rampup82 wrote:
Got it, thanks guys.
Another concern - since I'm applying to quite a few schools (anywhere from 5-7, I haven't really decided yet), I'm worried that my recommenders will have a difficult time writing and turning in SEVEN reommendations (worst case scenario). I understand it can get tedious after awhile. I have other people I can ask to split up the work I suppose, but the two people I have in mind can probably write the most honest and effective letters of rec. What do you do in a situation like this? Any tips?
How many recommendations do people typically ask from one person?
After a few recs (maybe the first 3?) they'd probably be recycling stuff. 5 - 7 is a reasonable number of apps, but you need to factor your recommenders' time availability. I know some applicants split recommendations, but if these 2 people can give you much better recs than anyone else, then why would you change them? It may make sense to split if you have a pool of 4 reasonably comparable recommenders and split the apps. among them. You also need to consider that some programs require 3 recommendations (Stfd and HBS are the 2 programs which I know do so).
Another option is splitting among R1 and R2. So, if you are applying to 6 programs, that'll mean 3 recs will be due around Sept / Oct. and the other 3 around late Dec / early January. By the way, you may need to split between rounds to have time to work on essays.
Hope it helps. L.