The School Counselor and Letters of Recommendation

(Adopted 2020, revised 2026)

ASCA Position

School counselors draw on research in college admissions that demonstrates the importance of letters of recommendation within holistic review processes and the need for equitable, ethical and informed practices when developing them. To guide this work, school counselors rely on the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which is a federal statute protecting students’ rights regarding educational records. 

The Rationale

As student advocates, school counselors use best practices to help each and every student achieve their aspirations. School counselors recognize that letters of recommendation play a significant role in holistic admissions decisions, as they are currently required by more than 250 selective colleges (Common App, 2024). Letters of recommendation offer deeper insight into students’ personal qualities, providing context about their opportunities and backgrounds. In addition, it has been found that often “the letters are used not only to determine admissibility but also to determine eligibility for scholarships and honors invitations” (Akos and Kretchmar, 2016, p. 102). School counselors help students and their families understand the value of letters of recommendation.
 
School counselors are familiar with inequities in college admissions processes. Higher education research indicates that students from lower-income backgrounds are not only less likely to receive letters of recommendation but also receive letters of lower quality than those written for their more affluent peers (Nicola, 2023). Practices such as declining to write letters due to missed deadlines, failing to explicitly teach students how to request letters or providing unequal support to first-generation students and other historically marginalized populations can unintentionally reinforce systemic inequities (Nicola, 2023). School counselors work to mitigate the impact of injustice and inequity and support each and every student in achieving their goals beyond high school.

The School Counselor's Role

School counselors’ letters of recommendation are especially valuable because school counselors compare students across the entire school and offer a broader perspective than teachers (Kim et al., 2025). These letters offer deeper insight into students’ personal qualities, providing context about their opportunities and backgrounds. When students request letters of recommendation, school counselors must balance their support for students by using a strengths-based approach (beneficence) while maintaining honest, conscientious communication without harm to students (nonmaleficence). As school leaders and advocates, school counselors help staff, students and their families understand the legal and ethical practices with an impact on letters of recommendation, as well as the role these letters play in admission processes and future employment opportunities. School counselors also understand the benefits of collaborating with admissions professionals (Savitz, et al., 2026) when writing letters of recommendation. 
 
School counselors understand that offering to provide letters of recommendation cannot be made conditional on waiving one’s rights under FERPA (Family Policy Compliance Office [FPCO], 2005). They also understand that an educational agency or institution may not require parents/guardians or students to waive the protections and rights afforded to them under FERPA (U.S. Department of Education, 2023) as a condition of acceptance into an institution or for the receipt of educational services.
 
In regard to letters of recommendation, school counselors:
  • Seek out resources to educate themselves on how to write an ethical/unbiased letter
  • Maintain familiarity with federal and state laws and local school board policies concerning personal identifiable information
  • Include personal identifiable information only with dated, written consent of the student and/or parents/guardians
  • Educate students and their families on the impact of waiving FERPA rights 
  • Provide teachers and administrators with training, orientation and consultation regarding writing letters of recommendation (National Association for College Admission Counseling, 2024)
  • Work to gather ample information before writing a letter of recommendation about a student they do not know well, given that generic letters of recommendation are less effective
  • Do not sign letters of recommendation they have not written
  • Provide the substantive content, evaluation and endorsement expressed in the letter, only using artificial intelligence tools to assist with minor editing for clarity or grammar if necessary (Cha & Chung, n.d.; Dickstein-Fischer, et al., 2025), as AI-generated letters that do not accurately represent the recommender’s firsthand knowledge undermine the purpose of the recommendation process and are strongly discouraged (Cha & Chung, n.d.) 

Summary

There are many legal and ethical implications associated with writing letters of recommendation for students. School counselors are aware of these implications and apply them in their practice. Additionally, school counselors communicate these best practices to students, their families and educators to best support students as they seek employment and postsecondary opportunities.

References

Akos, P. & Kretchmar, J. (2016). Gender and ethnic bias in letters of recommendation: Considerations for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 20(1), 102. https://doi.org/10.5330/1096-2409-20.1.102
 
American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
 
Cha, M. & Chung, L. H. (n.d.). College recs made simple: Tips, tricks and time-savers [Conference presentation recording]. National Association for College Admission Counseling.
 
Common App. (2024). 2024–25 requirements grid template. content.commonapp.org/Files/ReqGrid.pdf
 
Dickstein-Fischer, L., Krell, M. M. & Godbout, S. (2025). Mitigating school counselor burnout: Exploring the ethical dimensions of AI assistance in writing letters of recommendation. Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision, 6(1), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.61888/2692-4129.1126
 
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g (1974). law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/1232g
 
Family Policy Compliance Office. (2005). Letter to College of Southern Maryland.studentprivacy.ed.gov/resources/letter-college-southern-maryland
 
Harris, A. (2019, June 7). The education scandal that’s bigger than Varsity Blues. The Atlantic.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/05/education-scandals-bigger-varsity-blues/590137/
 
Kim, B. H., Park, J. J., Lo, P., Baker, D., Wong, N., Breen, S., Truong, H., Zheng, J., Rosinger, K. & Poon, O. A. (2025). Letters of recommendation by high school counselors in selective college admissions: Differences by race and socioeconomic status in letter length and topics discussed. Research in Higher Education, 66(5), Article 30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-025-09847-5
 
National Association for College Admission Counseling. (2024). Fundamentals of college admissions counseling: A textbook for graduate students and practicing counselors (6th ed.).
 
National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). The condition of education: Young adult educational and employment outcomes by family socioeconomic status. nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_tbe.asp
 
Nicola, T. P. (2023). Connecting both sides of the “admission desk”: Contextual data from high school counselors and factors influencing its quality (Publication No. 30489878) [Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
 
Savitz-Romer, M., Nicola, T., DiLorenzo, J., Ha, J., Desiderio, A., Muñoz Gálvez, S. & O’Brien, M. (2026). Necessary, but insufficient: School counselors’ informal learning experiences with writing letters of recommendation. Journal of College Access, 11(1), Article 4.
 
U.S. Department of Education. (2023, November 28). Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.htm