<p>I had an extra letter of recommendation sent to Harvard that was written by an alumni. I knew him really well, and his letter was outstanding, even better than my teacher recs (which were excellent themselves). It was also more of a personal account than just a generic statement, which is always a plus. How much do you think this could help my chances of getting into Harvard (if it does help)?</p>
<p>Bump; any comments?</p>
<p>I submitted an extra letter of recommendation from my employer to Yale and it turned out to be a good idea. I had worked at a law firm nine hours a day for seven months during my gap year, so I felt that it was necessary to give them a bit of an idea of what I had been doing with myself for a year. I don't know how Harvard feels about letters from alumni, though. I don't think it'll hurt you as long as you actually know the guy/woman and he/she is not just your dad's business partner or something. Perhaps it'll help you if it is a good letter, but I don't see it "making or breaking" your application in any sense. Of course, I'm no expert. Best of luck!</p>