<p>Would getting a college rec. from the principal of my h.s.(one was offered to me) be a good idea? Like will it show that I have stood out at my high school that the principal has written me a rec. or will it just seem desparate? thanks</p>
<p>are you a senior wanting to send in 1 more rec this year, or a junior thinking about next year?</p>
<p>junior thinking about next year</p>
<p>junior, ok. Recs are a tricky thing for a lot of HS students, since many don't understand how recs work so they think the title/position of the recommender carries alot of weight. So some kids try to get a senator or other important person (prominent alum, etc) to write them a rec. </p>
<p>To the adcoms, though, titles are not important. What IS important is what the rec tells them about the student. Recs and your essays are the way to bring you alive to the adcoms. They let them get a glimpse of the real breathing person and what makes them tick, to see how they might fit into the campus. So a generic letter from an important person, or a letter from friend of the family who does not know the student very well, carries no weight and can even be a negative. </p>
<p>With that is background, you should ask yourself if there is something the principal can say that your teachers cannot. If she/he has a unique perspective on you, or has seen some activities or traits that others have not, then the letter will help. On the other hand if the letter simply repeats what others have observed then it doesn't add anything, and the fact it was written by the principal instead of a teacher or someone who knows you in the community for your ECs will not matter.</p>
<p>There is a blog at MIT that introduces their adcoms. Take a look at it, and what they say they're looking for. You can get a sense they're trying to see the person, and that's what determines who should write your recs. See <a href="http://matt.mitblogs.com/archives/meet_the_admissions_officers/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://matt.mitblogs.com/archives/meet_the_admissions_officers/index.html</a></p>