• Register online for the Letter Service. Registration establishes a professional file to store letters for use when applying to graduate programs or employment in professional positions.
• Professors, advisors, mentors, supervisors, and employers write and submit letters for the professional file. In most instances, letters in the professional file are used to support multiple applications.
• Some applications will request letters from specific types of individuals. You can request that only certain letters are sent from your file. Each request to send letters can be customized according to the application. Your file can contain up to 10 different letters.
• A copy of your UI transcript may be included in the professional file for employment purposes. Graduate program applications typically require an official transcript sent from the Registrar's Office. The transcript in the professional file is not considered an official University of Iowa transcript.
• To send your letters of recommendation, complete the Send form on the web. Letters are processed within 48 hours and are sent via first class mail in a professional cover with the candidate's name, contact information and the seal of the University of Iowa.

Yes, I want to use the Letter Service and Establish a Professional File/Dossier
Terms of Use Statement: Registration, Letter Information, and Terms of Use (pdf).

Note: Institutions/employers may request other documents including: résumé/CV, cover letter, writing sample, portfolio, official transcript, personal statement, teaching license, or test scores. Candidates are responsible for submitting these documents under separate cover.
*Dossier is the term used by many employers, particularly in academe, to refer to a candidate's professional file with letters of recommendation. Some committees use the term to refer to all of the candidate's application materials.

Candidates are encouraged to submit letters of recommendation on letterhead from the writer. As an alternative, the Educational Placement Office provides an electronic recommendation form that may be used as a template.
Letter of Recommendation, University of Iowa Template (MS Word)

Two options exist for letters: Letters that are available for candidate review (non-confidential), and letters that are not available for candidate review (confidential). Confidential letters must be accompanied by the confidential waiver form supplied to the writer by the candidate. This form must be signed, and will be retained in the professional file.
Letter of Recommendation, Confidential Waiver Form (pdf)

Letter Policies

• Obtain letters of recommendation from people with authoritative knowledge of or administrative responsibility for your education or employment. Evaluations/merit reviews, recommendations from students or parents of students, and character references are not appropriate for the professional file. If you have a professional file at another institution, you may request that those letters of recommendation be sent to the Educational Placement Office at: N302 Lindquist Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1529, for inclusion in your University of Iowa professional file.
• Letters of recommendation can be submitted on letterhead stationary or on University of Iowa forms available in N302 Lindquist Center, or as a downloadable template (see above). The writer's signature must appear on the recommendation. It is your responsibility to ensure that letters of recommendation are submitted to this office; once received, they become the property of The University of Iowa.
• Writers can update or revise their statements; an addendum will be included along with the original recommendation. If a recommendation is rewritten, only the more recent version will be used.
• Institutions typically request three or more letters. You may instruct this office to hold your request until specific letters are received or to send only selected letters.
• Letters can be added at any time, and letters can be deleted at your request or at the request of the writer. Deleted letters are not discarded, nor are they included in the professional files sent to institutions or organizations.
• A maximum of 10 letters can be included in your professional file. Letters previously collected should be evaluated for relevance and value. Current letters generally receive greater consideration.
• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 provides that you may review all recommendations placed in your file after January 1, 1975, unless you have specifically waived such rights. A confidential waiver must accompany all confidential letters. This waiver is available as a downloadable form (see above) or in N302 Lindquist Center.