Guides / Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation
Most schools want two or three letters, and almost all of them want one from an optometrist. Here's how to choose writers and what every school asks for.
Last checked Oct 19, 2026.
How letters work on OptomCAS
- You can request up to four letters through OptomCAS. Each school decides how many it requires, usually two or three.
- Writers submit their letters directly online through OptomCAS's letter system. You can't upload them yourself.
- One set of letters goes to every school you apply to, so choose writers who cover what all of your schools ask for.
- A committee letter from your college's pre-health office counts as one letter at many schools.
Who to ask
A typical strong set looks like this:
- An optometrist you've shadowed or worked with. Almost every school requires or strongly prefers this, and several specify a doctor who isn't a relative.
- One or two science professors, ideally from biology, chemistry or physics courses where you did well.
- Optionally, a professional reference, such as a supervisor from an eye care job.
The best writer knows you well, not the one with the most impressive title. A letter with specific stories about your work beats a generic letter from a department chair.
How and when to ask
- Ask 6–8 weeks before you want them done, and give a firm date that's before your earliest school deadline. Earlier is better in a rolling cycle.
- Ask in person or by a personal email, and give writers an easy way to say no.
- Send a short packet: your resume or CV, a draft of your personal statement, the classes you took with them and your grades, and a reminder of anything specific you'd like them to mention.
- Send a polite reminder a week before the due date, and a thank-you note once they submit.
Asking for a fourth letter as a backup is a good idea. If one writer is late, your application isn't stuck waiting.
Every school's requirement
| School | Letters required |
|---|---|
| Arizona (Midwestern) | 2: optometrist required |
| Berkeley | 3: optometrist recommended; committee letter counts as 1 |
| Chicago (Midwestern) | 2: optometrist required |
| Detroit Mercy | 3: optometrist + science professor |
| Ferris State (MI) | 3: optometrist + science professor |
| Houston | 2: academic mentor + optometrist (recommended) |
| Illinois College (ICO) | 2: optometrist + science professor |
| Incarnate Word | 2: optometrist required |
| Indiana | 3: science professor required; committee letter counts as 1 |
| MCPHS | 2: any |
| New England (NECO) | 2: non-relative optometrist + college faculty (science preferred) |
| Nova Southeastern | 2: optometrist + science professor |
| NSU Oklahoma | 3: any |
| Ohio State | 3: optometrist + professor required |
| Pacific | 2: non-relative optometrist + college instructor |
| Pennsylvania (Drexel) | 3, or one committee letter |
| Pikeville (KY) | 2: optometrist or healthcare professional |
| Rocky Mountain | 3: optometrist required |
| SCCO/Ketchum | 2: optometrist + 1 of your choice |
| Southern (SCO) | 2: non-relative optometrist + committee/pre-health or science instructor |
| SUNY | 3: optometrist + science professor; committee letter recommended |
| UAB | 3: optometrist + science faculty/pre-health; committee preferred |
| UMSL | 3: optometrist required |
| Western U | 2: any |
From OptomCAS school information for the 2026–27 cycle. Confirm with each school, since requirements change.
Sources
- OptomCAS 2026–27 application walkthrough (University of Georgia pre-health advising)
- OptomCAS letters of recommendation, 2026–27
Requirements and dates change each cycle. Always confirm with each school before you apply.
Keep reading
- The OAT, explainedWhat's on the Optometry Admission Test, how it's scored, what it costs and the rules for retaking it.
- What's a good OAT score?Entering-class OAT averages for every school, and what score to aim for.
- The new federal loan capWhat the $200,000 limit on federal loans means for every school's cost.
- OptomCAS application timelineMonth by month, from the OAT to your first interview, with every school's deadline.