<p>They are not required for a general admission application that is not Music, Dance, Film, etc. They are not even mentioned for a general admission, but they are accepted. And if you think you might be an applicant “on the fence”, with maybe good grades but so-so scores, or vice-versa, you can send them. If they are not good or just OK it will be a NEGATIVE. If they are good, most all rec’s are good and they may not be read or make much difference. But if you have a teacher who has had you for more than one course and really knows you/your work/your progress/your potential, or if you have a club sponsor that has seen you at work in and out of the classroom and has been impressed, or if you have a boss that would like to tell how you have worked in an area that you will be studying and somehow made a difference or showed a unique talent, I think it could help. D asked three: a teacher, a teacher that was also a leadership sponsor, and a boss. We figured if 2 got there, she was good. She asked for letters without asking what they would say, if they would be “good,” etc. She just knew that these three would be great letters. We never saw them either…until later in the year when she needed letters for scholarship applications and they provided her copies. I nearly fell off my seat over one… it was genuinely that good. </p>
<p>When you ask for a letter, and especially when you ask for the Guidance Counselor letter/rec, provide a copy of the resume and even the essay. It helps.</p>