1. In the Evaluations section, click "Create Evaluation Request."
2. Determine if you are requesting a committee evaluation.
3. Enter the evaluator’s full name and email address.
4. Select the date by which you would like this evaluation completed. You are advised to select a date that is at least four weeks before your earliest 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.
7. Click the checkboxes to grant PharmCAS and your selected programs permission to contact your evaluators.
8. Click "Save This Evaluation Request" to submit your request and trigger an automated email 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. 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.

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 PharmCAS and it was sent to your designated program(s). Your designated colleges and schools 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.

Authorization Statements

Before PharmCAS will process your evaluation, you must certify the following statements:

• I hereby give PharmCAS permission to contact the evaluator below via email to request the completion of the PharmCAS reference form and letter of reference. If my evaluator does not submit an online evaluation form to PharmCAS in response to the email request, it is my sole responsibility to contact the evaluator directly to ensure all references required by my designated Pharm.D. programs are received by the deadline.
• I understand that the Pharm.D. programs to which I am applying may contact the evaluator either to verify the information provided and/or for further clarification of the information provided, and I hereby give permission for the Pharm.D. programs or PharmCAS to do so.

Privacy Waiver

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) gives applicants the right to access letters of reference written unless they choose to waive their right of inspection and review. Prior to requesting a reference from a reference writer, you are required to indicate whether you wish to waive your rights. PharmCAS will release your decision to waive or not waive access to an evaluation to your evaluator and programs.

Your waiver decision on the PharmCAS application serves the same purpose as a legal signature and is binding. If you decide to change your waiver decision, you must login to your PharmCAS application to edit your selection online. Once your reference is received electronically, you cannot make changes to your waiver decision.

• 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 or letter of recommendation. 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 reference via the application. If you do not waive your right to view the reference, you may ask your reference for a copy of the recommendation. Programs may view this type of evaluation as a less accurate representation of an applicant’s qualifications and may ask you to explain your reasons for your choice during interview(s).

Evaluator Form

• Evaluators must complete and update a profile section with their contact information in case a program needs to communicate with them.
• Evaluators must complete a ratings section to evaluate you on multiple criteria.
• Evaluators must upload a letter of recommendation on institutional or organizational letterhead via the Evaluator Portal. Accepted formats for uploads are .pdf, .doc (Microsoft Word), .rtf (Rich Text Format) or .txt (ASCII Text File) files only. Uploaded letters must be less than 5MB in size. Since all evaluations are sent to every school you designate, evaluators should avoid referring to any specific pharmacy school or individual in the letter.

Missing or Late Evaluations

Arrange for PharmCAS to receive all evaluations by the application deadline date set by your designated programs. PharmCAS does not enforce evaluation deadlines and will not hold your application for missing evaluations. Evaluators can submit a reference on your behalf after you submit the application or the school’s application deadline has passed, however, schools may choose not to consider late materials. References will be released to all of the applicant’s designated programs, even if they arrive late.

Committee Letters

If you want to submit a committee letter as part of your application, you can do so by entering the committee chair (or their alternate) as an evaluator. The committee chair must then complete the evaluator form and upload one letter (that mentions the assessments of various committee members) via the Evaluator Portal. A committee letter only counts as one reference.

Change Evaluator’s Email Address

If you entered an incorrect email address for an evaluator, or if your evaluator asks that you send the evaluation request to a different email address, you must delete the evaluator and then re-add with the correct email.

Editing Evaluators

If an evaluator is unresponsive or declines your invitation to submit a reference on your behalf, you may edit the evaluator’s contact information on your PharmCAS application before or after you e-submit your application to PharmCAS. You cannot make edits to your reference writer’s information once the reference writer’s evaluation is received.

Extra Evaluations

You cannot submit more than four (4) evaluations to PharmCAS. Send any additional evaluations directly to your designated programs, if the program requires them. Unless required, programs might not consider extra evaluations.

Investigations

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

The list of evaluator questions is provided for informational purposes only and intended to help you select evaluators who can best respond to them on your behalf. All responses to these questions must be submitted by your evaluators via the Evaluator Portal.

Evaluator Information

• Address, City, State, Postal Code
• Phone Number
• How long have you known the applicant?
• How well do you know the applicant?
• How do you know the applicant? 
• If you selected "Instructor/Professor" above, in what subject area (e.g. biology, chemistry, mathematics, etc.) have you taught the applicant?
• If you selected "Employee/Supervisor" or "Colleague/Coworker" above, please indicate the applicant's position and title:
• If you are a pharmacist, please indicate the pharmacy institution from which you graduated:

Ratings (Scale: Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor, Not Observed)

• Adaptability: reacts well to stress, is poised and controlled. 
• Empathy: considerate, sensitive, and tactful in response to others. 
• Ethics: displays honesty, integrity, and ethical behaviors. 
• Intellectual Ability: academic competence and aptitude for pharmacy degree program. 
• Interpersonal Relations: able to get along well with peers and superiors. 
• Judgment: displays critical thinking skills, common sense, and decisiveness. 
• Leadership: takes initiative and motivates others. 
• Oral Communication: speaks clearly with precision and accuracy, without ambiguity. 
• Reliability: dependable, responsible, prompt, and thorough. 
• Written Communication: writing is precise, accurate, grammatically correct, and unambiguous. 

Overall Recommendation Concerning Admission

• I highly recommend this applicant 
• I recommend this applicant 
• I recommend this applicant with some reservations 
• I am not able to recommend this applicant

Document Upload

Evaluators can upload one document to support their recommendation of the applicant.