Letters of Recommendation Process

o Remember that all counselor/teacher recommendations are confidential and will be sent directly to the requesting campus. They are not returned to the student, nor seen by the student (department policy).

o Seek out teachers who know you on a personal level

o Give your recommenders plenty of lead time, i.e. thirty days (10 school days minimum). Winter and Thanksgiving break does not count.

o Provide a copy of your personal profile information form (Personal Profile) to all recommenders.

If you are applying to any colleges through the Common Application, be sure to provide your counselor with a copy of your Personal Profile. This is true whether you need a Counselor's Letter of Recommendation or not as this information is very helpful when your counselor completes the required Secondary School Report for you.

o Is your FERPA waiver completed? This is required on Common Application, Coalition Application, NCAA, and SENDedu as well as others. It is recommended that you Waive your confidentiality rights as a failure to do so may construe to colleges that your recommender may not have felt the freedom to comment honestly.

o If you need a counselor's letter of recommendation, make sure to communicate with your counselor. Many times there are details that need to be clarified. Clearly communicate the due dates for each college.  If you are utilizing the Common Application, Coalition Application,  or SENDEdu for your college applications, then be sure to communicate that as well.  If you complete your FERPA section and the Recommender section when using the Common Application, Coalition Application, or SENDEdu, then your recommender will receive an electronic email with a login link to complete your letter of recommendation electronically.
***If a letter of recommendation is needed, it is critical that you complete a Personal Profile (Personal Profile) and make sure that you get a completed copy to your recommenders, allowing for plenty of time for them to actually write your letter prior to the deadline.  Allow a minimum of 10 school days (30 days is preferred).