Letters of Recommendation

How to change your “required” configuration settings:

  1. Open Configure Grad Application (Be sure to check every application you manage)

  2. Click on Edit Recommender Questions

  3. Click on Edit next to each question to be changed (one at a time)

  4. Check the “Is this question required?” box at the bottom of the page and Save

Solution to blank recommendations

To prevent a Recommender from accidentally submitting their form without uploading their actual recommendation letter, be sure the upload question is marked as “required”. 

An orange message box in the Configure Grad Application page will notify departments if they have this potential issue.  If the Recommender question has a document upload and it is not marked as required, then a recommender may accidentally be able to submit their recommendation before they have uploaded their letter or answered their questions.  However, if the upload question is marked “required,” the system will give an alert message and will not let the recommender complete the process until they have actually uploaded the document.

Once the upload question is required, the orange warning message box will disappear.

Review Recommender Instructions

We also recommend a review of the text in the “Instructions Displayed to the Recommender” section.  Some departments have instructions that contradict their questions and they may be confusing to the recommender.  For example, instructions may give the recommender the departmental address for hard copy mailing, but the question may “require” them to upload the letter.  Please eliminate conflicting mailing or upload information by marking upload questions as “required."

If you have further questions regarding the Letters of Recommendation, please direct them to gradadmissions@grad.arizona.edu