Criteria for Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School

Following are the criteria I have set for writing letters for students interested in applying for graduate school. Students must meet the following criteria before I will agree to write a letter of recommendation:

1. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.25 or above;

2. Students must have taken and completed a minimum of two courses from me and have earned an "A" in each of the courses. Please note: an A- does not meet this criteria;

3. Students cannot have a blemished transcript (e.g., students cannot have an Academic Dishonesty notation on their transcript);

If all the preceding criteria are met, please contact me at jdustin@odu.edu to let me know that you meet all criteria. Please note, you must get my prior approval for writing the letter of recommendation before submitting the following documents. If I agree to write the letter of recommendation, you must submit the following documents to me at least 4 weeks prior to the date of the needed letter of recommendation. Letters of recommendation will not be written if documents are not received at least 4 weeks prior to the date the letter is due.

Required documents:

1. an updated resume;

2. a copy of your transcript with the courses taken from me clearly highlighted. The transcript can be an unofficial copy;

3. a signed waiver, waiving your right to view the letter of recommendation (this is usually available from the university you are applying to). If the university does not provide a waiver form, ODU has a generic waiver form available. If the university has a recommendation form, be sure to include this as well;

4. a notarized statement which specifically details the information you are allowing me to disclose in the letter of recommendation (e.g., grades, academic history, attendance records, etc.). This is required by FERPA.

5. any additional documentation you feel would be helpful to me in writing the letter of recommendation (e.g., a personal statement).

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at jdustin@odu.edu or (757) 683-4722

Please mail your materials to me at:

Jill C. Dustin, Ed.D.

Old Dominion University

Department of Counseling and Human Services

EDUC 110

Norfolk, VA 23529