by faculty members from your current or prior academic institution who are acquainted with your academic work. If you haven’t been a student for some time, check with your prospective field to see whether recommendations from someone familiar with your professional performance might be acceptable instead.
Applicants for professional master’s degrees: Letters may be submitted by faculty members or those familiar with your professional performance. Contact your field for specific guidance.
Submitting Recommendations
Recommendations are normally submitted through ApplyWeb’s online recommendation system. If you maintain letters of recommendation in an external dossier service such as Interfolio, the Graduate School may accept those letters if your prospective graduate field agrees to receive them outside the application system.
Before using Interfolio, contact your prospective graduate field to confirm that it accepts letters delivered directly through Interfolio. Because Interfolio submissions do not include Cornell’s standard online recommendation form and are received outside the application system, some fields may prefer or require recommendations submitted through the application’s standard recommendation process.
If your field agrees to accept Interfolio letters:
- Select “by mail” as the delivery method for each recommendation in your application.
- Enter each recommender’s name and contact information.
- Work with the graduate field administrator and Interfolio to arrange for the letters to be delivered directly to the field.
Using Interfolio requires additional coordination and may result in processing delays if arrangements are not made in advance
Your Rights
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 allows you to review letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf after you enroll at Cornell University. You can waive your right to inspect your recommendations by checking “waive access” below each recommender’s address and before you submit the request. Waiving your right lets your recommenders know that you will not view their letters and lets the review committee know that your recommenders have provided their candid and truthful support.