What do you do if your recommendation letters were mailed, instead of submitted thought the CA?

Two of the colleges I am applying to require a counselor recommendation, I thought that all the letters would be submitted through the common app however my counselor emailed me today explaining that she couldn’t send my recommendation letter through the common app and mailed it instead. According to the common app website, my FERPA section needs to be complete before I can submit. How can I complete that if the letters were mailed? Will the schools let me know if they have even received the letter?

Not long ago, CommonApp was not fully electronic. I wonder if they still have the option of manual processing now. Did she submit it to each school individually or still going through CommonApp?

I think she mailed them individually to each school.

What does FERPA have to do with your letters?

FERPA is YOU waiving your right to read the letters. It doesn’t matter which form your school uses to transmit those letters.

While I understand your need to point that out…FERPA is the name of the section. If you read you would’ve seen that my issue is how to let the common app know that the letters have been mailed out rather ten digitally uploaded. As well as how I can be notified if/when the schools receive them. Not what to call the section that is holding up my application. Sorry for not writing it out more clearly…

My “need to point that out”???

Thanks. It’s been a rough day. I needed that.

The missing letters should not be stopping you from hitting submit on the student part of the application.
What is the error message you are getting?

The message I keep receiving is "In order to begin the submission process, you must complete the following items:

  • Recommenders and FERPA"
    This is why I am confused, I already completed and signed the waiver.

Are you absolutely positive you signed the FERPA? Did you invite a counselor and recommenders and assign them to the school? You do this even if the recommenders are not completing their portion on line.

If you cannot figure out what is going on, open a support ticket with Common App.

Yes, I must have triple checked. The only thing without the green checkmark is the counselor subsection section( that is where I put the admin). The other recommenders say assigned but not started…

Hmm… Is the counselor’s name or anything there to indicate that someone was assigned? I really don’t know what to say except open a support ticket with Common App. It is definitely supposed to work.

https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/90/Can-I-submit-my-application-before-my-recommenders-submit-their-forms