Request for an academic or non-academic reference

Dear Referee,

You have been asked to provide a reference in support of an application for admission to the University of Edinburgh. Your reference will greatly assist the University in reaching a decision on this application and we thank you in advance for your assistance.
Supplying the reference
The University requires a dated reference with your name and position clearly stated on letterheaded paper. 

You may upload the document to the University's online application system ("EUCLID") or send it as an email attachment. 

If sending the reference as an email, please send it preferably from the email address at the institution or organisation you are representing. In addition, please provide, as a minimum, key identifying information such as the applicant’s name and programme applied to and, if known, the applicant’s UUN (EUCLID identifier), the School applied to and the proposed date of admission.
Writing the reference
The University would like you to consider the following points when composing your reference:

•	In what capacity have you known the applicant, and for how long? For previous students or employees, please also indicate how long ago.
•	Assess, as appropriate, the applicant's abilities in terms of: analytical reasoning; ability to grasp concepts; ability to work independently; ability to argue cogently; originality; industry; motivation; perseverance; breadth of interest; technical competence.
•	Comment, as appropriate, on the applicant's responsiveness to supervision/mentoring; responsiveness to constructive criticism, capacity for self-evaluation; ability to work with others; ability to organise work.
•	Comment on any academic or professional experience that you consider relevant to the qualification applied for.
•	If appropriate, indicate how confident you are that the applicant is likely to complete successfully the qualification aimed for. Please indicate how strongly you are supporting this application: not strongly, strongly or very strongly.
•	If appropriate, comment on any postgraduate study or other forms of training already undertaken or in progress.
•	Your reference may also be used to support a scholarship application. Where appropriate, please also comment on a candidate's suitability for an award.
For academic referees
•	If the applicant has yet to graduate, please indicate the degree result that, in your opinion, would most accurately reflect the applicant's abilities.
•	If possible, indicate the applicant's ranking compared to other students on the same course or compared to other students you have taught (for example, 5th in a class of 80 students; in the top 15 per cent of students taught).

For non-academic referees
•	Please indicate how long the applicant has been/was working within your institution or organisation. If possible, please rate the applicant’s performance compared to peers at the same stage of career.
•	If possible, indicate the applicant’s capacity to undertake new projects or pieces of work and their promptness to respond to these.
Applicant's right to request references
Data protection laws give the subject of your reference the right to ask to see it. 

In responding to such requests we are required to weigh up your interests as the referee against the interests of the applicant and then decide whether or not to release the reference. 

The applicant has the right to challenge any nondisclosure decisions that we make. This means that we cannot guarantee that the reference will not be disclosed. However, we will always seek your opinions and take them into account in any discussion about disclosure.

More information on the data protection issues around references is available on the University of Edinburgh website:
Writing references