How much can letters of recommendation help?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey CC-ers!,</p>

<p>So I’m applying to Tulane University via Single Choice Early Action, and it is a reach for me.</p>

<p>I was wondering, however, your thoughts on how much the letters of recommendation from a certain few people can make in terms of me getting admitted:</p>

<p>School Principal</p>

<p>Details: I wasn’t going to originally use her, but she insisted on writing me a letter. I am very close to her and she knows way more about me than most of my teachers. She chose me to be on the Board of Directors for the School Board, during my sophomore year.</p>

<p>President of the School Board</p>

<p>Details: Our school board is a non-profit corporation comprised of selected adults, a few chosen students, and the school principal. I am on the Board of Directors. This man is known for writing amazing letters and said he “made me look like a star” in his letter for me. The envelope is about twice as thick as the single spaced paged letter my principal wrote for me.</p>

<p>Chairman of the Business & Information Technology Dept.</p>

<p>Details: He is the teacher I am closest to at my school and we are on a semi-texting basis. I’ve had him every single year for at least one class and a club. I’m in a magnet program for Business & Information Technology, and he is very familiar with the work that I’ve done, much of which has been fundraisers and other things for his department. I have naturally also been outside of school for certain events, including night fundraisers up until 1 AM with him, like the other two people above. I will have his letter in my possession soon too. I already have the LORs of the other two people.</p>

<p>If you need any more details, please let me know. Tulane is definitely a reach for me, but I thought I’d give it a shot, and if you all could tell me how much LORs in general can help with admissions to various colleges, and how much these people’s LORs can help with getting me into Tulane, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Usually letters come from teachers who can talk about your academic performance and suitability for advanced schoolwork. After all, you’re applying to join an academic community, not the Rotary Club.</p>

<p>If Tulane is a reach because of stats and scores, I suspect you need at least one academic recommendation and more would be better.</p>

3

<p>I know some will talk about a greater need for academic LORs, however, I happen to disagree.</p>

<p>I applying with interests in business & political science, and, at my school, the people who can best point to my strengths in those subjects are the ones I have mentioned.</p>

<p>They all are familiar with my management and debate skills, which are needed for business & political science, and eventually law school, like I want to attend.</p>

<p>I really wanted a social studies LOR, however, I could not. My 9th grade teacher no longed teaches at my school, my 11th grade teacher is being investigated because of complaints, some of harassment, submitted against him, and I am taking my social science courses online this year.</p>

<p>I was going to get my 10th grade social studies teacher to write me a letter, but figured that class was too long ago. I will, however, be able to use his LOR for regular decision schools, since I know have him for Social Studies Honor Society, which I recently founded with him.</p>

<p>Let it also be noted that Tulane does not require ANY letters at all for admission. They say they only recommend ones from people who know you well who can emphasize your skills positively. And my skills, many academic, are emphasized in my letters, especially my principal who greatly emphasized many of my social studies skills, and my Business/ IT teacher who emphasized much of my math skills even though I’m a right-brained person, since he teaches classes like my AP Computer Science which at many schools is actually categorized as a Mathematics course.</p>

<p>Is any of what I said false?</p>

4

<p>I think if Tulane asked for recommendations from people that know you well then they’ll take ones from people outside of school. The best thing you can do, though, is call the admissions office tomorrow about what they’re looking for in a recommendation. It may seem like bland advice, but if you connect with an actual admissions officer instead of an assistant (may take a try or two) you’ll often get very specific responses.</p>