Is It Good to Upload Letters of Recommendations

Perchance yous spent the last twelvemonth interning in a business and know your supervisor could write a stellar letter about your work ethic and passion for economics. Or you lot have a long term music teacher who can speak to your lifelong dedication to playing the piano. Or maybe you attend a school with thousands of students and feel like you lot've barely said 10 words to your counselor or classroom teachers all year long.

If any of these scenarios hits home, and then you lot might exist considering sending a supplemental recommendation letter along with your college application. Before sending any actress materials, though, you should think hard nigh whether it's the right form of action. This guide will talk over when information technology'south appropriate to send supplemental recommendations and when you'd be better off holding back.

To start, what are some reasons students retrieve they should send an additional rec letter?

Why Might You Send a Supplemental Recommendation Letter of the alphabet?

If y'all've worked closely with someone outside of schoolhouse, like a mentor, studio instructor, employer, counselor, coach, or spiritual leader, then you might consider request him/her to provide y'all with a supplemental letter of recommendation.

Earlier going ahead and making your asking, consider what exactly your reasons are. Below, I'll talk over some good reasons for sending a supplemental rec, followed by some not and so proficient reasons for sending one. If your reasons fall into the former category, then your adjacent footstep is to detect out how your colleges feel about additional recs. Every school is different, which you'll see in some of the official policies below.

Earlier delving into that, though, accept a look at some stiff and weak reasons for sending an extra recommendation.

Strong Reasons to Send a Supplementary Recommendation

These are a few good reasons to consider submitting a supplemental recommendation, if your college allows it. Think about whether any of these reasons apply to you and your extra rec letter.

It Adds an Essential Perspective

Peradventure the best reason is that this recommendation would provide a valuable and unique perspective on yous as a student and person that your other recommendation letters would not.

Recommendations should shed light on your personal qualities, goals, and attitude toward learning, so a supplemental rec must be especially meaningful and revealing to justify sending with your application.

Some students feel that their awarding would be incomplete without input from this recommender. For case, a spiritual leader might exist able to discuss the central part that religion and community service has played in your life. A research project advisor could talk about your higher-level investigations in the lab. In some mode, this person could add something essential that you feel admissions officers need to know. In this case, a supplemental letter could have a positive impact on your awarding.

You Barely Know Your Academic Recommenders

Some other reason you might consider adding a letter of the alphabet—assuming you take a special recommender in mind—is to brand up for lackluster messages from school officials you barely know.

If you attended a huge schoolhouse with large student to teacher and student to counselor ratios, then information technology may have been next to impossible to get to know your recommenders well. Perhaps you're worried that your letters will be generic, impersonal, and vague.

In this situation, I would offset and foremost recommend setting up appointments with your counselor and teachers to discuss your goals and what you'd like to become into your letter, as well as give them a detailed resume and brag sheet. If you know that your messages volition still be bereft, then adding a supplemental rec from someone who knows you well could be a reasonable grade of action.

Finally, some colleges actually suggest that you add a not-academic perspective to your application.

Your College Suggests Information technology

Some colleges explicitly encourage, though don't require, the submission of a personal recommendation, every bit from a peer, family member, spiritual leader, or other source. Any time your schoolhouse encourages that you ship something, it'southward a skillful idea to send that material.

At present that y'all accept a sense of some good reasons that justify sending a supplemental recommendation, let's take a look at the flip side. What are some bad reasons for sending an actress letter?

Weak Reasons to Send a Supplementary Recommendation

Sending a supplemental rec is only a practiced idea if you lot really have put a lot of thought and intention backside it. Bank check out some reasons that don't support sending an actress letter.

You lot Remember "More Is Ameliorate"

If y'all're sending 1 simply because you retrieve it's a good thought to go across what the college requires, think again!

Many admissions officers expect unfavorably on extra, unsolicited textile, especially if it doesn't add much beyond what'due south already at that place. Requirements are in that location for a reason; colleges tin determine on an application based on what they asked for, and they by and large don't desire students to transport lots of extra materials and slow downwards the review procedure.

Again, each college is dissimilar, which we'll hash out in more detail below. Simply if you're only sending an extra letter for the sake of sending an extra letter of the alphabet, then that's not a good enough reason to exercise so. Or put some other way, don't assume that more is ameliorate without beginning researching your colleges' policies.

In a like vein, extra textile could actually shine a spotlight on, rather than distract from, weaknesses in other parts of your awarding.

Yous Want to Make Upward for Weaknesses in Your Application

Some other weak reason is that you think an additional letter volition brand up for other parts of your application. In fact, your supplemental letter could have the opposite upshot by alerting admissions committees that you lot feel insecure about the strength of your candidacy. An actress recommendation won't necessarily balance out a weak extracurricular section.

There'due south an erstwhile saying in admissions, "The thicker the file, the thicker the kid." This saying ways that students who send also many additional documents may non have the credentials to get accepted based on the required materials. A bunch of extras could enhance red flags, rather than impress admissions officers, nigh your merit.

Your Parents Know the Mayor

Another mistake, though not all that common, is that students send a rec from a famous or prestigious person, thinking the name will stand out and print admissions officers.

Every bit discussed above, messages should come from people who know y'all well and can requite you lot a meaningful evaluation. A famous recommender won't impress the committee on its own; if yous don't actually know the person, just just accept a family connectedness, it could come off every bit superficial name-dropping.

You Don't Trust Your Academic Recommenders

I mentioned above that a supplemental rec can brand up for generic academic recommendations. However, this applies if and only if you have a special external recommender in mind. Plus, y'all should have a strong reason for needing to rely on an outside source, like a huge high school with low teacher or counselor interaction.

If y'all had the opportunity to get to know your faculty, just still feel like strangers, so you should push yourself to connect with them more than by participating in form and setting up meetings.

If you don't know your teachers or counselor well or don't trust them to do a proficient chore, you lot should jump into action (those teacher and advisor recs are of import!). At that place are steps yous can take to meet with your recommenders and share data that volition help them personalize your letter.

Again, i f this is your only reason for request an external recommender, but you don't have a special person in mind, then you'd probably be amend off communicating with your teachers and counselors and doing everything yous can to help them produce effective letters.

As well examining and evaluating your personal reasons for wanting to transport a supplemental rec, you should besides research your colleges' policies. Schools have different stances, but they as well repeat some of the aforementioned themes, as you lot'll encounter beneath.

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Never a adept idea to overwhelm admissions officers with lots of extra materials.

How Do Colleges Feel Near Supplemental Recommendations?

There aren't likewise many colleges that outright prohibit supplementary letters of recommendation, but some advise caution or subtly discourage their submission. A higher, for instance, might state that it shaped its requirements intentionally and don't want applicants to send more than or less than what they asked for.

Other colleges stress that a supplemental recommendation is only a good idea if it really adds something important and substantial to "the story of you." This stance puts pressure on you to decide whether or non your letter is worth sending.

A few other schools, like Emory, actually invite a personal recommendation. Again, any time a school suggests that you do something extra, make sure to practice it! Consider it like whatsoever other requirement.

You lot may be able to find this information on your higher's admissions website. If not available—some sites are more detailed than others—and then give the admissions office a call and ask how the committee feels most supplemental recs. It'southward important to do your enquiry on all aspects of your application.

To help y'all out, we've compiled some statements from a few schools on supplemental recommendations. Note the frequent emphasis that it must add together something substantial to your application to justify sending it along.

Select Schools and Their Stances on Supplemental Recommendation Letters

Perhaps the students who are most guilty of sending unnecessary extra material are those applying to selective schools. In trying to stand out from the competition, they send boosted materials. Nevertheless, you lot'll see that some of these selective schools also desire y'all to be extremely selective near what you send...

Yale says,

"If you feel the demand to submit actress information, you may ask one additional recommender to write on your behalf. Please practice not solicit this boosted alphabetic character unless yous feel it will add together substantially to your awarding. The writer should know you well personally or have mentored you closely in some capacity. For instance, if you have engaged in avant-garde scientific research, you lot should consider asking your research mentor to write a letter of recommendation for you."

Columbia is more than specific about what external source can recommend you (and more explicit nigh discouraging supplemental recs):

"We welcome an additional letter of recommendation if the writer has worked with yous in a researcher or college course capacity...The Committee discourages the submission of boosted recommendations, as admissions decisions will be based primarily on the required recommendations from your high schoolhouse teachers and secondary school/guidance counselor."

The University of Penn also allows one extra alphabetic character:

"If an applicant would similar to submit another letter of recommendation beyond this requirement, nosotros strongly recommend that information technology is not from some other bookish teacher. Examples of an advisable recommender include an athletic coach, an internship or inquiry supervisor, a boss at a role-fourth dimension job, or a local clergy member. These additional recommendations are only helpful if the recommender knows the student personally and can write specifically about him or her."

Princeton doesn't exactly encourage supplementals, merely information technology allows them if they provide something novel and meaningful:

"We believe that the required teacher and guidance counselor references requite us much of the information we need to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions. Boosted messages are only helpful if the person writing the recommendation knows the candidate well and can provide new, detailed information."

Brown similarly emphasizes that supplementals must go above and beyond the other letters:

"In our experience, the required counselor recommendation and 2 teacher recommendations provide all nosotros need to make a thoughtful, informed access decision. If, however, someone has unique knowledge of certain strengths or accomplishments that would not be addressed in the required recommendations, you are welcome to accept another person write on your behalf."

Vanderbilt draws on the same theme in a succinct mode, emphasizing quality over quantity:

"If students wish to submit additional messages of recommendation from teachers, coaches, employers, or anyone else who can bring something new to the application, they may include those as well. We strongly advise that these extra letters offering boosted data about the applicant, and we encourage a "quality—over—quantity" approach."

Are you applying to MIT? Here'due south what they take to say:

"Almost applicants, and almost admitted students, submit no supplemental recommendations. Some applicants and admitted students submit one supplemental recommendation; a few submit two. Submitting more supplemental recommendations will non disqualify y'all, but it is rarely necessary."

Sensing a theme? Quality beats quantity every fourth dimension. If you're sending a supplemental rec, brand sure information technology truly adds something substantial, important, and not to be missed.

Does this sound like a tough call to make? Read on for assist on deciding whether or non your supplemental rec is worth sending.

How to Decide Whether or Not to Send a Supplemental Recommendation

As yous can tell, you only want to transport a supplemental rec if y'all feel it can truly help your application. Sending one for no practiced reason could really leave a bad impression with admissions officers, effectively making your extra work not just unnecessary, only even harmful to your chances of getting accepted.

Assuming your school allows y'all to submit an extra recommendation online or past mail, you lot should think about your reasons, along with researching your colleges' policies, earlier asking your supplemental recommender for a letter.

First, ask yourself if this letter adds value and insight to your application that's not already there. What exactly does it communicate, and why is it important for admissions officers to know this almost y'all? What new dimension does it add—perhaps related to community service, professional work, long term mentorship, or college level research—and how is this side of y'all relevant to your success at college? By pinpointing your specific reasons for sending this alphabetic character, you can make certain it will add together to your application in a substantial fashion.

If you have stiff reasons for sending it and your college allows it, then a supplemental letter of the alphabet could round out your application and ensure that admissions officers know everything about you that they demand to make a well-informed determination.

On the flip side, don't stress if y'all don't have that special recommender outside of schoolhouse! As Dark-brown says, and most schools agree, "In our feel, the required...recommendations provide all nosotros need to make a thoughtful, informed admission decision."

What's Next?

Not only is it of import to think carefully about why and who you're asking for a supplemental recommendation, but you also desire to put the aforementioned planning into who you ask for teacher recommendations. Check out this guide to larn nearly who you should ask for a letter of rec.

One time you're clear on all your requirements, you want to make sure you collect the strongest letters you can. This guide explains what makes a stiff letter of recommendation, and what you tin can do to assist your teachers and counselors write the all-time ones possible.

Finally, considering the perspective on the other side will also assistance you lot get the most effective recommendation letters for your application. Learn nigh what exactly admissions officers are looking for when the read recommendation letters, and why they're and so important to your application.

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Almost the Author

Rebecca graduated with her Main'due south in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and higher counseling experience and is passionate almost helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.

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Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/supplemental-recommendation-letters

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