Build a recommendation plan before sending requests

Match the role before choosing the name

Begin by recording each program's recommendation requirements. A person who knows you well may be valuable, but the program may require a particular relationship, such as a course instructor or physical therapist. Do not assume one set of recommenders will satisfy every school. Keep the number, roles, and any exclusions in your school-specific preparation notes.

Duke, for example, currently identifies three recommender roles, including a collegiate course professor and a licensed PT the applicant has observed or worked with. This is a useful illustration of specificity. It does not establish a three-letter rule for all DPT programs, and a recommendation from another role may not substitute automatically.

Ask before triggering the official request

Contact a potential recommender personally before entering their information into the application system. Explain the program type, your intended timing, and why you are asking them. Give them a comfortable way to decline if they do not have the time or relevant knowledge. A clear conversation is more useful than an unexpected automated request.

Confirm the preferred name and email address and ask what supporting materials would help. A short resume, your school list, relevant dates, and a reminder of the work you did together can provide context. Describe your actual experience accurately; do not draft achievements you cannot support or tell the recommender what conclusion to reach.

Provide a concise briefing packet

Organize the information so the recommender does not need to reconstruct your application plan. Include the program or programs involved, the role requirement they meet, the official submission method, your requested completion date, and your contact details. If schools require separate requests, make that clear rather than implying one action will necessarily cover everything.

A useful personal note might remind an instructor which course and term you attended and identify a project or interaction they may remember. For a PT supervisor, identify the facility and observation period. These details help the person locate their own evidence. They should not become a script for a confidential letter or a request to endorse an experience they did not observe.

Track status, not confidential content

Liaison's Program Materials guidance explains that references submit their own recommendations electronically and that applicants should monitor request status. Your planner should track agreed, requested, and completed stages, along with a follow-up date. It should not store or solicit confidential letters or suggest that you can submit on someone else's behalf.

A fictional record might read: 'Professor Lee agreed; official request sent; receipt confirmed; requested completion October 10; check status October 3.' Those details are enough to support follow-up. Mark completion based on the official status, not simply because the recommender said they planned to finish over the weekend. The planner's status remains manually maintained.

Follow up with a specific, respectful message

If the requested date is approaching and the official status remains incomplete, send a short reminder with the relevant date and offer to resend the system request if needed. Avoid repeated daily messages. If the person can no longer complete the request, review the application's rules and your school's requirements before arranging an alternative.

After the recommendation is completed, thank the person and keep them informed of outcomes if appropriate. Before a later application cycle, ask again rather than assuming the previous agreement remains active. A thoughtful process protects both your timeline and the relationship that made the recommendation possible.

• Check every school's required recommender roles.
• Obtain agreement before sending an automated request.
• Confirm the email address and submission instructions.
• Provide context without writing the recommendation.
• Track official completion and schedule reasonable follow-up.