Letters of recommendation - better to have a "name" or a personal account?

IMHO, The Peace Corps doesn’t care what “serious names” you know. I think they want to know about the real you and what you’re capable of.

I think personally, I would choose the glowing recommendations. I wouldn’t be impressed with a big name that gave me the impression that their rec was a form letter. It doesn’t showcase you, it just showcases your connections which may have very little to do with the job or placement at hand.

What do you mean that the contrast would hurt one another? Like that they would say different things about you? Like glowing personal account-writer A would say “John is so spontaneous and creative” and big name CEO B would say “John is very big on traditions, family values and continuity. ” or?

I’m thinking ask big names to send letters to grad schools and glowing personal account ppl to send letters to peace corps.

I know two students (friends) who went to the same high school, had nearly identical transcripts and SAT scores, and one had a letter of recommendation written by a senator and he got into princeton (he applied early application, so it was the only school he ended up applying to). the other had glowing recs from high school teachers and he got rejected from princeton, brown, northwestern, and some other top names i can’t remember after 3 years. at big schools, big names matter, no matter what people say.

@chica: Unless you had the same guy send in two “nearly identical” transcripts and one was rejected based on a difference of rec, you can’t really say that. Differences in essay, backgrounds, testing…they weren’t the same application.

they’re best friends, they have strikingly similar personalities, vaguely similar backgrounds (both sets parents are immigrants, both went to the same schools, both lived in the same part of town, had the same # of siblings), and yes nearly identical transcripts. they took the same classes, they made about the same grades, they had the same gpa to within hundredths of a point, they did the same extracurricular activities, it doesn’t get much closer than that. they both acknowledged that they thought the rec from the senator played a role. what do you want a notarized affidavit?

I think name-dropping would matter at an Ivy, as well as your extracurriculars, essay, personal interview. I know people who had two stepsiblings with almost the same transcripts, almost identical SATs apply early admission to Miami of Ohio, and the sister got early admission, the son did not. (the son had slightly better SAT scores, the daughter had more volunteer hours.) Sometimes it’s really a crap shoot, and quotas.

I would choose your best credentialed references that can demonstrate that you are a well-balanced, emotionally mature, hard-working individual. The people I know that went with them were not well-connected; their references were from a local peace & justice program, the Newman Center director at their college, and professors, including her language professors.

I don’t think I would feel right just name dropping…even if it were to cost me getting in. Call me moral. I’d rather have a mentor talking about how deeply he knows me and why he believes that I would be a great candidate, etc – as opposed to – Jonny is a good kid, love always, CEOx.

That’s why you and the Peace Corps will be a good fit!

I am actually applying for the Masters International – so I must earn entry into both organizations (PC and Grad Schoo), separately…! This is why my question is a bit of a conundrum…

Jonny, I’m confused. You said, “I don’t think I would feel right just name dropping…even if it were to cost me getting in.” – If you don’t feel comfortable asking the “name”, then why are you asking this question????

Well, I think it’s relevant to more people than just me. Hence, Fluther! And besides, everyone needs moral checkpoints, even if it does exist on the ‘net at times.

so….what, this question was rhetorical? you didn’t actually need any advice? oh. okay then.

Chica – what’s up with the attitude?

And maybe I’m just not sure….wow.

i wasn’t…having an attitude. i was disappointed you weren’t actually asking for advice. people have feelings.

Of course I was asking for advice – I wasn’t just asking for the sake of asking. My responses came subsequent to some back and forth convo/advice. I was simply saying that what I read swayed my decision a bit to its already natural inclination. I am sorry if I offended you/others.

@jonnyCeltics, you might find Chris Guillebeau’s blog of interest.

okay. :)

I was just talking about something similar recently! I knew a guy in high school who got a rec from Bill Clinton. Clinton didn’t really know this person but my acquaintance introduced Clinton at a political event. Anyway, this person applied to Harvard and didn’t get in. I think the name, if you don’t actually know the person, makes you seem a bit ridiculous and arrogant. Go with someone you know who can tell the truth about you, instead of having some intern pretending to be a “name” write you one.