Info on Letters of Recommendation for Carnegie Mellon's Undergrad Programs?

Hey everyone, I'm working on my application to Carnegie Mellon and I'm unsure about their letters of recommendation policy for undergraduate programs. Do they require them from all students? More specifically, what kind of recommenders do they prefer - teachers, counselors, or someone else? Any guidance is appreciated.

For your application to Carnegie Mellon University, the school does have a specific policy regarding Letters of Recommendation. They do require these letters and usually expect two letters from teachers and, if available, one from your high school counselor. The teachers should ideally have taught you a core academic subject, such as math, science, English, foreign languages, or social studies.

The teacher recommendation letters should give the admissions team an in-depth view of your intellectual potential, academic skills, and how you contribute to classroom discussions. Ideally, these teachers should be from your junior or senior year courses.

As for the counselor's letter, it should provide context about your academic performance relative to others in your school and any extenuating circumstances that might have affected your academic performance. However, if a recommendation from your school counselor is not available, the university will not penalize you in the admissions process.

Remember, recommendation letters should provide additional perspectives about you that cannot be revealed by your grades, test scores or essays. So, it's important to choose your recommenders wisely. It would be best to select individuals who know you well and can shed light on your strengths, achievements, and personal character.