-2
4 years ago
Admissions Advice

Would it help to get a letter of rec from a professor who works at the school I'm applying to?

A family member of mine is friends with a man who is a language department head at Dartmouth (a language which I have never taken because it isn't offered at my school). I met him once over Zoom for like half an hour, and he just told me a little bit more about Dartmouth.

I applied for RD to Dartmouth and was wondering if it would be worth it to ask him to write a brief letter to admissions in support of my application. He would likely say yes if I asked. Would this help my application though? It would be a big favor, so I don't want to waste it.

Dartmouth
rec-letters
recommendation
-2
1

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1 answer

7
4 years ago

If he only met you online for 30 minutes with the intent of sharing info about Dartmouth, I do not feel this is an appropriate request.

He doesn't know you in person. You do not have a direct relationship with him. You do not socialize or share experiences together. How could he possibly advocate for you in good conscience? If you make this request, it makes backfire and be a poor reflection of your judgment and your over-enthusiasm to get into Dartmouth.

I feel it would be better to make use of Dartmouth's Peer Recommendation provision which is unique to the Ivy League. If you can find a current Dartmouth student you know to advocate for you, that would be more appropriate and desirable from the admissions team.

Good luck with your Dartmouth admissions journey.

7
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