When to request a LOR if you know you’re going to be out of school for several years

[enchanted24]

Hello,

 

I graduated in December 2012 and I completed an honors thesis with one professor and did two research projects with another professor while in school. I want to take two to three years away from school to work. While in undergrad I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to study in grad school but now I’m not so sure. I’m not sure what I want to study in the future.

 

My concern is that I don’t know when I should ask my professors for a letter of recommendation. I’ve been told by a friend to ask for them now so that I have them for the future in case I need them; to basically have them stored on my hard drive for when the time comes. My friend’s logic is to ask now while I’m still “fresh” in the professors’ heads. That sort of seems pointless, considering I don’t know what I want to study or where I want to study. How can I realistically ask for a letter if I don’t have those obvious and necessary pieces of information?

 

I just don’t want too many years to pass and for my professors forget about me, or for them to retire, or for something unforeseen to happen to them (get sick and pass away).

 

Should I send them courtesy emails requesting that they write for me in the future? So that way I’ll know they will be there for me when I need them?

 

When should you ask for a LOR if you know you’re going to be out of school for several years?

 

Thank you for your advice.

[TakeruK]

I think you should let them know about your intentions to go to grad school in the future, but don't ask for the LORs yet. Usually, a good LOR will come from someone who knows you well enough that you can sit down with them at this time and talk about plans for the future. At this point, you can them know! 

 

Maybe your field is different, but for most fields, you can't "save" the LORs ahead of time because the profs have to submit them to the graduate school directly. When you do apply to a school, part of the form will ask you for contact info for your references. The school will then (automatically) email the prof with a link or a username/password combo to log into the application and submit their LOR. Some fields accept online portfolios where profs can write and upload their letters just once and then you can just use those files over and over again, which is convenient. But in many other fields, profs will mostly use the same letter for each school, but they might want to personalize each one for each school.

 

One advantage of letting them know now about the future plans is that maybe the prof will decide to write your LOR (or notes) now while the memory is fresh and then use it when it's actually time to submit letters!

[jeffster]

I had basically the same situation.  I took two years off after undergrad so my wife could finish school, then applied for PhD programs.  I had three professors I developed relationships with who I thought would be willing, and I approached them right around graduation and casually explained my situation and asked if they would be willing to write a letter for me in a year or two.  All three had no problem with it at all.  That way the bug is in their ear, so to speak.

 

I even managed to meet briefly with two of the three a year later, when I made a short visit to my campus town, just to keep things fresh.  The other I made sure to email.  I think the key is to make your intentions clear while your abilities are fresh in their mind, then just make sure they don't have time to forget who you are before you apply.

[Sigaba]

Ask the professors if they will be willing to write LORs for you a couple of years from now.

 

During the interval, stay in touch with them. In your communication, demonstrate that you are spending a reasonable amount time developing your skills and refining your interests in your field of study--and theirs as well.

 

The demonstrations can be very informal/casual or very structured. (IMO, it should be a mix.) The definition of "a reasonable amount of time" is up to you.  But keep in mind that the harder you work during your time away, the less rust you'll have to shake off when you start graduate school.

 

(Keep in mind that it is unlikely that anyone is going to cut you any slack that you took time off to work--even though that experience might make you a better grarduate student.)