College of Arts & Sciences Credential Files

If you are an Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences senior seeking admission to graduate school or a graduate seeking a teaching or professional position in higher education, you may have letters of recommendation placed on file in our office. Credential files are generally used for these reasons:

1. when applying for a graduate or professional school for graduate study
2. when seeking a teaching or professional position at an institution of higher education
3. for educational-related purposes excluding employment in a public school system

When your credential file materials are secured in our office, your references will not be required to write a recommendation letter for each institution of higher education. At your request, we will send copies of your credentials file to the graduate or professional schools or institutions of higher education (employer) to which you are applying.

A payment of $5.00 to cover processing is required for each credential file of seven pages or less that is mailed out by our office. An additional fee of $3.00 per seven-page increment will be charged for mailing files of eight pages or more; however, a file exceeding seven pages is not generally recommended. Fax Service provided for an additional $5.00 per set of references. Pay the exact amount by check, cash or credit card when making your request . If your request is made by mail, please enclose a check, credit card #, or money order (no cash) payable to Indiana University for the appropriate amount. We are unable to provide refunds, credits, or billings, and requests cannot be accepted without payment. This file should be kept up-to-date by adding current references.

• Procedures
  • To establish your credential file you need to complete the release authorization form and the registration sheet.
    • The release authorization form must be read, signed, and dated. This form authorizes us to maintain your credential materials as well as to reproduce and provide them to prospective higher education employers and/or graduate and professional schools at your request.
    • The registration sheet must be NEATLY PRINTED. Please provide a permanent address which will allow us to contact you in the future. Notify our office if that address changes.
    • Return both forms to:  IU Education Careers, W. W. Wright Education Building, Suite 1000, 201 North Rose Ave, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN  47405
  • Generally, the content of your credentials file consists only of letters of recommendation. We strongly discourage the placement of transcripts in the file. Feel free to contact us to ascertain if all of the materials have been received.
  • Letter of Recommendation Forms will be mailed to you once the registration forms are received in the office. When using the Arts and Sciences Placement Letter of Recommendation Forms, TYPE or NEATLY PRINT your name in the space provided at the top of the form. If you wish to waive access to any of your recommendation letters, sign and date the form(s) in the spaces provided. The policy of this office applies to waivers of both academic and nonacademic references.
    • Letters are open to your inspection according to the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act of 1974, unless you choose to waive this privilege so that your letters remain confidential. Your references may use departmental forms, or personal letterhead stationery. You may make an appointment to review non-confidential letters of recommendation if you so desire.
    • The decision to waive your right to see letters of recommendation is a personal one. You may want to talk to professors or other professionals about the advantages and disadvantages of this waiver.
      PLEASE NOTE THAT LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION WRITTEN ON A REFERENCE=S PERSONAL LETTERHEAD STATIONERY ARE NOT CONSIDERED CONFIDENTIAL UNLESS ATTACHED TO OUR REFERENCE FORM IN WHICH YOU HAVE SIGNED THE WAIVER AND YOUR WRITER HAS SIGNED IN THE APPROPRIATE AREA.
  • When you request that your file be sent, it is essential that you provide the following information to our office:
    • Your name and the date of request \
    • Name and address of the graduate or professional school or institution of higher education
    • List of items to be sent from your credentials file (if other than the entire content). If you wish to exclude any items in your file for a particular mailing, make this very clear in your request.
    • Credentials are generally mailed within 24 hours of receipt of request.
• Tips:
  • Retain the complete address of places to which your file has been sent.
  • Be sure that your credential file is expected by the institute of higher education you are sending it to, and avoid mass mailings of an unsolicited nature.
  • Three letters of recommendation are the norm for a formal application for graduate school or a professional position. If you are applying for graduate school, these would normally be written by professors with whom you have studied or worked. If you are applying for a position in higher education, the letters might come from professors, former employers, or supervisors in field-related work.
  • Always ask potential references if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. Also provide them with a copy of your vita or resume. This will give your references the information needed to write a good recommendation for you. As a convenience, provide your references with a stamped envelope (or a Campus Mail envelope) addressed to our office.
  • Know the number of pages of each of your letters of recommendation. This could affect the fee charged per set. (We will be glad to provide this information. Just call or write.)