I absolutely think that LOR are not useless and can add dimension to the applicant’s package. One of D’s teachers accidentally sent a copy of her LOR home with her at the end of the year in a pile of papers last spring, and it gave some insights that one would simply not be able to discern from a transcript, essay and test scores. I don’t know if LOR were in the teachers’ job descriptions, but I know they took them very seriously.