• Many private universities, out-of-state colleges, scholarships, and special programs or majors may request letters of recommendation.

  • Students should research the institutions they plan to apply to in order to determine if a letter of recommendation is required PRIOR to requesting one from a school counselor or teacher.

• All Common Application schools require the Secondary School Report (SSR) which is submitted by a school counselor and includes the CHS School Profile, a student's transcript and a report to be completed by the school counselor.  Many also require a letter of recommendation from your school counselor. Most Common Application institutions will require teacher letters of recommendation as well. This information can be found in the Common Application> Click on My Colleges, expand each institution using the arrow, scroll down to the Recommendations section and review.

• UC and CSUs typically do not require letters of recommendation. If you receive an email or request from a UC/CSU for a letter of recommendation, visit your school counselor to review. A few programs may require a supplemental application and LOR.

IMPORTANT DATES AND INSTRUCTIONS:

To request a letter of recommendation, Students must request both teacher and counselor letters in person AND have their brag packets completed by the following deadlines:

October 1st: For college applications due before November 15th.

November 1st: For college applications due after November 15th.

It is recommended that students follow up IN PERSON requests for letters of recommendation with an email request which includes the first college application deadline. It is the student's responsibility to ensure the letter of recommendation is submitted on time. 

Scholarships, Internships, and Other Programs that require a LOR: Make the request at least two weeks before application deadline.