<p>Does anyone know just how important they are? I was hoping that it is because i have one written from a distinguished alum from Texas A&M. Considering I am applying to Mays as a external transfer I need anything that can put me over the top! If anyone knows please reply.</p>
<p>I asked this very question of admissions officers a year ago because my father has a good friend who has one of the buildings at A&M named after him. The answer is, a letter from someone of merit from A&M will have no extra weight IF that person has not known or interacted with you personally for a significant amount of time. If they are just writing it as a friend of a friend, it doesn’t show admissions that the person can vouch for you from personal experience. I think it is more important to them that you are recommended by someone who truly knows you and has worked with you over several years versus a “celeb” alum that has cursory knowledge of your abilities.</p>
<p>Thanks so much gxgal7. The man that wrote my letter of recommendation has known me all of my life and is my role model. I guess you could say he is like an Uncle to me. I hope it can help me out!</p>
<p>That’s great. It will probably be a very beneficial letter, then.</p>
<p>I just spoke with admissions the other day and I was told that recommendations are not needed. If you do present one the ideal one would have great details about the person.</p>
<p>Recommendation Letters are not required nor wanted according to admission staff.</p>
<p>Thanks navysafe. Your right, letters of recommendation are not needed however,TAMU never said that they were not wanted. I called TAMU after the post and checked online and both the representative and the website’s answers were similar : </p>
<p>A letter of recommendation is not required, but if someone who knows you would like to write a letter to add to your application, we would be happy to read it. </p>
<p>Here is the link: </p>
<p><a href=“https://tamuoar.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/tamuoar.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=729&p_created=1208876521&p_sid=NLlZrqvj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjgsMjgmcF9wcm9kcz0yJnBfY2F0cz0mcF9wdj0xLjImcF9jdj0mcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1MRVRURVIgT0YgUkVDT01NRU5EQVRJT04*&p_li=&p_topview=1[/url]”>https://tamuoar.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/tamuoar.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=729&p_created=1208876521&p_sid=NLlZrqvj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjgsMjgmcF9wcm9kcz0yJnBfY2F0cz0mcF9wdj0xLjImcF9jdj0mcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1MRVRURVIgT0YgUkVDT01NRU5EQVRJT04*&p_li=&p_topview=1</a></p>
<p>So, in essence it may not help a whole bunch but, it is something that can give me some kind of boost on my application. Besides, what else will seperate me from the other applicants? At the end of the day I don’t want to be a regular applicant with just the academics. Mays is tough, even people with 4.0’s dont get in.</p>
<p>I was told personally that the only letters that matter are ones that say something like " last year tommy’s house burned down, his family had to split up and live different places, and tommy went to the library everynight so he could still do well in school"</p>
<p>Letters from rick perry or a senator that say “I recommend tommy should be accepted at ATM, he is a great student” arnt looked at.</p>
<p>How about the ones that say, “I took part in raising this kid and I know him better than pretty much anybody”. To an affect thats what mine said.</p>
<p>i really dont know</p>
<p>“i really dont know” -toast11</p>
<p>My point exactly,</p>
<p>Toast11 I refuse to believe that TAMU would simply say," This letter is from a distinguished alum lets through it in the trash!" Besides, I can’t help the fact that the man that wrote my letter is also a TAMU distinguished alum and has mentored me all my life. Didn’t you say you talked to someone in admissions personally about this issue?</p>
<p>what i was told in a transfer informational group was this:</p>
<p>“letters dont really help much, one of the only times I think a letter has helped someone was somewhere along the lines of “last year tommy’s house burned down, his family had to split up and live different places, and tommy went to the library everynight so he could still do well in school” you know something like that. we get the standard “I personally know tommy, he would make an excellent candidate for texas A&M” from senators and others. Those letters just dont help much, we can see your academic standing from your transcript, not letters”</p>
<p>im not sayin dont send it in, im just telling you what i was told. from what he was telling us he made it sound like everyone has some distinguished alumni that writes a recommendation, its very common so i guess its consideration doesnt weigh that much compared to your academic standing</p>
<p>I sent in two letters actually, none of them addressed to atm board of admissions though. They were actually letters addressed to me congratulating me on my academic standing and what not from my high school superintendent and one saying i was on the presidents list at my old community college</p>
<p>letters of recommendation aren’t needed. Only if you are applying for graduate school</p>