Ask your teacher(s) in person to write a letter of recommendation. Teachers are not required to write them, so he/she may decline your request, especially if several students have already asked or they feel they cannot write a strong letter.
If your teacher agrees to write a letter, complete the GVHS Request for Letter of Recommendation Form (available in the counseling office) and either email it or hand it to them in person. Your teacher may want to meet with you to discuss the recommendation, so be prepared.
Do not ask more teachers than necessary. Each college specifies how many teacher recommendation letters they require (usually two). Colleges request that letters remain confidential, so you should waive your right to access them.
Fall of Senior Year
When you are applying to colleges, give your teacher a completed GVHS Recommendation Letter Follow-Up Form (available in the counseling office).
Provided you made the request in the spring of your junior year, teachers will make every effort to upload your recommendation to Naviance no later than October 15.
Teachers use our NACAC (National Association of College Admissions Counselors) approved online form, so there is no need to give your teacher(s) a college-specific form, unless the school requires one.
Students who are using the Common App for applications must complete the recommendation waiver form in Naviance: Go to the “colleges” tab, select “colleges I’m applying to” and complete the waiver in the blue shaded box. You must use your Common App username and password for this waiver, not your Naviance username and password.
Spring of Senior Year
It is common courtesy to follow up with a thank-you note to your teacher and to update them on your college decision.
