Hello! Asking this question for a student I work with, who is African American (also a ward of the court + financially independent for FAFSA purposes).
My student has received an e-mail requesting not one, not two, but THREE additional (academic) letters of recommendation for his admissions review. This is completely baffling to me. He has already submitted one, and on top of that, letters of recommendation are not a requirement at all for admission to the school (as stated on their website).
Has anyone ever heard of such a request? This just seems so outlandish to me.
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
It sounds like the student is a tab bit underqualified, but they still want to accept them. So they are asking for a little something extra.
https://www.scad.edu/admission/admission-information/undergraduate/admission-requirements
Applicants who do not meet the standard criteria for admission are encouraged to submit supplementary materials.
- Recommendations
One to three recommendations may be submitted by a teacher, counselor or community leader with whom the applicant has had immediate contact. Recommendations should address the applicant’s level of commitment, as well as attributes such as creativity, initiative, motivation, character and academic achievement, to aid in assessing the applicant’s reasonable potential for success as a student at SCAD. Recommendations may not come from friends or family members except in the case of a teacher-parent.
And yes, other schools also have this requirement:
http://blog.prepscholar.com/how-many-college-recommendation-letters-do-i-need