Application Q's: LoR and GRE scores

[victorlalala]

I have noticed that a few of the schools I am applying to require you to send in your app before letters of rec. can be sent in. I am trying to notify and get all my letter of rec. info out to my recommenders..but what is the use if they cant even send it in yet? I guess I am frustrated with this process. Does anyone have experience with this?

I was also wondering about the portion of the app. where you enter in your GRE scores. I will be re-taking my GRE in november and have not received my scores from Sept. yet but I wanted to send a few of my apps in. Can I send them in which the intention (obviously) of just sending them through ets?

thanks all!

[butterfingers2010]

To answer your first question, I was in the same situation and what I did was give my LOR writers a set date at which they could start submitting letters. Basically, I kindly asked them not to submit any letters before November 1st, which is my personal deadline for submitting any online applications with that particular issue involved. It made it kind of stressful for me, but I figured it would make their life easier and making your LOR writer's jobs easier is always a good thing.

I'm not sure about your second question. Maybe you should ask the individual schools what their advice is in that situation.

[orst11]

I think when it comes to your second question, I think this differs by schools. I know for 3 of the schools I am applying to don't even let me submit my app because the GRE scores are a required field on the online application. I actually have tried to submit them, and they just gave me a response saying I didn't have all the required fields inputted. As far as programs where you are applying directly to departments, it typically is easier when it comes to this aspect of the application because you can simply notify them of scores. I guess this would be an interesting question to actually figure out.

Also, as far as the recommendation issue, I think a lot of us can feel your pain when it comes to schools that don't let recs submit letters until apps are submitted.

[iamincontrolhere-haig]

In my case, I let my letter of recommendation writers know that I will be sending in my applications on such-and-such a date and that they should expect to receive emails from each school I'm applying to then. Even with applications that allow me to have letters written on my behalf uploaded before I submit my application, I won't input my letter writers' information until the date I specified. IMO, that minimizes the hassle for the people who have been kind enough to write you letters and also minimizes the chance that an email gets lost in an inbox somewhere along the line. Of course, you should also be fastidious about checking the status of your applications to make sure the schools you're applying to have received all the necessary materials.

If one of your letter writers will be without access to email before you think your applications will be ready, contact the programs you're applying to and ask if they will either accept a hard copy of the letter or if your letter writer can email it to the graduate admissions coordinator beforehand. In my experience, they've been very accommodating.