EVALUATION LETTERS - FACULTY RESOURCE
General: Students will approach faculty to write letters of evaluation for their applications for professional school. This is an important request, as faculty letters may critically affect how a student's application is evaluated. One of the advantages CSUS students have is their contact with faculty. Here are some things to consider:
- Do you know the student well enough to write a letter for him/her? If not, you should be honest with them and give them suggestions as to whom they should use (other faculty who know them better, etc.). Students often think that just because they earned a good grade in a class that the instructor will be able to write them a good letter.
- Is the student asking for an individual or committee letter?
- Most medical and dental schools prefer committee letters but this is variable.
- Letter writing advice
Individual letter
Students' are advised to provide to their letter writers:
- Name of each school, with deadline for receipt of letter
- Stamped, addressed envelopes (faculty may need to provide University envelopes to students)
- A copy of the student's personal statement
Faculty may also want to talk to the student in preparation for writing a letter
Committee letter
Students need someone to Chair their committee. Typically this will be their pre-professional advisor. Plan on meeting with your advisee in late spring or summer to give feedback on their application, and plan the committee interview (for late summer or early fall). Ideally, the interview committee will consist of the student's advisor, a second advisor who knows the student, and a third advisor who does not know the student. Based on the application, past interactions, the interview, and letters from other professionals familiar with the student, the Chair will write a letter of evaluation, which is then subject to modification by other committee members.
Chair check list
- Meet with your advisee in late spring or summer to give feedback on their application
- Make sure the interview occurs well in advance of the deadlines for the secondary applications so that you have time to write the letter
- Write the letter (with advisory assistance from the other committee members)
- Submit to the schools the committee letter plus copies of the outside letters (if appropriate; schools vary), as the student is notified of secondary application requests
Other committee members check list
- Review the applicant’s file before the interview
- Participate in the interview
- Assist the Chair in editing the committee letter
