<p>I sent in two Additional reccomendations o Midd, one from a very close Ec chair (also an alumn,) and one from a local govt official. Both of them know me very well, will this help? I have very strong ECs , which are the strongest part of my app, and these individuals are very involved in them. How strongly are reccomendations weighed, and does it make a difference if it's from an alumni?</p>
<p>Get off of CC… Go and enjoy your life. Good luck</p>
<p>if they wanted additional recs, they’d ask for them. But for the record, spelling still counts…</p>
<p>I don’t think it will be the determining factor, but I don’t think it will hurt either.</p>
<p>The question that has to be answered before sending additional recs is this; Does this recommendation give any additional perspective to the readers that wasn’t available before. At first glance, we all have a tendency to say they do, but I believe one should use a great deal of scrutiny here. I remember more than once hearing the old quote “the thicker the file, the thicker the student.” While I am sure that as Urban said, it can’t hurt, I doubt very much that most people need more than the requested number of recs.</p>
<p>Agree with the above. Our GC Dept says the same things about the thick file.</p>
<p>I will offer a caveat however… Don’t load up on recs before you might “need” the extra boost. S was rejected ED from a “dream” school. And so he was obviously a little panicked going into the RD round (refusing to love enough again for EDII). However, between asking his teachers for recommendations (English and CIS Econ), and finishing his applications in December, he had changed his ideas of what he wanted to study so that all his college apps were Bio, Molecular Bio, etc all due to taking AP Bio his senior year of HS. So… it was suggested that he ask his teacher (once a college professor who switched gears when her babies were born) to write a modified rec to add to his end of semester grades. I honestly think this made his entire application make a lot more sense since he had never been a “Science” kid in HS, but it was clear he had a gift when it came to instinctually understanding this stuff. It was very short - a mere bow - not the package.</p>
<p>And if you’re wait-listed … you’ll surely want to be able to add at least something, but if you’ve already got four recs when they’ve asked for two, you’re already bordering on overkill.</p>
<p>Good advise from Moda. My waitlisted S also sent 2 new recs-one from a college professor with whom he had done political volunteer work, and another from a person who knew someone at Midd in administration very well. I am sure that is what got him off the wait list.</p>
<p>No question about additional recs after deferral in an ED round or a waitlist. In fact, if no further interest is shown, I think you could pretty much guaranty that nothing positive will happen. I was speaking only in terms of regular applicants. And even there, if the additional rec can help the reader see the applicant from a different perspective than why not include it. Just don’t need another one that says “Johnny is a great student and also shows great leadership as Captain of the _____ team.”</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who responded with substanc and actual advice. I really do appreciate it, and I do realize that this thread is almost impossible to respond to without the actual recommendations. I’ll just try to be patient until the decision is reached, but thanks again.</p>
<p>^Best of luck to you on Saturday gangster! You can be sure everyone here on CC is pulling for you kids.</p>