Letter is 5 days late

[warpspeed]

So my letter writer helped me edit my Statement 2 weeks ago, but since November he's been AWOL. I know its finals but I've sent a few reminder emails and resent the prompts a few times and I haven't heard anything for him. Chicago's deadline is past (even thought the POI for Chicago was also said persons adviser when HE was a grad student, so I'm sure he understands his nature) and ASU and UCLA were today. My best friend, who is also applying to the same schools and a with a letter from the individual, has not received his either.

Should I write the departments and point out that the letter is coming or just ride it out and hope for the best, while sending reminder emails every few days?

[Strangefox]

So my letter writer helped me edit my Statement 2 weeks ago, but since November he's been AWOL. I know its finals but I've sent a few reminder emails and resent the prompts a few times and I haven't heard anything for him. Chicago's deadline is past (even thought the POI for Chicago was also said persons adviser when HE was a grad student, so I'm sure he understands his nature) and ASU and UCLA were today. My best friend, who is also applying to the same schools and a with a letter from the individual, has not received his either.

Should I write the departments and point out that the letter is coming or just ride it out and hope for the best, while sending reminder emails every few days?

Have you tried calling the professor instead just writing emails? You need to know what's going on. May be something bad has happened and he/she is in a hospital (God forbid)?

If you can't reach the professor at home, try calling his/her department. There definetely are ways to know what the problem is. And if I were you, I would try to find it out asap.

Edited December 15, 2010 by Strangefox

[eklavya]

The question I have for you is if you talked to your letter writer BEFORE or AFTER he took AWOL. If before, your chances of getting letters from him are slim to none. He might have taken the leave due to health, family, financial - plethora of any reasons. But if it was after, then as Strangefox suggested, it's better to call him up. It could very well be that he is working on the letters. Or he's out of the country or somewhere where there's no internet (there was another person posting about his prof gone abroad, not replying emails, etc. turns out that his prof was at a place with no internet) and hasn't responded yet.

Just be patient, and wait it out. Also, it might not be a terrible idea to start looking for another writer.

[eklavya]

And don't worry too much about LoR reaching the schools few days after the deadline. While it's in your best interests to have them in by the deadline, it doesn't alter your fate terribly if they are a little late.