<p>CC was a godsend when I was applying to college, and now that I'm two years out of my undergrad, I'm coming back to the boards...</p>
<p>I'm starting to panic about getting the three letters of recommendation that are required for my grad school applications. A week ago (letters due Feb. 15) I emailed the professors I thought would be most qualified to recommend me. One was my thesis advisor. I was a research assistant for one. And I basically lived in the other's office. I supplied them with all the information they would need: my gpa and completed course list, a writing sample, a resume, my personal statement, information about the program I'm applying to, etc. etc.</p>
<p>A week later, only one has even emailed me back. At lease the one that DID email me enthusiastically agreed to recommend me. </p>
<p>So what now? </p>
<p>It's tricky because I graduated two years ago, live in a different state, and am applying to a different field (so only a few of my old professors can expand on my ability in a way that would matter).</p>
<p>Do I email every professor I ever had in hopes that someone out there will write me a letter?</p>
<p>Is it appropriate to re-contact the professors I originally mailed? They're pretty much the only ones that could write a recommendation of any valuer.</p>
<p>Just send in the one letter and explain to the admissions board my predicament?</p>
<p>I figured I'd at least get a response from my old professors, given that I worked pretty closely with them. Even if the answer was, "no" it would have been nice to know for sure.</p>
<p>This is tricky because your deadline is fast approaching and if you wait too long to contact them again, you might be leaving them with little time to actually write the recommendation. I don’t think sending in one letter and an explanation of why would really work because 2 years is NOT long. I would personally just shoot them another email asking them if they received your materials, and if you don’t hear from them within a few days, perhaps a phone call is appropriate. You might also email the next best options, trying your best to get people you worked with closely or whose class you have done exceptional in. At worst, they agree to write one and you can just file it for later.</p>
<p>Who you get the recommendations from is very critical for admissions so I think it is necessary to have at least 1 from a PI. From the impression I got from talking with my professors and during interviews, they value the PI recommendations more than any other because only they can talk about your research ability. Because you have been out of school and probably not stayed in contact with anyone outside of your three, I question the quality of recommendation you can get from other professors. I mean, if you need to meet the requirement and you are having no luck with your main, then you will have to. But I would avoid it if possible because having a two paragraph vague recommendation is only worth it if your are desperate.</p>
<p>I would definitely email them back and politely ask if they received your request. Sometimes things go into people’s spam folders without them knowing. Also, profs may get so many emails that they could overlook yours.<br>
I hope other students see this thread and realize that it would be beneficial to start very early getting your recommendations, especially if you haven’'t had contact with your professors for awhile.
I also agree with the above poster- there really isn’t anything in your application that is more important than your letters of recommendation. It’s worth it to get them from the profs who know you best, and with whom you did your best work.</p>
<p>Call. It’s quite possible your request was caught in a spam filter. You didn’t give the professors much notice, though, and it is quite possible that your letter is just not at the top of their priority list.</p>
<p>Many professors are just starting the semester, and that can be a busy time for them. I agree that you should call in case they overlooked your email or in case your email, with its attachments, got quarantined by the university server.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. I’ll try calling tomorrow if I can find their numbers in the faculty directory. GRE is tomorrow, so I’m trying not to panic about too many things at once. Is four weeks notice really too little time?</p>
<p>Yes, 4 weeks is cutting it close, almost insultingly so. Unless you were a student worth remembering or had kept in touch, they not put your request for LORs high on their list of to dos.</p>
<p>Huh. I thought four weeks was playing it safe. I’ve read and heard that more than three weeks is almost too much time. Crap. Hopefully theres some leniency for late letters.</p>
<p>I would not call four weeks an “insultingly” short amount of time. A week is outrageous. Four to six weeks is common.</p>
<p>What is more surprising is that you haven’t yet taken the GREs and are waiting until the last minute to apply. With many universities using online applications, your letter writers will not be given the link/instructions on how to submit their recommendations until after you submit your application. </p>
<p>As long as you line up your recommendations in the next few days and submit your application, you should be fine for a Feb. 15 deadline. Keep in mind, however, that many programs admit and/or fund on a rolling basis, which means that you may be last in line if you wait until Feb. 15 to submit.</p>
<p>And yes, most programs are lenient about slightly late LORs.</p>
<p>A month is not too short but you have yet to get a response from 2 people, so the more they delay the shorter the time becomes. Also, your LORs can be a bit late (one of mine was a week late) but it does depend on the school. Some schools are more lenient than others when it comes to this stuff. </p>
<p>Also, I received an interview invite for a school whose application deadline is Feb. 1st (I turned it in Nov. 30th), so just keep that in mind. Try and finish all of the other parts so that as soon as you receive confirmation from the other two recommenders, you can turn it in.</p>
<p>I would also stress that you’ve sent your requests during a very busy time for most faculty. not only is it the beginning of a new term. Many fellowships, internships, graduate and professional school LORs are being requested at this time by current and long lost students.</p>
<p>I suggest resending your emails and following up with a phone call to each. Some may even be on sabbatical or elsewhere!</p>
<p>Again, thanks for all the replies. I called the professors. One said she’s get around to it in a week or so, and I left a message for the other. I also sent the original request from a different email address of mine just in case the spam filter trapped me. Hopefully it all pans out. </p>
<p>I realize I’m a little late in the game for applying to grad schools, but there are some circumstances that kept me from applying earlier. I’ve been in communication with the program I’m applying to and they’re aware of my situation. I wanted to make sure that I could feasibly be accepted into the program before spending the money to apply, and it was only recently decided by the program, that yes, I qualify.</p>
<p>So either two years really is a long time, or I’m not that memorable.</p>
<p>One of the teachers I contacted for a recommendation denied my request, saying that although her records show I was an excellent student, she doesn’t remember me personally well enough to write a good recommendation. </p>
<p>Don’t professors just have recommendation templates where they fill in the applications name for x ?</p>
<p>I’m running out of professors. </p>
<p>Most of my upper division coursework was in a field very different from my intended graduate study. I doubt that my digital photography or life drawing or marketing professors could wax eloquent about my research and writing abilities. </p>
<p>The few relevant teachers from my last year and a half of school have already been contacted. 1 yes, 1 no, 1 will “get around to it”</p>
<p>What now? Is there even a “now” at this point?</p>
<p>I can’t be the only one out there who’s had difficulty finding faculty, am I?</p>
<p>Will a letter of recommendation from an employer suffice? I’ve worked with the same employer for the last two years and they’d definitely attest to my work ethic, motivation and desire to go back to school. Unfortunately, I don’t work in a field that relates to my academic interests. I don’t know how seriously the Literature department will take a letter of recommendation from cattle ranchers. </p>
<p>First, professors who care about their recommendations do not have a template. Each letter is (or should be) individualized.</p>
<p>You have two letters. The one that said she would “get around to it” is not blowing you off. She said yes. That means that you need one more. Many students don’t have three strong letters, so you should not be at a disadvantage if the third ends up being less than revealing. You’re right – a cattle rancher would not be the best choice. Are there any other professors, even out of your area, that would do it?</p>
<p>To support the last post,
Never push a professor to write a LOR after he/she has indicated they are too busy, don’t remember you or any other excuse they may mention. What they’ve just told you is they are unable to write you a strong supportive letter that would aid your application.</p>
<p>this can be because they don’t remember you, or because they unfortunately do.</p>