２０１６年、東大は推薦入試を実施し77名が入学しています。トップ大学が推薦入試をすることが、特殊なこととして報道されていますが、アメリカのトップ大学は全てが推薦入試と言えます。
今まで誰も言及していませんでしたが、アメリカのトップレベルの私立大学、ハーバード、イエール、プリンストン、ＭＩＴ、スタンフォードなどは、実は「東大推薦入試」方式に近いものです。
但し、アメリカの大学は書類審査のみですから日本から簡単に応募ができます。東大は面接が必須で、、それもプレゼンテーションや課題遂行、グループ・ディスカッション、小論文の作成など、まるで「入社試験」のような様相を呈していますが、アメリカはインタビューは必須ではありません。ＯＢ，ＯＧとの面接を強く勧めていますが、東大のような仰々しいものではありません。
学校の教師２名の推薦なくして、ハーバード進学塾で英語対策をやったり、グローバルリーダーになるために必要な力をつけたりしても合格できない、という点を注意する必要があります。
日本からハーバードに応募する人は７０名ほどいるようですが、しかし合格者が中国、韓国と比較すると問題にならないくらい少ない。それはなぜなのか？
おそらく「推薦状」の質が、日本からの応募者の場合、不十分なのだと思います。
日本の高校生、学校は「a school profile」の重要性を認識しておらず提出していない恐れがありますが、もし提出していなければ合格はできないでしょう。
ＭＩＴ
At MIT, we require letters of recommendation from two teachers (one math/science, one humanities), plus materials from your guidance counselor (typically including your transcript, a school profile, and a letter of recommendation). MIT's recommendations process is online; you will need to create a separate recommendations account in addition to your MyMIT account.
Harvard
Freshman applicants
All freshman applicants—both international and U.S. candidates—must complete the Common Application or Universal College Application, along with the required supplements. You will need to submit:
School Report and high school transcript
Teacher Report (2)
Yale
Yale requires two letters of recommendation from teachers who have taught you in credit-bearing classes during the academic year in core academic subjects (English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies). We recommend, but do not require, that applicants solicit recommendations from 11th and 12th grade teachers, as they are typically able to provide the best insights into your most rigorous academic work. Yale does not require that these recommendations come from teachers of particular academic subjects. Choose teachers who know you well and can give us a sense of your academic and personal strengths.
Princeton
What letters of recommendation are required?
We ask for a letter from your guidance counselor, college adviser or another school official to accompany the School Report, and letters from two teachers who have taught you in academic subjects. Learn more about what to include in your admission application.
Does it help to have extra letters of recommendation?
We believe that the required teacher and guidance counselor references give us much of the information we need to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions. Additional letters are only helpful if the person writing the recommendation knows the candidate well and can provide new, detailed information.
Stanford
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation from two teachers are required.
We recommend selecting grade 11 or 12 teachers in two of the following subject areas:
◾English
◾Mathematics
◾Science
◾Foreign language
◾History/social studies
You may submit a letter from a teacher who taught you in grade 10 if the coursework was advanced (e.g., Honors, AP, IB). If your school does not offer such designations, use your discretion when asking a teacher from grade 10. We will accept a maximum of two letters of recommendation from teachers.
If English is not the primary language of instruction at your school, review our guidelines for translating letters of recommendation.
Optional Letter
You may submit no more than one optional letter of recommendation if there is another person—not a teacher or counselor—who knows you well and will provide new insights about you. Ask your recommender to note your full legal name, school name and date of birth at the top of the letter. Your recommender may upload the letter to your application or send by email (credentials@stanford.edu ), mail or fax: (650) 723-6050. No form is required.
Please note that we are unable to confirm receipt of optional materials that are not required for admission. These materials are not tracked in our system.