Recommendations: Too many/Too late?

[aesthete49]

<p>I applied to Harvard (Restricted Early Action) on the 1st of this month, but I have a few questions about it:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Is applying on the deadline day going to count against me, even if it went through?</p></li>
<li><p>I want to send a letter of recommendation from the mentor of my internship last year. She has a Ph.D from MIT and I think her word will count for more than that of the mentor of my current intership. But my current mentor already sent his in (he kind of assumed I'd want him to write me one and I couldn't say no)...</p></li>
</ol>

<p>But I asked her to send it in anyway. In addition to the required 3 letters (2 teachers, 1 guidance counselor), will these two seem like overkill?</p>

<p>3, I only asked her last week because my parents made me, even though I thought it was too late to ask. I assume they will reach Harvard by the end of this month.</p>

<p>Is that bad? How do you think the admission committee will view this?</p>

<p>Thanks so much for your help!</p>

[Sikorsky]

<p>

1. Is applying on the deadline day going to count against me, even if it went through?

</p>

<p>No. You applied on time. On time is on time.</p>

<p>

2. I want to send a letter of recommendation from the mentor of my internship last year. She has a Ph.D from MIT and I think her word will count for more than that of the mentor of my current intership. But my current mentor already sent his in (he kind of assumed I’d want him to write me one and I couldn’t say no)…</p>

<p>But I asked her to send it in anyway. In addition to the required 3 letters (2 teachers, 1 guidance counselor), will these two seem like overkill?

</p>

<p>If they add something important to your application, that the admissions committee would not otherwise know, then it will not seem like overkill. </p>

<p>

3, I only asked her last week because my parents made me, even though I thought it was too late to ask. I assume they will reach Harvard by the end of this month.</p>

<p>Is that bad? How do you think the admission committee will view this?

</p>

<p>My best guess is still just a guess, but here it is: if the letter gets there before they read your file, then they’ll read it without paying any particular attention to when it was received; if it gets there after they’ve read your file, they probably won’t go back and re-read. But I highly doubt that either way, the date when the letter arrives in Cambridge will end up reflecting on you.</p>

[aesthete49]

<p>Thank you for your input!</p>