Q: Whom should I approach for letters of recommendation?

A: People with whom you have had an advising, academic or professional relationship can best evaluate your professional or academic potential. Do not ask instructors you had several years ago for a letter unless you have kept in close contact with them. It is possible to effectively reestablish your relationship with faculty members by meeting with them, discussing your earlier work and reviewing a paper or exam on which you did well. Reference writers who are not aware of your current career, academic and personal goals may not be an appropriate choice for this important task.

Q: How should I approach them?

A: Call or meet with your reference writer to discuss your professional aspirations and to ask if he or she would be willing to write you an honest, candid and positive letter of reference for your file. Give him or her a copy of your resume and any cover letters you may have to show him or her how you are presenting yourself to prospective employers. Consider putting together a packet of background materials for your reference writers, such as papers, exams, and special projects that you completed for them. Letter of Recommendation Worksheets are also available at the OCS for you to complete for each reference writer; these forms allow you to make special note of specific responsibilities or successes that the reference writer may want to include in his or her recommendation. This will enable him or her to better recall your strengths. Also, speak to the reference writer about these particular skills or accomplishments that you would like highlighted and ask him or her to focus the letter on these. Never send a recommendation form unannounced to anyone; it is discourteous.

Q: Should reference letters be tailored to a specific position?

A: Ideally all reference letters should be tailor-written. If this cannot be accomplished, identify a particular skill (or skills) for the reference writer to highlight that applies to the type of position you are seeking- for example, leadership, effective communication skills and/or strong analytical ability.

Q: Can the same reference be used for both professional school and employment?

A: No. Letters for graduate school are inappropriate for employment purposes. For graduate schools, you need to request that your reference writer produce a letter that highlights your academic skills and potential in your field; for employers, ask that your reference writer highlight your work skills.

Q: How many letters should I have in my file?

• Three to five should be sufficient for either graduate school or employment.
• How will I know which recommendation to send?

A: If you and your reference writer have agreed that an "open" letter of recommendation is most appropriate (see the waiver statement on the OCS Candidate's Reference Form), you may read all the letters in your file and choose those you wish to send. If all the letters are "closed", you must evaluate which ones are likely to be the most effective based solely upon your knowledge of your past relationship with your reference writers. The OCS staff will not make selections of letters from your file for forwarding to graduate schools or employers.

Q: Would it be easier to collect and send my own reference letters?

A: Your reference writers may wish to give you their letters on their stationery for your own personal use and convenience. Some employers and graduate school admissions committees are more trusting of references if they come from someone other than you. The OCS guarantees that the letters we receive are secure, confidential and available. You can update, change or add to your file at any time.

Closed recommendations can be released to individual students/alumni in sealed reference packets ONLY if the student/alum can present written proof of the request.

Q: Do I have to use the OCS forms to establish a reference file?

A: Yes. You cannot legally establish a file with the OCS unless you complete and sign our registration form. However, you need not use our reference letter forms (see next page for reference letter form procedure). This is especially important to keep in mind for graduate school. Most graduate departments/schools provide their own forms with school-specific data/questions in addition to the recommendation itself. Your reference writers should complete the form and either write their written evaluation directly on it or attach their own letter to it. Another option is to send the completed form to the OCS and we will attach a copy of the file letter. Ask your reference writers how they wish to handle the process.

Q: How long will the OCS maintain my reference file and its letters?

NOTE:  There is a release statement that "activates" your file. Read it carefully. If you choose Option A "only at my request," we will not send out copies of your references without your permission. You will maintain complete control of the disposition of your file. However, should a prospective employer or graduate/professional school contact us with a request for your references, there may be a delay in sending out your reference packet if we have difficulty reaching you to obtain your permission.

NOTE:  If you choose Option B "at the request of myself, prospective employers, graduate schools, internship sponsors, and fellowship, scholarship and award committees," you have given the OCS permission to send your references, in good faith, upon the request of anyone interested in your candidacy. We will be able to respond to reference requests without checking with you first, but we will let you know to whom we have sent your reference packet.

We will not be able to verify the legitimacy of any request. We will let you know to whom we have sent your reference packet, and you will be able to list the OCS address and phone number on your resume.

You are establishing an employment and/or graduate school file with this form. An additional set of registration forms are necessary if you wish to establish a legal or medical studies file. Please see a counselor or the Credentials Coordinator for more information.

Reference Forms (can be downloaded from OCS website)

Pay particular attention to the "Candidate's Waiver Statement" where you must choose whether or not you want a "closed" or "open" letter, as well as whether or not you will allow your reference writer to disclose information contained in your academic record. This can include, but is not limited to, your grades, your thesis, any of your written academic work or research, and any evaluations of your work or research.

• Closed letter: A choice of a closed letter means you are waiving your right to read the letter. No OCS staff member can divulge the contents, quality or tone of the letter to you. Writers of waived letters can write whatever they wish with the knowledge that their remarks will remain unknown to you.
• Open letter: The choice of an open reference letter means you can read and evaluate the letter to judge its appropriateness for your job/graduate school search. Open letters may be viewed by some, particularly graduate school admissions committees, as a less candid assessment of your potential.

Allowing the disclosure of academic information by your reference writer means that they are allowed to discuss any part of your academic success, effort or accomplishment of which they are aware. This can give your reference writer more substantial evidence on which to base their recommendation of you.

If you do not allow the person writing your reference to disclose any of your academic information you limit their remarks about you to personal opinions and feelings. This may be positive but again, as with an open letter of recommendation, it is possible that the recipients of your letters of recommendation will see them as less candid, and regard your decision to limit the amount of information your reference writer can submit, as suspect.