Recommendation Letters for Columbia University

Hey everyone, does anyone know how many recommendation letters Columbia University usually requires? Also, what kind of people should these recommendations come from—just teachers or should I try to get one from my drama club advisor too?

Columbia University requires two letters of recommendation from teachers and one from your school counselor. These teacher recommendations should ideally come from instructors who have taught you during your junior or senior year of high school in core academic subjects (like Math, English, Social Studies, Sciences, or Foreign Languages). Therefore, a teacher within a subject field that closely aligns with your intended area of concentration in college would be a preferable choice.

As for your question about the drama club advisor, Columbia allows you to submit one additional letter of recommendation if you wish. This could be from a person who can attest to your abilities, talents, and character outside of the standard academic context. Hence, a letter from your drama club advisor could be a good option if you have spent a significant amount of time in Drama Club and if this activity helps demonstrate your passion, commitment, and leadership. The way that you've interacted with your advisor and your growth in Drama Club would make for a compelling recommendation, especially if you plan to continue pursuing drama or arts-related disciplines in college.

Remember, recommendations play a crucial role in providing a well-rounded picture of you to the admissions committee. Each recommender should provide unique insights about you, so make sure the letters of recommendation you choose cover different aspects of who you are as a person and a student. It's often useful to remind your recommenders of specific projects or achievements you had during the time you worked with them, to help jog their memory and provide detail to their letters.