I sent an email to one of my prof from undergrad last week to ask for letter of recommendation for six graduate programs I am applying to. I took his class a year ago and I got an A from the course. I really love his classes and him as a professor back to college and we kept in touch although I graduated last year in May. I decided to go to grad school two months ago, which was already a bit late for Fall 2018 application because I am an international student and the deadline for us are generally earlier than for domestic students. Immediately after I made the decision, I invited this professor for a coffee chat and discussed my thoughts with him. He was quite supportive and recommended some excellent programs for me. I didn’t specifically brought up the LoR thing during the coffee chat because I thought we were closed so it would not be a problem for him to say yes, and also because he wrote me two letters when I was in senior for my internship application.
I have all the materials ready now besides LoRs. I emailed him very politely last Friday to request the letters and he did not get back to me. I thought he did not check emails over weekends (although he did replied to me a couple times during weekends before I graduated) so I sent a short follow up yesterday. I know the school started on Monday so he must be really busy now. But the deadline of one school is coming in just two weeks so I cannot wait any longer and I am also afraid that I will annoy him if I keep sending emails… I have his personal phone number, so should I call him? or approach to another professor? Please please help me… Thank you!
You asked him over the holidays? Poor planning on your part. You should have asked a couple of months ago. But you probably should call him. With profound apology for your late request.
I made the decision to go to Grad school a week before the winter break, which is already late-November. I didn’t bother him over the holidays besides sending a holiday card to him. I officially asked him last Friday. I know it is late, that why I am thinking the reason he didn’t respond is that it is late or probably six letters are too many…
Email him again. He may just be preoccupied with semester starting. And politely ask if he could just give you a quick yes or no. If you don’t hear from him at all within, say, 48 hours, you could leave a message on his office phone (I don’t think I’d call his personal phone unless he gave you the number and said you could call him…maybe text instead?). Alternatively, you could contact the departmental office assistant (see the dept webpage) and ask if the prof is on sabbatical or something and s/he might be willing to prompt him to check his email. Because he has already written you a letter and seems to like you, I can’t imagine this is anything more than he’s got other things going on right now and your request came over the holiday and is on short notice.
Agree with ProfessorMom1. Go to his office hours. Or call. But please understand that the first day of classes is insanely busy for professors, so it’s not at all unusual that he didn’t reply to you yet.
@ccprofandmomof2 I think OP is an international students so can’t go to office hours. However, OP, that would be the time I’d call him in the office! Profs usually post their office hours online (or dept asst can give to you).
Update: I texted him this morning and he replied right away, saying he forgot receiving the email but agree to write the letters for me. Such a big relief… Thank you everyone for your advices and help!!