# of recommendations

UVADeanJ
Mon, 11 Jun 2007 10:53:04 +0000

I’d say quality over quantity is the way to go with recommendations. We only require one rec, but we don’t specify the source. Oftentimes, the guidance counselor writes one as part of their SSR (secondary school report).

For most students, one rec letter gives us exactly what we need to help make our decision. Plenty send more than one and a few go a little overboard. Having multiple letters that say the same thing can make reading your file tedious, but we try not to let it affect our overall evaluation.

Having three teachers write recommendation letters seems a bit much. They will probably approach the task in the same way and rely on the same words when they write.). I would personally rather read one teacher rec and one from someone who knows you outside the classroom for variety.

By the way, rec letters vary from positive to glowing. As a result, we tend to gravitate towards stories and not just the adjectives used when we read a rec letter.