<p>Is anybody else confused by the ambiguous nature of the Harvard supplement on the commonapp, especially concerning recommendations?</p>
<p>This application includes two Teacher Evaluation forms. After completing your portion of the forms, you should give them to teachers in different academic subjects who know you well and preferably have taught you during your final two years of school. As a courtesy to your teachers, you might provide them with stamped envelopes addressed to Harvard Admissions.</p>
<p>Does that mean we have to do anything else beyond the school form section of the commonapp? I feel like there are two physical forms that I am missing...</p>
<p>Also, it does not explain how one goes about sending additional letters of recommendation, although the website suggests an addition 2-3. It really does not mention them. How should we ensure those accompany our application?</p>
<p>There is ZERO ambiguity on this form. Two letters of recommendation by two teachers. The forms are referring to paper copies you can hand the teachers, or electronic ones you can send via the Common App. Obviously, Harvard does not encourage additional letters, since they only ask for 2. If you want to send another one, you do that at your own risk. They have no official channel for that.</p>
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<p>yankeeman, the instructions you quoted are for applicants whose teachers are physically submitting their letters of rec. If your teachers already submitted theirs online through the common app, there’s no need to worry :). </p>
<p>The two physical forms refer to the teacher recommendation form that I believe you can download straight from the common app website.</p>
<p>Could you provide me with a link as to where Harvard suggested that additional recs beyond the two required may be in any way necessary?</p>
<p>I disagree. Whereas Yale says three million times on every admissions page that you can send an additional one at your own risk, but it is not necessary, Harvard sounds more imploring:</p>
<p>“While we can make careful evaluations with required recommendations, we are happy to read helpful letters from people directly familiar with applicants’ lives outside the classroom. Such letters are not necessary, however, and it is generally advisable to submit no more than two or three.” [Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Frequently Asked Questions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/faq.html#15]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/faq.html#15)</p>
<p>Obviously it is not necessary, I never said that, but Harvard seems eager to take anything they feel will help your decision (evidenced by the optional submission of a broad essay).</p>
<p>^Why so defensive? We merely seemed have read the instructions differently, that’s all. Since it specifically says “it is generally advisable to submit no more than two or three”, I took it as saying that it is only advisable to send in no more than two or three recs in general, which would consist of the two teacher’s letters of recommendations and the counselor’s recommendation that you would normally submit to any school. I didn’t think it referred to two additional rec letters, but if that’s definitely how you interpret it, then feel free to send in three additional ones. You can simply ask the teachers to send their letters directly to the admissions office and it will most likely be automatically placed in your file.</p>
<p>Harvard’s admissions requirements are more open-ended than Yale’s (and many other schools’). That’s Harvard – implicitly, they’re asking you to make judgments instead of simply follow instructions. Good judgments will help; bad ones won’t.</p>