<p>How much would a recommendation from an alumni help at such a big state school like Michigan?</p>
<p>It depends. The fact he/she is a Michigan alum gives ur rec credibility, but that is about it. The substance/what the person writes about and what that shows about you is what matters; being an alum is really just a bonus.</p>
<p>Looking back, I wish I made my apps for most schools shorter. I don't know how Michigan reads them, but Chicago only spends 10 minutes on each and there is no way they could have read all my app in that short period of time. However, it depends much more on what you think would make a thorough, but to the point, app.</p>
<p>I received an excellent professional recommendation, but looking back, it would have been better to have an excellent personal recommendation, which was readily available to me. </p>
<p>Many of my friends who have received admissions to Ivy League and Ivy League-esque institutions used very personal recommendations that highlighted primarily on their personal attributes, with minor focus on academic attributes.</p>
<p>While it probably did not matter with my recommendation, as I received admission to most of the schools I applied to (including UMich), I would still recommend to you to find one that takes the personal route, rather than the other.</p>
<p>There has clearly been a shift in focus of the academia of various schools, focusing more on personality rather than academic accomplishments. As such, it would be wise for you to accommodate that.</p>
<p>So to answer your question: Sure, but only if that person knows you well. Do not have the person make a recommendation for you if you only vaguely know the person. It is better to have a recommendation from an excellent non-alumnus than to have a mediocre one from an alumnus. </p>
<p>If you know the alumnus very well, then go right ahead.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Another, touched upon, way to look at what jxu613 said is this: tons of top schools have 4.0 GPA, 2400 SAT students who've done a billion community service hours...something personal makes YOU stand out.</p>
<p>Right, there were two similar applicants that applied to Yale in consecutive years. </p>
<p>Both had 35 ACT scores, 4.0 GPAs, and loads of APs. One of them was rejected, the other accepted. The latter started the organization Teens Aiding the Cancer Community (TACC) that has raised over $100,000 in two short years. Unique, no?</p>
<p>** If the alumni knows you well enough, that's fine. If you just want the "alumni" status to stand out, that's not legit. **</p>