How many recommendations are you getting>

<p>math and english are mandatory
is the supplemental optional or really bad if you dont have one?</p>

<p>Well they say it has no negative impact on your application if you don’t submit one. That is largely true. However, the positive impact–if good–is always a good supplement, something you will need if you want in on the best of the best.</p>

<p>for schools like andover, exeter, deerfield, etc</p>

<p>For Exeter, I had to submit english, math, school report, and Extracurricular</p>

<p>You might not agree about what I am going to say. </p>

<p>In the admissions world there is a saying: “The thicker the file, the thinner the applicant.”</p>

<p>Meaning if the candidate submits all the “optional” forms, and gets a rich alumni-friend to write a rec. the candidate is usually lacking in confidence about there appearance “on paper”<br>
That being said, doing a few optional recs. doesn’t hurt you. But having 10 people saying how great you are denotes a troubled applicant. The fact that you need that much self-validation in mundane. If you are applying to GLADCHEEMS (aka HADES with all the good schools), your already a great kid who is ahead of 99% of the other kids in the world.</p>

<p>Admissions officers have told me that all recs should show the applicant in a different light. They don’t need 5 people telling them essentially the same thing.</p>

<p>@papereater all those files I submitted were required. If I don’t submit them then I don’t have a completed application and can’t be considered to be an applicant.That being said, I had my coach and my music teacher fill out those recs. They aren’t meant to make up for any lacking confidence.
By the way what school do you go to and what is your grade?</p>

<p>urbanflop… For the schools you are applying to, (Exeter only right) the rec. forms may be a requirement. Yet, at schools such as Milton, Loomis, Lawrenceville, Deerfield only Math English and School report are required. If the student has Math English and School recs and Athletics, arts, parent, additional rec the student is doing way to much. Pick one or two “optional” recs. These recs should be given to people who coach or teach yo at what you do best. … As you may already know I go to Eaglebrook in 9th grade.</p>

<p>papereater, is this what your placement office told you?</p>

<p>how about choate, hotchkiss, and peddie?</p>