Letters of recommendation

• Can I make changes to my referees?

  If a referee has not yet submitted their recommendation, you may change the listed referee. Once the reference form is emailed to your referee, they can make changes to their personal information that you inputted in the OUAC application. If a reference has already been submitted, you or your referee will not be able to change anything.

  Changes to listed referees are managed via the OUAC application.

• Can I review the status of my recommendation form submissions?

  Your Applicant Portal will indicate the date that a completed reference form was received by Ontario Tech.

  If a recommendation has yet to be received by Ontario Tech, we recommend logging into the OUAC application to review your referee’s status. Here you can modify the details of your referee and also resend the email notification for the reference request.

• Who can I select to be a referee for my graduate studies application?

  The letter of recommendation form must be completed by individuals under whom you have worked closely or studied, such as a professor, supervisor or manager. Academic references are preferred; however, professional references will be accepted. Referees who have knowledge of your ability within the last four years are preferred. Referees should have familiarity with your recent activities. Applicants are encouraged to send a current copy of their Curriculum Vitae to their referees.

  A potential supervisor is permitted to act as referee*.

  *The Department of Energy and Nuclear Engineering does not accept potential supervisors as referees for graduate applications.

• What do I do if my referee does not have an institutional or professional email account?

  If your referee does not have a business or institutional email address, a written letter of recommendation may be submitted. The letter of recommendation must clearly assess your suitability for the program of study and cover the same information as detailed in the online letter of recommendation form.

  The letter of recommendation must be printed on official stationery (from the referee's institution or business) and submitted in an official envelope that has been signed or stamped on the flap by the referee. Letters of recommendation are confidential and the envelopes must not be opened.

  Mail the sealed envelopes to the following address (they may be mailed by you or directly by your referee):

  Mailing address:

  School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS)
  Ontario Tech University
  2000 Simcoe Street North
  Oshawa, Ontario L1G 0C5

• Can I upload a letter of recommendation through the Applicant Portal?

  No. Letters of recommendation are only accepted via the OUAC application. Do not submit letters of recommendation via your Applicant Portal as these will not be processed or added to your application.

• Will my referees be contacted?
  The university may contact your referees to verify the authenticity of their letters or the information provided. However, we will not disclose any details regarding the status of your application to your referees.
• What are the details of the reference request email so I can share them with my referees?
  As part of your OUAC application, you will need to send a reference request email to your listed referees. Below are the details of the email that you can share with them:
  
  Sender: gradapps@ouac.on.ca
  Subject: Reference Request from Ontario Tech University
  
  If your referee does not see the email in their inbox, please ask them to check their junk or spam folder. If the email is not found there, you can log into your OUAC application to resend the request.
  
  If your referee continues to experience issues receiving the email, they should add the domain @ouac.on.ca to their safe-senders list and/or contact referee@ouac.on.ca and include your OUAC Reference Number for further assistance.
• How will I know that SGPS has received a letter of reference? When will my portal be updated?

  Once your referee submits the recommendation form via the OUAC, your Applicant Portal should be updated within 2-3 business days with receipt. If your Applicant Portal is not updated with receipt of a recommendation letter within 10 business days of your OUAC application showing receipt, please contact us at gradadmissions@ontariotechu.ca with your Ontario Tech Student Number and referee’s name.