Evaluations

Evaluations (sometimes called Letters of Evaluation, Letters of Reference, or Letters of Recommendation) are submitted by the evaluators themselves; they cannot be completed or submitted by the applicant or another party on behalf of the evaluator. PharmGrad is not responsible for verifying evaluators' identities. If a discrepancy is found, PharmGrad reserves the right to contact the appropriate individuals to investigate and to share the discrepancy with all programs.

Before getting started, consider the following:

  • Determine whether the graduate program requires one or more evaluations by visiting the PharmGrad Program Directory.
  • All evaluations must be submitted electronically by evaluators using Liaison Letters, the Recommender Portal.
  • Research each program's requirements. You should determine whether your programs have specific requirements regarding evaluator roles or relationships before listing evaluators on your application. Many programs have strict guidelines and completed evaluations cannot be removed or replaced.
  • Choose your evaluators early in the application process to ensure they have adequate time to submit your evaluation.
  • Prepare your evaluators. Once you choose your evaluators, be sure to inform them about the process and that they will be completing the evaluation electronically. PharmGrad recommends obtaining their preferred email address and asking that they monitor that inbox for your evaluation request (which will come from support@pharmgrad.myliaison.com), including any junk or spam folders. 

The Evaluation Process

When you request evaluations, your evaluator receives an email request with a link to Liaison Letters. Evaluators review your requests, and then accept, complete, or deny them. Evaluators may complete assessments such as writing essays, completing Likert scales, and/or uploading letters.

Once your evaluator completes your evaluation, you'll be notified via email. You can check the status of your evaluation requests in the Check Status tab of your application at any time.

Submit a Request

  1. Navigate to the Program Materials section. On the Evaluations tab, click Add Evaluation.
  2. In the Select Evaluation drop-down, select an existing evaluator you previously entered or request a new evaluator. If you select an existing evaluator from the drop-down, click Send to submit the request. If you select to request a new evaluator, follow the steps below.
  3. Enter the evaluator's full name and email address.
  4. Select the date by which you would like this evaluation completed. This date should be before your program(s) deadline.
  5. Enter a brief message or note for the evaluator.
  6. Select whether you want to waive your right of access to the evaluation. See Privacy Waiver below.
  7. Click the checkboxes to indicate your permission for us (and programs) to contact your evaluators.
  8. Click Save This Evaluation Request to submit it. Once you do so, an email is immediately sent to the evaluator.
  9. Confirm with your evaluators that they received the email notification.
  10. Use the Check Status tab to monitor the status of your evaluations. Completed evaluations are marked as "Complete" and have a Complete Date listed. Follow up with your evaluators if their evaluations are still marked as "Requested" or "Accepted." It is your responsibility to ensure that evaluation requests are received and completed on time. We will not notify applicants about missing evaluations.

Evaluation Status Key

  • Requested status indicates your evaluation request has been sent to the evaluator via email and the evaluator has not yet responded.
  • Accepted status indicates the evaluator has agreed to submit an evaluation on your behalf and has not yet completed it.
  • Completed status and date indicate the evaluation has been received by PharmGrad and it was sent to your designated program(s). Your designated graduate programs can view your evaluations once your application is verified.
  • Declined status indicates that the evaluator declined your evaluation request. You can click Update Evaluators to add a new evaluation request.

Resend the Evaluation Request

If you need to resend a request:

  1. On the Evaluations tab, locate the request you wish to resend.
  2. Click the pencil icon to edit the request.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Resend This Evaluation Request.

Change the Evaluator's Email Address

If you entered an incorrect email address for any evaluators (or if any evaluator asks that you send the request to a different email address), you must delete these requests and then re-add them with the correct email.

 

Privacy Waiver

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) gives you the right to access evaluations unless you choose to waive your right of inspection and review. Prior to requesting any evaluations, you are required to indicate whether you wish to waive your rights. PharmGrad will release your decision to waive or not waive access to your evaluators and designated programs. Your waiver decision serves the same purpose as a legal signature and is binding.

  • Selecting Yes indicates to programs that your evaluator completed their evaluation with the understanding that you would not be able to view it. This means you will not be able to see the content of the evaluation. Programs may view this type of evaluation as a more accurate representation of an applicant's qualifications.
  • Selecting No indicates to programs that your evaluator completed their evaluation with the understanding that you may choose to view it in the future. Selecting this option does not allow you to view your evaluation via the application. If you do not waive your right to view the evaluation, you may ask your evaluator for a copy of the evaluation. Programs may view this type of evaluation as a less accurate representation of an applicant's qualifications.

Once you make a selection, you cannot change it, so consider the choices carefully.

 

Investigations

PharmGrad may verify an evaluator’s identity. If a graduate program suspects an evaluation is falsified, it is the program's responsibility to contact the applicant or evaluator to investigate. PharmGrad will share any suspected cases of falsified evaluations reported by a program with the applicant and the applicant's other designated programs. PharmGrad will not attempt to verify the accuracy of the program’s investigation results.