How many letters of recommendations would be the best to send to colleges? The more the better?
Sending as many generic letters is pointless. It’s better to have a few good ones than the max allowed but all generic. Quality over quantity.
I think 2-3 really strong ones is better than a lot of letters repeating the same things. Get them from teachers/coaches that know you really well and not just on an academic level but can talk about who you are as a person and your goals.
I’ve also heard that if you have a choice, choose teachers that teach subjects relating to your prospective major. Also to get one from a Humanities teacher and one from a STEM teacher just to show you are academically well rounded.
The schools’ web sites tell you how many they want and from whom. Usually it’s two from core subject teachers in the 10th or 11th grade. If you are applying as a STEM major, some schools want a STEM teacher. There is no need to have one of each just to prove you are ‘well-rounded.’ They can see your grades and test scores and know perfectly well how strong or weak you are in each area. For those that are willing to accept an additional letter of rec, you can send one from someone who knows aspects of you as a person that would be distinctly different from the attributes your teachers might identify. For this reason, the person is often a coach, an employer, a religious leader or the teacher for an important EC (like a music or art teacher). You don’t want letters from family members, alums, important people who are somehow connected with you, or otherwise famous - those letters are useless.
More is not better. Send in the required number of teacher/guidance counselor recommendations. At most you can send one more but it should be from someone who knows you in a different context such as your boss at work sports coach etc. Admissions officers have enough to read and just get annoyed at receiving a lot of letters that all say basically the same thing.