Letters of Recommendation

Requesting Letters of Recommendation

Requesting letters of recommendation is an important part of applying for colleges, summer programs, and scholarships. Recommenders should submit their letters to the Post High School Office or upload to SchooLinks. Letters are not shared with students per school policy.  

 

Counselor Recommendation Surveys 

Surveys are used primarily if the student is applying through the Common Application or needs a counselor letter of recommendation for a non-Common Application school. The information provided by the student and parent helps to create a more personalized & comprehensive letter of recommendation for the student.

How do I access the survey for counselor recommendations?

• Students and parents/guardians who have registered with SchooLinks are notified by email of existing counselor surveys that have been sent to them. 
• A blue dot will also appear next to the drop-down menu on their Scoir dashboard. 
• Unfinished surveys may be found on the right-hand side of your dashboard when you log in. 

More information on how to find your surveys are in Scoir help.

 

Instructions and Tips (Students)

• Only ask for a letter if it is required - Be considerate of the time needed by teachers who are writing many letters of recommendation for our students.

• When is the deadline?

  • Ask your recommender in person at least two weeks before your application deadline. This will allow your recommender time to write a meaningful letter for you.
  • It is okay to check in with your recommenders via email or in person to remind them closer to the deadline date.

• If you need a teacher recommendation for college admissions, ask a teacher you have had a class with recently, who knows you well, or where you have exhibited perseverance.

  • Teacher recommendations should come from a core subject area (English/Journalism, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language, possibly music).

• Provide your recommender with instructions on how to submit their letters,usually through one of the following options:

  • upload to Scoir
  • a link will be emailed to them from the college/university/scholarship
  • send a signed copy to Mrs. Collis or Mrs. Hartman for upload

• Give your recommender a resume or activity list.

  • You may also give an example of what you remember about their class or an interaction you had with them and why that is memorable to you. This will help jog the teacher’s memory and remind them of a specific incident to possibly highlight in their letter.

• For counselor recommendations, complete the counselor recommendation survey in Scoir.

• IMPORTANT: Recommendation letters are submitted to admissions through Scoir (not through Common App).

  • You may track the status of your documents sent through Scoir, not through Common App.
  • Do NOT list RSHS recommenders in your Common App (CA) with the following exception:
    • If you cannot submit your application without doing so. This is usually required by highly selective colleges that admit less than 20% of applicants. In CA, enter the teacher NAME and SUBJECT only. Do NOT enter the optional teacher email address because your teacher will be notified to upload their letter to Scoir.
  • Non-RSHS recommenders (“other” in the Common App) may be invited to upload their letter through Common App by listing the recommender’s name and email.
    • Or, this recommender may email their letter to Mrs. Collis at collisdeborah@rsdmo.org to be submitted through Scoir.

• Transcript request information

• Thank your recommender! A simple card or sincere verbal “thank you” is appropriate.

 

Instructions and Tips (RSHS Recommenders)

• Letters for college admissions are sent and tracked through SchooLinks.
  • If you receive a request through Common App to upload a letter, do NOT upload to Common App.
  • You will receive a request to upload your letter into SchooLinks. (Or, email a signed copy to Debbie Collis)
  • Log into your staff SchooLinks account to find a list of students who requested letters.
• Do not give copies of letters to students (per school policy and to preserve the integrity of the letters for students).
• Need help? Contact Debbie Collis or Ivy Hartman in the Post High School Planning Office.