<p>Form 6, for the Optional Reference, has the following listed in its instructions: "We discourage the submission of extra letters of recommendation beyond the required Secondary School Report and two teacher references."</p>
<p>It bothers me that they provide this optional choice, yet they mention that they "discourage" it.
I was planning to have a retired English teacher write a supplemental letter, regarding a big project that I'd accomplished for his English 3 Honors class. I thought it'd be a great opportunity to express my academic motivation in completing this special project.</p>
<p>What do you guys think? It can't possibly HURT me if I submit this supplemental letter will it?</p>
<p>they provide a form, therefore do it. </p>
<p>i did.</p>
<p>i sent one in too. it's not really "optional".</p>
<p>but they explicitly stated that it WAS optional, didn't they?</p>
<p>when you're applying to a school as competitive as Stanford, you need any boost you can get.</p>
<p>They also say that most people did not have a supplemental rec. Use it only if the rec will add something and show you in a different light. If the rec is not adding much, it shouldn't affect your admissions, but if the rec adds nothing, and even restates what the other two recs have said, I would not send it because it may peeve an adcom and detract from the other aspects of your application. This rec is meant to be from someone who knows you outside the classroom, like a coach, boss, etc. It gives Stanford applicants the opportunity to have someone show who they are in a different light, but also allows Stanford to keep applicants from having every other person write a rec for them.</p>