<p>The deadline for the University of Pennsylvania application (Early Decision) is quickly approaching I have started to ask people for letters of recommendation.</p>
<p>I have a couple questions and I would appreciate it if you experts out there can give me an answer!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How many letters of recommendation should I be getting for the Common App? Does this number differ depending on the school?</p></li>
<li><p>In general, do colleges prefer I select certain types of teachers to get letters of recommendations from? For example, I wouldn't be surprised if my calculus or literature teacher held more credibility than my ceramics teacher. </p></li>
<li><p>I interned at a state assemblyman's office over the summer and he told me that he would be happy to write me a letter of recommendation. Does the common app accept letters of recommendation from outside sources? It almost seems like they only take recommendations from teachers and school counselors. Hopefully this is not the case.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Many of these are answered on the Penn website. But the assemblyman’s rec letter will be next to worthless unless he directly was your overseer and could share specific anecdotes of your quality of work. Rec letters are not about the writer (celebrity, politician, big boss) but the content that the writer can convey about you.</p>
<p>the assemblyman’s rec will be great. My immediate boss (the district director) will most likely write it under the name of the assemblyman. The district director and I really connected and he really liked me so I’m sure that letter will be great. But the question wasn’t whether or not it would be worthless, it was if I can even submit a letter of recommendation from an outside source.</p>
<p>You still miss my point. It doesn’t matter who signs the letter (your assemblyman, Tom Cruise, or Nicky Minaj). It’s the content that matters. In your circumstance, have your boss write a thoughtful and anecdote filled rec letter and sign it himself. And yes PENN can take a 3rd rec letter. Just mail it.</p>
<p>Sikorsky, what are you talking about? I don’t know the answer…
None of my questions were answered…
I simply know that the Assemblyman will write me a good letter of recommendation. That being said, I still don’t know if there is even an option on the common app to send in a letter of rec from an outside source (not from a teacher or counselor).</p>
<p>I suggest you read the original post very carefully guys… There are still 3 questions that I remain unanswered. I have already checked the UPenn website, the only reason I am posting on this website is because I couldn’t find the answers anywhere else. </p>
<ol>
<li>Two. Check the schools you are applying to but have two in the Common App.</li>
<li>Academic classes only. If you submit an arts supplement, you can get a rec from an art teacher there. Strongly preferable to be 11th or 12th grade.</li>
<li>Don’t do this through the common app. Just mail the letter directly to each school via snail mail. Look at it first to make sure it actually helps your case.</li>
</ol>
<p>Well it’s not like a calculus or geometry. It’s not a required class, more like an elective math.
And environmental science, although a science, isn’t a physics or chemistry. More like an elective science. This shouldn’t matter right?</p>
<p>And should I even bother to send in the letter of rec from the assemblyman? I have 2 teachers writing me letters and a counselor (as per common app requirements)
In this case, would it be bad to go above and beyond? </p>
<p>The real point of getting LoRs is for adult educators, familiar with your academic skills, strengths, contributions to the classes and the school, and character, to share their views with adcoms. They present an insider’s view that matters. And, the ones you send should be relevant to your college plans. </p>
<p>The more important issue is which teachers- for a highly competitive business program. After that, consider whether the 3rd rec would serve to show leadership/responsibilities, organizational skills, etc. It’s not a problem to send it, but the teacher question is where you should focus first. Good luck.</p>