Requesting a Letter of Recommendation

Please read college/university application requirements carefully to see whether the college/university you are applying to wants letters of recommendation, how many they want, and who they want to write those letters (counselor, teacher, etc).  Generally, Texas public colleges and universities do not need counselor recommendations.  Private institutions and colleges/universities found outside of Texas are more likely to want a counselor recommendation.

When requesting a letter of recommendation from a counselor, please plan ahead, as counselors receive many requests and require 30 days notice to complete and process the letter. To request a letter, the first step for students is to visit their counselor in person and email their brag sheet. (Brag sheets are linked at the bottom of this page.)

The process for requesting a counselor letter of recommendation depends on where you are applying. Read below carefully for more information.

To request a counselor letter of recommendation for a college/university on the Common App, the student will do three steps:

1.   Ask teachers and/or counselors in person with 30 days advanced notice and email your brag sheet and resume. 

2.   Match your Common App account to Naviance in order to have your letter of recommendation submitted. All counselor recommendation letters for Common App schools are exclusively sent electronically through Schoolinks.

3.  In Common App, list your counselor’s email to send a letter of recommendation request. Common App will notify the counselor of the request through email.

**Counselors will not process a Common App letter of recommendation request until the student visits the counselor in person and submits a brag sheet (see step 1.)

--Students can check the status of the letter submission in their Schoolinks account.

--Along with the letter of recommendation, it is required for the counselor also to submit the Common App Secondary School Report (SSR), your senior schedule, and the BHS school profile.

Need a Letter of Recommendation for a Common App School?

If the student is applying to a college/university through Apply Texas or through a private application, counselor recommendation letters are not required unless specifically stated, such as when applying to an Honor College, a specific degree program within the school, or a scholarship. In this case, students must submit a stamped self-addressed envelope, school report (if applicable), and student brag sheet to their counselor 30 days in advance.

Need a Letter of Recommendation for College/University not on the Common App OR for a Scholarship?

If the student is applying to a college/university through Apply Texas or through a private application, counselor recommendation letters are not required unless specifically stated, such as when applying to an Honor College, a specific degree program within the school, or a scholarship. In this case, students must submit a stamped self-addressed envelope, school report (if applicable,) and student brag sheet to their counselor 30 days in advance.