Family Rec Letter

millie210
Mon, 21 Aug 2017 03:20:47 +0000

The question isn’t whether it’s tacky. The question is whether it adds anything to your application.

What can this person say about you that the admissions committee will care about and that won’t come through in the other parts of your application?

What concrete and objective things can this person point to support the glowing recommendation you will presumably get. I.E., why shouldn’t the committee dismiss the letter as fluff on the grounds that of course the applicant’s sister/father/aunt/grandfather/3rd cousin will say wonderful things?

What does “associated with the university” mean? Even if it means the university trustee, president or star professor, that doesn’t mean the committee will give the recommendation particular weight. It will depend on the politics of the particular university.

There’s a saying: The thicker the file, the thicker the applicant.

Be very sure there’s a good reason for this recommendation beyond the fact that your relative likes you and has a connection to the school.