So I’m planning to apply to several colleges in the fall of 2018 and I know alumni for two of my top schools.
I am my school’s Mock Trial Team Captain and our real lawyer mentor is a Duke Alumni, my dream school. I’ve worked along side him for several years now and he offered to write me a great recommendation.
I also want to apply to UNC Chapel Hill. My mom’s best friend/neighbor who I have known since I was 10, offered to write me a recommendation as well. She knows me really well too.
Would these, as well as recommendations from my teachers, be beneficial?
You are seeking admission to competitive schools who are very interested in your academic record. Probably, your best recs come from teachers and other school personnel. A rec letter from an attorney with whom you have had extensive contact coupled with your role in mock trials seems to have merit because of a continuing and active role in what is probably your intended professional goal. Neighbors, parents friends, youth pastors, former scout troop leaders, elementary school teachers, and so on are unlikely to be good reference even when alumni because they are likely unfamiliar with you as a high school student. Connections are not likely to over ride a poor academic profile and are not necessary with a great profile. Also, some find connections as playing games that set teeth on edge.