Letters of Recommendation...Help!

Applying to College
1

Hi all,

For letters of recommendation, I am using my History teacher and English teacher, both of whom I’ve developed close relationships with. My history teacher will speak to my intelligence and passion for humanities, I’m guessing, while I’ve asked my English teacher to stress my writing ability.

However, I have a band teacher who is very articulate and has seen me as a leader. I’ve had problems with him in the past, but he thinks that I am an amazing kid with “spunk, attitude, and potential.” Do you think it’s worth including him as a recommender? Would it be too much to have three teacher recommendation letters, in addition to the guidance recommendation? I’m afraid of the “thicker the file, thicker the kid” saying, and don’t want to annoy the admissions counselors.

Thank you!! I’m really at a loss of what I should do and super stressed about this, even though it doesn’t really matter.

Here’s the colleges I’m applying to, if it matters: Yale, Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Vanderbilt, Duke, University of South Carolina Honors College, UNC, UVA, University of Michigan, Lehigh, Rutgers, McGill, and University of Miami (Ohio).

2

I would definitely ask the band teacher! Three LORs is not too many, and having someone outside the academic subjects will speak to the breadth of your interests. It’s also good to have one from an articulate, outside the box kind of thinker.

3

IMO the band teacher would be seen as a supplemental recommendation as band is not a core academic subject. If colleges you plan to apply to will accept a supplemental recommendation and you think the band teacher could add insight into your positive traits then by all means ask him to write a LOR and use it.

4

Any letter that speaks to the real you-- to that “spunk, attitude and potential” can only help. Absolutely include it.