Disclosure of Reference Letters

Upon the student’s request, the Reference Letter Service will release letters to prospective employers, professional and graduate schools, and scholarship and fellowship offices with verifiable business addresses. Students may also have their letters sent to certain professional school application services such as Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS), Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS), and Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). Reference letters written in support of application to medical school and law school may only be sent, respectively, to medical and law schools’ admission offices and programs.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) contains a provision on the disclosure of reference letters. This regulation protects students and writers by guaranteeing that letters, which students request to be sent to a specific party, will only be used by the recipient for admissions or employment purposes; and further, that the letters will not be subsequently shared with other parties. This way, writers and students alike may be assured that the letters will not be used inappropriately. The Career Center’s Reference Letter Service makes this condition explicit to all recipients of letters; however, while the Reference Letter Service staff takes responsibility for informing recipients of the laws and ethical issues associated with the confidentiality of reference letters, adherence rests with those receiving the letters.

The Reference Letter Service is unable to send reference letters to residential addresses, current employers, personal acquaintances, or third-party recruiters. Exceptions are handled on a case-by-case basis; but, generally, the Reference Letter Service believes that restricted disclosure is in the best interest of both writers and students.