<p>Well, I happen to think that the letter WILL help, and that it was not a mistake to send it. Further, I believe that its format was not a mistake, as it shows that the student took the initiative to not only document its case but also obtain the support of the teachers and GC involved.</p>
<p>If there is ONE constant message with which I have to disagree on CC is the recurrent advice to remain passive and let guidance counselors, teachers, or coaches speak on behalf of students. The reality is that adcoms want to hear the voice of the STUDENT as well as the corroboration of others. In this case, the student did accomplish that with flying colors. We should not forget that the application belongs to the STUDENT, and that it is HIS entire responsibility to present himself in the best and most accurate way possible. Simply stated, GC and teachers hardly have as much at stake as the student does. On a personal note, I think that everyone would benefit from continuing efforts to relegate the role and "opinions" of outsiders to the much smaller role they deserve. For instance, I applaud the schools -such as Stanford- that do NOT use interviewers, and have thus eliminated such pointless charade from their admission criteria. Admission offices and sport coaches WANT to hear from the students and they should appreciate the efforts of students displaying respectful initiative. </p>
<p>Lastly, many applications specifically allow students to provide additional explanations. Students should not hesitate to send JUSTIFIED explanations in, and not hope for the schools to magically find the correct interpretation.</p>