Sammamish High School
Letter of Recommendation Packet
If you are applying to a private college or any Common Application school, certain areas of your
application will be completed by your counselor. The school section of your application is usually called
the Secondary School Report and Mid-year Report. Your counselor needs a minimum of two weeks
to review your academic record, collect teacher evaluation forms, and write a thoughtful letter of
recommendation to have a complete Secondary School Report. The following process is designed to
ensure that your colleges receive all required information in a timely manner. Please read the following
information and instructions carefully.
Please complete the following check list:
College Application and Deadline List
Please complete this form and give to your counselor 2 weeks prior to the first deadline. If you add
colleges later, please come in and update your list with your counselor. This application list MUST
match the “colleges I’m applying to” section on your Naviance.
Teacher Feedback Form
Please select 2 teachers who know you well and can provide useful information to your counselor.
These two teachers must not be the same teachers who will write your letter of recommendation. Make
2 copies of the form and ask your teachers to complete them in 5-7 days. The teachers will complete
and return the form directly to your counselor. This information will allow your counselor to write a
comprehensive letter of recommendation.
Waive your Rights (REQUIRED)
Colleges prefer that students waive their rights to access letters of recommendation. In order to
provide the most authentic and valuable letter of recommendation to admissions offices, the SHS
counselors require that students waive their right to see letters of recommendation from counselors and
teachers. If you have questions or concerns about waiving your rights, please consult your counselor.
Counselor Questionnaire
In order to write an engaging and honest letter, please answer all questions as completely as you can.
Include details, examples, and descriptions as much as possible. Please submit your answers to your
counselor only, not teachers. Do not give your teachers the same info, or you will have similar letters
from everyone.
Family Brag Sheet
We always welcome additional input from your parents, guardians, or close relatives.
Resume
Please submit your resume along with your questionnaire. A sample resume is attached for your
reference.
Link your Naviance Account with your Common App Account
For your counselor and teachers to upload your letters of recommendation and other supporting
documents, you need to link your accounts. This can be done under “colleges I’m applying to” on
Naviance.
Reminders…..
Transcripts
Most universities will require an official high school transcript in the application process. There are
some exceptions of universities that do not require a transcript as part of the application process for
example, University of Washington, Western Washington, University of California schools, and
community colleges. All colleges and universities that participate in the online Common Application will
require an official high school transcript. Most other 4-year universities require transcripts as well. If
you are unsure, please check the school’s website.
Ordering Transcripts
All transcripts are ordered through your Naviance. Please allow at least one week prior to the deadline.
1. Log into your Naviance account (http://connection.naviance.com/sammamish).
2. Click the “colleges” tab and then click on “colleges I’m applying to”
3. Scroll down to “add colleges to this list” and click on the link
4. Click on “look up”, find your college, and click on “request” transcript on the left
5. Finally, click “add college”
Test Scores
It is your responsibility to send official SAT, SAT II (subject tests), and/or ACT score reports to each
university/college. Sammamish High School does not send them. Pay attention to what each school
requires. Most will require either the SAT or ACT. Subject tests may or may not be required. To order
official score reports, go to sat.collegeboard.org for SAT and www.actstudent.org for ACT. Fee waivers
are not available for sending official score reports.
Specific College/University Online Applications
Some schools do not participate in the online Common Application, and instead have their own online
application process. Most likely, you can connect to their online application through Naviance. Pay
close attention to their directions and if they require a Mid-Year Report and letter of recommendation
from your counselor, be sure to invite us to do so using their online system.
Sammamish High School Important Information
Name of School: Sammamish High School
CEEB Code: 480072
Address: 100 140th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA 98005
Phone Number: 425-456-7600
Fax Number: 425-456-7665
Weighted Class Rank
(Get this information from your school
counselor)
Your class rank is ______
# of students who share this rank: ______
Total # of students/Graduation Class Size = 253
Counseling Contact Information
Heather Smith (A-Fa)
425-456-7608
smithhe@bsd405.org
Kristen Patterson (Fe-La)
425-456-7620
pattersonk@bsd405.org
Arty Christianto (Le-Ri)
425-456-7617
christiantoa@bsd405.org
Oracio Valdez (Ro-Z)
425-456-7623
valdezo@bsd405.org
Graduation Date: June 15, 2016
Grading Scale: out of 4.0 and we only report unweighted GPA
College Application and Deadline List
Please give to your counselor 2 weeks before the 1st deadline!
University or
College Name
SAMPLE:
College of….
DEADLINE
Online
Paper
DATE
Counselor Transcript?
or
application
Early
Early
Regular
Common
Decision? Action?
Decision? Letter?
app
Common
Feb 1st
Yes
Yes
App
no
Teacher Feedback Form for Counseling Center
Please make 2 copies to give to teachers.
Please do not give this form to teachers who are already writing a letter of recommendation
STUDENT SECTION:
Teacher name: ______________________________________________________________
Student Name: __________________
Student’s Counselor: ____________________
College(s) applying to:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Dear Teacher,
Thank you for taking the 10 or 15 minutes to evaluate me. My counselor is gathering
information that will help her/him write my letter of recommendation. Since she/he does not
have daily contact with me, your evaluation and comments are important. You provide valuable
insight about my academic and personal development and potential. Please return this form to
my counselor before _______________. Thank you.
A. TEACHER COMMENTS
1. Student’s PERSONAL qualifications:
2. Student’s ACADEMIC qualifications:
3. Additional information, comments, observations:
Staff Signature ______________________________
Position/subject taught _________________________
Bellevue School District FERPA Waiver for College Applications
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), you (your child) have/has the
right to inspect and review your (child’s) education records, including confidential letters and
statements of recommendation regarding your (child’s) post-secondary education applications. You may,
however, waive this right of access to these confidential letters and/or statements of recommendation.
Why should you consider waiving your right of access? Waiving your right lets colleges know that you will
never try to read your (child’s) recommendations. That in turn reassures colleges that your recommenders
have provided support that is candid and truthful. While you are free to respond as you wish, if you choose
not to waive your right, BSD faculty recommenders may decline your request to write a recommendation
letter or send a secondary school report. Should you decide to waive your right to access your (child’s)
confidential letters and/or statements of recommendation, you may revoke this waiver with respect to any
actions occurring after the revocation. To ensure that you fully understand the implications of your decision,
we urge you not to answer the waiver question until you have consulted with your counselor, another school
official, or your parent/legal guardian.
Initial: ______ I have fully read & understood the FERPA Release Authorization explanation above.
I authorize every school that I (my child) have/has attended to release all requested records and
recommendations to colleges to which I am applying for admission. I also authorize employees at these
colleges to confidentially contact my (my child’s) current and former schools should they have questions
about the information submitted on my behalf.
Please select one:
_______ I waive my right to review all recommendations and supporting documents submitted by me (my
child) or on my (child’s) behalf.
_______ I DO NOT waive my (child’s) right to review all recommendations and supporting documents
submitted by me (my child’s) or on my (child’s) behalf.
Initial: ______ I understand that my (child’s) waiver or no waiver selection above pertains to all colleges to
which I (my child) apply/applies.
Name: ______________________________________
High School: Sammamish High School
Signature: ___________________________________
Date: ________________________
If you are 18 or older, you do not need to obtain a parent signature.
Parent Name: _________________________________
Date: __________________
Parent Signature: ______________________________
Date: __________________
**This waiver is valid for up to one year
(Revised in June 17, 2015)
Sammamish High School Counselor Questionnaire
NAME: __________________________
To help your counselors write an engaging and honest letter, please answer all
questions as completely as you can. Include details, examples, and descriptions
as much as possible. This questionnaire is for your counselor only; if
everyone has the same information, your letters could be too similar.
The college application process is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your
eagerness and ability to participate in the intellectual rigor of college life.
1. List five adjectives that best describe you.
2. Describe your home life and family situation.
3. Choose one of your experiences from your volunteer, work or extracurricular activities
and explain how it changed you as a person.
4. What are you planning to study in college and why? Do you have any experience in this
field?
5. What do you think people who know you would be surprised to learn about you?
6. What are your strengths? Give examples that illustrate these strengths. What is your
biggest area of weakness? Why?
7. List three achievements in your life of which you are most proud and include dates.
8. What is your favorite quote and/or saying that sums up who you are as a person? Why
did you choose this one?
9. Describe a challenge or obstacle you have overcome in your life.
10. What are you passionate about? Give an example that illustrates your “passion”.
11. Describe any work – paid or volunteer – that you have undertaken while in high school.
12. Is there anything else you would like me to consider as I write your letter?
FAMILY BRAG SHEET
We know that parents/guardians/relatives have their own unique history and perspective on
students. If you have something you would like to share about your student, please take a few
minutes to answer the following questions about your student. We appreciate your input as
your student’s last year of high school gets underway! (*Please note that this sheet is informal
– we do not want anyone to be concerned with spelling or grammar and we will accept brag
sheets written in other languages as well. This is another avenue for us to understand your
student.)
1. Most often, we see your child as a student within the school environment; please share
something significant about your son or daughter that we would likely not see in school.
2. What would you describe as your child’s strengths? How do these strengths show up in
your household/day-to-day life?
3. As we write our letters, is there anything you would like us to know or consider about
your child?
*Sample Resume
Name
Address
Phone #
Email – if Available
Career Goal:
Education/Classes:
High School G.P.A.:
ACT:
SAT:
(Highlight rigorous, unique classes taken)
Honors and Awards
AP Scholar, (11)
Knight Valor Award for 100+ community service hours (11)
Washington All State Choir, (10, 11)
High School Activities
Big Picture Yearbook Staff (10, 11, 12)
-Editor in Chief (12)
BPS Swim Team (10, 11, 12)
-Varsity Team Captain (12)
BPS Choir (9, 10, 11, 12)
Spanish Club (9, 10, 11)
Community Activities
Meals on Wheels Volunteer (Summers, 2008-Present)
- Deliver 3-5 meals to senior citizens every Saturday throughout the year.
Church Youth Group (9, 10, 11, 12)
- Coordinated over 100 youth members for a 2-week mission trip.
Work Experience
Bellevue YMCA Summer Gymnastics Camp Instructor (2008-Present)
- 20 hours per week during the school year and 45 hours per week in the
summer.
Newport Way Library (2009-2010)
- Approximately 10 hours per week during the school year.
Interests
Diving – Greenbriar Pool Dive Team (6 years)
Dancing – Ballet, tap, jazz (10 years)