<p>What sized envelopes are you supposed to use? are the standard sized ones ok? because 8x11 envelopes are a big waste of paper for 1-2 sheets of paper
also, is it OK if the common app’s recommendation sheet is printed front to back? I know for some schools they don’t like to have the essays printed doublesided.</p>
<p>Wasting paper should not be a concern for you if you are applying to school. As many professors have told me, “Paper is cheap! Knowledge is what is important.” Seriously, would you want to risk annoying adcom because you didn’t want to spend a $1 to buy an envelope or a few cents because you didn’t want to pay the postage? Also, why don’t you submit this stuff online? </p>
<p>Regarding your letters of rec. do your schools offer online submission? I find this to be the best and most efficient way of getting your letters in. </p>
<ol>
<li>Traceability - You ensure that your rec will get there.</li>
<li>No preview option. I think by law, you are allowed to look at your recommendations before submitting (I know grad school you can) but essentially online you can waive this right so school’s know there’s no tampering. </li>
<li>Speed - If the deadline is tomorrow at 12 midnight, and your recommender hasn’t sent it in, you’re screwed. If it’s online, Bink! It can get submitted very quickly.</li>
</ol>
<p>If you can’t online submit it, I do believe it is okay to send it in in a small envelope. There should be instructions for every school how to do this so you’ll need to contact adcom. Otherwise, a pretty generic way to do it is to have the recommender sign the envelope over the seal on the back demonstrating that the seal has never been broken. </p>
<p>Also, when you submit your items, do it in .pdf if it’s allowed. Every text editor is a little different and every version of MSWORD is different. You don’t want crazy fonts or weird spacing to occur. PDF is the safest way to go for essays, resumes, cover letters, etc.</p>