Not going to apply for several years, but want LOR's before professors forget

[ntn1985]

Sorry for the long question, but it is somewhat of a complex situation.

 

While many people on this forum write in saying they asked their professors too late, I appear to be asking too early. I graduated in 2011, but am not planning on applying to graduate school  until 2014 or 2015, and  perhaps a few years after that even. However, my letters of recommendation will likely be the strongest part of my application. I say this because two out of three of the people I asked offered before I even asked, many had close enough relationships that they requested, on numerous occasions that I refer to them on a first-name basis, and the one who didn’t said I was the most capable student he ever encountered.

 

I asked them before I graduated, but, so far, none of them have finished their letters (one said he did, my class participation was especially strong and I feel that, to receive the optimum letter, I should have them write it while that is still fresh in their minds. If I wait until I apply, it will be about four years after I graduated.

 

However, when I tried to procure letters, one of the professors, for example, who offered to write one told me that there would be no point in writing it until I was ready to apply, and he also said that if he wrote one this early, it would not have as much credibility. I told him that I understood, but I just wanted to make sure he wrote it while he still remembered me. He said he definitely wouldn’t forget about me, but if it would help he would write a preliminary letter and put it on file for me (via interfolio).

 

Sorry for the long question, but it is somewhat of a complex situation.

 

While many people on this forum write in saying they asked their professors too late, I appear to be asking too early. I graduated in 2011, but am not planning on applying to graduate school  until 2014 or 2015, and  perhaps a few years after that even. However, my letters of recommendation will likely be the strongest part of my application. I say this because two out of three of the people I asked offered before I even asked, many had close enough relationships that they requested, on numerous occasions that I refer to them on a first-name basis, and the one who didn’t said I was the most capable student he ever encountered.

 

I asked them before I graduated, but, so far, none of them have finished their letters (one said he did, my class participation was especially strong and I feel that, to receive the optimum letter, I should have them write it while that is still fresh in their minds. If I wait until I apply, it will be about four years after I graduated. 

 

One of the professors, for example, who offered to write one told me that there would be no point in writing it until I was ready to apply, and he also said that if he wrote one this early, it would not have as much credibility. I told him that I understood, but I just wanted to make sure he wrote it while he still remembered me. He said he definitely wouldn’t forget about me, but if it would help he would write a preliminary letter and put it on file for me (via interfolio). However, he still has not done so and I do not know how to proceed.

 

If it helps you answer, I am planning to apply to top 10 programs.

 

Thank you to those of you who take the time to give a thoughtful reply. 

[scholarlypartier]

I graduated in 2009 and I didn't apply to grad school until last year for the 2013/2014 academic year. However, I maintained my relationships with my professors during this time. I was able to get two very solid references from them and the time that had elapsed didn't matter. Send them an email every year or every couple of months depending on the level of your relationship. Schedule meeting times with them during the summer, or whenever it is convenient for both of you. Update them on what you are doing in your academic or professional life. You just have to maintain the relationship and when the time comes for you to apply they will not have forgotten about you!

[Today12345]

I second what scholarlypartier said.  One of my recommenders this year is a professor from college - I graduated from college in 2008, so that was 5 years ago.  I kept in touch with her throughout the years and kept her somewhat updated about my professional life. Don't be bashful even about sending holiday cards to the professors every year - they will appreciate it and it would keep you on their radar.

 

Good luck.

[DuckTales]

I have a similar question to ntn1985! Scholarlypartier & Today12345: I had great relationships with my professors, but I was really terrible at keeping in contact. At least one gave me a reference for an internship I had two years ago (I graduated in 2009). But a few of the profs I contacted to be references never got back to me. Am I completely screwed by not keeping in contact with my professors? I had really fantastic relationships with more than a few, but I also had some pretty serious issues post-graduation that totally eclipsed any keeping-in-touch impulse I may have had.

 

So, yeah, I guess: Am I screwed? What's the best way to ask if I haven't been, er, "on the radar"? (I'm also no longer in the same city I went to uni in... not even the same country, actually.)

[Loric]

I have a similar question to ntn1985! Scholarlypartier & Today12345: I had great relationships with my professors, but I was really terrible at keeping in contact. At least one gave me a reference for an internship I had two years ago (I graduated in 2009). But a few of the profs I contacted to be references never got back to me. Am I completely screwed by not keeping in contact with my professors? I had really fantastic relationships with more than a few, but I also had some pretty serious issues post-graduation that totally eclipsed any keeping-in-touch impulse I may have had.

 

So, yeah, I guess: Am I screwed? What's the best way to ask if I haven't been, er, "on the radar"? (I'm also no longer in the same city I went to uni in... not even the same country, actually.)

 

Just ask. Come up with some words and send them to these people.

 

If you don't ask, you have nothing. If you ask and they're like "Who's this person? Delete." then you also have nothing.

 

But if they go "Oh, this person! I shall write a reccomendation.. when i get around to it, probably in a few months and well after giving this person an ulcer worrying that I wont actually do it after I said i would.." Well, then you have a rec you didn't have before.

 

Short version: If you don't ask, you have nothing.