<p>Hi! I was fortunate enough to be able to do an internship with Stanford this summer (through SIMR, so it wasn't a back-door connection), and I was hoping to have my mentor write a recommendation letter for me when I apply to Stanford. The thing is, I'm also planning on sending in an arts supplement, which is supposed to be accompanied by a rec from an arts instructor. I think that I would be allowed to send in the letter from my mentor (since it's not from a teacher, and the website said we could, if someone besides an instructor could offer additional insight), but should I? I know that colleges don't want to read extraneous letters of recommendation, but I do think that this letter would address parts of my personality not covered in the other letters. Does anyone have any advice on this?</p>
<p>Only submit an additional letter if it will add EXTREMELY IMPORTANT information not found in other parts of your application. Remember that it isn’t necessary to have your application/recommendations convey every part of your personality…just the most important parts that define you as a person. </p>
<p>But you should be cautious…given the amount of reading they have to do, any additional info may cause them to dislike you. Since they’ll already be reading additional info for your app (music supplement evaluation by the faculty), I wouldn’t submit an additional letter.</p>
<p>I submitted a letter of rec from my research mentor and it worked in my favor - in the little personalized note the admissions committee writes to each admitted applicant, the extra rec letter was specifically mentioned. That’s not to say everyone should just throw extra letters at Admissions - that won’t help - but if you legitimately believe something novel is communicated through the letter (and the person writing it really really likes you), then don’t be scared away. They’re not going to throw your application out because they got ****ed off by an extra sheet of paper.</p>
<p>Thank you for your inputs~ I sent them the basic question to them too, and this was the reply: </p>
<p>The submission of the Arts Supplement requires one letter of support from an
Art instructor or mentor. In addition to the required letter from the Art
instructor, you are welcome to submit an extra letter as the Optional one.</p>
<p>No word on whether it would annoy them, so I’ll have to make my best guess ):</p>
<p>I really don’t think admissions officers at a school like Stanford are so finnicky that they’d reject a good application because you made them read one extra page of writing. I submitted a short extra rec from a private music teacher, my art supplement letter, and two teacher recs plus counselor supplement and I wasn’t rejected</p>
<p>The Arts Supplement isn’t that big of a deal. I know someone with horrible training in performing arts, yet still turned in an art supplement to Stanford and was accepted. It was really quite shocking, but basically just goes to show that the admissions staff at Stanford have no real artistic experience in the performing arts. So, if it helped the person I know, then send it in. This person had less than 2 hours a week of training for 3 years with no training in the summer, poorly qualified teachers and very limited experience. Grades and Test scores were strong, but not ‘amazing.’ Maybe being a minority was a benefit for this person. Still…</p>
<p>^^I would be wary of taking any advice from someone who has no connections to Stanford whatsoever…as alumni, student, or parent…especially when this individual has insulted the admissions staff as having “no real artistic experience in the performing arts”:
</p>
<p>…and to insult the talent level of a minority student who was accepted…sounds like sour grapes…
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<p>…did you have access to the entire file of the applicant …including their “life story”, potential struggles, this student’s other achievements, essays, recommendations, knowledge of this student’s character, passion, creativity, authenticity…I think not.</p>
<p>Please…stop the insults. You are not being helpful at all!</p>
<p>^Just to clarify, the Stanford ‘admissions staff’ does not look at arts supplements whatsoever. I recently spoke with one about the process. They forward it to faculty who specialize in the subject (music, art, etc.), and that person evaluates it and then gives feedback to admissions.</p>
<p>^^That is correct…they send it forward to the appropriate faculty member(s) who specializes in that particular art supplement…music, art, dance, acting, etc…to be evaluated and rated…and then forwarded to the admissions committee…</p>
<p>Not in the case I am talking about. And everyone from the high school knows it, too. I am not going to state the person’s name or area of artistic concern… but this person was told by someone in admissions at Stanford that they hope he/she will participate in artistic extracurricular activities once on campus. So the Art Supplement was read and noticed by the Admissions person. It was just a shock to everyone in the high school to hear that as this person was not artistically talented at the quality that people attribute to Stanford. </p>
<p>… and because of this particular and recent situation, now EVERYONE at this high school thinks they can get into Stanford by submitting an Art Supplement without having the hours and years of training one would normally attribute to a gifted artistic person.</p>
<p>one more thing. I believe Stanford does not verify that the person in the submitted artistic video is the actual person who is applying. I hope they change this policy.</p>
<p>@lagunal. I don’t know why you are posting such nonsense based on hearsay and innuendos…all based on one URM that got accepted to Stanford from your high school who YOU and the other high school students feel was “undeserving” based on the student’s Art Supplement “alone” when you yourself admitted this student had:
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<p>…I am happy for you (I can’t tell whether you are a parent or a student) and your high school students who all feel so “confident” to get into Stanford by just submitting any old/garbage Art Supplements…I am sure Stanford is thrilled to have 300 plus more applications from your high school alone…</p>
<p>…maybe you misunderstand the admissions process at Stanford and its peers…the Arts Supplement is just “one” part of your application under EXTRACURRICULAR activities…but, it is not the “only” factor nor the most important factor in any candidate’s chances of being admitted…</p>
<p>…and, by the way, there is a certain amount of trust that goes into the application process at all institutions…and there will always be cheaters no matter what…unfortunately…and if you are insinuating this applicant who got accepted to Stanford as not only having any real artistic talent but having submitted a doctored video supplement:
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<p>…you are making some strong accusations…and, if you care so strongly and deeply for the INTEGRITY of the admissions process…why don’t YOU call Stanford and file a formal complaint about this student instead of coming to CC to spread unsubstantiated rumors from YOUR high school…</p>
<p>…I would strongly recommend you go to Stanford’s website and see what they look for and how they go about making their decisions…</p>
<p>Gravitas2:
The original question of whether to send additional letter of recommendation was answered by me… “if it helped the person I know, then send it in.” </p>
<p>I explained why I gave this advice. </p>
<p>If you do not like my advice, then just leave it alone and move on. </p>
<p>I stand by the facts I presented. The people who reviewed the one area of Art in the arts supplements in the past were not qualified to distinguish between trained artists vs unskilled amateurs. NOTE: I cannot speak for all areas of art. But, if it related to one area, then it is possible that there may be holes in other areas, too.</p>
<p>Also, if by chance, someone in Stanford admissions reads these CC posts, then I would suggest for them to start verifying that the person performing the art in the application is the actual person applying to the school. Just a suggestion. Some people will go to amazing lengths to gain admission to your school.</p>