Career Services Center
Reference Letter File Service FAQs
Reference Letter File Service
What is a Reference Letter File?
What is a Reference Letter File?
A Reference Letter File holds generic letters of recommendation, usually confidential, used by applicants to apply to academic institutions for the purpose of admission to graduate or professional school programs. This includes application to medical, dental, and law school. When creating your file to apply to a graduate or professional school program you can not include transcripts in your file as they are not accepted by schools as "official." Additionally, other materials such as CV's, resumes, abstracts, writing samples, or teaching evaluations are not a part of this file.
When and how do I start a Reference Letter File?
Application for graduate programs usually begins one year in advance to admission; therefore, you should set up your file one year before completion of your degree and/or the start of your program. For instance, if you graduate in the spring of 2008, and wish to enter dental school in the fall of that year (2008), your application/admission procedures will begin as early as June, 2007.
To start your Reference Letter File, the following must be done:
Your file is active when you are registered with our office. After registering, you may request your file contents be sent to graduate schools or professional programs. You may also use our online services to: view your account balances, review your file requests history, and request your file be sent. NOTE: You may submit letters to your file at any time WITHOUT it being in active status.
Should I start a confidential (closed) or a non-confidential (open) file?
In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, you may choose to establish a confidential (closed) or non-confidential (open) reference letter file. If you establish a closed file, our office can never allow you to read the letters of reference in your file. (However, your letter writer is free to show you the letter they write.) With an open file, you can read all of the letters in your file. When making this decision, consider what is customary in your field and the preferences of your letter writers. Career Services staff can not review letters for the purpose of rank-ordering or otherwise selecting certain letters over others on the candidate's behalf.
Is there ever a time when I may read my confidential letters of recommendation?
There are no circumstances in which we may send your letters directly to you or allow you to read them. We must honor the letter writers who write letters knowing the contents will not be revealed. Some writers may, however, choose to reveal the contents to you directly.
Do not fill the file too early with only freshman year letters, but try to balance the letters, possibly one from your freshman year, one from your sophomore year, and the rest during your final years. Your letters should reflect your academic courses or experiences throughout your degree.
Who do I choose to write a letter of recommendation? How do I ask?
Some programs may require letters from specific disciplines. For example, medical schools typically require two science faculty letters (usually one from Chemistry and one from Biology). Therefore, review your application materials for guidelines on quantity and sources of letters. Professors and professionals are most commonly used. In all cases, select individuals who know you well.
When asking someone to write a letter of evaluation, make an appointment to talk in person, if possible. Bring papers or exams that you wrote for meetings with professors. Discussing your plans for the future helps the evaluator write a more informed letter. Ask directly if the recommender can write a strong letter for you; if you sense that a letter will be ambivalent or bland, it is better to ask someone else.
What should the evaluator say in the letter?
A letter for your file should not be school specific; rather it should be generic so that copies may be sent to numerous institutions. The writer may start by specifying in what capacity and for how long he or she has known the applicant. They may describe performance on specific assignments and list any important accomplishment. Evaluators might also indicate the degree to which they recommend the applicant for admission to the graduate program (without reservation, strongly, with some reservation, not at all). Letters should also be written on the author's office letterhead.
Do you send grad/professional school-specific recommendation forms?
Most graduate/professional school programs provide their own letter of recommendation forms. These are provided so that if you are self-managing your letters you can ask each recommender to fill out a specific form and provide a letter for you to send to that school. It has been our experience that these forms are not necessary if your letters are being maintained and sent from a confidential letter service such as ours; therefore, we do not send school-specific forms. We recommend that you contact schools and let them know that your letters are held in a confidential letter file system at WWU and will be arriving in a separate packet.
Do you hold transcripts in the file?
No, transcripts are not included in your file, because schools do not accept them as official. Transcripts must arrive at the school(s) you are applying to in envelopes sealed and sent from a transcript office in order to be official.
What if you receive letters of recommendation BEFORE I start my Reference Letter file?
In the event letters are received and your file is not "complete" (see When and how do I start a Reference Letter File), those materials will be kept two years from date they arrive in the Center. Unless notified otherwise, the letters will be destroyed after that time, except for letters written by faculty on the WWU campus. Those will be returned to the writer with an accompanying explanation.
What address should my letter of recommendation writers use for mailing in their letters?
Western Washington University, Career Services Center, Old Main 280, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9002
How do I know if letters of recommendation are currently in my file?
To find out what letters of recommendation have been received by our office you may:
- Go to our web site, click on the Quick Finder link and go to VIEW List of Reference Letter File Contents to see the most current list of letters in your file
- Email careers@wwu.edu
- Phone our office at 360.650.2980
How do I request that my file be sent?
You may use the online request service via our website. You can also email careers@wwu.edu, call 360.650.2980 or come by our office in Old Main 280.
Can I determine which letters are to be sent?
Even though you can have several letters in the file, you are always in a position to pick and choose which letters are sent. When making a request to have your file sent, please indicate which letters you want sent to each graduate or professional school program.
How soon after I make the request will my file be sent?
Allow two business days from the day you make your request to when it leaves our office. Urgent requests require special handling and additional fees apply.
Can I fax or email my letter of recommendation to admission offices or hiring committees?
We are not able to email your Reference Letter File, but we can fax your letters if this is acceptable to the school to which they are being sent.
How long is my file available to me?
What if I need to renew my service?
If you are an alum wishing to renew your Reference Letter Service, print the Registration Form from our website, and mail along with a $35 fee. Click Here for additional information.
What if I have a question you haven't answered here?
Contact the Placement Files Office at 360.650.2980 or careers@wwu.edu.
