Hi Everyone! So before school ended, my vice principal had asked me if I wanted a recommendation letter from him for college. I am trying to apply to really competitive STEM programs, and I already have 2 science teachers who have agreed to write me a rec letter. One teacher is wonderful and I know she will write me a great one, but the other teacher will probably end up writing me a generic but decent one. I would have gotten other teachers, but my school is small and they were the only two science teachers that still teach at my school. I was wondering if colleges will view a rec letter from my VP as not as good as one from a teacher even though I have a really close relationship with her and she will end up writing me a great letter? She will probably end up writing more about my character than about my abilities as a student. If the program I’m applying to is super competitive, is it worth the risk to use my VP as my 3rd rec letter?
It’s less important who the person is and more important what they write about you. You should only add a 3rd rec if they will add something new to your application that your other recommenders can’t comment on. So in this case, go ahead and get the VP rec letter if the program you are applying to accepts 3 letters.
I think that personal always trumps generic. The admissions folks are probably sick of reading form rec letters and would appreciate reading one which speaks to you specifically. Schools want to see the whole picture, and that includes your character in addition to your academics. Also, if a school admin asks to provide you with a rec letter it shows how highly they regard you and that esteem will come through in the letter. Good luck!
I agree with @Fummer13 100%.
I wonder if you could use the AP letter instead of a counselor rec? It probably makes more sense in that capacity. You also could consider using a teacher from another subject area rather than having 2 science teachers. A number of STEM schools like to see 1 STEM rec and 1 non-STEM rec.
If you do get a third recommendation it should not be from a teacher but rather from someone who knows you outside of the classroom and can speak to different, non-academic based personal attributes (ex. a coach, boss, club advisor etc.). Would the principal fall into this category?
And instead of two science teachers with one generic letter, are there any humanities teachers that know you well enough to write a stronger letter? Even in STEM programs, a letter from a humanities teacher showing breadth of accomplishment would be welcome.