An Institution-Owned Letter of Recommendation System
Built in Microsoft 365 for Pre-Health Advising Offices.
No recurring fees. No third-party platforms. Full institutional ownership.
Why Existing Letter Systems Fall Short
Most letter of recommendation platforms were not designed for modern advising workflows. They introduce recurring costs, fragment institutional data, and rely on external systems that sit outside a university’s direct control.
As a result, advisors are left managing workarounds, students face unnecessary friction, and evaluators encounter confusing or inconsistent submission processes. What should be a streamlined workflow instead becomes an administrative burden.
The AdvisingSync Approach
AdvisingSync was designed to fit within an institution’s existing technology environment — not replace it. By leveraging Microsoft 365 tools already in use, the system provides a secure, FERPA-aware workflow that keeps all data fully under institutional control.
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AdvisingSync is built entirely using Microsoft 365 tools already in use across higher education, including Power Automate, SharePoint, Microsoft Forms, and Outlook.
This approach eliminates the need for new platforms, external vendors, or additional logins. Advisors, students, and evaluators interact with familiar tools, reducing training overhead and support complexity.
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All letters, FERPA releases, logs, and supporting records remain within the institution’s Microsoft tenant.
There is no vendor lock-in, no external data storage, and no dependency on third-party systems. Institutions retain full ownership, governance, and long-term access to their data.
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The system reflects real advising workflows, from student request intake through evaluator submission and advisor oversight.
Status tracking, automated notifications, and structured organization reduce the need for spreadsheets, inbox searches, or manual follow-ups — allowing advisors to focus on students rather than administration.
How AdvisingSync Works
AdvisingSync follows a simple, structured workflow designed to feel uneventful once it’s in place.
Each step builds on the last, keeping FERPA compliance, communication, and record-keeping fully automated and under institutional control.
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The process begins with a FERPA release collected through a dedicated form within the institution’s Microsoft 365 environment.
Student consent is logged and stored before any letter requests are initiated, ensuring FERPA compliance from the outset and establishing a clear audit trail.
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Once FERPA consent is on file, students submit letter requests using a single, structured form within the institution’s Microsoft 365 environment.
Branded request emails are sent automatically to evaluators, with confirmation provided to the student. Optional reminder messages can be sent after an institution-defined number of days. All request activity is logged in real time.
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Evaluators do not need to create an account or access an external portal. Letters are submitted simply by replying to the request email with the attached file.
Within minutes, evaluators receive confirmation that the letter was received, and students are notified as well. All submission activity is logged automatically.
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Students can view the status of all requested letters at any time through the Letter System form, eliminating the need to contact advisors for routine updates.
This transparency reduces administrative overhead while empowering students to manage their own application materials.
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Submitted letters are automatically routed to the appropriate student folder in SharePoint within minutes of receipt.
All notifications are branded to reflect institutional identity, and every action is logged in real time to support auditability, reporting, and compliance requirements.
Who It’s For
AdvisingSync is designed for higher education offices that manage confidential letter of recommendation workflows and already operate within a Microsoft 365 environment.
This includes:
Pre-Health Advising Offices & Pre-Professional Advising Offices
Health Professions Programs & Committees
Institutions seeking to replace external letter platforms with an institution-owned solution
The AdvisingSync workflow originated within a large public research university advising environment and has since been adapted for broader institutional use.
Versions of the AdvisingSync workflow have been implemented within advising offices at institutions of varying size, including public and private universities such as:
University of Notre Dame
Princeton University
Rutgers University
Schedule an Overview
Submit a request and we’ll follow up to schedule a brief overview of AdvisingSync and explore fit with your workflows.