2020-21 College Recommendation Requirements
Hopefully, you won’t be asking your high school teachers to write you a letter of recommendation hours before the application deadline. In fact, we recommend locking down your recommenders well in advance. Enlightened College Applicants will get ahead of the game by utilizing our user-friendly list of recommendation requirements at nearly 400 premier colleges and universities. Also included is whether each institution requires a recommendation from a guidance counselor.
*Data collected from institution websites.
Table updated August 2020
| Institution | Teacher Recommendations Required | Counselor Recommendation Required* | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agnes Scott College | 1 | Yes | |
| Albion College | Yes | ||
| Alfred University | Yes | ||
| Allegheny College | 1 | Yes | |
| Alma College | No | ||
| American University | 1 | Yes | |
| Amherst College | 2 | Yes | |
| Appalachian State University | No | ||
| Arizona State University | No | Two (2) letters required for applicants to Honors | |
| Auburn University | No | ||
| Augustana College (IL) | No | ||
| Austin College | 1 | Yes | |
| Babson College | 1 | Yes | |
| Bard College | 2 | Yes | |
| Barnard College | 2 | Yes | |
| Bates College | 2 | Yes | |
| Baylor University | No | ||
| Belmont University | Yes | ||
| Beloit College | 1 | No | |
| Bennington College | 2 | Yes | |
| Bentley University | 1 | Yes | |
| Berea College | 1 | Yes | |
| Berry College | Yes | ||
| Birmingham Southern College | No | ||
| Boston College | 2 | Yes | |
| Boston University | 1 | Yes | |
| Bowdoin College | 1 | Yes | A second recommendation is required, but it doesn't have to come from a teacher. |
| Bradley University | No | ||
| Brandeis University | 1 | Yes | |
| Brigham Young University | 1 | No | A second recommendation from a religious leader is required. |
| Brown University | 2 | Yes | |
| Bryant University | Yes | ||
| Bryn Mawr College | 2 | Yes | |
| Bucknell University | 1 | Yes | |
| Butler University | No | ||
| California Institute of Technology | 2 | No | |
| Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo | No | ||
| Calvin University | 1 | No | |
| Canisius College | 1 | Yes | |
| Carleton College | 2 | Yes | |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 1 | Yes | |
| Case Western Reserve University | 2 | Yes | |
| Catholic University | 1 | Yes | |
| Centre College | 1 | Yes | |
| Champlain College | 1 | Yes | |
| Chapman University | 1 | Yes | |
| Christopher Newport University | No | ||
| Claremont McKenna College | 2 | Yes | |
| Clark University | 1 | Yes | |
| Clarkson University | 1 | Yes | |
| Clemson University | No | One (1) teacher and one (1) counselor recommendation required for Honors applicants | |
| Coe College | No | ||
| Colby College | 2 | Yes | |
| Colgate University | 2 | Yes | |
| College of Charleston | No | One (1) letter required for applicants to Honors | |
| College of the Atlantic | 2 | Yes | |
| College of the Holy Cross | 1 | Yes | |
| College of the Ozarks | 2 | No | |
| College of William and Mary | Yes | ||
| Colorado College | 2 | Yes | |
| Colorado School of Mines | No | ||
| Colorado State University | No | One (1) letter required for applicants to Honors | |
| Columbia University | 2 | Yes | |
| Connecticut College | 2 | Yes | |
| Cooper Union | 2 | Yes | |
| Cornell College | No | ||
| Cornell University | 2 | Yes | |
| Creighton University | Yes | ||
| CUNY Baruch College | No | Two (2) letters required for applicants to Macaulay Honors | |
| CUNY, Brooklyn College | No | Two (2) letters required for applicants to Macaulay Honors | |
| CUNY, City College | No | Two (2) letters required for applicants to Macaulay Honors | |
| CUNY, Hunter College | No | Two (2) letters required for applicants to Macaulay Honors | |
| Dartmouth College | 2 | Yes | Peer recommendation encouraged |
| Davidson College | 2 | Yes | |
| Denison University | 1 | Yes | |
| DePaul University | No | ||
| DePauw University | 1 | No | |
| Dickinson College | 1 | Yes | |
| Drake University | No | ||
| Drew University | 1 | Yes | |
| Drexel University | 1 | Yes | |
| Duke University | 2 | Yes | |
| Duquesne University | No | One (1) letter required (2 recommended) for health sciences majors | |
| Earlham College | 1 | Yes | |
| East Carolina University | No | ||
| Eckerd College | Yes | ||
| Elizabethtown College | Yes | ||
| Elon University | Yes | ||
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | No | Two letters of recommendation are suggested | |
| Emerson College | 1 | Yes | |
| Emory University | 2 | Yes | |
| Evergreen State College | No | ||
| Fairfield University | Yes | ||
| Florida Atlantic University | No | ||
| Florida Gulf Coast University | No | ||
| Florida Institute of Technology | Yes | ||
| Florida International University | No | ||
| Florida Southern College | Yes | ||
| Florida State University | No | One (1) teacher and one (1) counselor recommendation required for Honors applicants | |
| Fordham University | Yes | ||
| Franklin & Marshall College | 1 | Yes | |
| Furman University | No | ||
| George Mason University | No | ||
| George Washington University | 1 | Yes | |
| Georgetown College | No | ||
| Georgetown University | 1 | Yes | |
| Georgia College and State University | No | ||
| Georgia Institute of Technology | No | ||
| Georgia State University | No | ||
| Gettysburg College | 1 | Yes | |
| Gonzaga University | 1 | No | |
| Goucher College | 1 | Yes | |
| Grinnell College | 2 | Yes | |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | No | ||
| Hamilton College | 1 | Yes | |
| Hampshire College | 1 | Yes | |
| Harvard University | 2 | Yes | |
| Harvey Mudd College | 2 | Yes | HMC requires one (1) recommendation from a math or science teacher and one (1) recommendation from a humanities, social science, or arts teacher. |
| Haverford College | 2 | Yes | |
| Hendrix College | No | ||
| High Point University | Yes | ||
| Hiram College | No | ||
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges | 1 | Yes | |
| Hofstra University | 2 | Yes | |
| Hollins University | Yes | ||
| Hood College | No | ||
| Hope College | No | ||
| Howard University | 1 | Yes | |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | 1 | No | |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | No | ||
| Indiana University | No | One (1) letter required for applicants to Honors | |
| Ithaca College | Yes | ||
| James Madison University | No | ||
| Johns Hopkins University | 2 | Yes | |
| Juniata College | 1 | Yes | |
| Kalamazoo College | 1 | Yes | |
| Kenyon College | 1 | Yes | |
| Kettering University | No | ||
| Knox College | 1 | Yes | |
| Lafayette College | 1 | Yes | |
| Lake Forest College | 1 | No | |
| Lawrence University | 1 | Yes | |
| Lehigh University | 1 | Yes | |
| Lewis & Clark College | 1 | No | |
| Louisiana State University | 1 | No | |
| Loyola Marymount University | 1 | Yes | |
| Loyola University Chicago | Yes | Required letter can be submitted by teacher or counselor | |
| Loyola University Maryland | 1 | Yes | |
| Macalester College | 2 | Yes | |
| Marietta College | Yes | ||
| Marist College | 1 | Yes | |
| Marquette University | No | ||
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2 | Yes | MIT requires one (1) recommendation from a math or science teacher and one (1) recommendation from a humanities, social science, or language teacher. |
| McDaniel College | No | ||
| Messiah College | No | ||
| Miami University | Yes | ||
| Michigan State University | No | ||
| Middlebury College | 2 | Yes | |
| Millsaps College | No | ||
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | No | ||
| Mississippi State University | No | ||
| Morehouse College | 1 | Yes | |
| Mount Holyoke College | 2 | Yes | |
| Muhlenberg College | 1 | Yes | |
| New College of Florida | No | ||
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 1 | Yes | |
| New York University | 1 | Yes | |
| North Carolina State University | No | ||
| Northeastern University | 1 | Yes | |
| Northwestern University | 1 | Yes | |
| Oberlin College | 2 | Yes | |
| Occidental College | 2 | Yes | |
| Oglethorpe University | No | ||
| Ohio State University | No | ||
| Ohio University | No | Two (2) letters strongly recommended for applicants to Honors | |
| Oregon State University | No | ||
| Penn State University | No | Two (2) letters required for applicants to Honors | |
| Pepperdine University | 1 | No | |
| Pitzer College | 1 | No | |
| Pomona College | 2 | Yes | |
| Princeton University | 2 | Yes | |
| Principia College | 1 | Yes | |
| Providence College | Yes | ||
| Purdue University | No | ||
| Quinnipiac University | No | ||
| Ramapo College of New Jersey | 1 | No | |
| Reed College | 2 | Yes | |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 1 | Yes | |
| Rhodes College | 1 | Yes | |
| Rice University | 2 | Yes | |
| Ripon College | No | ||
| Roanoke College | No | ||
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Yes | ||
| Rockhurst University | No | ||
| Rollins College | Yes | ||
| Rutgers University | No | ||
| Saint John's University (MN) | No | ||
| Saint Joseph's University | Yes | ||
| Saint Louis University | No | ||
| Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame | Yes | ||
| Saint Michael's College | 1 | Yes | |
| Samford University | Yes | Required letter can be submitted by teacher or counselor | |
| San Diego State University | No | ||
| San Francisco State University | No | ||
| Santa Clara University | 1 | No | |
| Sarah Lawrence College | 2 | Yes | |
| Scripps College | 2 | Yes | |
| Seattle University | 1 | Yes | |
| Seton Hall University | 1 | Yes | |
| Sewanee: University of the South | 1 | Yes | |
| Siena College | Yes | ||
| Simmons University | 1 | Yes | |
| Skidmore College | 2 | Yes | |
| Smith College | 2 | Yes | |
| Southern Methodist University | Yes | ||
| Southwestern University | Yes | ||
| Spelman College | 1 | Yes | |
| St. Edward's University | Yes | ||
| St. John's College, Annapolis | 1 | Yes | |
| St. John's College, Santa Fe | 1 | Yes | |
| St. Lawrence University | 2 | Yes | |
| St. Mary's College of Maryland | 1 | Yes | |
| St. Olaf College | 1 | No | |
| Stanford University | 2 | Yes | |
| Steston University | Yes | ||
| Stevens Institute of Technology | 1 | Yes | |
| Stonehill College | 1 | Yes | |
| SUNY Binghamton University | Yes | ||
| SUNY Stony Brook | No | ||
| SUNY University at Buffalo | No | ||
| SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry | No | ||
| SUNY, Geneseo | 1 | Yes | |
| SUNY, Maritime College | 1 | Yes | |
| SUNY, New Paltz | 1 | No | |
| SUNY, Oneonta | 1 | Yes | |
| SUNY, Oswego | Yes | ||
| SUNY, Purchase College | 1 | Yes | |
| SUNY, University at Albany | No | ||
| Susquehanna University | Yes | ||
| Swarthmore College | 2 | Yes | |
| Syracuse University | 2 | Yes | |
| Temple University | No | ||
| Texas A&M University | No | One (1) letter recommended for applicants to BBA Honors | |
| Texas Christian University | 1 | Yes | |
| Texas Tech University | No | ||
| The College of New Jersey | No | Though not required, TCNJ strongly encourages the submission of 2-3 recommendations | |
| The College of Wooster | 1 | Yes | |
| Thomas Aquinas College | 3 | No | |
| Towson University | No | ||
| Trinity College | 2 | Yes | |
| Trinity University | 1 | Yes | |
| Truman State University | No | ||
| Tufts University | 1 | Yes | |
| Tulane University | Yes | ||
| Union College | 1 | Yes | |
| United States Air Force Academy | 3 | Yes | |
| United States Coast Guard Academy | 2 | Yes | Applicants must submit a letter from an English instructor and math instructor |
| United States Merchant Marine Academy | 2 | Yes | |
| United States Military Academy | 3 | Yes | |
| United States Naval Academy | 3 | Yes | |
| University of Alabama | No | ||
| University of Arizona | No | ||
| University of California, Berkeley | No | May ask for a letter of recommendation as part of a supplemental application review | |
| University of California, Davis | No | ||
| University of California, Irvine | No | ||
| University of California, Los Angeles | No | May ask for a letter of recommendation as part of a supplemental application review | |
| University of California, Riverside | No | ||
| University of California, San Diego | No | ||
| University of California, Santa Barbara | No | ||
| University of California, Santa Cruz | No | ||
| University of Central Florida | No | ||
| University of Chicago | 2 | No | |
| University of Cincinnati | 1 | No | |
| University of Colorado Boulder | 1 | No | |
| University of Connecticut, Storrs | No | ||
| University of Dallas | Yes | ||
| University of Dayton | No | ||
| University of Delaware | No | ||
| University of Denver | Yes | ||
| University of Evansville | No | ||
| University of Florida | No | ||
| University of Georgia | Yes | One (1) letter required for applicants to Honors | |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | No | ||
| University of Houston | No | ||
| University of Illinois at Chicago | No | ||
| University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign | No | ||
| University of Iowa | No | ||
| University of Kansas | No | ||
| University of Kentucky | No | ||
| University of Louisville | No | ||
| University of Maine | Yes | ||
| University of Mary Washington | Yes | Required letter can be submitted by teacher or counselor | |
| University of Maryland | 1 | Yes | |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | No | ||
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | Yes | ||
| University of Miami | 1 | Yes | |
| University of Michigan | 1 | No | |
| University of Minnesota | No | ||
| University of Minnesota, Morris | No | ||
| University of Mississippi | No | Three (3) letters required for applicants to Honors (2 teachers and 1 counselor) | |
| University of Missouri, Columbia | No | ||
| University of Missouri, Kansas City | No | ||
| University of Montana | No | ||
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | No | ||
| University of New Hampshire | Yes | ||
| University of North Carolina at Asheville | Yes | ||
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 1 | No | |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | No | ||
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | No | ||
| University of North Carolina at Wilmington | No | ||
| University of North Texas | No | ||
| University of Notre Dame | 1 | No | Counselor recommendation is encouraged but not required |
| University of Oklahoma | No | ||
| University of Oregon | No | Two (2) letters required for applicants to Honors | |
| University of Pennsylvania | 2 | Yes | |
| University of Pittsburgh | No | ||
| University of Portland | 1 | Yes | |
| University of Puget Sound | 1 | Yes | |
| University of Redlands | 1 | No | |
| University of Rhode Island | Yes | ||
| University of Richmond | Yes | ||
| University of Rochester | 1 | Yes | |
| University of San Diego | Yes | ||
| University of San Francisco | No | ||
| University of Scranton | Yes | ||
| University of South Carolina | No | Two (2) letters required for applicants to Honors | |
| University of South Florida | No | ||
| University of Southern California | Yes | ||
| University of St. Thomas (MN) | No | ||
| University of Tennessee | No | ||
| University of Texas at Austin | No | ||
| University of Texas at Dallas | No | ||
| University of Tulsa | No | ||
| University of Utah | No | ||
| University of Vermont | Yes | ||
| University of Virginia | 1 | Yes | |
| University of Washington | No | ||
| University of Wisconsin | 1 | No | |
| Ursinus College | Yes | ||
| Vanderbilt University | 2 | Yes | |
| Vassar College | 1 | Yes | |
| Villanova University | 1 | Yes | |
| Virginia Tech | No | ||
| Wabash College | Yes | ||
| Wake Forest University | 1 | Yes | |
| Warren Wilson College | Yes | ||
| Washington & Jefferson College | No | Recommended letter can be submitted by teacher or counselor | |
| Washington and Lee University | 2 | Yes | |
| Washington State University | No | ||
| Washington University | 1 | Yes | |
| Wellesley College | 2 | Yes | |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | Yes | ||
| Wesleyan University | 2 | Yes | |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | No | ||
| Westmont College | 1 | No | |
| Wheaton College (IL) | 1 | No | |
| Wheaton College (MA) | 1 | Yes | |
| Whitman College | 1 | Yes | |
| Whittier College | 1 | Yes | |
| Williams College | 2 | Yes | |
| Wittenberg University | No | ||
| Wofford College | Yes | ||
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 1 | Yes | |
| Xavier University | Yes | ||
| Yale University | 2 | Yes | |
| Yeshiva University | 2 | No |
*In addition to the School Report form that counselors are also required to complete (for most schools).
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