LOR - Do Adcoms Care?

[iLukeisamazing]

Do adcoms and schools really look at these things or are they just a superfluous part of the application process?

[ManTGeo]

Here's the response that an adcom would probably give you:

"Why on earth would we ask for something and deal with processing it if we didn't think it was useful at all?"

And I think there's actually a good argument there. I have a feeling that, like many of the other 'soft factors', it makes a difference in two cases:

1. So-called borderline candidates. This includes nearly the entire admitable pool at schools like Yale and Stanford.

2. Truly awesome or disastrous recommendations.

[whatevamainmc]

My friend was accepted to two T14 schools last year with a 164. I think they care. The professors that wrote LORs for him were very fond of him and he had a good reputation.