LOR writer missed a deadline- will a school still look at my application?

[faerare]

My LOR writer missed a deadline- will the school still consider my application if the LOR arrives late? The rest of my application has been submitted since early October.

 

I am deeply frustrated. I asked her for a LOR back in mid-September, and she enthusiastically agreed to write one. I started checking in with her in November to see how everything was going, and she kept saying she'd do it in a few days. Well, here is it, a day after the deadline, and I am afraid I am out $100 and the opportunity to be considered at a school that is a great fit. 

 

Any insight would be very much appreciated.

[DirtyLabCoat]

A day or two late won't matter

[Maleficent999]

I had the same problem for my 12/1 deadlines. I got a really pissed off email in return when I asked on the day it was due if she was going to be able to upload it. She did it hours before the deadline. Alas, she didn't upload them for my 12/15 deadlines on time either but she swears a few days late won't matter. Thankfully, she was an optional recommendation and not one I needed to fulfill the 3 minimum requirement.

[fuzzylogician]

A few days late won't matter. Schools don't normally start looking at applications right after the deadline and besides they know that the student can't control late letters. You should be fine.

[tuckbro]

Just found out my third recommender did all of them on time, except he did not do Columbia which was due Sunday the 15th. It may be in his spam folder as my other letter writers had that trouble as well. I am having trouble reaching him to send it.  Does anyone know specifically how strict Columbia is!

[comicline865]

Either the rest of your application will intrigue the committee enough to care about reading all your recs or it won't. If they're intrigued, but still haven't received all of your materials in a little while, they will actively seek what's missing from you. If they're not intrigued, it won't matter, as they've already decided the rest of your application is not strong enough.

 

In short: don't sweat it.

[tuckbro]

haha thanks!  Columbia actually emailed me this morning that they are reviewing my application now, so I guess no biggie.

[comicline865]

I know that post might not have been what you're looking for, but it's worthwhile to consider that some graduate programs won't even look at recs until weeks after the application has been submitted. For example, UC-Berkeley's application was due Dec. 5th, but the recs aren't due until sometime in January (they don't tell that to the applicant, it's in the email to the writers). Presumably, they don't want to read every rec unless the rest of the application checks out--so by the time January rolls around, they know who they want to go to the recs for and who it's not worth spending the time on based on other factors (e.g., GPA, courses).

[socioholic]

Most seem to have alternate deadlines for the letters. Also, one school with a 12/1 deadline emailed me this weekend and just asked that I get it in before they start reviewing in January. Luckily my recommender had it in this Monday. My observation is that they just need it before the applications are reviewed.

Edited December 17, 2013 by socioholic

[Icydubloon]

Either the rest of your application will intrigue the committee enough to care about reading all your recs or it won't. If they're intrigued, but still haven't received all of your materials in a little while, they will actively seek what's missing from you. If they're not intrigued, it won't matter, as they've already decided the rest of your application is not strong enough.

 

In short: don't sweat it.

This. (I hope)

One of my recommenders missed a deadline and I think the school has closed all LOR request links. I'd rather not lose $170...

[chocolatecheesecake]

I've been getting emails from multiple schools that they have a "two week" recommendation extension period. Thank any deities listening for that, because I have a recommender who has been "getting ready to submit it" for almost a month! I'm also overseas and can't go storming into his office with a torch.

 

I seriously think these people just FORGOT what it was like to ever apply to a school you were very nervous about. Also, I'm never asking this guy for a rec again.

[TexasGuy]

why do professors do this? Just put you through the pain of having to ask them over and over to submit the fucking recs.

 

My 3rd rec is late for 2 of the 5 schools i am applying to. I'm going to have to wait till maybe January 2nd to ask again because i dont want to annoy him with an email during christmas-new years.

[cy213]

I am going through a similar situation myself right now. I had a deadline on 1/5, 1/6, two on 1/10, and 1/15. No rec letter was submitted from one of my LORs and I already emailed him twice. And before that, I emailed him all the deadlines in early October and he said he world definitely write me the letters. He works in the same building as me but he is very busy and I don't want to annoy/nag him. Ahhhhh I don't know what to do.

[fuzzylogician]

I'd say it's still worth going by his office, even if he's busy, and asking him about the letters. It shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes for you to remind him and say you're anxious about the deadlines. He will understand, I'm sure, and probably say it's ok and he'll do it soon. At least then you'll know he hasn't forgotten about you! 

[cy213]

Ugh he's not at work today! So frustrated.

Yeah I even asked around for people's opinions and they also said to stop by his office and ask personally. Thanks fuzzy!

Edited January 25, 2014 by cy213

[geographyrocks]

Maybe this is a little extreme, but when I had problems with a professor submitting LORs, I scheduled a meeting so that I could physically be there when he submitted them.  Of course, this professor is the type to forget his last name if he's not reminded a couple of times a day.  He's basically in an admin position but has no organizational skills to speak of.  It really helped because he couldn't get distracted while I was there. 

[Lifesaver]

The emails I sent to my LOR writers got REALLY pathetic sounding towards the end. Everything I wrote was true, though. I was panicking to the point where I actually started breaking out in hives. I got to the point of offering to teach classes, answer phone calls, make photocopies, take prospective students on tours, etc etc, basically anything that was tying them up during the day and prohibiting them from writing/submititng my LOR. Finally, with an email reminder almost daily, they were submitted. One barely made the deadline.

 

That being said, I'd imagine that a school will still consider you even if it's late, but not terribly so. And it seems like you've got people here who can vouch for that.

[tuckbro]

I can tell you first hand not to get crazy about this as long as you get the letter in fairly soon. My 3 rd recommender was 10 days late for Columbia and I was just granted an interview!

[danieleWrites]

One of my LOR writers was a month late. Srsly. A month. I got into my dream school.

[likemythesis]

I wish I had this thread around the day my applications were due. For some applications, my last LOR writer was a day late, but for others she was two weeks late. I called one school and they said since it was only a day late the admissions folk wouldn't even notice. Unfortunately, I had someone from another school emailing me saying, "Where is it??" and then the person emailed the the LOR writer as well. Luckily that got the point across and the LOR writer turned them in. Didn't help my nerves much though.