NAHS Guidance Department

ELECTRONIC FILING OF TRANSCRIPTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CLASS OF 2013 - SENIOR ACTION ITEMS

The Guidance Department will be sending all transcripts, counselor recommendations and teacher recommendations electronically to colleges using Naviance and Common Application web-based software.   To do this, seniors must complete the following steps by the due date indicated.

1. COMMON APPLICATION

• All seniors must register for the Common Application by September 30, 2012.
• Go to www.commonapp.org.
• Complete the registration form on-line.
• Select a username and password, write it down, and keep it in a safe place.

2. NAVIANCE REGISTRATION

• All seniors must register with Naviance Family Connections by September 30, 2012.

• Go to http://connection.naviance.com/nahs.
• Type in unique registration code under “New User?”
• Click “Register”.
• Verify that your name is the one shown at the top of the page in the welcome line.
• Type in your email address.
• Verify email.
• Choose a password.
• Verify a password.
• Read and accept privacy policy.
• Click “Complete Registration”.

3.  COMPLETE THE FERPA ON NAVIANCE

• All seniors must complete the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) on Naviance Family Connections by September 30, 2012.

• Log into your Naviance account.

• Go to the Colleges tab.
• Click on “Colleges I’m Applying To”.
• Read the blue box.

 a)  Select whether or not you waive your rights to your information

 b)   Check the box that authorizes North Andover High School to send your documentation to schools.

• Enter your Common Application Username and Password.

a)  ** This is NOT the email address attached with your common application account. **

b)  ** This is NOT your Naviance log-in or password. **

• Click Submit.

4.  ENTER YOUR COLLEGES INTO THE "COLLEGES I AM THINKING ABOUT" SECTION ON NAVIANCE

• Go to the Colleges tab in Naviance and enter the names of colleges you will be applying to into the "Colleges I am Thinking About" section.
• You may add or delete colleges on this list at anytime.
• Please note that you will be unable to enter colleges into the "Colleges I'm Applying to" section.  When you turn in your Transcript Release form, the guidance staff will then enter your colleges into this section, and they will be removed automatically from the "College I'm Thinking About" section.
   

5.  ENTER YOUR COLLEGES INTO YOUR COMMON APPLICATION ACCOUNT

• Make sure all your colleges are listed on your Common Application account before you submit your Transcript Release Authorization Form. 
• Your guidance counselor cannot send your documentation electronically if you do not list all of your Common Applications schools on your Common Application account.

6.  COMPLETE A TRANSCRIPT RELEASE AUTHORIZATION FORM

• Once you have determined which colleges you will be applying to and have entered them into Naviance and your Common Application account, you will need to complete a Transcript Release Authorization Form.

• Please note that all Common Application schools require an official transcript and a Guidance Counselor Recommendation. 

• In order to write a Guidance Counselor Recommendation, you need to complete the Guidance Counselor Recommendation Form located on Naviance.  (See below)

• Parents may opt to complete the Parent Recommendation Form, also located on Naviance.  (See below)

• You must have both the Guidance Counselor Recommendation Form AND the Transcript Release Authorization Form into the Guidance Office at least one month prior to the application deadline.

• A processing fee of $3.00 per college must be attached for your transcript package to be prepared.  Checks should be made payable to NAHS Guidance.

• Counselor Recommendations are written in the order in which these forms are received, so plan ahead.

• Transcript Release Authorization Forms must be completed in full, and will not be accepted if they are missing information or the processing fee.

• The forms must be submitted directly to a member of the Guidance staff.  DO NOT leave them in a counselor’s mailbox or on the front desk in Guidance.

• If a college does not accept the Common Application, and does not allow electronic filing of transcripts and counselor recommendations, these items will be mailed in an envelope to the college.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON REQUESTING GUIDANCE COUNSELOR RECOMMENDATIONS

• Our counselors spend a great deal of time preparing and writing their student recommendations.  In an effort to help them personalize and accurately reflect upon a student, we ask that two documents be completed by the student and his/her family through Naviance Family Connections.

• Guidance Counselor Recommendation Form - This form should be completed by the student.  It asks specific questions about his/her interests, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and extra-curricular and school based activities, which will help our counselors write more meaningful and accurate recommendations.  In addition, completion of this form will assist a student in developing his/her very first resume, which then can be attached to college applications.

• Parent Recommendation Form   – This is an opportunity for parents to give our counselors more insight to their student.  Students are often modest in talking about themselves.  Here is a chance for parents to reflect on their student’s strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and their passions.  Information collected from this form will only be used by our counselors to write more personalized recommendations for their students.  They are not sent on to colleges.

7. REQUEST YOUR TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS BE SENT ELECTRONICALLY

• Login to your Naviance account.
• Click on the Colleges tab.
• Click on “Colleges I Am Applying To”.
• Under Teacher Recommendations click on “add/cancel requests”.
• Select a teacher from the drop down menu.
• In the box to the right of the teacher’s name, write a short personal note to the teacher requesting the recommendation.  (See sample note below)
• There is room to list up to four teacher recommendations however the Guidance Department is only able to send two (2) teacher recommendations electronically to colleges.  You will need to identify which two you would like sent.  Please indicate these on the Transcript Release Form.
• Once you have written your personal notes, click on “Update Requests”.
• Your teacher will then receive an email from Naviance containing your note requesting the recommendation.
• Your teacher then writes the recommendation and uploads it into Naviance.
• The Guidance Department will include the teacher recommendations in the transcript packet that is electronically mailed to each of the colleges you are applying to.

 SAMPLE NOTE TO TEACHER FOR RECOMMENDATION ON NAVIANCE

Dear Mr. Smith,

As we discussed, I would like to request a recommendation from you for college.   My

earliest application deadline is _____________________.  Thank you for your time and support.

                                                          (fill in date)

Sincerely,

______________________

  (student name)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON REQUESTING TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS

• Most colleges require at least one teacher recommendation, and some may require two.   They usually prefer teachers that a student has had during their junior and senior years.  These are the years which will give college admissions counselors an indication of how a student may fare as a freshman in college. 

• It takes quite a bit of time to write a thoughtful teacher recommendation.  Students should give their teachers as much notice as possible and provide them with suggested mailing dates in order for the recommendation to arrive at the college by its application deadline. 

• Some teachers write many recommendations and may have to limit the number they can or will write.  We suggest that students ask their junior year teachers right before summer break.  Senior year teachers should be given at least 6 weeks notice prior to a college’s application deadline. 

• It is important that you ask your teacher to write a recommendation IN PERSON first, BEFORE you list their name on Naviance and an email is sent with your request. 

• If you would like to send more than two teacher recommendations, you will need to send them through regular mail.

• If the college does not accept the Common Application and doesn’t have their own electronic mailing instructions, then the recommendations to those colleges will be sent through regular mail.

• In these cases, students should pick up a Teacher Evaluation Form from the Guidance Office, complete the top portion of the form and make copies for each college that is not on the Common Application.  A stamped addressed envelope for each of these colleges should be provided to the teacher at the time that recommendations are requested.  Teachers in turn will complete their recommendations, seal the envelope, sign over the back flap of the envelope, and mail them directly to the colleges.  It is up to the teacher as to whether or not a student will read his/her recommendation.