Letter of Recommendation Instructions

Not every school requires letters of recommendation from a teacher or counselor. Research the school you are applying to before you request a letter. If you know you need a letter/ form, you should speak with or email your counselor and/or teacher at least three weeks(business days) before the deadline. It is best to communicate this information during the spring semester of your junior year as counselors and teachers are incredibly busy when the school year begins.

When you add a college you are applying to in SchooLinks, ensure you understand if a recommendation is required or optional, and how many may be required or sent.  Some colleges do not want to receive recommendations at all, so sending them just because does not make any difference in the application decision.  Know what you need and when you need it.

When you request a letter of recommendation, it is MANDATORY that you provide the following information:

• A resume that includes course work, GPA/ rank, community and extracurricular involvement.
• Submission deadlines for EACH institution you are applying to
• All the schools you are applying to (If this changes, and you choose to add a school or not apply to a school, contact the teacher and/ or counselor immediately)
• The type of submission your letter requires (Which schools require this sent electronically? Which schools are you using the common application with? Which schools require the teacher/counselor to mail the letter?)

Students using Apply Texas: (State Schools)

 If a state school requires/allows a letter of recommendation, this should be done by your teacher, and it will be mailed or sent electronically via SchooLinks. If the school you are applying to does not accept electronic communication indicated by a stamp symbol, you will provide a stamp and envelope to your teacher.

Students using the Common Application 

If you are using the Common Application, you will ask 1–3 teachers and 1 counselor to write and upload a letter of recommendation and complete the Common App form.  It is your responsibility to communicate with your teachers and counselors that you are using the common app and need a letter of rec and a common app form to be completed. Do not just expect them to know this as they may be unfamiliar with SchooLinks as that is where they will upload.