Late Submission of LoR?

[jasonkowk]

Hi all,

I just have a problem with my LoRs. Yesterday Stanford emailed me that all application materials must be received by Friday, December 14th and the review process will begin December 19th. Does it mean if my LoR can not be submitted by that date, I will automatically be kicked out?

[ThisGuyRiteHere]

While I did not apply to Stanford...i believe that your application will be rendered incomplete. What you should do is see if they can email or fax it to them...I hate LOR's

[GopherGrad]

Hi all,

I just have a problem with my LoRs. Yesterday Stanford emailed me that all application materials must be received by Friday, December 14th and the review process will begin December 19th. Does it mean if my LoR can not be submitted by that date, I will automatically be kicked out?

No. They will consider your application with the available materials. What's more, they will merge the letter with you file when it arrives. If that happens soo, your application will suffer little or no prejudice.

You'll notice, for example, that the email said that applications missing official GRE scores will be considered, but that admissions offers will not be made on the basis of unofficial scores.

Obviously, admission at schools like Stanford is a game of inches for the most qualified candidates, and missing a letter is certainly not going to reflect well on your application. You have every right to be frustrated and demanding with your recommender. But if the letter gets in soon I'd spend zero more time worrying about it. These adcomms know that it's beyond your direct control and have little to gain by affirmatively disqualifying someone whose major sin was relying on an absent-minded or inconsiderate academic.

Remember this panic when it's your students.

[RWBG]

No. They will consider your application with the available materials. What's more, they will merge the letter with you file when it arrives. If that happens soo, your application will suffer little or no prejudice.

You'll notice, for example, that the email said that applications missing official GRE scores will be considered, but that admissions offers will not be made on the basis of unofficial scores.

Obviously, admission at schools like Stanford is a game of inches for the most qualified candidates, and missing a letter is certainly not going to reflect well on your application. You have every right to be frustrated and demanding with your recommender. But if the letter gets in soon I'd spend zero more time worrying about it. These adcomms know that it's beyond your direct control and have little to gain by affirmatively disqualifying someone whose major sin was relying on an absent-minded or inconsiderate academic.

Remember this panic when it's your students.

This is mostly true, although the easiest way to confirm things is to contact the department and ask them to confirm that they will accept your LOR when it arrives. Usually one late LOR is not as much of an issue. Also, keep in mind that there's really not much chance the review process is actually going to start until January.

[Max Power]

As a rule of thumb, adcoms will not hold things against you that you cannot control. If everything else is in order and your other letters are in and it appears that by any reasonable standard you did everything in a timely manner and the writer hasn't finished the letter yet, they will understand. They are also profs going through standard end of semester insanity. They aren't going to toss an application where you did everything right.