Letters of Recommendation

Obtaining a Counselor Recommendation

Many colleges (mostly private and out of state) require a counselor recommendation (this is in addition to the two letters of recommendation from teachers). Because counselors do have large caseloads, it is important for students to communicate with their counselor early about what they will need. In order to obtain a counselor recommendation, please follow the steps below.

1. Complete the Post Grad Plan Survey in SchooLinks in September to let your counselor know what you need. Be sure to check your school email regularly, as this is how your counselor will communicate with you about setting up a meeting, etc. 

2. Your counselor will reach out to you to set up an in person, one-on-one meeting to discuss your plans and answer any questions you have. In order to have the most productive meeting productive possible, please complete the following steps before your meeting:

   • Update your SchooLinks Final List to include ALL colleges to which you are planning on applying

   • Complete your Brag Sheet (in your To Do List as "Recommendation Letter Brag Sheet")  

   • Have parent/guardian complete their optional questions at the end of your brag sheet

• Helpful, but not required

2. • Complete Common App Matching, including the FERPA Waiver

• If under 18, your parent/guardian must be present as you complete the FERPA Waiver

3.   After you meet with your counselor, please keep them updated on colleges you have added or taken off your list so materials can be sent to all schools that need them.

Obtaining Letters of Recommendation from Teachers 

Please consider the following points as you approach your teachers for a letter of recommendation. Also be sure you have completed all of the steps in SchooLinks (see #2 above) to ensure your teachers have all the needed information to write you a thoughtful recommendation. 

Always, always, ALWAYS ask in person. Know that writing thoughtful letters of recommendation takes time and teachers may not be available to write a letter for every student who asks. 

Ask sooner rather than later. Please give teachers at least 2 weeks notice prior to the schools application deadline. One month prior notice is preferred if at all possible –some may not be able to accommodate if only given 2 weeks. 

Enter the teacher's name into SchooLinks as a reference AFTER the teacher accepts your request for letters of recommendation , you need to request via SchooLinks so your teachers have the ability to send them off to your colleges. See steps below. 

Any follow-up should also be in person i.e. providing necessary information/materials. Emailing to see if the teacher needs additional information is okay, but no need to "check on their progress" -- they will get it in on time :) 

Adding additional schools: If you add additional schools at a later date, please let your counselor and teacher know, as Naviance does not alert us and we need to go back in and send the materials to the additional school(s). 

A simple thank you note goes a long way. Please remember to personally thank your teachers and counselor and follow up with a simple note. The little things do matter. 

Thank you for following these guidelines. In return, you will benefit from quality letters of recommendation from both your teachers and counselor.

Submitting "Other" Letters of Recommendation to Colleges to Common App

Some colleges allow for students to submit other recommendation letters in their application. These other recommenders can include: coaches, pastors, employers, teachers from extracurricular programs, etc. Not all colleges will allow for these types of letters of recommendation.

These outside recommenders will NOT be able to submit via SchooLinks. Instead, you will need to invite them directly in the Common App "Recommenders and FERPA" tab. To do this you will need to have their personal email address and they will need to create a Common App Recommender account.