How much time do Profs need to write LORs ?

[ahmadka]

Hi guys .. So pretty simple question .. How much time do they typically need for writing and sending LORs ?

 

It's mid October now, and I still haven't emailed any prof about it. Considering most application deadlines are in the 1st half of December, am I too late ?

[fuzzylogician]

It's not too late but you should contact them soon. The question is not just how long it actually takes to write the letters, but also when they will fit this new requirement into their schedule. I'm sure they don't just sit around all day waiting for students to ask for letters; they have other things to do, like their own research and teaching, and grant writing, and meetings, and personal obligations. You need to respect their time and not expect that they'll drop everything last minute and write you letters on short notice. 

[maelia8]

I contacted the profs I wanted LORs from at the beginning of October, and then wrote a follow-up check-in email in mid-November with more detailed information about what I'd been up to and what they might mention in the LOR (most of them were happy to get a little guidance so that they could mention my activities since I'd graduated a year and a half before). We then were in contact daily right before the submission date and they contacted me after submitting their letters to the online system.

[jalison]

I spoke to a professor about this and they said that it is good to be early but its sometimes annoying for them if you ask TOO early.

Most of my apps are due January 15 so they said to approach around the beginning of December - this gives them time to do it and is before exams/christmas break. Because your apps are due earlier, you dont need to give them a month and a half of time. Approaching them now is probably the right time to do it.

Another piece of advice I received from multiple professors is to remind them - often. They said they dont get annoying if you remind them fairly often and its more annoying for them if you dont remind them because they have so much else going on that they probably won't always remember.