Why do we need recommendation letters even if we have an official?
There is way more to quantify a persons potential than just with numbers! Being academically inclined and a brilliant test taker is not indicative of anything more than that. Can this piece of paper reveal what kind of person you are? Being a kind and decent person who gets along with others and who can help contribute to society in some way can neither be expressed numerically. Smarts arent everything my friend!