<p>In addition to the required, I have 3 more:</p>
<p>One is a brief paragraph from NJ Gov School, which basically talks about how I was a leader in my research project, one of the experiments was my own ideas, and how I handled graduate level topics with ease. </p>
<p>Another is from my current research mentor, who invited me to work with her from Gov School. And the third is my research mentor after 9th grade who I worked with in maize genome sequencing. Basically its about 2.5 extra pages. Is that cool, or should I tell them to disregard one of them if they want?</p>
<p>I sent in about five recommendations and I got in. It could have been received poorly though, I'm not sure. I'd say if they don't really add anything, maybe leave them out since it may look like you are trying too hard and doing it poorly. Looks like your recommendations may be pretty different from the normal teacher recs, so you have a case for including them.</p>
<p>Additional recs are useful in the capacity that they reveal more about your character. It seems that all three recs you sent were from the same type of person (research mentor), and they will likely all reaffirm the same qualities you possess, rather than adding significantly. Basically, you're getting diminishing returns. After the first two research mentors say something, what could the third possibly add?</p>
<p>I would recommend only sending in one (or at most two) from the research mentors. If you're dead set on sending more recommendations, get one that reveals another aspect of your life that you want admissions to know about, rather than reiterating the first. If MIT wants to clarify your research work, they can call your mentors. Think about what information MIT can't get easily, and try to go with that.</p>