Letters of Recommendation
Teacher Letters of Recommendation
Asking your teacher for a letter of recommendation is a very important part of this process. You will need to provide your teacher(s) a list of schools you are applying to and that includes your first admission deadline (the actual deadline from the school).
You must request your teacher in Naviance: Watch this Video Tutorial on how to request teachers in Naviance.
Students will not be able to add a teacher recommender in Common App since we are a Naviance/eDocs school.
If you have a recommender who is not a current Ridge teacher, or a teacher who is otherwise unable to use Naviance, please contact the school admissions office directly.
Add a teacher request in Naviance by clicking on the College tab on the upper right corner. Then click Apply to College → Letters of Recommendation → Add Requests
Decide if you want the teacher to submit a recommendation for (1) a specific college(s) from your Colleges I’m Applying To list OR (2) all current and future colleges you add to the Colleges I’m Applying to list. Select All current and future colleges I add to my Colleges I’m Applying to list, only if you have no preference for which teachers will meet the recommendation requirements for each college.
Check your college list in Naviance under the Colleges I’m Applying to tab. If there is a red stamp , that school does NOT accept electronic documents. It may be possible to provide the teacher’s email address and allow them to complete the forms online. You should first check the college application to determine how to send materials and then coordinate with your teacher to determine what method they would prefer.
Be sure to give your teacher any additional materials they may have requested (i.e. questions they may have given you to answer, etc.) – check with each teacher to determine what they require.
Teacher Evaluation Forms
Some schools require these forms as part of the teacher recommendation. You need to determine if your school requires one and work with your teacher on submitting those materials. Contact the admissions office or your school counselor with specific questions.
General Guidelines about Teacher Recommendations:
Do not use Naviance as a way to ask your teachers for recommendations. You should ONLY add their name after you have spoken with them in person and they have agreed to write your letter.
Be sure to say “thank you” to your teacher(s) for writing you a letter of recommendation! Be courteous and respectful of your teacher’s time. They will prepare this letter of recommendation on their own time.
As a reminder, teachers will be sending their letter of recommendation directly to the school; it will not be provided to you. It is your responsibility to ensure that teachers are aware of all deadlines and that you give them enough time to process and send your letters to each school—a minimum of 10 days.