<p>This teacher that i'm gonna ask for a rec anyways happens to be an alumni of a college i'm definitely applying to. will this help at all?</p>
<p>Sure. Just mentioning that your teacher went to Hoolalard University or Princesston University (slightly made up names) wouldn't do anything, but it would help if your teacher said something like he went to the school you're applying to, and his classes would have been better with students like you, or something like that.</p>
<p>my rec was from a teacher that is an alum of my ED school - i was rejected. it depends on how much money they've given, to be honest.</p>
<p>rlm89: how do you know that you were rejected because of that rec?</p>
<p>The question was will the rec help. Obviously not, unless the alum actually has some connection to the school that is continued after their graduation.</p>
<p>Here's how it might help: Obviously the most useful recs are ones that can bring out something memorable about you (rather than being formulaic and bland). An alum could relate something to his/her experience at the college and make a good argument how you would be a right fit for that specific anecdote. Also this alum could give you good info about what the school is like to better arm you as you assemble your file.</p>
<p>Other than that, the effect is negligible. The adcoms aren't beholden to this single alum so won't feel inclined to give the rec special weight solely because of the writer's status -- even large development alum (i.e. big donors) may not be given special consideration if the underlying applicant is weak. The CONTENT of the rec will matter only.</p>
<p>Like I said, the writer may be able to include something that other non-alums can't. So, yes it can help but only if the writer is able to include that special connection in the write up.</p>
<p>I never said I was rejected because of the rec...I'm just saying, it didn't do anything to get me in!</p>
<p>It might have helped, but just a little, and not enough so that you got in.</p>
<p>I don't see how the amount of money your teacher gave would have any effect. It doesn't change their insight on you or what else they have to say. And also, most teachers don't have much money to give.</p>
<p>the only time that alum recs help is if they are influential alums. true story, i promise. the same thing with legacies, to an extent. the school looks up in their database the alum's record when they weigh the rec...if the alum has donated, the school will sit up and pay attention a bit more. i thought this was an obvious one? of course, we're only talking about how ALUM STATUS is weighed. if the teacher writes a great rec, then great! it will be to your advantage. i'm just saying that their alum status will be looked at in accordance to how much weight they pull or have the potential to pull at the school. it's just a simple fact that an alum that has not remained active after graduation will not have as much influence as one who has.</p>
<p>i did a program at a medical school, so will it help if i get a recommendation from the program director?</p>
<p>rlm89: the top schools have very high giving rates. I think Dartmouth is about 70%, HYP is about 50-60%. Therefore it's a very high likelihood that any alum rec is a giver. Of course you're saying that the big donors get special notice. Well, they do. It's called a development admit. But this is for kids or grandkids of the big donors -- and we're talking about seven figure giving amounts. </p>
<p>And these big donors aren't gonna cash in their chits on an acquaintance. </p>
<p>Unless it's immediately obvious (meaning the big donor gave a call to the admissions director or devopment officer), then the schools aren't cross checking the "giving status" of rec writers who happen to say they're an alum. Heck, I doubt they even bother to verify if the person even IS an alum the vast majority of the time.</p>
<p>Micky: did the program director have direct knowledge of your work and did he/she oversee you? If not, you want your immediate supervisor. It's not the position that matters, it's the familiarity.</p>