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Common App Recommendation Letters: A Guide for Students, Teachers, and Counselors

Common App recommendations help colleges see a student from viewpoints the application cannot reproduce. Teacher and counselor letters should complement one another, not repeat the same résumé facts.

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CHECK THE CURRENT INSTRUCTIONS

Teacher and counselor roles are different

Common App guidance says counselor and teacher recommendations reveal a student’s personality and strengths from different viewpoints. Applicants must invite recommenders before they can create the related account, while recommenders use the system to organize requests and submit forms.

WHAT THE LETTER MUST PROVE

Give the reader evidence they can use.

Create a college recommendation packet and write a distinctive Common App teacher or counselor letter with classroom stories, school context, and student growth.

  • Intellectual character, classroom contribution, and response to challenge
  • Growth over time and use of feedback
  • Contribution to school, peers, family, or community
  • Context that helps readers interpret opportunities, achievement, and trajectory
FOR APPLICANTS

Make the request easy to act on.

  • College list, earliest deadline, and Common App invitation status
  • Brag sheet with context, activities, responsibilities, goals, and growth
  • Course-specific reminders, meaningful work, and first-hand moments
  • A concise note about what the teacher or counselor uniquely observed
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FOR LETTER WRITERS

Move from observation to a credible letter.

  1. Clarify whether the letter is a teacher or counselor perspective
  2. Establish relationship, course or school context, and duration
  3. Choose two stories that reveal how the student thinks, grows, or contributes
  4. Explain context without repeating the transcript or activity list
  5. Review the Common App form and submit through the recommender system
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FOCUSED GUIDES

Go deeper without starting over.

Applicants · 8 min readCommon App Brag Sheet: What Students Should Give Recommenders

Build a concise college recommendation packet that helps teachers and counselors recall the stories, context, growth, and contributions only they can evaluate.

Read the guide →Letter writers · 10 min readHow to Write a Common App Teacher or Counselor Recommendation

Write a college recommendation that complements the application with classroom evidence, school context, student growth, and a distinct recommender viewpoint.

Read the guide →
FOUNDATIONAL RESOURCES

Pair destination detail with sound recommendation practice.

College recommendationsTeacher Recommendation Letter for College: Examples and Writing GuideRead resource →Applicant packet checklistWhat to Put in a Recommendation Brag Sheet or Applicant PacketRead resource →Applicant follow-upHow to Follow Up on a Recommendation Letter Without Being PushyRead resource →
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Common App recommendation questions, answered.

How does a Common App recommender get access?

The applicant first invites the recommender. Common App then provides access to the recommender system for managing requests and submitting the appropriate forms.

What is the difference between a teacher and counselor recommendation?

A teacher can make classroom learning and intellectual character visible. A counselor can explain the student’s broader development, school context, opportunities, and community contribution.

What belongs in a Common App brag sheet?

Include context, responsibilities, growth, goals, and a few specific reminders connected to the writer’s own experience. Avoid a long adjective list or a ghostwritten letter.

Should the recommendation repeat the student’s résumé?

No. The transcript and activities already document much of the record. A recommendation adds observations, stories, and interpretation that the student cannot provide independently.

OFFICIAL SOURCES

Verify the current destination rules.

Requirements can change and program-level instructions may be more specific. These authoritative sources informed this guide.

LESS ADMIN. BETTER EVIDENCE.

Turn this guide into a finished workflow.

Applicants organize the record. Writers add firsthand judgment, review every claim, and control the final recommendation.

Start my request →Draft my letter →