Common App Recommendation Letter Word Limit

The Common App recommendation letter is a crucial component of a college application, offering insights into the applicant’s abilities, character, and potential from the perspective of educators or mentors. This letter helps admissions committees understand the applicant's academic achievements, personal qualities, and suitability for the respective institution, providing a comprehensive view that complements the student's other application materials. 

If you are a counsellor or teacher who has been asked to write a Common App recommendation letter for some of your students, this post is here to help give you information about the word limit for the Common App recommendation letter so you can plan accordingly to ensure you submit a letter that effectively showcases the student you are writing the letter for. 

Common App Recommendation Letter Word Limit

Although the Common App does not have any specific word limit for recommendation letters, it is advisable to keep recommendations concise, at anywhere between 300-500 words. The maximum length of the recommendation letter should be 1 page at most. Keeping the letter concise ensures that you highlight all the positive aspects of the student while holding the attention of the admissions officer. Remember that admissions officers are reading hundreds of recommendation letters from talented students all across the world, so it is important to craft a meaningful letter that will ensure your student will stand out against the crowd! 

If you have been asked for a recommendation letter from multiple students in a particular cohort, ensure you tailor each recommendation letter to the respective student's academic and personal achievements instead of providing a largely generic letter for all students. This will help each student's individuality shine through in their application which can strongly supplement the information they have provided on their end of the Common Application. 

We hope this guide helps you with your Common App planning and recommendation letter writing. Good luck!