To: Aringo 2012 Candidates
From: Aringo Research Team
Subject: Extra Recommendations Update
Estimated level of impact on admission chances:
2 out of 5 (5 is highest)
Dear all,
This e-mail is based on:
1. Our current analysis of success cases from
the last season.
2. Our recent conversations with heads of admission committees.
The bottom line: providing 1-2 extra recommendations could
give you a tactical advantage in the admission process.
Definition
An extra recommendation is a recommendation letter submitted
above and beyond the mandatory recommendations that the school
requires.
Recommender
Your extra recommender should be someone who either supervised
your work (paid or voluntary) or (second priority)
cooperated/worked with you during an extracurricular or a
professional activity.
Your extra recommender should shed light on achievements,
characteristics or experiences that were not covered in the
mandatory recommendations.
For example, good extra recommenders could be:
* A parliament member whom you voluntarily helped during his
primary elections campaign.
* A CEO for whom you did some voluntary/paid research a couple
years ago.
* A university professor that you worked for as a teaching or
research assistant.
* Your boss from a workplace which was not covered in the
mandatory recommendations.
Schedule
You may start work on your extra recommendations upon
completion of Aringo's Deadline Interview.
Process
* If the below is not in line with specific guidelines about
extra recommendations provided in a specific school's
application instructions - follow the application instructions.
You always want to read them carefully and as early as possible.
* Most extra recommendations are sent in hard copy.
* If you send the extra recommendation in hard copy, and if you
didn't see the actual letter that the recommender sent (while
providing the recommender with a draft/example, you are not
supposed to see what the recommender actually sent), ask the
recommender to seal the envelope (for example, with a scotch
tape or a sticker) and sign across the seal.
* It is usually good to keep the extra recommendation one page
in length.
* You can prepare the extra-recommendation-example with your
consultant in the same process used for mandatory
recommendations.
Your consultant will write the recommendation example based on
Aringo extra recommendation guidelines, 2009 updates, and our
example pool.
* Unless otherwise instructed in the school application
instructions: the extra recommendation does not have to answer
the recommender questions of the school, though it could.
* The extra recommendation should be addressed to the admission
committee of the specific school it is sent to. It will better
not be a "form letter", but rather a letter that was written
specifically for that school, refers to the school, and mentions
the school's name.
* It is important to write and attach a convincing note
explaining why you added the extra recommendation and clearly
noting which of your recommendations are the extra ones.
Your Aringo consultant may write such a note according to our
guidelines and example pool after interviewing you for a few
minutes.
* Make sure that your personal data mining is in synch with the
experience/activity/position that the extra recommender refers
to.
* If the recommender initiated the idea of writing the
recommendation, then it will be good if you suggest to the
recommender to mention that he initiated the recommendation, and
to explain why he initiated it.
This is especially important if the school is asking not to send
an extra recommendation and we want to send it (see below), or
if we want to send two extra recommendations.
Caveat
Carefully read the application instructions of each school you
are applying to.
Do they recommend that you not send extra recommendations?
If so, it is probably a good idea not to send extra
recommendations to that school. However, if you feel that:
1. You have a strong extra recommendation, and
2. It provides important information that is not covered by other
recommenders, and
3. You and your consultant can write a convincing note about why this
recommendation is needed
despite the school's guideline not to add such letters,
and
4. It will not be easy for you to get into this school,
Then we recommend that you send an extra recommendation (just
one) to that school too.
Hope this helps. Much much luck with the process,
The Aringo Research Team
