Deadline freakouts!!! Anyone else have tardy recommenders?

[Two Espressos]

I finally looked him up on Facebook and found out that he had died two days after his last conversation with me.

 

Wow, that's rough. 

[DaisyAdair]

I finally looked him up on Facebook and found out that he had died two days after his last conversation with me.

Oh wow, how sad.

[somer8077]

As I have learned, some places are pretty damned strict. I would suggest sending a personal reminder email tomorrow or Friday, as these days aren't technically holidays, and there's enough of a buffer around xmas and new year's.

 

 

p.s. How lame is it to have a deadline on January 2nd? I mean really...

 

Thank you for that. I will indeed send another email tomorrow. But the question now is, will he even read it-- I keep having horrible visions of him on a month-long backpacking trip across Europe or something. Ridiculous, but scary.

 

Also, "pretty damned strict" is definitely VERY scary.

[skybythelight]

Thank you for that. I will indeed send another email tomorrow. But the question now is, will he even read it-- I keep having horrible visions of him on a month-long backpacking trip across Europe or something. Ridiculous, but scary.

 

Also, "pretty damned strict" is definitely VERY scary.

Might not be so ridiculous: my prof was in California for God's sake, and STILL didn't check his e-mail. Not to freak you out, I'm just saying: it's definitely better, in my opinion, to risk being a little annoying and send the extra e-mails than to lose out on your application fee and chance to be considered for whatever programs you're referring to.

[DaisyAdair]

Might not be so ridiculous: my prof was in California for God's sake, and STILL didn't check his e-mail. Not to freak you out, I'm just saying: it's definitely better, in my opinion, to risk being a little annoying and send the extra e-mails than to lose out on your application fee and chance to be considered for whatever programs you're referring to.

I agree. And remember that while grad school applications are all you think about right now, they are not all your profs think about. They have a lot of other stuff going on, and a reminder email isn't a bad idea.

[rems]

I would be annoying as shit to a prof who was late with a letter. I had one prof who waited until the last day to send in an app, and she says it was because she thought she had already submitted it. Turns out, she had submitted to another school and didn't think about the other one. I sent her, like, 3 emails that day. Profs have a lot going on, and I don't think they would take it personally if you give them a kind reminder. 

 

If worse comes to worse, butter up the secretary and ask them for their cell phone number. I would totally do that. I would also go by their house. But I'm also totally insane 

[somer8077]

I would be annoying as shit to a prof who was late with a letter. I had one prof who waited until the last day to send in an app, and she says it was because she thought she had already submitted it. Turns out, she had submitted to another school and didn't think about the other one. I sent her, like, 3 emails that day. Profs have a lot going on, and I don't think they would take it personally if you give them a kind reminder. 

 

If worse comes to worse, butter up the secretary and ask them for their cell phone number. I would totally do that. I would also go by their house. But I'm also totally insane 

 

Oh wow, "go by their house"! I'd be afraid that my prof would get so offended he'd refuse to write anything at all.

 

I actually did think of trying to retrieve his cell-phone number, tho. But as the secretaries are on break right now, I was thinking of getting another prof, who's buddies with the one in question, to give me the number instead. Then I realized that if the prof realizes that I talked to his buddy to get the number, he'd probably get angry that I involved his colleague, etc etc.

 

 

Anyways, now I have a new problem on my hands--namely that in my panic, I had an outdated so-so rec from interfolio sent out to the schools, after panicking for two days about a missing rec.

 

And now I really regret it, and want that rec omitted from consideration. .......You guys think that schools will strike off a rec for applicants who change their minds?

[DaisyAdair]

Anyways, now I have a new problem on my hands--namely that in my panic, I had an outdated so-so rec from interfolio sent out to the schools, after panicking for two days about a missing rec.

 

And now I really regret it, and want that rec omitted from consideration. .......You guys think that schools will strike off a rec for applicants who change their minds?

I don't know. None of my schools allow students to update LORs. All mine required me to complete the information and the school sent a link to the LOR writer. They had to use that link to send the recommendation. I haven't heard of a school letting the students submit the LORs. I would give the school a call and see if someone can help you. It doesn't hurt to ask.

[rems]

Oh wow, "go by their house"! I'd be afraid that my prof would get so offended he'd refuse to write anything at all.

 

I actually did think of trying to retrieve his cell-phone number, tho. But as the secretaries are on break right now, I was thinking of getting another prof, who's buddies with the one in question, to give me the number instead. Then I realized that if the prof realizes that I talked to his buddy to get the number, he'd probably get angry that I involved his colleague, etc etc.

 

 

Anyways, now I have a new problem on my hands--namely that in my panic, I had an outdated so-so rec from interfolio sent out to the schools, after panicking for two days about a missing rec.

 

And now I really regret it, and want that rec omitted from consideration. .......You guys think that schools will strike off a rec for applicants who change their minds?

 

Haha! Yah they probably would. I didn't mean that so literally -- I was more being hyperbolic. I sometimes forget that you can't hear my tone of voice through the interwebs. 

 

And to answer your second question, I have no earthly idea. You can always call and ask the secretary. PS, everyone befriend the secretary of your programs -- it's really the best thing you can do in grad school. Most people treat them like shit and their job is reallyreallyreally aggravating -- PhD's are typically like children when it comes to filling out paper work and abiding deadlines (hence, the purpose of this very thread) so they're basically babysitters. Showing them a little love can get you a long way. 

[feraleyes]

I'm so sorry to hear this. Don't give up hope yet. I'm a little screwed, too. They still don't have my MA transcript (BTW why do some schools INSIST on originals???) and I was first told they could use self-submitted scans (this was way before the deadline). Then the person I was in touch with said: oh you're an international student, we definitely need your originals NOW. Yeah, thanks.

 If you don't mind my asking...which University was this? I'm an international student too and just want to make sure I haven't missed out on sending the correct documents where they are needed and thereby screwed up my chances.

[waparys]

Michigan. Sorry for the late response.

[beet-nik]

So I e-mailed all of my profs the day of the deadline to thank them for writing letters, and received a nice response back from each one about how they had enjoyed writing them, look forward to hearing updates, etc. 

I got my account information (and official university e-mail address, let's hope I get to keep it!) yesterday to look up the status of my application -- it said I was missing TWO of my three recommendations. I'm fairly certain I know who they are and e-mailed asking them to resubmit a pdf to an alternate e-mail address (versus the electronic form they supposedly filled out the first time), but my god. I hope the school in question still accepts my app despite the late letters.

[ghijklmn]

So I e-mailed all of my profs the day of the deadline to thank them for writing letters, and received a nice response back from each one about how they had enjoyed writing them, look forward to hearing updates, etc. 

I got my account information (and official university e-mail address, let's hope I get to keep it!) yesterday to look up the status of my application -- it said I was missing TWO of my three recommendations. I'm fairly certain I know who they are and e-mailed asking them to resubmit a pdf to an alternate e-mail address (versus the electronic form they supposedly filled out the first time), but my god. I hope the school in question still accepts my app despite the late letters.

 

 

*Fingers crossed for you, beet-nik!*  I think it should be fine. One of my recommenders decided to send every single recommendation 2-5 days late, and I didn't have a problem. I did however e-mail/call the schools to make sure that this was okay, and the most frequent response I got was, "Oh I'm behind on applications anyways, so don't worry about it." 

 

Good luck!

[beet-nik]

ghijklmn -- Called this morning after some conversation with the Graduate School via e-mail and they have all of my letters! Sometime in the next week my application should be marked as "Complete" and then I can rest easy 

[ghijklmn]

ghijklmn -- Called this morning after some conversation with the Graduate School via e-mail and they have all of my letters! Sometime in the next week my application should be marked as "Complete" and then I can rest easy  

 

Yeeeah!