<p>Ah ok. So, I have the normal two academic recs (from english and sci teachers) </p>
<p>Based on the recommendation (no pun intended) of my college guidance counselor, im also sending a rec from my photo teacher to go along with my photo portfolio since im a really good photo student (one of the best shes ever had, prizes in a few competitions state/one natl etc)</p>
<p>i really, really want to also send a rec from my advisor of three years, someone ive known since seventh grade. he hasnt had me in an academic area, so i was told not to have him as a main rec but he knows me so well and would be able to give personal insight the others wouldn't. would it be overkill to send this 4th rec? could it hurt?</p>
<p>one of my advisors was like "sure thats fine the arts one doesnt really count as a rec" which i didnt get, and the other one was like "dont bother four will annoy them" and pointed out my other 3 will prob be good and will mention things about my personality (but not as in depth) .... so im confused. what do you think?!</p>
<p>if it makes a difference im applying to mostly small schools (my faves are brown, middlebury, barnard, wesleyan... also app'ing to hamilton, bard, northerwestern, wash u, oberlin...and a few more)</p>
<p>Yeah, your GC would have to submit a rec, too, which makes five, and that seems like overkill to me. </p>
<p>Aside from saying that you're the best student she's every had, what else can your photography teacher say about you? I'm assuming that you've listed those photo competition honors on your application, so adcoms will definitely know that you're passionate about photography. A rec from her would just be restating that fact.</p>
<p>A rec from your adviser (what kind of adviser?) might not be a bad idea, though, if he can absolutely show a different side of you.</p>
<p>Sending too many recs is not a good idea. Stick to the number suggested in the application. If you send 5 when they asked for 3 they may pick any three! Is it OK with you?</p>
<p>ahh i guess that's true about my photo teacher, demeter, but she has already sent hers out - i was just deciding about the advisor (at our school we have "advisors" who we check in with in the morning, kind of like homeroom, and who help us choose our courses and with whom we have meetings to talk about our experience in general, and i just know mine extraordinarily well from also having classes with him, etc, and he's already written me a rec for something else). i guess i will just forget about this rec, though; it would be 5 including the counselor rec. oh well. thanks for the advice, guys</p>
<p>I am a college counselor. I also have two kids of my own in college. In fact, one attends a school on your list, Brown. Here is what my own kids did and what I also advise the students whom I counsel. Get the two required academic teacher recs (these folks also fill out the official forms, etc.) By the way, the guidance counselor report is not considered a recommendation as the GC is required to write about you and has no choice in the matter. His/her letter is more of a letter of reference. Anyway, it is OK and even good to send SUPPLEMENTAL recs BUT these recs must be from people who know you in a different capacity rather than two additional teachers (or more of the same). So, a supplemental rec may be from someone who supervised your extracurricular endeavor such as a coach, a director, an advisor, a mentor, etc. The person might be your employer or someone you did an internship with. The supp rec writer should be commenting, in other words, on some aspect about you outside the academic classroom. You should have no more than two supplemental recs. I'll give examples from my own kids. My D who goes to Brown had two supp recs. One was from an athletic coach who coached her in two varsity sports at the HS for four years (she hoped to continue these sports in college and has....not recruited). The other was from an architect with whom she interned and that is the field she is pursuing in college. My other D is going to college in a specialized field, musical theater, which also required an audition to get in. Her supp recs were from a director who had directed her in several musicals over a 7 year period, as well as had been a teacher in dance (this was all in a summer program) and the other was from her private voice teacher of five years. </p>
<p>In YOUR case, the photography teacher is a good supp rec. The advisor would only be a good rec if this person comments beyond academics as you already have two academic teacher recs and presumably your GC will be talking about you as a student, as well. So, I would stick with supp writers who address DIFFERENT things about you and outside of academics.</p>
<p>thank you soozie! i think the advisor would talk about me in a more personal sense; he knows about my character, my motivations, emotional strengths, stuff like that which the other rec-writers do not, for the most part, know. thus, i do think it would add another aspect to me as a candidate and could help in that sense; im mostly just worried it will annoy the readers given that it is ANOTHER rec for them to read. sigh. i do think it would be good though. maybe ill just go ahead. hahah sorry im so indecisive but thanks for your help everyone!</p>
<p>Aube, two academic recs with two supplemental recs (where the supplemental recs are not academic in nature and speak to DIFFERENT things than the teacher recs) will be fine. Good luck.</p>