References

Letters of reference are a frequently requested admission requirement, especially in postgraduate application processes. They can be integrated fully digitally at any point in the application process:

• Upstream: The application can only be further completed or submitted if the reference letters are available. 
• Parallel: Referees can be invited to write references at any point in the application process
• Downstream: Referees are only notified after the rest of the application has been successfully saved  

All three options are based on the same digital form for reference: Applicants have to specify one person for each requested reference. In addition to details such as their position and relationship to the applicant, the potential referee's email address is also entered here. As soon as this form is submitted by the applicant, the e-mail addresses entered receive an automatically generated invitation to write a reference letter.

A link in the e-mail takes the referees to a predefined form for the reference, which they can save and submit. Depending on the type of application process, this form can be designed as desired, for example containing specific questions or a large free-text field. A scale for the overall impression is particularly helpful, as this can be automatically evaluated by the system.

Applicants cannot view the submitted letters themselves. This makes the process anonymous and thus particularly efficient. The standardized form also ensures a high degree of comparability.

The applicant can view the status of the reference letters at any time under  "my progress" of the application. If the desired person has received an invitation e-mail, the status changes and, as soon as a reference letter is received, the status is marked with a check mark in the applicants progress overview. In addition, applicants can be informed about status changes via automatically generated e-mails.