@gibby lots of students who apply to Harvard submit three recommendations. That may not be what the website says but that is what happens in practice.
Harvard requires 2, but allows a 3rd. That said, the 3rd should be from someone who can add a different perspective, like a boss/mentor/coach, not a 3rd academic class teacher.
^^ Which is what I basically said - two (2) teacher recommendations, with the option of a third recommendations that is NOT from a teacher – ie from a boss/mentor/coach/priest/rabbi/swami/TM advisor etc keeping in mind that the MORE recommendations an applicant submits the MORE an Admissions Director has to “skim” a file which often results in watered-down recommendations.
I agree with @skieurope and @gibby: our daughter is a member of the Class of 2020. She decided to send two recommendation letters from very different academic fields (English and science) along with a recommendation from the teacher who oversaw her performing arts class and some of her extracurriculars. If you choose to send more than two recommendations, have a reason to do so.
Here’s what my common app looks like:
UPenn ED/Columbia ED/Harvard SCEA (whatever one I decide on, the other two go to RD)
UChicago EA
Boston College EA
U Mich EA
NYU RD
WashU STL RD
USC (california) RD
Brown RD
Cornell RD
@ekim5984 You can’t do ED/SCEA and still apply to Uchicago EA.
Hey guys!
Hi @yayaylearner We meet again 
Hellooooo!!! @gigichuck
^^ Harvard does NOT publish that information, so it’s anyone guess.
My guess: Harvard is a brand name known around the world that also offers need-blind and full-need financial aid to international students (only 5 US colleges do), so I imagine at least a thousand, if not more, students from India apply every year. See: :https://www.internationalstudent.com/schools_awarding_aid/
As part of an arts supplement, an applicant can send two additional letters of recommendation if they add important information to the application.
There are likely very few Indian nationals at the college per year relative to the number that apply (The HIO records only 22 Indian students across all four years at the College currently http://www.hio.harvard.edu/statistics) - although there are far more Indian-Americans at the College than that. I would trust Gibby’s judgement, and if we go off their estimate of at least a thousand applicants per year, that’s a 0.55% acceptance rate (5.5/1000)
International admissions have always been a degree more competitive than regular admissions at Harvard. The Indian nationals at the College that I know all have had exceptional characteristics - major competition wins, ECAs, overcome significant challenges, etc.
I was wondering, if one is let’s say Indian but living in Russia, does Harvard classify him as applying from India or Russia?
Probably from Russia
Hey guys, is anyone thinking of doing the reading list for the optional writing supplement on the Common App? I’d like to compile one, but I’m not really sure how to make mine “pop” in some way. Although I have read a number of books spanning a diverse group of topics over the last twelve months, I’m just wondering if anybody knows if this is worthwhile supplement to submit. My speculation is that everyone applying to Harvard has read myriad high-level pieces of literature, and there’s little way to make one list stand out from others. Thanks.
bandathlete157, don’t try so hard to “stand out” or have your list “pop.” This isn’t advertising! Just be yourself and you will land where you should land for college.