Recommendation Overkill

Colleges & Universities Columbia University
1

<p>I’ve been lurking around, and a lot of people seem to get supplemental recommendations in addition to the two teacher recs.</p>

<p>I’d love to get a recommendation from my boss. He knows my level of work ethic better than anyone, and he knows the financial situation that my family is in. I’ve been working with him for 2.5 years now, and my mom worked with him for 11 years (at a grocery store), so I’ve known the guy for quite a while. He always tells me that he once made the mistake of not going to college and it bit him in the ass, so he kinds of wants me to succeed on his behalf, if you can buy that. I’m sure he’d write me an AMAZING recommendation, not to mention the fact that he said he’d gladly agree to writing it together.</p>

<p>The second one is much riskier. One of my state’s Senators lives about 10 minutes down the road from my house. He shops at the same grocery store that I work at, so I’ve talked to him several times and he always asks me how school is going, etc (he actually graduated from the same high school I currently attend). I was wondering whether it would be acceptable for me to get a recommendation from him and whether or not it would even have any bearing on whether or not I am admitted. For the record, I live in the “deep south”, so he’s a conservative Republican, not that I think New Yorkers discriminate based on political affiliation.</p>

<p>Gracias.</p>

2

<p>I wouldn’t get a recommendation from the Senator because it doesn’t seem like he actually knows you well enough. If you’ve only talked a couple of times, he can’t really write anything worthwhile about you because he only knows you as a hardworking kid who works at a grocery store. So after he’s said that, what’s he supposed to fill up the rest of the page with? But definitely get one from your boss; it sounds like it would be amazing!!</p>

3

<p>I agree. The one from your boss would be a great extra rec!</p>

4

<p>I think the above advice is sound – 1) get a letter from the boss, 2) the letter from the politician is absolutely useless</p>

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<p>Let him do it. It’ll be better that way. I’ve had recommenders let me write my own letters, and they were all mediocre. As much as one thinks he is wonderful, it’s MUCH better to have someone else who thinks you’re wonderful write about it.</p>

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<p>Plenty of them actually do.</p>

5

<p>For my boss’ rec, does Columbia have a separate form for supplemental recs or should I just have him mail it to the correct address without any special forms?</p>

6

<p>Just make a copy of the recommendation form and have him fill it out and attach his letter.</p>