ESP Reference Guidelines

To Applicants

Only applicants who have been away from studies for 3 or more years may request that their references write a letter instead of using our formal Reference Form.

You may ask an employer or community reference to complete a letter using these guidelines if you are unable to find a teacher.

Please provide your referees with a copy of the guidelines below. When you receive your reference letters from your references, do not open the envelope. Submit the sealed envelopes with your application package.

To the Referee

Please write a letter at least one page in length, using the guidelines below.

You may submit the letter via:

• Email: sent directly from your email address to: esp@carleton.ca
• Submitted by the applicant: the completed letter should be returned to the student in a sealed envelope, with your signature across the seal.
• Mail: mail your letter directly to the ESP at the address below.

ESP 1516 DT
Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa ON K1S 5B6

All letters will be kept confidential.

Guidelines for Letter

Please identify the applicant, the capacity in which you came to know them, and the length of your acquaintance.

Include an assessment of the applicant’s personal qualifications and suitability for university study.

Any information you can provide regarding the following areas would be helpful:

• communication skills (written and/or oral)
• willingness to take initiative
• level of motivation
• planning and organizational skills
• flexibility and adaptability
• willingness to accept responsibility
• leadership, analytical, problem-solving ability
• interpersonal skills, group interaction and team-working skills.

Please provide examples of the qualities you describe.

What are the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses? Have they made efforts to address areas of concern?