<p>Looking for info/guidance from all on letters of recommendation. D has asked for 2 from past teachers and 1 from her coach. My question is: do these people send the letters directly to each college she's interested in (as opposed to sending them to her)? How do you manage deadlines or make sure they've sent them? When people talk about applying online, is it just the common app that's submitted online or is there a way for letter writers to submit recommendations online? Do people suggest getting letters from alums also or is it overkill?</p>
<p>Your D needs to have the letters sent directly from the school/teachers/coaches. </p>
<p>Some colleges have online applications with links for recommendations, including Common Application. Alternatively, it can be downloaded from website link for specific college using CommApp and recommendation can be sent in on hard copy form.</p>
<p>It’s usually considered good form to provide postage to teachers. Ask them well in advance of deadlines and then follow-up with them before the deadline, as well.</p>
<p>It is also good to provide recommendation with a resume/brag sheet of student accomplishments and interests to help the teacher/coach write a compelling letter on the student’s behalf.</p>
<p>In terms of trusting that recommenders do their part - they are used to being asked this each year. Some are better than others at writing recs. Most are usually pretty good about sending them in, on time. </p>
<p>Just make sure your D provides the recommenders with all the tools they need in a timely manner!</p>
<p>Thanks Landshark! Good tip about postage. Makes it easier on them.</p>
<p>Yes, agree with above. At our school, kid asks teacher/coach…teacher/coach gives letter to GC…GC combines it with all other elements of their submission (transcript, school profile, GC letter of rec, etc) and sends as a packet to the college. Then (magically!) that packet gets linked up with the common app or other app that your student has submitted online. Your child’s GC can tell you what their procedure is.</p>
<p>Check each college website for how many LORs they want, and from whom. Many prefer to receive only the specific ones they’ve asked for.</p>
<p>My understanding was that we would give the teacher an envelope with postage for every school. </p>
<p>But yesterday, D brought home her LOR from teacher 1. Signed one copy and gave her four additional copies. Told her to feel free to copy it for any other school she needed it for.
Is this typical? Should D just send this in an envelope to each school she’s applying? Without a “real” signature - but a copy of one?</p>
<p>Arisamp,</p>
<p>I guess every school has a different way of doing it. Usually, the teachers don’t allow the student to see the copies of their recommendation.</p>
<p>I think I would prefer an actual signature, but I am sure that colleges gets copies of letters, and not originals, all the time.</p>