<p>Do you think that it's too much to submit both a third letter of recommendation and to upload an abstract of research I did in the "Additional Information" section of part 2? The letter is already set in stone, so I'm wondering what other people are doing for their "Additional Information"?</p>
<p>hehehe… I sent them like ten pages of poetry + some commercials I’ve written. I got in. Dunno what that means, because they might’ve been like, “This is ridiculous. I was going to let this kid in, but he’s annoying me to death now so I guess I won’t…” and then some boss that hadn’t read the supplement forced them to accept me. But I’m pretty sure there was some sort of quirk going on for me to get accepted in the first place.</p>
<p>So anyway, my response is totally useless, but there’s one example.</p>
<p>(also, if you’re sending lots of supplemental stuff, make sure to submit your app early in the ED pool.)</p>
<p>I sent nothing, no 3rd rec letter either, so theres the other end of the spectrum i guess :D</p>
<p>I get the feeling that Columbia is one of those schools that do not encourage additional documents, be they letters of rec, resumes, or portfolios. Not saying that you won’t be accepted if you do this (as many 13ers have sent in additional info), but it’s never good to do the opposite of what theyre telling you.</p>
<p>so if we’re sending in a 3rd recommendation, it is through the additional info page?</p>
<p>Interested in the answer…except instead of a 3rd rec it’s an acting resume.</p>
<p>3rd rec is fine only if it says something no other part of your application can.</p>
<p>As for the abstract, a wise idea is to take a page from Yale’s guidelines. Is your research worthy of review by Columbia’s faculty? (i.e. undergraduate-level research if not graduate level) If it is, an abstract will only help</p>
<p>Where do we submit the third rec letter online?</p>
<p>Columbia has spent many years refining its application. It has elected not to use the Common Application, and instead has crafted an application that requests only the information in which Columbia is interested. Yale, or Pomona, or Bucknell, might be interested in other information. Ignoring the trend evidenced by its peers, Columbia continues its customized approach. In light of its conscious choice, why do so many ignore the clear instructions on the application? I’m confident that some who ignore the instructions are nevertheless admitted (and will likely hear about it). One has to wonder, however, whether they were admitted despite, rather than because of, their unwillingness to follow directions.</p>
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<p>Quite true. Though Columbia doesn’t explicitly forbid 3rd recs. Instead, it requests that you send them only in specific situations (research or employment I believe)</p>