Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

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meowful
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Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

Post by meowful » Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:19 pm

Two of the universities I'm applying to limit the number of recommenders I can list in embark to 3. Is there any way I can get around this or will I have to ask one of my recommenders to mail their letter? :(

physicsdude
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Re: Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

Post by physicsdude » Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:29 pm

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Last edited by physicsdude on Fri Jan 30, 2009 4:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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meowful
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Re: Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

Post by meowful » Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:36 pm

physicsdude wrote: Gee, is that the biggest problem you have? Too many recommenders? Pick the least important one and ask him/her to use US Mail, it has been known to deliver on occasion.
Well, I'm just afraid that it won't and that will reveal my lack of luckiness which, as I think it was you who said, is the most important quality graduate programs look for.

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trani
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Re: Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

Post by trani » Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:48 pm

So you can't add it in the usual form that sends them email and stuff?

P.S. I am using 2 embark applications and did not have problem with that.

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Andromeda
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Re: Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

Post by Andromeda » Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:55 pm

Just gotta ask- what is it that 4th (I hope there are only four) recommender is adding to your application that the three haven't already? Because my first reaction is to ask why you want to get around the requirement for 3 when schools will already be totally swamped with application materials. Just curious is all.

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meowful
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Re: Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

Post by meowful » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:40 pm

trani wrote:So you can't add it in the usual form that sends them email and stuff?

P.S. I am using 2 embark applications and did not have problem with that.
Two of my embark applications let me add all four (and also the two non-embark applications), but the other two embarks are being uncooperative. :/
Andromeda wrote:Just gotta ask- what is it that 4th (I hope there are only four) recommender is adding to your application that the three haven't already? Because my first reaction is to ask why you want to get around the requirement for 3 when schools will already be totally swamped with application materials. Just curious is all.
That's a good question! One reason is that one school I'm applying to requires four recommenders so it seems like if someone takes the take to write me a recommendation, I ought to send to all the schools. (And several schools say "at least three.") Another reason is that each of four people know me in a very different capacities [one taught me while I was abroad (and I didn't receive any grades in the program I was in), one is a research advisor I had outside of my school, one is my research advisor at my school, and the other is a professor I had first year and now senior year and who supervised me as a physics tutor]. However, I probably would have just asked for three recommendations if it weren't for that one school requiring four (partly because I know the graduate schools get a lot of materials, but more because I hate to make people go to the trouble of writing them for me).

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Andromeda
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Re: Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

Post by Andromeda » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:25 pm

Ah ok, that works. Guessing the program is Colorado astro? That's the only one I saw requiring four and ended up being the deciding factor for me actually, as I had to cross places off somehow. :)

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meowful
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Re: Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

Post by meowful » Fri Dec 19, 2008 11:47 pm

Andromeda wrote:Ah ok, that works. Guessing the program is Colorado astro? That's the only one I saw requiring four and ended up being the deciding factor for me actually, as I had to cross places off somehow. :)
That's right! I know, it was so hard to cross out places because there's so many great programs. Yay astronomy! Good luck with any applications you have to finish! I have three more... :cry:

nathan12343
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Re: Submitting more than 3 recommenders in embark

Post by nathan12343 » Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:31 am

Just to answer the question (which I don't think anyone actually answered), some schools have strict '3-letter max' policies, others take more than three, and still others require 4 (CU-Boulder APS, for one). Those schools which do not accept more than three letters will not allow you to register more than three recommenders and I don't think it would help you too much to send them another letter for your packet if they explicitly say they don't want more than three.



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