one year later--it doesn't matter

columbia2007
Sat, 19 Aug 2006 01:35:48 +0000

what is more impressive to employers and graduate school, a reccomendation from a good-but-not-renowned professor in a small college, or one from a nobel lauerate in an ivy school?



In either case an an extraordinary and detailed recommendation from the unreknowned professor trumps a mediocre one from the nobel laureate (or, very likely, the latter’s secretary). I know someone who asked Michael Dukakis for a recommendation after taking a seminar with him at Northeastern. Dukakis loved the kid and promised an excellent rec. On this basis he applied to Harvard Law…months later after his Harvard rejection he received Dukakis’ letter back…it had been written in a bland, mediocre fashion by an administrative assistant.