About:

For:

Graduate/Professional School Reference Letter Service
(GRLS)

What is the GRLS?

GRLS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to Open a File with the GRLS

What To Do After Opening a File

Tips on Obtaining Letters of Recommendation

To Waive or Not to Waive - An Issue of Confidentiality

How to Request Your Letters to be Sent

How to Get Copies of Your Non-Confidential Letters

Waiver Option Form (PDF)

GRLS Account Log-In

• The Graduate/Professional School Reference Letter Service (GRLS) is provided as a convenience for graduate and professional school applicants and those who write letters of reference for schools and programs on their behalf.


• UC Santa Cruz Students and Alumni have the option of maintaining a file of reference letters from instructors or employers supporting applications to graduate and professional school.

• Letter Service clients who registered on or after July 1, 2009:
  Original letters of reference are kept for four (4) years after registration date after which the file is destroyed on July 1. All agreements will expire July 1, 2013, and be subject to renewal only if available.*

  Letter Service clients who registered before July 1, 2009:
  Original letters of reference are kept for up to five (5) years after the file's last activity (payments received, letters received or letters sent). However, all agreements will expire July 1, 2013, and be subject to renewal only if available.*

  *Clients who anticipate needing their letters past July 1, 2013, also have the option of registering with Interfolio (a similar letter service not affiliated with UC Santa Cruz). Letters on file at the Career Center can be transferred to Interfolio at any time. For information about Interfolio's different membership options and policies, please refer to http://www.interfolio.com.

• We send an official cover letter with the photocopies of your reference letters and place our official seal across the back flap of the envelope.


• This service cannot be used for employment or internship applications. Its only purpose is for applying to graduate and professional schools.


• This program is funded solely by the fee for services you pay. Career Center fees and funds deposited in accounts are non-refundable.


• If you are planning to apply to Medical School or another health related field, please use the Health Science Letter Service.


• Normally, graduate and professional schools prefer three (3) letters of reference. Additional letters may not be read by a selection committee. You may have as many letters on file as you would like. However, since the number of letters requested by graduate programs varies, please be sure to send the correct number of letters.


• We do not have RUSH service! During peak application periods (October through February), allow 5 working days for us to process and mail your requests. During the off-season, it may take only 1-3 days. Requests are processed in the order received. To speed your letters to the schools, you may use Federal Express at your expense.

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New clients please follow these instructions:

1. Read the GRLS Policies, Procedures (on this page) and FAQs carefully.


2. Go to the GRLS Log-In Page, and follow the instruction on the left-hand side of the page for opening a new account.


3. After completing the registration form, you will be logged into your account. Click the "Make Payment" button to bring up the GRLS payment form.


4. Print the payment form and send or bring your payment to the Career Center. The fee for opening a file is $50.00, payable by cash or check. If paying by check, make your check payable to UC Regents. The $50.00 includes an unlimited number of schools, envelopes and postage. Federal Express requests will be paid by you. Career Center fees are non-refundable.

Existing GRLS clients registering online for the first time, please follow these instructions:

1. Go to the GRLS Log-In Page, and follow the instruction on the left-hand side of the page for opening a new account.


2. Check the box at the top of the registration form so we will know you are already a client.


3. After registering, contact the Letter Service Coordinator at (831) 459-2368 or grls@ucsc.edu. We will then update your account to show the letters you have on file as well as your payment information. You can then use the online system for all letter requests.

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1. Download the Reference Letter Waiver Option Form.
   You may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the necessary Waiver Form.
   If you are unable to download them, we can e-mail them to you, or you can pick them up at the Career Center.


2. Give the Waiver Option Forms to your letter writers after you have signed your chosen waiver option.


3. Download the Graduate and Professional School Application Process and print for future reference. You may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print it. This handout is also available in the Career Center.


4. Make all requests online via your GRLS account. (Note: You will not be able to request your letters to be sent until the letters have arrived and are entered into the system.)


5. Through your online account, you can keep track of which letters have arrived, edit your personal information, view your account balance, make new requests and check the status of past requests.

1. Enter the letter writers' names in your online file as we receive your letters. Letters will be entered by 3:00 P.M. daily. You will receive a confirmation email as new letters arrive.


2. Process requests daily and send confirmation emails as requests have been sent.


3. Provide open office hours at the Career Center to answer any questions. You may also send email to grls@ucsc.edu or call 831-459-2368.

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• Leave plenty of time! Allow at least three to four weeks for a letter to be written. If you have the time to wait, ask your letter writers what the most convenient time for them to write their letter would be. There is a space in the Waiver Option Form packet for you to specify a deadline for the letter to arrive at the Career Center.


• Decide on your waiver option before giving the form to the reference letter writer. Any letter received by the Career Center without a signed waiver option will be marked confidential.


• If possible, give letter writers a copy of your personal statement, transcripts, narrative evaluations, a resume and/or papers written for their class. This will give them a broader knowledge of who you are. You may also want to include a brief summary or outline suggesting the basic content of the letter.

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By law and policy, you have the right to access your letters of reference. Such letters are non-confidential. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 allows UC Santa Cruz students who use the Career Center's Letter of Reference Service to waive their right to read their letters, making them confidential. If you elect to waive access to a letter, then you may never see it, nor can anyone comment on the content of it. If you do not waive your right to access a letter, you may obtain a personal, unofficial copy of it.

The decision to waive or not to waive should be discussed with your letter writers. Due to a change in California law, recipients of recommendations will be informed whether or not you waived your right to read the letter.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER

1. How well do your letter writers know you? How do you think they feel about you and your work?


2. How well do you know your letter writers? Would they tell you that they could write a strong, useful letter? Would you be able to comment as to what the letter might say?


3. How many letters will be in your file? You may want to pick and choose among them, and therefore not waive your right to see the letters.


4. The Career Center regards waived letters as "closed." Any information about the content of these letters will have to come from the letter writers.

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You may only make a request once you have verified that the GRLS has received your letters. Your GRLS account profile will list letters currently on file. The volume of requests precludes us from holding orders pending receipt of letters.

The GRLS processes orders on a first-come, first-served basis. Once we receive a request, we make official copies of the letters you have selected and send them with our official seal across the back flap of the envelope. All additional materials (e.g. transcripts, statement of purpose) supporting your candidacy should be forwarded directly to the institution. Your file can only contain your letters of recommendation.

All requests must be made online:

1. Log into your account, and click "Letter Requests" followed by "New Request."
2. Check the box of each letter you need sent.
3. Suppy the complete mailing address including the name of the institution.
4. Check the box for the delivery method you prefer.*
5. Click "Submit Request."
6. Repeat for each request.
7. We will send a confirmation email when your request has been processed.

* If you are requesting that your file be sent overseas via FedEx, you must add the phone number of the recipient. Also, please note that FedEx cannot deliver to a P.O. Box.

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• The GRLS will provide you with one free copy of your non-confidential letters.


• Once online, click on "Letter Requests" followed by "Request Copies." Select the letter(s) you would like a copy of, and how you prefer to receive them. You can pick them up in the Career Center or have them mailed to you.

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• Once a letter is received by our office, the waiver option cannot be changed.


• We only send letters to graduate and professional schools. We do not send letters to employers for career or other positions, for internships or for non-academic scholarships.


• We will only send letters received directly from the letter writer or hand delivered with the letter writer's signature across the seal of the envelope.


• Official copies of letters will be sent to schools only.


• We do not release original letters to students. They are the property of the letter writers.


• We will not change or modify any letter.


• Career Center fees are non-refundable.

PLEASE NOTE: We closely monitor the use of the GRLS to insure that high ethical standards are maintained. We take positive steps to verify the authenticity of letters. Forgeries, efforts to obtain access to waived letters and other questionable practices by users of the service will be investigated and, when appropriate, brought to the attention of proper campus authorities or graduate/professional schools.

Contact the Letter Service Coordinator at grls@ucsc.edu or 831-459-2368 with any further questions.

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Policies and procedures are subject to change without notice.