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So LOR is supposed to be someone who you have a strong relationship with in either a professional teaching or coaching environment. That is why a senator who is a family friend is not a good LoR. If you interned for him then it’s a good idea. It is really up to you on whether you think you have a deep enough relationship for him to write a letter saying crsgo is a great person and his/her work ethic would be a standout at his/her institution s/he attends.
Hope this helps and comment for clarification.
You've gotten great answers so far, so let me just reiterate that you should always prioritize the quality of the rec over any connections of the recommender. If you think a rec from your TA or Prof is one of the best-quality that you can get, you might consider asking them.
To be sure, you can always ask your recommender if they feel they'd be able to write you a strong letter. They may even have more insight on how that specific school views rec letters from teachers of these programs. You might say something like, "I've learned a lot in this course and feel you've gotten to know me as a student and person. I was wondering if you would be willing to write be a college rec letter. Do you feel like you'd be able to write a strong one after our time together? I'm planning to apply to X School's program, and would love to continue the learning I've started here."
Hope this helps, and best of luck!
Hi!
I think this is a good idea for a supplementary letter of recommendation, assuming they have gotten to know you considerably well over the course of the four-week program you're referring to. So long as they can personally attest to what you could potentially bring the school in a notably positive manner, it would undoubtedly benefit you if you applied Early Decision at the same school. However, a generic letter of recommendation - even with a specific link to a school you're interested in - really wouldn't hurt you, but it wouldn't provide you with as many benefits as you might think. Choose whoever knows you well enough to write the best letter for you, regardless of whether or not they're a TA/professor at an Ivy League. If they're both of these things though, this is potentially very beneficial!
However, this one caveat I must issue is that I would not necessarily recommend using that letter for other schools. For example, if you're applying to Yale and give a recommendation letter from a Harvard professor/TA, that might lend them to think that you're learning towards Harvard - and this may inadvertently hinder your application. Schools want the highest yield rates possible so if they believe that you're not truly interested in attending their school as their first choice, they won't be as likely to accept you. Ensure that all your application materials for School A are centered around School A and that all your application materials for School B revolve around School B. You want to convince these schools that they're your top choice.
Best.
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I think they can tell that I’m interested in building a genuine relationship with them, not just trying to exploit a connection which is what I had feared this would look like. thanks for your response!