LOR - proceed or not?

[totheleft]

Hello,

One of my recommenders agreed to write me a letter by the end of May (for rolling admissions online MPA programs - hence why it's so late.. I'm a late applicant.)

It's June 2 - he has not yet done so. I ended up finding other recommenders. All schools have indicated that my applications are complete.

Do I email him and ask him NOT to send them? Let it ride and risk him sending the letters way late? Ignore it all together? I worry if I say "nevermind!" he will say he's already started on them and I'll look bad and he'll email them negatively, haha.

[kka34]

I think the polite way to handle this would have been to remind your prof a week before the deadline. Sometimes people forget, and there is nothing wrong with reminding them. Just do it nicely. I had something similar happen during my application procedure (prof forgot to upload the letter to some universities).

As for now, you should probably just let him know. Although you might choose to dress up the email. Write something along the lines of "Hi, I noticed you haven't sent the letter to the program. I thought you were very busy at the time, so I asked someone else to do it. I hope it isn't an inconvenience."

[Sigaba]

As for now, you should probably just let him know. Although you might choose to dress up the email. Write something along the lines of "Hi, I noticed you haven't sent the letter to the program. I thought you were very busy at the time, so I asked someone else to do it. I hope it isn't an inconvenience."

Using passive verbal constructions is a good way to "dress up" an email. For example, "I noticed you haven't sent the letter to the program" can be read as an accusation aimed at the professor. By contrast, "Your letter was not received by the program" allows the professor in question an "out." (That is, he sent the letter but it never arrived for reasons beyond his control or knowledge.)

Concurrently, very careful phrasing can help to keep the tone from sounding accusatory. While "I thought you were busy" reads a lot like "It was my understanding that you were busy," the two comments can imply drastically different things. (The former comment is an indictment of the professor's time management skills. The latter comment suggests that you may have misunderstood the situation.)

HTH.

[totheleft]

Thanks. I did reply but there was no answer; I should have mentioned that.

[totheleft]

Thanks, SIgaba. I'll use both of your ideas in crafting a succinct letter this evening.

[kka34]

Using passive verbal constructions is a good way to "dress up" an email. For example, "I noticed you haven't sent the letter to the program" can be read as an accusation aimed at the professor. By contrast, "Your letter was not received by the program" allows the professor in question an "out." (That is, he sent the letter but it never arrived for reasons beyond his control or knowledge.)

Concurrently, very careful phrasing can help to keep the tone from sounding accusatory. While "I thought you were busy" reads a lot like "It was my understanding that you were busy," the two comments can imply drastically different things. (The former comment is an indictment of the professor's time management skills. The latter comment suggests that you may have misunderstood the situation.)

HTH.

In my defence, I just wrote the first words that came to mind. The OP wasn't supposed to copy+paste them.

[Sigaba]

In my defence, I just wrote the first words that came to mind. The OP wasn't supposed to copy+paste them.

kk34--

To clarify, the purpose of my post was to add on to your sound guidance, not to criticize it.