School Counselor Letters of Recommendation Los Altos High School counseling Department September 3, 2019
Today’s Presentation • Will be posted in Counseling section of LAHS website • Visit ms. price and Ms. Gorman in the college/career center for help with college list development, applications, & financial aid • Lots of info! Counselors, Ms. Gorman, & Ms. Price are here to help you
Admission Factors ● Colleges & universities may consider the following factors for admission: – Civic Engagement – Rigor of coursework – Interview – Grades & GPA – Teacher & Counselor – SAT/ACT results recommendations – Extracurricular activities – Application questions/ essays ● Check each college/university website for details on specific admission criteria
Counselor Letter of Recommendation • Required for most PRIVATE 4-year colleges & common app schools • UC/CSU do not accept letters*, nor do most out-of-state public colleges *UC Berkeley may request letters of rec from some students AFTER applications have been submitted. Other UC’s may begin this practice as well. • Typically 1-3 letters are required from teachers & counselor – Some colleges also accept letters from community members, bosses, coaches, etc.
Counselor Letter of Recommendation • The Counselor letter provides a holistic view of the student beyond academics • letter Reflects on: – Academic Achievement/Performance – Character/Attitude – College Readiness – Contributions to community – Special circumstances • LAHS counselors use input from personal interactions, teachers, parents, & students
Important Dates • If your 1st deadline is on or before nov. 15 (EARLY ACTION/DECISION, scholarship, etc.), you must submit your packet to your counselor by: Tuesday, September 17, 2019 • For deadlines after Nov. 15, submit your packet to your counselor by: Wednesday, October 9, 2019 • last day to make changes to your college list prior to jan. 8: Friday, december 13, 2019
Can I still add more colleges later? • Yes, BUT… – Please tell your counselor ASAP if you change your college list after submitting your envelope • Counselors are NOT notified by Naviance • Be sure to change on Common App AND Naviance – The College/Career Center sends scholarship & visit info to you based on your list - we don’t want you to miss out on events!
Pick up in One envelope Letter of Recommendation Envelope Counseling per person! Offjce Do not include UC, CSU, or other schools not requiring a letter of recommendation
Create A Common App Account STEP #1: Set up account at commonapp.org STEP #2: Create college list on Common App that will be linked with Naviance list ** DO NOT USE THE RECOMMENDER SECTION IN COMMON APP FOR MVLA STAFF**
The Coalition application • Set up account at http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/ • Send upload link to your counselor for transcript & letter of rec
Naviance • Counselor & teacher materials are submitted to colleges through Naviance whenever possible In the Fall: In the Spring: • Letter of recommendation • midyear report w/updated transcript sent in late january • Secondary School Report • final transcript sent after • Offjcial transcripts graduation to college of • School profile attendance
Naviance Create Common App Click “match accounts” and follow the directions to match your common app & account & sign FERPA naviance accounts privacy notice & waiver
Naviance click the plus sign to ALL colleges to which you are add colleges to your applying must be listed here list
Naviance • Which colleges use Naviance eDocs? – Common App = – Non-Common App schools that accept electronic documents =
Naviance • What if my colleges do not accept electronic materials? – Students provide stamped, addressed envelopes & Forms for Counselor to Mail
Teacher Letters of Recommendation • SEPaRATE from the counselor process • Teachers have their own deadlines & requirements • Teachers use Naviance to send letters ○ do NOT use “recommender” feature in Comm App
Teacher Letters of Recommendation • 11 th or 12 th grade teachers preferred (LAHS Teachers) • Academic subjects preferred (unless applying for special programs, such as visual or performing arts) • Ask teachers in person first, then add them as recommenders in Naviance
Make Good choices or...
A little advice… • Deadlines Matter – Final impressions – early birds appreciated – missed deadlines = missed deadlines
A little advice… • Communication is key • Thank you’s = Good form • Have questions? Ask US!
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