Expert Admissions in the News

Q: I have recommendations from my teachers, but also from my
tennis coach and the National Honor Society advisor. I alreadyhave two
teacher recommendations, and I know my counselor plans to write a letter. Can
I also send these other letters? I feel these other people really know me and
that admissions people will be impressed if they read them.

A: Supplementary letters of
recommendation can certainly be a good thing, but the key is not to send too
much. The first thing you should do is look at what the recommendation
requirements are for a school. If the school requires no recommendations, for
instance, then sending five is likely overkill. You don't want to come across as
not following instructions. That said, if a school requires a counselor and two
teacher letters, my advice is to send one additional extracurricular letter --
either the tennis coach or the NHS advisor.

Any supplementary recommendation letter should give insight into a side of
you, either as a student or a citizen, that the other letters do not. More is
not necessarily better. More people saying how responsible and mature you are
doesn't necessarily help your case. But, if someone truly knows you well and can
speak specifically about you and your accomplishments in unique ways, then go
for it. Be careful about going overboard, as this is primarily an academic
competition and your energies are best focused on those aspects of your
candidacy. As a general rule, I don't ever recommend sending more than two
additional letters.

Q: My son submitted an application to a university and
later received an award in the community. Can he provide this information to
schools he has already submitted applications to?

A: Yes, your son can update any submitted applications with
new information. My advice is to put something in writing as soon as possible,
so it makes its way into his file before a decision is made. The written update
can be sent via e-mail or regular mail. In the note, he should include his name,
social security number and the name of his high school. He should introduce
himself, let the Admissions Committee know that he has filed an application and
that he recently received another award (specifically list it by name). He
should close his note by requesting that the information be added to his file
and that they reply to him via e-mail to confirm receipt of the information.

Don't forget to update all applications with this new information.

Q: I'd like to send my AP scores to colleges, but I don't
see them on my record when I send my SAT scores. How do I do this?

A: While the AP Program is run by The College Board (the
same organization that administers the SAT), the sending of AP scores is
separate from the sending of SAT scores. If you choose to send official AP score
reports as part of your college applications, you cannot do so online, as you
are able to for SAT and SAT Subject Test scores.

Instead, to send AP scores to colleges, call 888-308-0013. As long as the
colleges you are sending scores to allow you to selectively report scores, you
can suppress certain AP scores at your choosing. Even if you do not choose to
send official score reports for AP exams to colleges during the admissions
process, be sure to send them to the school you ultimately enroll at so that you
receive whatever credit you are eligible for if you attend there.

Bari Norman is a Certified Educational Planner and a former college
admissions officer. Her company, Expert Admissions, provides individualized
college and graduate school advising to students and families. If you have a
question you would like answered in this column, please e-mail your question to
info@expertadmissions.com.