How much is a GREAT recommendation worth? Forum

[Ean1991]

Redacted

[Ded Precedent]

It won't get you in anywhere your numbers won't. Sorry breh.

[John_rizzy_rawls]

If you could notch another 3-5+ points onto your LSAT, and if this recommender actually put in a call and went to bat for you at HLS, it could conceivably give you a decent chance at Harvard.

[RSterling]

Just know that the fact that this person is a prominent HLS grad does not make the letter "great."

How well does this person know you? If it's someone you met and have only talked to a few times, chances are that they won't really be able to write you a sincere recommendation and adcomms will see that a mile away.

[grapefruits]

Very close to nothing.

Also, as has been said, unless this very prominent HLS grad has experienced your academic work/intellectual capacity/hard work & motivation, and is able to speak to it personally, it is actually probably going to hurt you to have this person write for you.

Adcomms are not impressed by the stature of your recommenders. My guess is that the only exception to this rule is when your hard work & motivation/intellectual capacity/academic work, are they reason you've made the connection with the recommender i.e. you became close friends with the governor of your state after working in his office, and he learned of you through the constant bragging about you by his associates, and just had to meet you, he reassigned you to work with him on a closer level, and you did excellent work for him, and the two of you are now great friends and golfing buddies.

If you know this person, as you've claimed, by luck, then I wouldn't recommend having them write for you, with the exception being a targeted letter to Harvard.

[Ean1991]

Thanks for all the responses. I fear that my original post might have come off as a bit pretentious and entitled, which was obviously not my aim. I don't have any professional or academic experience with the recommender, but he is a close friend who knows of my intellectual ability, career goals, etc. if that matters at all.

Basically, he likes me as a person and wants to help me out. He is close with a former Dean of the law school and some people in admissions. I was mostly asking because I don't want to overstep my bounds by asking him for a recommendation, and it seems I might be doing just that.

I appreciate all the input.

[John_rizzy_rawls]

Thanks for all the responses. I fear that my original post might have come off as a bit pretentious and entitled, which was obviously not my aim. I don't have any professional or academic experience with the recommender, but he is a close friend who knows of my intellectual ability, career goals, etc. if that matters at all.

Basically, he likes me as a person and wants to help me out. He is close with a former Dean of the law school and some people in admissions. I was mostly asking because I don't want to overstep my bounds by asking him for a recommendation, and it seems I might be doing just that.

I appreciate all the input.

If he's actually close with the HLS dean and AdComms, and if he's a prominent grad, then a phone call and having him go to bat for you may actually help.

Try to notch another few points on the LSAT though.

[Dr. Dre]

numbers

[banjo]

A detailed letter that comments on the qualities mentioned above can solidify your numbers.