Understanding letters of recommendation for undergraduates: why two sources from faculty, employers, or community leaders can strengthen your application

Letters of Recommendation for Undergraduates: A Flexibly Honest Guide

If you’re navigating college applications, internships, or early-step programs in the MTA ecosystem, you’ll quickly hear about letters of recommendation. They’re not just formality; they’re little windows into who you are when you’re not standing in front of a room full of interviewers. Here’s the plain truth: in many places, you’re allowed to bring in two letters from two sources who know you well. And yes, that usually means you’re not limited to professors alone. Let me walk you through what that means and how to use it to your advantage.

Two letters from faculty, or two letters from any two sources—or both

Here’s the thing: when a school says you need two letters, they aren’t prescribing a single recipe. Some programs explicitly want two letters from faculty. Others are happy with two letters from any credible source who can speak to your abilities, character, and potential. And some institutions don’t insist on a single rigid pattern at all. The upshot? You have options, not a single script.

This flexibility matters because your best advocates aren’t always the people you sat next to in class. A supervisor who can speak to your reliability, a volunteer coordinator who saw your teamwork in action, or a mentor who watched you grow through a project—these voices can be just as powerful as a professor who knows your academic work. When admissions teams see different perspectives, they get a richer sense of you as a person and as a student.

Common misperceptions? Yes, there are a few

• Misperception: “Two letters must come from faculty.” Reality: Some programs accept letters from other sources as long as they know you well and can comment meaningfully on your strengths.

• Misperception: “No letters are required.” Reality: Most programs still want some form of recommendation, and a blank slate says more about the applicant than about the program.

• Misperception: “It has to be a perfect fit.” Reality: Depth often beats breadth. Strong letters that highlight growth, persistence, or leadership can outshine a generic endorsement.

Why this kind of flexibility is aligned with real life

Think about how you’re building a future in the transit sector, engineering teams, operations, or community outreach—areas where collaboration, reliability, and practical thinking matter. Letters from a supervisor who saw you lead a team on a project, a tutor who helped you grasp a tough concept, or a community organizer who observed your commitment to service—all add texture to your profile. The admissions reader gets a sense of how you handle responsibilities, communicate under pressure, and contribute to teams.

Who can write a letter—and what makes that meaningful

• Faculty members who taught you in a course where you stood out.

• Employers who observed your work ethic, growth, and responsibility in a job or internship.

• Mentors from clubs, volunteer programs, or community organizations who witnessed your initiative and reliability.

• Supervisors from internships, research projects, or leadership roles in student groups.

The key isn't the label on the letter, but the content: specifics, anecdotes, and a clear sense of how you show up. A letter that names concrete moments—say, you led a team through a tight deadline, or you improved a process that saved time and resources—lands more powerfully than a general compliment.

How to choose your recommenders wisely

• Pick people who know you well enough to speak in detail about your strengths and growth.

• Mix a few voices if you can: one that speaks to your classroom performance, another to your work ethic and leadership, and perhaps a third to your character and teamwork.

• Consider what you want the reader to understand about you beyond grades: resilience, curiosity, collaboration, problem-solving, or cultural fit with a future team.

• Be mindful of deadlines and the time it takes for someone to write a thoughtful letter. Give them ample notice and a gentle reminder as the due date approaches.

What to give your writers to make their letters sing

• A resume or a concise list of projects and achievements.

• A short paragraph that describes the program you’re applying to and why it matters to you.

• Specific prompts or questions the program wants covered (if provided).

• Highlights you’d like emphasized, with examples you can recall clearly.

• A reminder of your recent successes and a friendly nudge on any particular traits you want spotlighted (leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, community impact).

A practical tip: keep a “recommendation packet” ready. It’s simply a packet that includes your resume, your goals, a couple of bullet points about your recent work, and any deadlines. When a writer sits down to draft, they’re not starting from scratch—they’re weaving in details you’ve already organized, which makes the letter stronger and more personal.

What the letters actually convey, and why that matters

Letters give admissions teams a snapshot of your character, your work habits, and your potential in contexts where transcripts don’t tell the whole story. For someone eyeing a role in transit systems or urban development, this can mean the difference between a good candidate and a standout one. A recruiter will want to know:

• How you handle feedback and grow from it.

• How you communicate with teammates and lead when needed.

• Your reliability under pressure and your commitment to your community.

• Your curiosity and willingness to learn new things.

These aren’t abstract traits; they map to real-world work environments. And when your letters collectively reflect a balanced blend of academic prowess, hands-on experience, and community orientation, you present a more complete picture.

A few caveats to keep in mind

• Some programs have a hard limit on the number of letters or on who can write them. Always verify the guidelines for each program so you don’t misfire with letter count or source expectations.

• Even with flexibility, avoid asking someone who can’t provide specifics or who won’t deliver a thoughtful letter. A lukewarm endorsement can do more harm than no letter at all.

• If you’re switching fields or targeting a program with a different emphasis, select recommenders who can speak to the attributes the program values most—whether that’s leadership, technical skill, or community engagement.

Bringing it back to real-life relevance (and a little tangency)

If you’re curious about the practical side of this for a moment, think about how organizations in the transit space recruit talent. They’re looking for people who can work with engineers, operations folks, planners, and customer service teams. A well-rounded set of letters helps hiring committees see that you’ve got not just the technical chops but also the people skills that make a team work.

And yes, in the broader sense, letters function as a bridge from your everyday experiences to your future potential. They’re not a magic wand; they’re a chorus. Each letter adds a verse, and together they form a melody that listeners—admissions officers, scholarship committees, program directors—can hum along to as they assess fit.

A few practical, non-flashy takeaways

• Start early. Ask people you trust well before deadlines. Polite reminders help keep things on track.

• Be proactive but gentle. Share what you’d like highlighted, but don’t pressure your writers into saying things you know aren’t true.

• Choose variety. If you can, mix academic, work-related, and community experiences to show breadth and depth.

• Keep the focus on substance. Specific examples beat generic praise every time.

• Don’t stress the process. It’s about telling your story clearly, not crafting a flawless narrative.

A quick conclusion—and a gentle call to action

Letters of recommendation aren’t just about ticking boxes. They’re about giving form to your strengths in a way that’s credible, memorable, and relevant. They reflect the variety of your experiences—the classroom, the workplace, the community—and they sketch a portrait of who you are when you’re not being watched by a professor or a boss.

If you’re navigating this path in an environment connected to the MTA world, remember that your future team will value collaboration, reliability, and the kind of curiosity that helps you adapt to new challenges. That means your letters should, in their own way, speak to those traits. And that, more than any checklist, is what turns a polite endorsement into a compelling case for your potential.

Checklist (quick, if you want one)

• Identify two or more potential recommenders who know you well.

• Gather your resume and a brief note about your goals and recent projects.

• Confirm each writer’s deadlines and preferred submission method.

• Provide a tailored, respectful nudge as deadlines approach.

• Review drafts where possible to ensure accuracy and voice.

If you’re ready to take that next step, you’ll likely come away with a set of letters that not only reflect your abilities but also celebrate the unique way you contribute to teams, projects, and communities. And that voice—your voice—might be the thing that helps you stand out in a field that needs capable, collaborative, forward-thinking people.

Note: This article is designed to be a clear, down-to-earth guide about undergraduate recommendation letters and their flexibility. It’s not tied to any single program, and it emphasizes practical, real-world considerations that any student could use, whether they’re aiming for a college in the city, a regional technical program, or internships within a transit-focused organization. If you want more examples of what good recommendation letters look like in different contexts, I’m happy to share sample prompts and outline templates that help you get started.