<p>Hey Guys- I Had A Family Friend Write A Letter Of Reccomendation For Me...it Was A Good Reccomendation (she Let Me Read It) But She Didnt Put It On A Letterhead And SHE Put It In A Very Small Envelope...she Did It On Regular Paper Also...im Thinking It Would Look Unprofessional Because It Is Folded So Many Times And On Regular Paper, But What The Recc Says Is Real Good....what Do You Guys Think Will Happen? IS THIS GOING TO HURT ME?</p>
<p>Yeah, I would think it would be unprofessional, I would of been better typed and signed but I don't know about the colleges. It's a recommendation so they'll accept it.</p>
<p>Its typed and the format and everything is good. She just typed it on regular white paper, and then put it in a regular SMALL envelope so she folded it into like 6th's...the actual letter is very good though.</p>
<p>Well, if the school requested recs sent in a certain way, then I think adcoms would be a little irked. But if the contents are that good, I don't think you're screwed at all.</p>
<p>Don't worry about it. As long as it's typed so it can be read, and it says good stuff (which is the important part), all the folds will mostly flatten out in the folder of all the other stuff they have for you. They're not going to "take off" because it's folded in 6ths instead of 3rds and in a business envelope. Relax!</p>
<p>Well its not on a letterhead and it just seems like its not proper eqtiquete.its typed and everything and i know the folds will flatten out, but i just didnt think it would make a good impression because of the way she sent it in that small little envelope.</p>
<p>You made it sound like the actual recommendation was bad in your title. Trust me, with all of the applications adcoms deal with, letterheads and envelopes are the last things on their minds.</p>
<p>Ok man thanks, I hope so.I am just worried as I want everything to be perfect you know?</p>
<p>The admissions people aren't judging the letter by its envelope or letterhead, but by its content. Clerical staff, not the admissions officers, open the letters, and also have to make several copies of them so various admissinos officers can read them. The last thing that anyone cares about is letterhead or whether it came in a small envelope.</p>
<p>I also hope you're appreciative to whomever wrote the letter for you because right now, you sound so nitpicky about things that are trivial, that I am wondering whether you are appreciative of the critical things: Someone cared enough about you to take their time and effort to write and send a college recommendation letter.</p>
<p>Thanks I appreciate the response northstarmom, if you don't mind me asking how do you know this information? No I actually gave them a giftcard as well as a thank you letter. I was just worried because I really want to be admitted, and am paranoid about this stuff (I want everything to be perfect).</p>
<p>I've served on national and regional scholarship committees, and I also got to sit in on admissions committee meetings in grad school and undergrad school. Incidentally, FutureCrimson, the undergrad school that I'm referring to was Harvard back in the early 70s. When they were trying to boost their African American enrollment, Radcliffe (the women's college) allowed a few black student volunteers to sit in on at least one application review session, and give our comments about the applicants. We didn't hear the applicants' names, but did hear and participate in some discussion of some of the applicants. I have no idea how seriously our comments were taken.</p>
<p>The committees care about the content of recommendation letters, not about the envelope or whether it was written on letterhead. The exception would be if, for instance, a GC's letter appeared to be sent in an amateurish way -- no letterhead, incorrect salutation, other errors indicating lack of basic professionalism. That would raise suspicions that the student, not the GC, sent the letter, and the college would probably call the GC to verify that s/he sent the letter. Still, the student would not be hurt by an unprofessional-looking letter that the GC sent as long as the content documented the student's fit for the school.</p>
<p>I was going to say what northstarmom did....</p>
<p>I have written a ltter of rec., and I don't own any letterhead.</p>
<p>What kind of letterhead should it have been on if it was a personal recommendation, and not connected to an organization.</p>
<p>What is "proper" etiquette when it comes to stationary</p>
<p>How snooty can one get?</p>
<p>Wow that is impressive!Where did you go to school at? So you are sure that the method is still the same, and that I will be ok?</p>
<p>I highly doubt that a college will judge you based on how someone else folded their letter.</p>
<p>I think this is just a part of all overachievers - we have breakdowns about things like the foldings of rec. letters.</p>
<p>Any admissions officers here to smooth our worries?</p>
<p>I'm sure your not the rejection-stamp wielding monsters we imagine.</p>
<p>Your probably fine.</p>
<p>I am still really worried. Some may think I am crazy, but I just care a lot.</p>
<p>I wouldn't poke fun If I weren't just as crazy - lets be honest, 99% of the people on this website are crazy.</p>
<p>Well, in my case do you think I am crazy and will be ok? Or is this going to hurt me?</p>
<p>I really don't think its that important - like you said, its not like the letter is handwritten on notebook paper with coffee stains... </p>
<p>I doubt there would be a problem - and if there is - do you really want to go to a school that is that pretentious about letter folding?</p>
<p>It might be crazy, but yes I really do want to go there, but I mean now I'm hearing mixed things like it will affect me, and then others are saying the admissions committe doesn't even see it because clerks make copies of it and prepare it for the adcom beforehand. What do you think?</p>