Counselor Letter - heading, closing, formatting

[yvonne]

Did you follow standard business letter format for the counselor letter? 

 

I don't have a pretty letterhead graphic. Please tell me I don't need one.

 

 

 

Sender's address  (my CA registered school "name" & address?)

(Sender's telephone?)

 

Date

 

Dear sir or madam:     (Or did you use some other salutation?)

 

Body  (Paragraphs not indented. Skip a line between paragraphs.)

 

Sincerely,   (Or another closing?)

 

my name

 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I used the following

 

 

 

To whom it may concern,

 

<body, one line between paragraphs no indent>

 

 

Thank you,

PinkyandtheBrains

email

 

 

 

 

 

ETA I didn't attach it as a file, I copy pasted the letter into the space provided instead. 

Edited October 29, 2017 by PinkyandtheBrains.

[workingmom]

I used a header footer in word for the homeschool on top and phone email on bottom.  standard letter format and copied signature image into space above typed name. saved as pdf and sent pdf

[regentrude]

I used no salutation, no header, no closing.

I had a footer that said "Counselor letter studentname" or something like that on the bottom of the page, in case the document got separated. The same letter is for all schools on the Common app. I don't know the name of the name of the admissions person. 

 

For DS who had to send his letter directly to the school, I had a heading "Counselor letter for studentname"

The header and address and to whom it may concern went on the cover letter I sent with the package of application documents.

Edited October 29, 2017 by regentrude

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I just checked.  For any that I submitted electronically, I did not have a header or closing.  I did have the student name in full in the first paragraph.  I also commented that since he was homeschooled, I was responding not only has a long-time teacher and counselor, but also as his parent.  

 

I do like Regentrude's idea about having a footer with the document title and student name, although I think most of my counselor docs were copy pasted into a text box.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Just checking my understanding...

 If you upload the document, a header/footer, signature, etc might be a good idea, but if the letter is copy/pasted into the text box those are unnecessary. Is that correct?

[RootAnn]

Okay, I tied this out. FYI, you have a 1000 word limit in the text box.

If you use the text box, it is put inline as part of the application on a page which clearly has your kid's name & Common App number at the top. A header/footer would be unnecessary, IMO. I'm not sure about putting your name at the bottom--you could probably skip that as well since it is almost directly below the answer to the question about how you know the applicant. 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

1 hour ago, RootAnn said:

Okay, I tied this out. FYI, you have a 1000 word limit in the text box.

This is part of my quandary. I wanted to have it in the text box, but then I need to cut a bit more. I wonder if it makes a difference either way? (Text box or upload)

[yvonne]

FWIW, I ended up writing the letter and uploading it. I'm not sure if the formatting would have been preserved if I'd put it in the text box. (Can't get the formatting below to work; it did NOT look like this! The name of school was in bold. Skipped a line between home phone and "Student: ..." Skipped a line between  "CAID:...." and the salutation "Dear Sir or Madam:"   I thought it came out looking pretty well and professional!

Name of school  (We're in CA and used a Private School Affidavit, so we had to have a name on our yearly PSA submission. I used that.)

our street address

home telephone

Student: ....

CAID: ...  (the common app student ID number)

Dear Sir or Madam:

[body of letter]

Sincerely,

my name

Homeschool Parent/ Administrator