<p>Does Harvard like peer recs as additional recs? I think Darmouth does, so I thought Harvard might. My best friend is extremely smart and also a talented writer so I was thinking she could write something really outstanding about me.</p>
<p>What about Yale?</p>
<p>Have you read anywhere where H or Y desires Peer recommendations? No? </p>
<p>Deduce accordingly.</p>
<p>They accept additional recommendations and it’s listed as an example on the Common App so I thought they might.</p>
<p>Granted… but given that your peers’ supplemental recs will be coming from employers, coaches, mentors who will write about the applicants in a broad context of employees, team members, etc. – I would think your 17 YO friend might be a step behind or two – regardless of her writing ability.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you’ve noticed but only Dartmouth asks the Peer eval. There’s reason behind this.</p>
<p>Right, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you for your answer!</p>
<p>What if the peer goes to Harvard?</p>
<p>Any rec letter should be about the applicant. It doesn’t matter about the pedigree of the letter writer. That’s why teacher recs are most valued – they actually spend a semester or two seeing the student interact, seeing his/her intellectual character – and can objectively compare the applicant to a broad context of other students. A peer or friend can only share some very personalized aspects of the applicant – but IMHO, very lacking. If I were hiring you for a job, I wouldn’t ask your mother for her thoughts. I’d ask your last 2 or 3 supervisors.</p>
<p>An enthusiastic 2nd year teacher, who writes passionately about her student is MUCH more valuable than some Harvard undergraduate who is a friend. That’d be practically worthless, IMHO</p>
<p>^Thanks, good point.</p>