Help! Advisor ignoring emails and I have to apply to graduate schools this month :(

Graduate School
1

<p>I am really frustrated and don't know where else to turn so I hope that some of you will be able to help me since I feel like I cannot talk to any of the professors at my campus without looking bad. </p>

<p>I am a non-traditional student, minority with a family and overweight in a predominately white smaller university. I am also a senior undergraduate student, set to graduate in May 2013. My hope is to go to graduate school in my area of interest. My GPA is 3.5 overall and 3.8 in my major. I mentioned my minority status, non-traditional status, and my overweight status because for some people, there is a real bias out there against these 3. I am not sure if this is why I am having such difficulty in my situation or not.</p>

<p>My advisor is a popular professor on campus. Some students seem to love him and some think that he is arrogant. A few years ago, before I had any class with him or knew him, I picked him as my advisor based on the advice of a student I knew in another class who worked with him and because he was the specialist in the area that I wanted to go into. Little did I know that this student was my advisor's "favorite" student and that was why his experience with my advisor was completely different from mines.</p>

<p>I usually have no problem getting along with people and work hard to do well in my classes. I have never had any negative experience with any of the other professors that I have had since going back to school or ever that I can remember. However, with my advisor/mentor, I am left scratching my head as to what am I doing wrong?</p>

<p>My problem is this, my mentor/advisor never responds to my email. I realize that he is a busy person and has a life outside of school too, but I had hoped that at some point in time he would respond back to me, especially since he is my regular school advisor in my major and is also my McNair mentor. I really need his guidance in my graduate school process this month and so far, he has not responded to my emails.</p>

<p>For example, he was my summer research supervisor for my McNair paper, which was never finished because he basically left me hanging this past summer. I had no one to give me feedback as to whether or not I was on the right track or not on my research paper. I would contact him and felt that my emails just went to a black hole. He would not respond back for weeks. In fact, I had hoped to use my research paper as a writing sample but it's not complete. I am tempted to ask another professor that I know, but I don't want to cause trouble for the other professor or myself. </p>

<p>Another thing is that I took my GRE a few weeks ago and need to talk to him about my scores and what that means for graduate school for me. I have tried contacting him the past 2 weeks, yet no response. My class hours conflict with his office hours so I never get a chance to track him down since I am in another building this semester. </p>

<p>He agreed to write me a letter of recommendation, but with all the difficulties I have been having with him, I am not sure if it will be a good thing or a bad thing. I wonder if I can even rely on that? I feel like I can't voice my concerns to any of my professors at school because they all respect each other and I would just look like a whining student. I am at my wits end. My experience with him since the summer led to me having a nervous breakdown and I am now on medication to treat my anxiety. Of course, I have not mentioned this to him because he might think that I am just a needy student and think worse of me. </p>

<p>HELP? Any advice on what can I try to do to make this process smoother would be greatly appreciated!</p>

2

<p>You are imagining possible bias when it is quite possible none exists. </p>

<p>The crux of the matter here is that you need to communicate with your professor, and he is not responding to email. Please don’t let yourself be paralyzed by all the possible reasons he isn’t responding! </p>

<p>There are many ways to communicate; use your college-level skills and try other ways. You could call him and, if he doesn’t answer, leave him a message asking for an appointment at a time you could meet. You could go to his office and slip a note under his door. You could mail him a letter. Whatever you do, be sure to give him alternate ways of responding to you and be clear as to what you are seeking.</p>

3

<p>What exactly do you need from him? Identify where he is holding you up and try to find another way to proceed without relying on him. If there are things you can accomplish without his guidance, do it. For the things you absolutely need his help with (ie letter of recommendation), be direct and clear about what you need (while still being polite). Additionally you can email him and say you would like to meet about graduate school applications and give him many flexible time options you are available and see if you can schedule a meeting to speak face-to-face.</p>

<p>If you just need a letter of recommendation then and he agreed to it (as you indicated) just make sure he knows the due dates, schools and has any information he needs about you. As the due date approaches (2 weeks away) send him a polite reminder. As a backup, is there another professor who could write you a letter? Worst case, your advisor falls through, your application can still be processed. Best case, you have an extra letter of recommendation.</p>

<p>If you want to discuss GRE scores, or you want general advise- these things can be easily done without a college advisor. Just find another source, the internet, your college’s graduate school advising office, someone you know who is already in your field, or the admissions office of the graduate schools you’re applying to. It would be nice that he helps you but if it is not happening, best thing for your application is to find another source.</p>

<p>It is unfortunate you can’t rely on him to be the resource you need right now. He may be biased or negative about you, or he may want to help you but is too busy- either way you need to look out for yourself and get it done.</p>

4

<p>Are you in a position to ask anyone else for a letter? </p>

<p>It sounds like your professor has a history of not communicating well and not prioritizing the interests of his students. What are the odds that he’d take the time to write a thoughtful letter, if he writes one at all? Not a risk I would take. </p>

<p>Several of my friends had to scramble to get a last-minute letter from someone else after the application deadline had already passed, when their references didn’t submit the letters they had promised despite frequent reminders. Other professors will write generic one paragraph letters that are more likely to hurt than help.</p>