Choosing Your Recommenders: Professors, Supervisors, and Everything in Between

When applicants think about recommendation letters, they often approach them like a box to check off. Ask a professor. Ask a supervisor. Upload the letters and move on. But in reality, recommendation letters are one of the most personal parts of your SIPA application - and one of the most misunderstood.

Unlike your essays or resume, this is the space where someone else gets to speak on your behalf. That alone makes it powerful. And the good news is that you have more freedom here than you might expect.

Rather than worrying about who you’re “supposed” to ask, it’s more helpful to think about who can best represent you and the path that led you to SIPA.

Recommendation letters exist to add dimension to your application. They help the admissions committee understand how you think, learn, collaborate, and grow in real settings, whether that’s a classroom, a workplace, or a team environment. A strong letter doesn’t just list accomplishments; it provides context and character, showing how you engage with challenges and responsibility over time.

For some applicants, professors are a natural choice. A professor who knows your work well can speak to your analytical skills, your writing, and how you contribute to discussions. This can be especially meaningful if you’ve worked closely with them on research, a thesis, or a major project. That said, the strength of a professor’s letter depends far more on familiarity than title. A thoughtful, detailed letter from someone who truly knows you will always be more impactful than a generic note from a well-known name.

For others, supervisors or professional mentors may be the strongest voices. These recommenders can offer insight into how you show up in real-world settings - how you lead, take initiative, respond to feedback, and solve problems. For applicants who have spent time in the workforce, these letters often make the clearest case for why graduate study makes sense at this moment in their career.

What’s often overlooked is that there’s no single “correct” combination of recommenders. There isn’t a required formula of one professor and one employer. Instead, the goal is balance. Your recommendation letters should complement the rest of your application, filling in gaps and adding perspective rather than repeating what’s already on your resume or in your essays.

The strongest recommendation letters usually come from people who can share specific examples of your work, speak to your growth over time, and write with clarity and genuine support. Their role or title matters less than their ability to tell a detailed, honest story about you.

In the end, recommendation letters aren’t just a formality. They’re an opportunity to decide who gets to help tell your story and which parts of your journey deserve another voice. Choosing the right recommenders is less about following rules and more about being intentional.

That flexibility is built into the process - and it’s there for you to use.