IMPORTANT CREDENTIALS MESSAGE FOR STUDENTS!

If you are applying to graduate/professional school and are planning to send materials from your CDC Credentials File, please be aware that the University's curtailment begins on Thursday, December 25, 2008 through Friday, January 2, 2009.

IMPORTANT!
To have materials from your Credentials File mailed from CDC by close of business on December 24th:

• Confirm that all materials to be sent have arrived in CDC and submit your requests no later than 4:00pm Wednesday, DECEMBER 17th
• CDC cannot ensure that requests received between December 18th and December 24th will be processed and mailed before the holiday closing.
• We anticipate having many requests to process when CDC resumes operation on January 5, 2009. Processing in January may take longer than usual. All requests will be processed in the order they are received.

How to Release File Materials:

• All requests must be in writing, contain your signature, and include payment.
• Confirm that all materials you wish to send are in your file by checking your folder contents through the Credentials section of the CDC website or the Students Services Tools on the BU Brain(students) or on B-Connected (alumni).
• Fill out the credentials request form and mail with check or money order made payable to the Career Development Center (credit cards are not accepted) or submit your request and payment in person to CDC.
• Check the status of your requests through the Credentials section of the CDC website or the Students Services Tools on the BU Brain (students) or B-Connected (alumni).

Please be sure to include on your request : (typed or clearly printed)

• Name and title of contact person
• Name of the organization, graduate school, or agency
• Complete business address for each request
• Materials from your file to send to each address – please specify names of all references you wish to be included and include date written if there is more than one letter from the same author in your file
• Sign the request and provide current phone number and email address should it be necessary for the CDC to reach you

File materials may ONLY be released directly to :

• Prospective employers
• Employment agencies
• Internships sites
• Graduate/professional schools
• Pre-Law Advisor for preparation of a Dean’s letter

Payment Fee:
A payment of $5.00 per packet per address is required at the time of request. Please make checks or money orders payable to the Career Development Center. Credit cards are not accepted.

IMPORTANT!
Reference letters written for pre-health students need to be submitted directly to the Pre-Health Advising Office. We will not forward reference letters from your CDC credential file to the Pre-Health Office.

Although some graduate and professional schools request that letters of recommendation be submitted by the applicant in the same packet as the application, our policy does not permit us to release confidential recommendations to the applicant under any circumstances. For institutions requiring a “self assembly” process, candidates may request to have a copy of CDC’s policy statement included with the materials forwarded from CDC.

CDC has the obligation and authority to investigate and deny requests to forward credentials file materials that do not appear to be in compliance with the intended use of this service. Attempts to forward confidential materials for personal review or for inappropriate purposes will be denied, considered a misuse of this service, and a violation of the University Rules of Student Conduct concerning False and Misleading Information.

Processing Time:
As you plan to meet deadlines, please take into consideration that it typically takes 3 to 5 business days to process requests. Requests are processed in the order they are received and will not be held by the CDC while waiting for additional material to arrive. You can check the status of your requests online through the BUSI Web Center.

The Career Development Center cannot accept responsibility for materials once mailed from CDC. If materials do not reach their destination, it may be necessary to submit a second request and a $5.00 payment.

Candidate Copy:
Once everything has arrived for your file, you may receive one complimentary copy of all non-confidential materials. To request that copy, complete a Credentials Request Form. These materials will be stamped “Candidate Copy”. Copies of all non-confidential materials will be made only as part of the candidate copy request. The $5.00 fee is applied for additional Candidate Copies.