Recommendation Forms

Letters of Recommendation

Employers, colleges, universities, and scholarship funds sometimes require letters of recommendation or letters of reference as part of your application.  Letters of recommendation may be confidential or nonconfidential.

By default, a letter of recommendation from a faculty member is considered part of your records and you have the right to view what he or she writes.  When you refuse to waive your right to read the letter, you receive a nonconfidential letter of recommendation because the writer knows you will read the letter.  These types of letters are usually considered acceptable if you are using them as supporting documents for employment.

When you waive your right to access the letter of recommendation, the letter is considered confidential.  A confidential letter of recommendation can only be sent directly from the writer to the intended recipient or from a recommendation service to the recipient.  You, the requester, cannot view the letter unless the writer chooses to give you a copy.  Confidential letters are often required for application to graduate programs and selective universities.

Please review the instructions below for some suggestions on how to request and store letters of recommendation.

Nonconfidential Letters of Recommendation (most frequently used at Bucks)

The Bucks Online Job Board has a document storage feature that may be helpful if you are concerned about losing your letters.  You can create a free account on the Bucks Online Job Board at https://bucks-csm.symplicity.com/students/ and upload PDFs of your letters to your account using the same steps you would for uploading a resume.  Please visit the Technology Learning Center, TLC, located in the library at your campus if you need assistance converting your letters to PDF.

Students can also take advantage of the online document storage and delivery services Interfolio offers.

Confidential Letters of Recommendation

If you cannot take the letter directly to the recipient, Career Services encourages you to create an account on Interfolio. There is a fee for using the Interfolio service.  On Interfolio, you can store letters as confidential (can only be sent directly to an institution) or nonconfidential (you can download the PDF at any time). 

We do understand that not all students may be able to afford an account on Interfolio.  Career Services will store confidential letters of recommendation for students who cannot afford Interfolio if the you:

• Must have a letter sent out through Bucks
• Waive your right to see the letter (confidential recommendation)