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Would appreciate advice
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:11 pm
by lawapp2014
I just realized that Stanford explicitly says that it prefers letters of rec that are tailored to the school. How do I submit a fourth letter of rec after my application has gone complete, and should I even do that?
Re: Would appreciate advice
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:20 pm
by lawapp2014
Anyone?

Re: Would appreciate advice
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 2:01 pm
by cron1834
You couldn't even wait TEN MINUTES to post a follow-up beg/bump?
Re: Would appreciate advice
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 2:15 pm
by axel.foley
I would post this in the Spivey thread. But IMO I don't think this would be a good idea. 4 LORs is pretty excessive, even if your earlier ones weren't tailored. Also, I doubt most people who apply -- and get in -- to Stanford ask their profs/bosses to tailor, for two reasons: a) what would they even write if they were not an alum of Stanford? I feel like anything would be contrived and the result of a quick random fact from google, and b) you are already asking them for a reasonably intensive favor.
Save your fourth just in case you get WL'd.
Re: Would appreciate advice
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 2:23 pm
by BillsFan9907
axel.foley wrote:I would post this in the Spivey thread. But IMO I don't think this would be a good idea. 4 LORs is pretty excessive, even if your earlier ones weren't tailored. Also, I doubt most people who apply -- and get in -- to Stanford ask their profs/bosses to tailor, for two reasons: a) what would they even write if they were not an alum of Stanford? I feel like anything would be contrived and the result of a quick random fact from google, and b) you are already asking them for a reasonably intensive favor.
Save your fourth just in case you get WL'd.
The above is what I have read as well. Of course they, like any other school, would appreciate recommendations from someone with considerable knowledge of the school.
It's questionable whether they expect a professor to spend a few hours on the Stanford website in order to regurgitate things in the recommendation.
Re: Would appreciate advice
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:11 pm
by lawapp2014
Okay, thank you for the advice!