<p>Penn Lover: I concur with those who say that you should get recs from people who know you well and can write about you in a very personal way. A letter that says little more than “PennLover is an excellent student is not going to do the trick”, no matter how exalted the recommender may be. This is why recs by members of Congress, CEOs, etc… and far less persuasive than letters by a teacher who has known the student for a whole year, can give some very specific examples of why the student is so stellar, etc…
As well, each letter should carry its weight. You don’t need many. You need detailed, knowledgeable and enthusiastic ones.</p>