Which is better: long or short rec?

drusba
Fri, 05 Aug 2011 07:21:09 +0000

If it begins: “A is the smartest student I have ever had” it can be short. If it begins: “A is one of the hardest working students I have but” it needs to be long in explanation but doing so likely won’t make a difference.

Reality is that teachers get multiple requests for letters, it is something they have to do in their spare time, and writing long letters that take a long time to write is impracticable. Typical letters of recommendation are on one page or a little onto the second and realistic you should not expect the teacher to do more.