<p>I need some suggestions on my recommendation letters. I am an undergrad applying for phd program in biomed engr. There is this one famous professor in biomedical engineering (bioMEMS area) that I used to work with. I worked with him for 1.5 years before he moved to another university. I was able to publish 2 conferences paper with me as a second author during that period.</p>
<p>But, I asked him for a letter of recommendation. He hasn't replied me yet and its been a week. Should I send him a reminder? Or that means he doesn't want to give me a rec letter?</p>
<p>What should I say if I want to send him a reminder?</p>
<p>I feel like a growing number of professors are doing this!! I asked 2 professors for letters and neither replied, even with a second email asking just if they could do it or not. I went in person today - for one of them, he had my email highlighted in red to remind him to reply (yes) but just kept getting sidetracked by faculty, students, etc. The other one wasn't there but it's probably the same thing. My advisor also did this to me and it drove me crazy!! But she eventually replied, apologizing that she had not replied sooner... Since you can't go in person, definitely call.</p>
<p>Exactly the same thing happened to me. I'm still waiting to hear back from 3 professors.
Neither of them replied to my email requesting a LOR. ;(</p>
<p>Your person doesn't have an assistant, does he? Or is there an assistant in the department?</p>
<p>I find that admin people can be easy to befriend and understand exactly what it's like trying to manage celebrity academics, so they can be helpful: an assistant might be a fruitful contact to make.</p>
<p>But yeah, I agree with everybody else: you're going to have to get on the phone, and just assume that the lack of response is nothing personal. The famous-er :) the professor, the busier he or she is.</p>