Can anyone shed insight on to what extent a decent letter of recommendation from a Brown professor would have on my early decision application?
Depends on how well the professor knows you. If it’s a family friend who’s never seen you in an academic setting, it’ll have very little impact. If it’s someone you took a 3-week course with and barely talked to, very little impact. If you’ve been working in their lab for the past two years, it’ll have a lot of impact. In general, supplemental letters of recommendation should always contain things that no other letter would be able to say about you.
@bruno14 Let’s say it is, in fact,it is a relationship from a three week course where one had close relationship in that amount of time and preformed well academically? In addition, one went to an office hour and talked for a significant amount of time about life in general and perceptions of the world with said professor?
A letter like that would be good to have. However, individual professors typically do not have much power over the admissions office. But a good letter from the prof who knows you from an academic setting would be a nice addition to your application.
no, that’s not that helpful. The prof still barely knows you.
Agreed. As much as you may have talked to the prof, it’s only a three-week program, and they aren’t going to be able to say that much about you. Whether or not it’s a Brown prof makes no difference, they still want letters that are actually going to have an impact.