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Recommender Resources
Teachers and counselors: Find out how recommendations are submitted and what makes them stand out.
Teachers and counselors can provide valuable insights into students' academic performance and/or personal character through recommendations. The School Report (counselor recommendation) can provide a sense of how a student stands out within their class at school. These letters are an important part of the application review process, and we greatly appreciate the time that educators take to submit recommendations for their students.
Teacher recommendations and the School Report are submitted via unique links emailed to the educator once they are registered as a student's recommender or counselor. If a student applying to the National College Match is named a Finalist, their letters of recommendation and School Report that were submitted to QuestBridge are then forwarded along to the college partner(s) where the student is applying. Any materials that are not submitted by the QuestBridge deadline can be sent directly to the colleges for consideration.
Recommendations and references
A reference or a recommendation is an application component for the College Prep Scholars Program and/or the National College Match. The online recommendation form includes questions about the student's academic performance and personal qualities, as well as space to include a letter of recommendation.
Important Note: QuestBridge does not accept additional recommendations. If a student is interested in submitting additional letters alongside their National College Match application, they will need to contact colleges directly to determine whether they are willing to accept them.
College Prep Scholars Program
For the College Prep Scholars Program application for high school juniors, applicants need to obtain:
- One reference from a high school teacher in a core academic subject, preferably from 10th or 11th grade.
National College Match
For the National College Match application for high school seniors, applicants need to obtain:
- Two recommendations from high school teachers in core academic subjects, preferably from 11th grade.
- A School Report from a current high school counselor.
Writing recommendations
One of the goals of the recommendation is to help us and our college partners understand a student as a person and how they contribute to their community. Strong letters of recommendation can differentiate a student among a large pool of applicants. When writing about a student's qualities, we encourage you to be as specific as possible, providing examples or stories when applicable.
Focusing on the student's personal qualities, work in class, or engagement with the school community will help to paint a fuller picture of who they are outside of their grades and test scores. Providing context about the school environment, opportunities available to students, and/or restrictions related to course offerings will help to round out the reader's understanding of the student's experience. Review our AskQB article to learn more about what student traits or characteristics we encourage you to share in your recommendation.
Submitting recommendations
When students register recommenders in their application, the recommender will automatically receive an email from QuestBridge with a unique link to the recommendation form. Watch our QuestTips video to learn more about how recommendations are submitted: