There are three ways counselors can tackle letters of recommendation for non-school staff members. These external recommenders could be ex-staff members, teachers from a previous high school, or external mentors/coaches.
1st Way: Add a new staff member account called External Recommender or Ex High School Teacher
The email id can be the counselor's alternate contact details. Set the role as Teacher. This way, you can have all external recommenders email the counselor the letter of recommendation, and the counselor can upload the letter under this External Recommender. Click here to learn how to upload letters on behalf of teachers.
2nd Way: Add the external recommender via the team section entering their contact information
This option is recommended for ex-high school teachers or recommenders that might be common for multiple students. This will allow students to submit a request to the external recommender via Cialfo. The recommender can then login to their Cialfo account to upload the letter and complete the evaluation form. Once the counselor has sent out all the letters, this user can be deactivated from the system. Thus ensuring that no other student can send a request, and the user will no longer have access to their Cialfo account.
3rd Way: Have the student add them as an 'Other Recommender' on Common App.
