Thesis adviser advises getting a LoR from a masters program -- polite decline?

[adornoscapitalistcast]

I've been accepted to a MA in the fall. Working on PhD applications now. Spoke with my UG thesis adviser, thanking him for LoR for the MA. He wrote in an email that getting a LoR from someone in my future MA program would be more meaningful for me.

 

"Recommendations have a half-life of about one year...Mine won't mean much."

 

I went to a top school and he advised my thesis. If I don't have him, isn't that a huge red flag? I haven't formally asked him for a PhD LoR. Is this a polite pre-emptive no?

 

An anecdote or advice would be much appreciated. I'm freaking out quite a bit.

[uromastyx]

I have to agree with him. But that isn't always realistic. If you can't produce enough letters then you can't produce enough letters. However, if you plan to reapply for a PhD then approach your relationships with future faculty with this in mind. Set up positive relationships that might produce glowing letters.

Also, I'm not sure how this came up. Did you ask him about a future letter? Did he mention that he would be willing but that it would be best to solicit new letters? Because if he simply came out with it it may be a subtle hint.

[zabius]

I don't think that recommendations have a "half-life" of about one year. I know for a fact that my strongest recommendation has come from a professor that I worked under from 2007-2010 during my undergrad. Every POI that I've interviewed with so far has said that this professor speaks very highly of me, which makes me think that her letter actually stands out more than the letters written by professors from my master's program. So, I think your professor is wrong here... 2-3 years won't make a recommendation stale.

 

In fact, I think it would actually be advantageous to have good recommendations by professors from both your undergrad and MA programs. It shows that you've been serious about research for a long time. You definitely want most of your recommendations to be very recent, but there is no harm in having an additional letter that comes from someone who worked with you a few years earlier. Unless, of course, he doesn't think that he can write you a supportive letter... my MS advisor wrote me a crappy letter last year, so that can happen and it is something to keep in mind.

 

My advice is to tell your professor that you'll definitely get letters from people in your MA program, but that you think his letter would also be very helpful as he's worked closely with you and can speak to a lot of your strengths. If he's well-connected in your field, his recommendation would be even more valuable. Of course, you're right that he could be trying to politely decline your request, so do make sure to tell him that you'd really appreciate his letter but would also understand if he cannot write one for you.

 

I'm also not sure what field you're in, but don't most MA programs last for 2 years? If so, given that your MA won't start until this fall, you probably have at least a year before applications are even open for the term in which you want to start a PhD. Your professor might be hesitant to commit to writing a letter so far in advance, just because he doesn't know if he'll be available then. You may want to keep in touch with him throughout the next year but formally ask for the letter closer to the application season.

[TakeruK]

I think a "half-life" of one year is a bit short -- I would probably think it's more like 2-3 years. In addition, Masters programs are usually 2 years and usually you only work with one person. Given that you would want at least 3 LORs in most cases, it's not realistic to expect to get all 3 from a Masters program. Last year, I was in a MSc program and applying to PhD programs. I got 2 LORs from undergrad supervisors, one from working with him in 2008 and another from my honours thesis in 2009-2010. My third LOR was from my Masters supervisor.