Naviance Student DirectionsLower Dauphin High School

College Application Process -- PLEASE ALLOW TWO WEEKS TO PROCESS ALL REQUESTS

  1. First … apply to the college or university directly through their website. Each college has their own application (usually found under “admissions”). Some schools use the Common Application – to learn more about those schools go to: The public state schools in PA also have an application system that they share so you can apply to multiple state schools at the same time ( You can also access college admissions websites through Naviance.
  1. Once you have applied to a college, you are ready to notify us and request that we send a transcript and letters of recommendation (if needed). In most cases, these documents will be uploaded electronically from our office directly to the college.** You must also submit a blue Transcript Release Form indicating we have your (and your parent’s) permission to send transcripts on your behalf.
  1. Log in to your account using your email address and password. If you changed it or can’t remember your password, click on “forgot your password” and you will get an email to re-set your password.
  1. Click on the COLLEGES tab. Then on COLLEGES I’M APPLYING TO.
  1. If you are using Common App, you will need to match your application/account. Follow the directions in the blue box at the top of the page.

  1. If you are NOT using Common App, click on the red “NOT NEEDED” note at the bottom right hand side of the box. You can change your mind on this and update it at a later time if you decide to apply to a Common App school.

Common Application Notes:

  • If you are applying through the Common Application, follow the directions in the blue box to match your Common App account with Naviance and complete the FERPA waiver and authorization on the Common App website. This will link your Common App college to Naviance so we can send your transcripts electronically.
  • Be sure to indicate if you are applying for any of the schools through the Common App when you add the school to your list
  • If your college uses Common App but you have chosen NOT to use the Common App, in the list to the right of the school name, indicate NO for Common App there
  • If you are using the Common Application, please direct teachers to complete the Teacher Evaluation Form in Naviance as well as upload their letter of recommendation. Your counselor will also complete the Secondary School Report for the Common Application through Naviance. All forms and letters will be sent electronically to the schools that you have indicated in your list of colleges to which you’ve applied using Common App.
  1. Now, you are ready toADD COLLEGES to your list:
  1. Click on the LOOK UP button and type in the name of your first school. The school will appear in the list.
  1. Indicate the type of admissions for which you are applying, if you have submitted your application and if you are requesting a transcript at this time. Scroll to the bottom of the screen to click ADD COLLEGES.

This is the only way for the Counseling Office to process your applications. It’s very important that you notify us you have submitted your application and request your transcript here!

Sending Test Scores:

  • SAT and/or ACT scores must be sent officially to colleges directly from the testing company (College Board for SAT, ACT for ACT)
  • LD does NOT send test scores – they are not available on your transcript!
  • To request official test scores, go to (for SAT) and/or (for ACT) and log in to your account. You can choose to send scores to the colleges where you have applied. Both companies will charge you a fee to send scores to each college if you didn’t arrange to have scores sent when you registered for the test initially.
  • IT CAN TAKE UP TO TWO WEEKS FOR COLLEGES TO RECEIVE YOUR SCORE

FOR ATHLETES… Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse

  • Go to the NCAA Eligibility Center at
  • Log into your account or create an account
  • Fill in all required information to apply to the Clearinghouse
  • Go to My Planner
  • Check Task List
  • Check box beside Official Transcript Needed then click on text “Click Here” to submit a request to college
  • Parchment landing page—be sure to create an account here!! You must create an account in this step so that Naviance can recognize that you need a transcript sent to the NCAA
  • Fill in personal information – only first name, last name, gender, and date of birth are required. Everything else is optional.
  • School Info – check box beside “I authorize NCAA Eligibility Center to request transcript on my behalf.” You will also need to request a final transcript at the end of the senior year.
  • You will receive confirmation once a transcript has been uploaded.
  • You should add the NCAA as a college you have applied to in Naviance as well.

Naviance Student DirectionsLower Dauphin High School

Requesting Teacher Recommendations

  1. Speak to your teachers and ASK them to write a letter of recommendation for you. Many teachers enjoy writing letters of recommendations; however, some teachers are asked to write quite a few each year. Please be RESPECTFUL OF THEIR TIME. Give them plenty of notice (at least two weeks in advance)!
  1. Pick a teacher or two who you have had recently and who know you well. You may also pick someone from outside the school (employer, coach, advisor of a community organization). Your counselor can/will write a letter for you as well – some colleges require a letter and form from the School Counselor.
  1. Complete the Student Bio Sheet in Naviance.
  2. Click on the ABOUT ME tab and theSTUDENT BIO SHEET is on the left hand side
  3. Teachers will have access to the Bio Sheet to write a thorough letter of recommendation for you. There’s a wide variety of information that they may not already know about you, so it’s important to answer each question thoughtfully. Be sure to click update at the bottom of the page to save your responses. You can change and update this form at any time.
  1. Once your teacher has agreed to write a letter, you must also request it through Naviance. This is where a teacher will upload a letter so that Mrs. Love can attach it to the rest of the items needed to complete your application.
  1. Under the COLLEGES tab, click on LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATIONS. You can also find the request button on the College Applications page – both links will get you to the next step.

  1. This next screen will allow you to manage the requests you have made for letters of recommendation. Click on the box to ADD A REQUEST

  1. Find the teacher you have asked in the pull down menu. Check the colleges that should receive their letter. NOTE: NOT ALL COLLEGES REQUIRE OR ACCEPT LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. You should only give the schools what they ask for unless you have special circumstances about which you need to make them aware. Before saving, type a simple thank you note in the box at the bottom – this note will be emailed to them and it is a notification that you have listed them as a recommender for your account. BE SURE TO SAVE IT WHEN YOU ARE DONE.
  1. You can check the status of your recommendations throughout this process.
  1. If you have asked someone outside of school to write a letter for you, that person must send it electronically to Mrs. Love () so she can upload it to your account and send it along with the other required documents.
  1. If you are using the Common Application, please direct teachers to complete the Teacher Evaluation Form in Naviance as well as upload their letter of recommendation. Your Counselor will also complete the Secondary School Report for the Common Application through Naviance. All forms and letters will be sent electronically to the schools that you have indicated in your list of colleges to which you’ve applied using Common App.

PS… Don’t forget to write a very simple thank you note to the teachers who have agreed to write a letter for you. A little politeness goes a long way!!

Naviance Student DirectionsLower Dauphin High School

Student Bio Sheet Directions

The start of the senior year brings excitement about the next phase of your education, but there is work to be done! The Student Bio Sheet is a survey designed to help teachers and counselors write letters of recommendation that represent the “real you”. This Bio Sheet is an important part of the process and we have made it easier for you to access it and provide that information to many people with just a click. While you are logged into Naviance, we would also encourage you to explore the college search features of this program along with the career surveys which may help you to narrow your career and/or major choices as you approach college planning.

Directions:

  1. Go to:
  2. Log in to your account using your email address and password (if we re-set it together, try falcons as your password). If you changed it or can’t remember your password, click on “forgot your password” and you will get an email to re-set your password.
  3. Click on “About Me” and then on the left side of the page, click on Student Bio Sheet. Begin the survey and save it when you are finished! You can make changes to this survey at any time and you should plan to update it throughout your senior year.