<p>The Yale website says not to submit more than the 2 required letters of rec. Is this just to stop people from sending in letters of rec from every single person they have ever met (i have heard of people sending in 80+), or do they really not want you to submit even 1 extra letter. Would it hurt your chances if you have to submit an extra letter, even if that letter would be outstanding? Would it make you seem desperate or as though you are trying to compensate for other lacks?</p>
<p>They mean it or they wouldn't say it. Show you know how to follow directions and pick your top 2, no more.</p>
<p>You may definitely submit an extra letter, but only if it really speaks about your personal character and offers a totally different perspective from the other two. For example, if you have two from teachers, and a third talking about how you founded a new university for refugees from Bosnia and exactly how you went about doing that (e.g., what it says about your character), or one talking about a major piece of research you've uncovered and how you went about doing it (and what it says about your innate potential in that field). </p>
<p>Just keep in mind the readers are reading thousands of applications, so if you send an additional letter and it isn't something really special, it might count against you.</p>
<p>See below, from Yale's website:</p>
<p>Who should write my teacher recommendations?
It is important that your recommenders be teachers who can write about your recent academic work in rigorous academic subjects. We strongly encourage students to ask 11th and 12th grade teachers to write for them. Given Yale's extremely competitive applicant pool, it is probably a mistake to ask a favorite ninth-grade teacher to write, or to seek out a coach or chorus director as a recommender unless he or she has also taught you recently in an academic course.</p>
<p>Yale does not specify that the recommendations come from teachers of particular subjects. It is a good idea, however, to have the two letters come from teachers of different subjects. Choose teachers who know you well and who can give us a sense of both your academic and personal strengths. </p>
<p>Is it OK if I submit supplementary letters of recommendation?
We strongly discourage students from submitting more than the two required letters from teachers and the letter from a guidance counselor or college advisor that accompanies the School Report Form. Additional letters can have the effect of cluttering an application file, often repeating what has been said elsewhere, and can leave a reader wondering which letters are the most important recommendations. Three, four, or even five letters from teachers rarely do more work for a candidate than two. </p>
<p>That said, we try to be flexible about the need, in isolated cases, for students to submit an additional letter. If you feel there really is a need to send an extra recommendation, one that will add substantially to your application, be sure it is labeled "supplementary" to avoid confusion.</p>
<p>It is definitely ok to submit at least one extra rec. For me, my main 2 were from math and science teachers since I was applying for chemical engineering, but I submitted an extra 3rd one from an English composition teacher b/c I wanted to show I'd be able to take advatange of those types of classes at Yale too. (And it worked, I got in, I would have been class of 09 if I had gone).</p>
<p>Let me see if I understand the question. Yale has a very specific set of instructions directly on point with respect to this issue, and you want to know if they really mean it? If you're smart enough to go to Yale, I think you're smart enough to answer this question for yourself.</p>
<p>The fact that Voovi submitted three recommendation letters and was admitted doesn't mean it's a good idea. It's more likely that Voovi was admitted despite submitting three recommendation letters than because of it.</p>
<p>Yale is essentially saying that you should not submit an extra recommendation unless there's a really compelling reason to do so. If you think there's a really compelling reason for you to do so, go ahead. Just make sure you follow the instruction to label it as "supplementary". And recognize that if Yale disagrees with your view that there's a really compelling reason for the extra recommendation, it won't be a positive. It doesn't mean they'll reject you for it if you're otherwise someone they want to admit, but it won't help your application.</p>
<p>PosterX and Voovi16 are correct. Submit a third letter if it will contribute significantly to your application. I asked my admissions officer if a third letter is looked down upon, and he said that everyone is entitled to one extra "something." Whether that something is an extra letter, an art portfolio, or a sample research paper is up to the applicant. Although, this might have been my officer's way of reading applications--I don't know if it applies to the whole office.</p>
<p>You can send as many extra "somethings" as you want, as long as they are truly outstanding "somethings." And there's no reason to send anything if you don't have anything to send that would qualify. Whatever you do, don't send things that are mediocre.</p>
<p>I sent in four letters of recommendation, not counting the letter of recommendation from my counselor. You can send in as many letters of recommendation as you want, but you run into the danger of annoying the admissions officer in charge of your region if the extra letters are mediocre or say the same things about you that can be found in the primary two letters of recommendation. For my letters of recommendation, I selected teachers whom I thought would focus on different aspects of my character.</p>