We offer services and support to students applying to graduate or professional schools.

1. Reference Letter Service. Request “Confidential” or “Non-Confidential” reference letter authorization forms. In most cases, graduate school programs prefer “confidential”letters, or those where you have waived your right to see them. Click Here for information on this service.
   Note: For Law School letters, click here for LSDAS.

2. Determine which professors (or Teaching Assistants) know you best. It is not uncommon for T.A.s to prepare a letter in conjunction with your professor if they have had more personal and frequent contact with you. The faculty member will often discuss the nature of the course, and your performance compared with other students who have taken the course, while your T.A. may expand on personal or intellectual qualities observed in discussion sections such as creativity, insight, or dedication.

3. Email these individuals and re-introduce yourself to them. Find out if he or she would be willing to serve as a reference for you. If so, suggest a time to meet with them in person during their office hours, or at some other convenient time and place.

4. Bring a copy of a current resume with the Career Services Reference Authorization Form. You may wish to bring in a copy of the paper you did for their class if it’s been awhile. If you are applying directly to graduate or professional degree programs, include a draft of your personal statement with the form(s) from the individual universities you have selected with an Academic Fact Sheet that lists relevant coursework and grades and special research projects you’ve done, if this is not already included in your resume.

5. Deadline. Suggest a deadline by which you need for them to mail the forms with their attached letter to Career Services. Explain to them that the letter will remain on file for five years.

6. Confirmation. Check with Career Services to confirm that the letter(s) have been received, and follow-up with a personal thank you note. This can be handwritten or emailed. Be sure to stay in touch after you graduate to let them know what happened, and if you are not applying right away, what types of experiences you have had since you left UCSB. This way, when you do apply, you can have them update your letter on reserve at Career Services with an updated resume, statement of purpose, and the specific university forms provided.

7. A good letter of recommendation will contain the following:

• How long and in what capacity he or she has known you
• Your strengths and weaknesses
• Unusual aspects in your background that might contribute to or hinder academic work
• Knowledge of campus/community involvements outside of class
• Rate your verbal/written/analytical/leadership abilities on a strong or excellent basis