<p>Hey Everyone,</p>
<p>I'm in the process of getting my recommenders to prepare my LORs, but I just realized that alot of grad schools these days either strong prefer to, or exclusively receive LORs online through their websites. </p>
<p>This presents a bit of a logistical challenge (to say the least!) to the letter writers for students applying to 9 or 10 schools, which incidentally I am. </p>
<p>Is there a better way to do this that will make life easier for my recommenders? Having them fill up forms on 10 different websites seems like a good way to annoy them at best. Is there a service out there that will receive the letters and send them to the schools anonymously? </p>
<p>How are you guys handling this? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I think you have the option of pen/paper or online, I will just do pen/paper where possible and save them time by giving them pre-addressed envelopes.</p>
<p>Do not worry, sideserver. This is normal. Your recommenders do this all the time.</p>
<p>But here's how to make everyone's life easier, and, incidentally, to get the best possible letters.</p>
<p>Compile a portfolio for each recommender in which you include:</p>
<p>a copy of one of your statements of purpose</p>
<p>a list of courses you took with that recommender, including course numbers, titles, semesters, years, and final grades</p>
<p>a graded copy of the best paper (or project, or whatever) you wrote for that recommender </p>
<p>a brief statement that explains why you have chosen each program (two sentences for each should cover it, along with a mention of the pertinent faculty person(s) with whom you wish to study)</p>
<p>a list of each program to which you are applying, WITH DUE DATES for each</p>
<p>And just before the last due date arrives, send a nice thank you note to each recommender, promising to inform them of the outcome of your applications. Remember to follow through and tell them where you end up!</p>
<p>Best wishes to you!</p>
<p>You're wonderful Professor X. I had the same exact feelings as sideserver about this being a significant inconvenience for my PI etc. I planned on providing all the application materials to each recommender but the point about including a summary for each program and how its relevant to my interests seems like a great idea. </p>
<p>I recently found out that at least a few of my intended apps require the school to contact the recommender directly, leaving the applicant out of the process entirely. This seems laden with problems but they do this every year so I can only assume this is the product of decades of trial and error.</p>
<p>The problem with the system in general is that all the schools seem to think that the applicant is applying EXCLUSIVELY to them, which is a pretty dumb assumption. </p>
<p>The fact this has been going on for decades only amazes me further. Why can't ETS (or any other organization) come up with a centralized LOR sending service? I know for a fact that they have this for law school. </p>
<p>Sorry, I just needed to rant a little. :(</p>
<p>sideserver,</p>
<p>There is interfolio.com, which some scholars use when they go on the job market. A student of mine told me that it can be used by prospective grad students as well. You might want to check it out.</p>
<p>However, if you do use interfolio, the tailoring to each institution that is (imho) a necessary part of a good grad program rec letter would be lost.</p>