Letters of Recommendation

Three people at your school will submit materials on your behalf: two teachers and a guidance counselor. You can download the corresponding forms via the Application Forms page on your MyMIT account.

Recommendations: Whom to Ask

One recommendation ("Evaluation A") should be from a math or science teacher and one ("Evaluation B") should be from a humanities, social science or language teacher.

You should certainly ask a teacher who has taught you in an academic class in high school (i.e. no middle school, and no basket weaving class). Ideally, this will also be a teacher who knows you as more than just a student who does well on all the tests. We find that the best recommendations are written by teachers who know an applicant well as both a student and a person.

As a general rule, if the teacher teaches a class that would count towards MIT's math & science requirement, that teacher should fill out the A Evaluation; if the teacher teaches a class that would count towards MIT's humanities, arts, and social sciences requirement, that teacher should fill out the B Evaluation.

Secondary School Report

Your guidance counselor (or equivalent) should complete this form and return it to us, along with your transcript and a letter of summary/recommendation. Most counselors also attach a School Profile, describing your school's curriculum and community. Some guidance counselors do not or cannot write letters of summary on your behalf. We do not hold this against you at all! We understand that there are different types of schools out there, and you should not be penalized for the school you attend.

Give your guidance counselor this form early so that he or she has time to fully consider the best way to present your accomplishments.

The Secondary School Report can be downloaded via the Application Forms link on your MyMIT account.

Supplemental Recommendations

Supplemental evaluations are also welcome — we simply ask that they provide different or additional context beyond the two we’ve already requested. Some examples of supplemental recommendations include coaches, employers, research advisors, and music teachers. Supplemental letters from a third academic teacher rarely provide additional helpful information.

Most applicants, and most admitted students, submit no supplemental recommendations. Some applicants and admitted students submit one supplemental recommendation; a few submit two. Submitting more supplemental recommendations will not disqualify you, but it is rarely necessary.

If you do submit a supplemental recommendation, be sure to include the MIT Supplemental Document Cover Sheet, which is available for download from your MyMIT account. Supplemental recommendations cannot be submitted online.