I recently received a letter of recommendation from my mentor from a program I’m in outside of school. She has offered to personalize the letter by including each college’s name that I’m applying to (e.g., “she would be a great fit at ________.” Because I’m applying early decision to a highly selective school, I’m wondering if the inclusion of that college’s name would matter as opposed to a general letter (e.g., “she would be a great fit at your institution.”) The Common App will not let recommenders upload personalized letters, so I would have to request that my recommender contacts each college admissions department individually with the PDF.
I want to make it as easy as possible for my recommender, but I also want to do everything that I can to ensure that my letter is presented in its best possible form to the admissions committee(s). Does the college’s name need to be included to give me a better shot at selective institutions?