<p>I already asked two teachers to write recommendations for me, but I did not know that Columbia takes more than two recommendations. Would it benefit me to ask a third teacher for a recommendation, or should I just turn in my application as soon as possible and hope for an interview?</p>
<p>If that person can really add a totally new dimension to how you’re viewed by someone who doesn’t know you, then by all means, go ahead. I actually had 4 recommendations submitted: a physics teacher from freshman year, history teacher from sophomore year, my boss at my full-time job I had senior year (note the drastically different perspective), and my HS principal, who had orchestrated the administrative stuff behind freeing me up to go work during my senior year as a character-building exercise. The principal could speak to a long history of watching me change and mature a bit, and my boss had had over a year of directly managing me. They both added a perspective that another teacher couldn’t - and had a position where a reader might believe them to be objective.</p>
<p>If this third teacher of yours also coached you on a sports team, or directed you in a play or band, or mentored you specially outside of class, they might have something to say that the admissions committee would want to hear. If not, you should probably decide on which two of those three you want to send to any given school.</p>
<p>Wow, haha, I didn’t expect such an in-depth answer. I think the teacher I have in mind will do exactly that - add something totally new about me, and I don’t think she’ll have any trouble doing so considering I’ve spent so much time in her room aside from regular class. </p>
<p>It’s interesting that you chose a teacher from freshman year, because my teachers from freshman year probably wouldn’t even recognize me, as I haven’t kept in touch with them. But then again they don’t teach advanced courses, so I wouldn’t have been able to take other classes with them anyway.</p>
<p>I also have a question about recommendations - are just 2 recommendations ok? I invited one teacher to submit one for me on the online Common Application. I’m going to invite the second one soon. But when I went to invite the second it said: Required: You must select 2 more teacher(s) below.
So… will it not let me submit my application with only 2 recommenders? It says I “must” ask 1 more.</p>