Letters of Recommendation

Great letters of recommendation come from people who know you well, understand the scope of your work, and can speak highly about your strengths.

This is unpublished

Guidance on Letters of Recommendation

Choose three (3) people to write a letter of recommendation (LOR) on your behalf, and include their contact information in your application. 

Some things to keep in mind:

  • LORs will be most powerful if they are current, as in within the last two to three years.
     
  • LORs can be from work supervisors, volunteer experience supervisors, genetic counselors (if you worked with them), professors, student club advisors, and more. Family members and friends with whom you have no academic or employment relationship are not eligible.
     
  • Be sure to give your recommenders plenty of time, at least four weeks, to write, revise, and submit their LORs.
     
  • Ask your recommenders for LORs and confirm they will write you letters before you add their names and contact information in your online application. Requests to recommenders are sent immediately.
     
  • Your recommenders will be sent an email requesting that they complete an online form. Be sure the email address you enter is correct! Tell your recommenders to check their spam folders if they tell you they haven’t received it.
     
  • Your recommenders will be asked: (1) to describe their experience with you and why they think you would be successful in a master’s degree program for genetic counseling; (2) what are your strengths; and (3) what you would contribute to the genetic counseling profession. All recommendations must be in English.
     
  • In regards to waiving your right to review recommendations: you may answer this however you prefer, but know that your recommender will see your response, and this may impact their willingness to submit a candid recommendation.
     
  • You should log back into your application regularly to check on the status of your LORs as the deadline approaches.
     
  • All recommendations must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on December 8, 2023.

Pro tip

To ensure that your LORs are turned in on time--with plenty of time to spare for emergencies--give your recommenders a deadline that is before the actual application deadline. For example, since this year's deadline is December 8, you could give your recommenders the deadline of November 15.

We will read THREE

Even though the UW Graduate School application program allows you to designate more than three people to write your letters of recommendation, our admissions committee will only read three letters of recommendation per applicant. DO NOT submit more than three letters of recommendation.

Questions or Issues


If you have any questions about LORs, or if you learn that one of your recommenders won’t make our application deadline of December 8, 2023 for reasons that are beyond your control, please contact us immediately.