You should give your teacher a copy of the common app Teacher Rec Form. And then give them envelopes (addressed, return addressed, and stamped)... one for each common app college you are applying to. Then the teacher will fill out the Rec Form (but not the first part which is for you to fill out) and then will probably copy it numerous times, put each copy in an envelope, and send it off to the school.
Oh, and don't forget to tell them the dates that the applications are due (so if you're applying to UofC early, they need to have mailed the envelope by Nov 1, if not sooner).
Check with your school/guidance though. My school has the teacher hand in the recc to guidance so the teacher doesn't have to go through the hassle of sending it to 10 plus schools.
On the Common App, the bottom left menu item is "School Forms."
Click that.
Then you can add "Recommenders" as either teachers or counselors. Put in their name and email address and Common App will email a link (I believe) to the teachers/counselors and they can fill in the data.
You can't submit directly online using a link on the Common App website.
It says: "Some schools also allow completion of the forms electronically by your instructors as well, though you should confirm with your counselor for appropriate guidance."
That means that some colleges let you submit them electronically, some don't. So its really just easier to have the teachers do it on a hard copy, and it really isn't that much more work. They fill out the rec form 1 time, copy it (using a copy machine, duh) for each school your applying to, fold it, and put it in the envelope. Its really not that much more work, except that they have to hand write the recommendation (which is really only an extended paragraph) instead of typing. Not too much to ask.
agree with greenlantern. There is a link under the school forms button that says 'invite' then you put in their name, email etc. Then the teacher/GC gets an e-mail asking them to submit their recs online. Then you go back in, under each college, and choose which ones to send to that school. You don't see their rec, just their name. This way, the GC/teacher puts it on once, and then you can send it to as many schools as you want, whenever you want. It should be slick on 12/31 with the last minute dash.
Why do you ask? I would assume that all schools that use common app allow you to give recommendations online. That is sort of the whole point...not having to submit information to a thousand different schools in different forms.
