The Dean of Admission of Columbia College, Peter Johnson, addressed our heads group at the end of the day. He and colleague, Alec Milton, discussed admissions at Columbia and gave us a window from the inside to their college admissions process. Dean Johnson used a terrific metaphor for the recommendation letters from faculty and the college placement office. He used the term YAC, a recent addition to the world of football stats. Here is what I found in wikipedia: 

Yards After Catch (YAC) is the term used in American football for the distance gained by a receiver after catching a pass.[1] Specifically, it is the forward yardage gained from the spot of the reception until the receiver is downed, runs out of bounds, scores, or loses the ball. YAC is sometimes referred to as RAC for Run After Catch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yards_after_catch

Essentially, Dean Johnson said a great letter tells the story of the student once he/she has received the pass, YAC:  What is important is not that they caught the ball, but how far they go with the ball once they catch it; how a teacher writes about the contribution of a student. 

Coming from a long line of football playing men, I love this analogy!