Colorado Letters of Recommendation Package

All freshman applications to Colorado State University must include at least one letter of recommendation. At CSU, we review application materials in well rounded, or holistic way. Your recommendation can be an important resource to help us consider your academic preparation.

University of Colorado Denver considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

We have two required essays one is the Common Application personal essay, and the other is a CU Boulder specific essay (the writing supplement). Check out our previous post with tips on writing the college essay if you need some help getting started!

Think carefully about saying yes. Focus on the particular school. Collect information. Mention how you know the student. Include specific examples. Remain positive. Avoid cliches. Share your contact information.

CU Boulder has been known as a party school environment. This stereotype is definitely apparent in some students but, the party scene is what you make of it.

We do not require the ACT Writing Test or the SAT Essay for CU Boulder admission consideration. The highest scores are used in the admission decision. If the same test is taken more than once, the scores are combined on each subsection to give the highest overall score. SAT subject test scores are not required.

"We believe that the required teacher and guidance counselor references give us much of the information we need to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions. Additional letters are only helpful if the person writing the recommendation knows the candidate well and can provide new, detailed information."

One academic letter of recommendation is required. You may submit up to three additional letters of recommendation if you wish. Your full legal name should be at the top of recommendation letters. You can access the CU-Boulder recommendation request form at colorado.edu/admissions/apply/forms.

"We believe that the required teacher and guidance counselor references give us much of the information we need to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions. Additional letters are only helpful if the person writing the recommendation knows the candidate well and can provide new, detailed information."