<p>I do most of my volunteer hours (300+) at my church.
The people who volunteer with me are students in Ph.D programs, so very much older.
Is it ok to get a peer evaluation from one of them? or are they too old?</p>
<p>Why not just ask a friend who knows you well? That is the intent of the recommendation. It is not supposed to be an EC description.</p>
<p>The person I’m working with is a very close friend of mine. He is one of my best friends but dartmouth seems to be opposed to people who are much older than me writing the peer evaluation. </p>
<p>This is a recurring question. In my opinion, if you view the person as a peer, then he is. Your description of him as “a very close friend” is (in my opinion) what Dartmouth is looking for. I say, go with your gut. If this feels right, do it. There is no age litmus test. Dartmouth wants to hear from someone who knows you other than as a teacher/coach/whatever. A relationship with a co-volunteer at an activity that is obviously important to you is at least as meaningful [litotes] as one with an age-equivalent you’ve played video games with. </p>
<p>I agree: if this person is your peer, not your supervisor, go for it. </p>