Applicants are requested to provide three letters of recommendations.  When selecting who to provide the reference, consider the following:

Recommenders should be able to give an independent evaluation of your skills and ability to study social work.  They should

• Know you professionally or academically but not personally.
• Be able to assess your ability to study social work and your potential for professional social work practice.

Examples of people who fit the above include Academic Instructors and Employment or Volunteer Supervisors.

Recommenders answer a series of questions and are required to upload a letter of recommendation that should discuss your skills and abilities that make you a good candidate.  

Before submitting the letter, the recommender will also answer the following questions:

• How long have you known the applicant?
• How well do you know the applicant?
• In what capacity do you know the applicant?
• Using the following scale (Not Observed, Poor, Below Average, Average, Good, Excellent), evaluate the candidate on the following:
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Empathy
  • Ethics
  • Integrity
  • Oral Communication
  • Professional Demeanor
  • Self-Awareness
  • Written Communication

Finally, the recommender will make a “Recommendation Concerning Admission” and select from one of the following:

• I highly recommend this applicant
• I recommend this applicant
• I recommend this applicant with some reservations
• I am not able to recommend this applicant

Applicants will be required to select whether they would like to “waive my right of access to this reference.”  If you select this option, you are not able to access the reference.  

The recommender as well as those that review your application will know if you have waived your right to access the reference.