<p>I applied SCEA and was deferred so now my mom wants me to send in a few updates on my activities and an additional letter of rec. However, aside from the required two, I had already given them another letter of rec from my newspaper adviser (which may have been the best of the three) with my original application.</p>
<p>This new letter of rec would be from an adult who supervised me on a construction project for those in need and I’m sure would be very complimentary. But would I only aggravate the admission officers by having 4 letters of rec?</p>
<p>On another thread a deferred applicant reported that Yale Admissions said “no thanks” to additional recommendation letters from deferred applicants. You’ve already submitted one supplemental rec. Don’t send another. Updating your resume with new achievements is a good idea.</p>
<p>Hm. I actually e-mailed my regional rep and asked how I should send extra information, since I’d heard a lot of conflicting things, and whether it was okay to submit an extra rec or if it would just overburden the admissions officers. The rep very helpfully answered my other questions but ignored the question about the rec – perhaps they don’t really like them, but they still might help, so she didn’t want me to be at a disadvantage for asking? Anyway, I think if you have three a fourth isn’t really necessary.</p>
<p>(Aside: I did send in an extra one from my AP physics teacher, since I’d changed my prospective major and career to physics and because I was concerned that my previous rec, from a computer science teacher, was from too “soft” a subject.)</p>
<p>Yale makes its position on multiple recs pretty clear. I think one extra rec is acceptable, as long as it says something about the student that the teacher and GC recs absolutely do not say. Two is clutter, IMO.</p>
<p>My deferral letter said submitting important extra information was good. For my specific situation, I asked about mentioning a change of major and a new award, and she said that was “sufficient” and “would be helpful.” The general feel I’ve been getting is extra information = probably good, extra rec = probably not.</p>
<p>Oh, and I asked exactly how it should be submitted, and she said to mail it to the admissions office.</p>
<p>Cinnamon, I got in SCEA and submitted two additional letters (one for dance and one from a summer academic program. I would say that if your 2nd additional letter says something new or presents another side of you, then go for it.</p>