How to link Common App and Naviance
Preface: Knowing how to link Common App and Naviance is important because that’s how your school sends your transcript and approves you for a fee waiver. Know that you still have to add your colleges to Naviance even if you aren’t using Common App. Know that you don’t have to link Naviance to your Coalition App but you do have to link Common App and Naviance. If you’re interested, you can read my guide about how to waive your application fee for college here. Without further ado, let’s get into how to link Common App App and Naviance!
How to link Common App and Naviance
All colleges listed in your Common App Account will automatically sync in the “Colleges I’m Applying to” section in Naviance when you complete the Common App Account Matching. Refer to this video for assistance if you are applying via the Common App:
If you want the above video in words follow the instructions below:
How to “Match” your Common App and Naviance Accounts
The Process to link Naviance to Common App
1) Log on to your Naviance account
2) Click on “COLLEGES” to apply.
3) Click on MATCH ACCOUNTS.
4) Type your Common App Email address, and click on MATCH ACCOUNTS.
5) That’s it. Now you can connect your Common App and Naviance Accounts!
The Common App list should appear in Naviance on the list of colleges you are applying for.
*Note 1: Colleges that are not part of the Common App must be manually added to your Naviance account.
*Note 2: Colleges you add to your CommonApp account after you have matched your CommonApp to Naviance will need manually added to Naviance.
Here’s a more expanded way of linking Naviance and Common App
1. Login to your Common Application, or create one if one is not already available at commonapp.org. For your Common App account, use the same email address as in your Naviance account.
2. After you log in to Common App click the College Search tab and type in the name of a college to add it to your college lists.
3. Make sure to add your name and date of birth under the Common App tab. Next, go to Education and complete the first tab. Our school code number is 220105. Your high school graduation was in August 2015. Your counselor is either Donna Hubbard or Katie Gaspar. They are called “guidance counselors” in the College Info Sheet.
4. Common App – Click on the FERPA button and select a school from the ‘My Colleges” tab. Click here to sign your FERPA. Waiving your rights allows us to send your information directly to schools without your permission.
5. Login to your Naviance/Family Connection Account at http://connection.naviance.com/quabbinhs. Your Login is your Year Of Grad, first name and last name (all lowercase). If you have not reset your password, your Password will be your school ID. Paul Smith, for example, is in Class 2019. His username would be 19psmith.
6. After logging in to Naviance, go to the top tab ‘Colleges. Next, click on “Colleges that I’m Applying to” and then “match” your Naviance/Family Connection email address in the box.
7. You can also add schools to your school list from the same screen. Check the details of how you apply to this school (college specific application, common app etc.). Verify that Naviance matches your application deadline (consider your particular major).
8. Naviance – Click on Transcripts to the left of the tab ‘Colleges’ to view how to request transcripts. In Guidance, you will also need to fill out the PURPLE Transcript Request form.
9. Naviance – Click on the “Colleges” tab and click on Letters of Recommendation to see how you can request a letter of recommendation from your counselor and teacher. However, you will need to ask the teacher in person before you can request them via Naviance. You also have to submit a PINK Request Form for each recommendation!
Important Information: You will apply to colleges using Common Application, Send EDU, or online directly to the college (there are a few college applications you still mail in). If you are submitting test scores then you MUST submit SAT or ACT test scores directly from the testing organization. All transcript requests and letters of recommendation must now be sent through Naviance.
Please check with your guidance counselor regarding mid-year reports for colleges. Mid-year reports provide an update report on your grades, schedule, as well as any other information. If you need assistance, Naviance/Family Connection has links to tutorials and instructions. Common Application is not the place to request a recommendation letter from a counselor or teacher. This will slow down the process and freeze the whole process. Use Naviance to submit your request!
If you are NOT applying via Common App, follow these steps to add:
1. From Naviance Student, navigate to Colleges > Colleges I’m applying to.
2. Click the Add button (Pink Plus) in the upper right
3. Use the dropdown to select which college you are applying to. Begin typing the school to see potential matches.
4. Use the dropdown to select the App Type (regular, early decision, etc.).
5. Use the dropdown to select how you will submit your application or use the check box to indicate it’s already been submitted.
6. Finally, select Add Application. Now the college is added to your Colleges I’m Applying To section.
Before you match Naviance and common app make sure you’ve completed the following items in the Common App
Completion of the General Section of Your Common App (everything in the COMMON-APP tab).
Add all colleges you are interested in applying to under the COLLEGE SELCH tab.
Completion of the FERPA section and Recommendations section. Go to the MY COLLEGIES tab on the Common App, and click the first college that is listed under your MY CULTURES tab. Click on RECOMMENDERS under APPLICATION.
Click on COMPLETE RENTAL AUTHORIZATION. Next, click on the box “I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD” and then click CONTINUE. Click on the box I ACKNOWLEDGE EVERY SCHOOL , then click on
I WAIVE ALL RECOMMENDATIONS & SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FROM ME.
Next, click on “I UNDERSTAND THE MY WAIVER” and then type your full name.
Click on SAVE and CLOSE.
NOTE: The above cannot be modified.
What conning Common App and Naviance allows:
Two things are possible by connecting your Common App account to your Naviance account. It informs Naviance that you have signed the FERPA. This allows your high school to send you information (such as transcripts and letters of recommendation) to the colleges you are applying to. You also waive your right to see your letters of recommendations. The second is that once you have added the colleges you wish to apply to in your Common App, Naviance will automatically import the list under the tab “Colleges That I’m Applying to”. You won’t need to search Naviance for them and list them separately – this saves you a lot of time and effort!
How to request a letter of recommendation from your teacher in Naviance | How to link Common App and Naviance
Not every college uses Naviance. For example, for MIT you just request your recommendation letters by putting the emails of your teachers and counselor in MIT’s special application portal. However, if a college does use Naviance your school counselor will send your transcript and counselor recommendation letter via Naviance. Your teacher recommendations will also send your recommendations via Naviance. You need to select the teachers who you want to recommend you via Naviance. The steps to do this are as follows:
- In your Naviance, select “Colleges,” then “Letters of Recommendation”
- Click on “Add Request”
- Select the teacher(s) from whom you would like a recommendation, add a personal note, and then select “Submit Request”
- Your teacher will receive an automatic email notification of your request!
Getting an optional letter of recommendation
If you want to submit an optional letter of recommendation, such as from an employer or coach, they won’t submit their recommendation in Naviance. You can either invite the “other recommender” on Common App, or have your recommender send the LOR directly to the college via email or mail.
Complete a blag sheet in Naviance for your rec letters
This is not a step in how to link Common App Naviance, but your teachers and counselors might want you to complete some sort of brag sheet in Naviance where you basically tell them your extracurriculars. They will use this when completing your letter of recommendation for college. You can find the brag sheet your school assigned you by clicking “Surveys from your school”
Then you’ll be on this page. For me, my brag sheet was called “Lane senior info sheet”:
