It is not cool for them to receive an email from an application service requesting a letter of recommendation which you have never even talked to them about it. Rude! Don't do this. Remember that if ...

Unless otherwise noted within the Graduate Program Requirements Web page, three (3) letters of recommendation are ... once you click “Send to Recommender,” your recommendation providers will receive ...

The term, "letter of recommendation" is somewhat misleading ... reflects how well you match the particular school and program. You might well receive a very strong recommendation for a good program, ...