<p>This summer I landed a research job working for a professor at Princeton (I live in Princeton). It's a 40 hr/week thing, and I've been working pretty hard on the project. Recently, my professor (who did his grad and undergrad work at Yale, which is my biggest reach school) told me that I've been doing a spectacular job and that he'd be happy to write me a rec for college.</p>
<p>Howeverrrr...my guidance counselor has a saying: "The thicker the folder, the thicker the kid." Basically, my guidance counselor told me that the only way a rec from my professor would help is if he knew someone specifically in Admissions at one of the places I was applying (I don't think he does). Otherwise, it would just seem like fluff to admissions officers.</p>
<p>So, in your experience/knowledge/hunches...should I get a rec from my prof even if he doesn't know anyone or not? He pretty much assured me that it would be a really good rec, so that's not the problem...I just don't want to have it not count and even be detrimental to my applications.</p>
<p>This is a hunch:
I'd say it will help you...LOTS. It certainly will not hurt you, so i think your guidance counselor is a bit mistaken. Just make sure you don't send more than 4 or so recs to any school.</p>
<p>I would only recommend getting the recommendation if you think the professor's will add a lot to your application. If he's only saying the same stuff about you as the teachers and not adding another dimension to you as an applicant, it's not worth it.</p>
<p>It sounds like the guidance counselor is mistaken (won't be the first time, judging from stories I've heard on CC!)</p>
<p>Doing research for someone 40 hours a week is different from taking a class. So this recommendation would not be redundant at all and is hardly "fluff." The worse that could happen is that colleges would pay no attention to it. I can't imagine them thinking, "Oooh, this kid seems great but there is this one extra recommendation so there must be something wrong with him (or her)."</p>
<p>I don't think people should go overboard with supplemental rec's and should only use them if they add something -- and, of course, if the college doesn't expressly forbid such things. Pay attention to explicit, written directives.</p>
<p>Edit -- don't know why I typed "once" rather than "won't." Maybe I should stop typing and go eat breakfast ... Then again, my proofreading is always so much better AFTER I post something!</p>