Common App- When to send request for recommenders?

[Nicholas_mom]

Are you supposed to send the recommender request before or after you submit an application through the Common App?  Ds is working on his Common App essay.  When he is done, he will submit his application.  So while he is working on his essay, shouldn't he send out the request for recommendation to his recommenders now even though he has not press submit for his application to schools, yet?

 

[Clear Creek]

Send the recommender requests before submitting the application. After the application is submitted the recommender can still upload the recommendation, but I am not sure the student can make changes to the application like adding new recommenders - the student is only supposed to submit a completed application since it immediately goes to the schools. Also, you want to give recommenders as much time as possible - no matter how much they promise to get it done in a timely manner, they often leave it until the deadline is quite near.

[Nicholas_mom]

Thank you!  I was not aware that, after submittal, the student was not able to send out recommender requests.  We were thinking he had to submit his application first.

Thank you for the heads up!!!

[Farrar]

Always give your recommenders as much lead time as possible. No reason to wait to ask them - quite the opposite.

[EKS]

I would ask the recommenders informally as soon as possible. You can do the formal request through the common app after that. It is not necessary to have submitted the common app before you send the formal request out.