The recursive T-matrix algorithm is applied to Monte Carlo simulations of multiple scattering by random distribution of dielectric spheres. The method is a fast algorithm for calculating the exact solution of Maxwell's equations for a large number of scattering objects. The extinction rate is calculated by averaging over many realizations. The computed results are compared with those from analytic approximations, namely, the quasi-crystalline approximation. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995