We have 3 different letter services!
Be sure you register for the correct one!
- PhD Letter Service
For applying to academic and postdoc positions
- Graduate Reference Letter Service
(GRLS) For applying to graduate and professional schools that
are not health science programs
- Health Science Letter Service
(HSLS) For applying to health science programs (i.e. nursing,
dental, medical,pharmacy, etc.)
What is the
HSLS?
How Do I Start a Letter of Reference
File?
I Have Opened My File, What's Next?
How to Obtain Letters of Recommendation
How to Request Your Letters be Sent
Out
HSLS
Account Log-In
Student Confidential Waiver Form
Reference Letter Waiver Form
READ CAREFULLY!
HSLS GUIDELINES
What is the HSLS?
- The Health Science Letter Service (HSLS) is provided as a convenience
for applicants applying to health science programs, ie. nursing,
dental, medical, pharmacy, etc.., 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 their instructors or employers
supporting applications to health science schools. An official
cover letter and a copy of your confidential waiver form is sent
along with the photocopies of your reference letters to the school
you apply to.
- This service cannot be used for employment or internship applications.
Its only purpose is for applying to health science schools.
- This program is funded solely by the fee for services you pay.
Career Center fees are non-refundable.
- Original letters of reference are kept for five (5) years after
your file's last activity (i.e. letters received or sent).
After five years, the file is destroyed on July 1. However, if
you wish to have your file retained more than five years, contact
us prior to the July 1 deadline, and we will hold the file for
an additional year.
- 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
each institution varies, please be sure to send the correct number
of letters requested.
- Confidential vs Non-Confidential. Health Science programs require
all letters of recommendation to be confidential. We therefore
include a signed waiver form that states all letters on file are
confidential. If you have questions, please contact the pre-health
advisor Marti Truhitte at 459-5705 or at truhitte@ucsc.edu
- Although some schools request that letters be included with
your application, they may accept letters from our office arriving
separately from the rest of your application materials. If they
specifically require all materials to be sent together, you can
bring in your complete postage-paid packet, and we will insert
the letters, seal the packet, and send it from the Career Center.
Remember, we cannot mail you copies of your confidential letters.
Please do not ask.
- We do not have RUSH service! During peak application
periods, 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.
- Reference letters cannot be faxed to schools unless absolutely
necessary as a last resort. Please contact the Letter Service
Coordinator for more information.
- It is important for you to make sure the school has received
your letters. Occasionally, a school does not receive the letters
we send. There are many reasons why this might occur: incorrect
address on the envelope, problems with the mail system, or filing
errors at the admissions office. If a school has not received
your letters two weeks after they are mailed, we will send another
set.
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HOW DO I START A LETTER OF REFERENCE
FILE?
For EXISTING HSLS CLIENTS
that had a file with the pre-health advising office
and are registering on-line for the first time, please follow
these instructions. They differ from the instuctions for new
clients!:
1. Read the Guidelines over carefully
2. Click on the "Register Now" link at the bottom of
this Guidelines page.
3 . Click on "This Form" under "Open a New Account."
4 . Be sure to check the box at the top of the page so
we will know you are already a client.
5 . Fill out all required fields and click on "Submit Form"
6. Print the page and send in your payment as instructed to the
Career Center
The fee for opening a file is $90.00.* Since you have already
paid $35 to the pre-health office you will only need to pay $55.00
to upgrade to unlimited mailing. Make the check payable to UC
Regents or pay with cash at the Career Center. The $55.00 includes
an unlimited number of schools, envelopes and postage. Federal
Express requests will be paid by you. *Career Center fees are
non-refundable.
After you have registered on-line:
* The HSLS coordinator will update your account and enter the
names and dates of the letters you have on file.
* You will not be able to request letters be sent out until they
have been entered into the system.
* If you have an immediate request please email the HSLS coordinator
at letters@ucsc.edu with
your name, the address of the school, and names of letters you
would like sent.
* Once your information is updated, you will make all requests
on-line.
* You will also be able to:
-Keep track of which letters have arrived
-Edit your personal information
-View your account balance
-Check the status of past on-line requests*
*Note: your requests prior to your on-line registration will
not be entered. If you have questions about past requests, you
will need to contact the HSLS coordinator at 459-2368 or Marti
Truhitte, the pre-health advisor at 459-5705 or at truhitte@ucsc.edu.
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For NEW CLIENTS registering
on-line for the first time please follow these instructions:
1. Read the Guidelines over carefully
2. Click on the "Register Now" link at the bottom of
this Guidelines page
3. Click on "This Form" under "Open a New Account"
4. Fill out all required fields and click on "Submit Form"
5. Click on "Make Payment"
6. Print the page and send in your payment as instructed to the
Career Center
The fee for opening a file is $90.00.* Make the check payable
to UC Regents or pay with cash at the Career Center. The $90.00
includes an unlimited number of schools, envelopes and postage.
Federal Express requests will be paid by you. *Career Center fees
are non-refundable.
7. Download the Student Confidential
Waiver Form here.You may need to download 
Adobe
Acrobat Reader to view and print the necessary Waiver Form.
If you are unable to download it, request it to be mailed to you
or pick it up in the Career Center. Sign the Waiver Form and return
it to the Career Center along with your payment.
8. Download the Reference Letter Waiver
form, which includes directions to your letter writers. Be
sure to choose a confidential letter. Give the forms to your letter
writers after you have signed the confidential option.
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I HAVE OPENED MY FILE, WHAT'S
NEXT?
WE WILL:
- Enter the letter writers' names in your on-line file as we receive
their letters. Letters will be entered by 3:00 P.M. daily. You
will receive an email when new letters arrive.
- Provide open office hours in the Career Center office from
9-12 and 1-4, Monday - Friday to answer additional questions you
might have. We will take emails at letters@ucsc.edu
or calls at 831-459-2368.
- Process requests daily, and send out confirmation emails when
requests have been sent.
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HOW TO OBTAIN LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
- Talk to your reference letter writers about writing the letters
for you. If possible, hand them a copy of your personal statement,
transcripts, narrative evaluations, a resume, and 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.
- Establish a deadline with your reference letter writers for
getting the letter to the Career Center. Be reasonable and allow
at least three to four weeks for a letter to be written. If you
have the time to wait, ask the reference letter writer what would
be the most convenient time for them to write the letter.
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HOW TO REQUEST YOUR LETTERS BE SENT
OUT
Your request should include the complete address of the organization
and the specific letters that you want us to forward to the organization.
You may only make a request once you have verified that the Service
has received your letters. You will receive an email when your
letters arrive or you can log-in to your account to view the letters
on file. The volume of requests precludes us holding orders pending
receipt of letters from letter writers.
The Service processes orders on a first-come, first-served basis.
Once we have received a request, the Service will copy the letters
you have selected and send them by First Class mail or by Fed
Ex within 3 working days. Submit your requests as early as possible
to ensure that your letters arrive in time to meet application
deadlines. 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 should be made on-line:
- Log-in to your account.
- Click on "Letter Requests".
- Click on "New Request".
- Check the box of each letter you would like sent.
- Fill in the address including the name of the educational institution,
mailing address with zip code, and position title.
- Check the box for the delivery method you prefer.
- Click on "Submit Request".
- Repeat steps for each request.
- You can also enter a deadline date and additional comments if
needed.
- A confirmation email will be sent to you when your request has
been processed.
* If you are requesting that your file be sent overseas via Federal
Express, you must
add the phone number of the recipient.
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REMEMBER
- Health Science programs require the letters to be confidential
so we need the signed confidential waiver form to send along with
the letters.
- 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 by us that are mailed 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 only to schools and
may not be obtained by students.
- 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 Reference Letter
Service 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 the graduate/professional schools.
Contact the HSLS Coordinator, at letters@ucsc.edu
or 831-459-2368 for any further questions.
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Policies and procedures are subject to change
without notice. |
