Choosing Confidential Vs. Non Confidential Letters

Under the terms of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), you have the right to access your reference letters unless you choose to waive that right. You are encouraged to speak with your letter writers, admissions officers, and individuals working in your chosen field to seek advice as to which type of letters will be most useful to you.

The Career Center's Reference Letter Service (RLS) must adhere to federal guidelines in implementing policies and procedures that protect students and letter writers. Once a letter is classified as confidential, the RLS staff may not evaluate, interpret, or provide a copy of the letter to you. Any questions regarding the content of the letter should be addressed directly to the author.

Although confidential letters tend to be more popular in both the employment and admission arenas, you have the legal right to request a non-confidential letter if you so wish. Remember that your entire file does not have to contain all confidential or non-confidential letters. You can designate the nature of each letter in your file.

In general, most employers and graduate and professional school admission officers prefer confidential letters because they tend to be more balanced and candid than non-confidential letters. However, some individuals prefer to pursue non-confidential letters so that they can review them and make informed decision regarding their use in support of their application efforts.

As you ponder whether or not to have a confidential letter, please be advised that if you elect to have a confidential letter written on your behalf, you permanently waive your right to access the contents of that letter. Given the permanent nature of this decision, prior to making your choice, you are encouraged to discuss the following points with your letter writer:

• the intended purpose of the letter (e.g., graduate, law, medical school vs. employment);
• the writer’s ability and willingness to speak positively on your behalf; and
• your permission, if applicable, to include personal information or special circumstances in the reference letter.

If you do not indicate your preference for a confidential vs. a non-confidential letter in the appropriate evaluation form, The Career Center's Reference Letter Service (RLS) will handle the letter as non-confidential for as long as that letter is housed in your file.

EVALUATION FORMS

Complete and give the appropriate evaluation form to each of your reference letter writers:

Pre-Medical Evaluation Form: used for letters written in support of medical school applications only.  Letters accompanied by the Pre-Medical Evaluation Form may only be sent to medical school admission offices and programs. (Use General Evaluation form if applying to any other health-related program, including dentistry, public health, etc.)

General Evaluation Form: used for law and any other graduate and professional school applications, and for employment purposes.

Cooperating/Coordinating Teacher Report: used for letters authored by cooperating or coordinating teachers, K-12. Due to the importance of this information in the education field, the RLS will retain all Teacher Reports permanently