When is the best time to ask?

[med latte]

My applications will be due between Dec .31 and Jan. 15th. When is the best time to approach potential LOR writers? 

[ashiepoo72]

I would start mentioning your plans to apply to grad school and solicit their advice now (this helps get them thinking about you and grad school, and gets you good advice during the process of researching programs and applying), but ask for a LOR in like August or September so if they say no you have plenty of time to get another rec writer. It also gives them plenty of time to write a LOR. Some profs get super annoyed if you ask last minute.

[C10H12N2O]

I think I  officially asked in September. That being said, all of my LOR writers already assumed that they would be writing my letters of recommendation (e.g., honours supervisor, head of the dept/prof for a class that I TAed ext). I would suggest asking people who know you beyond a classroom setting. A prof who has only has you as a student in a few classes won't have much to say about you beyond your grades. Which isn't really helpful since all of that information can be found in your transcript.

[fuzzylogician]

You mean, in about a year from now? Assuming that you have a good relationship with your future LOR writers, you could mention it casually in conversation if there is a chance to discuss it, and at some point in the summer or early in the Fall semester you could ask to meet with them for advice regarding what schools to apply for and how to prepare your application materials. I'd officially ask some time after the beginning of the Fall semester, after the craziness of the new year is more or less over, so your professors have time to sit down with you for a moment. This is different for different schools but I'd say some time around later September or early October. That gives them plenty of time to say yes/no, and for you to find a replacement if you need to. While you're at it, set up a reminder system with them so it's everyone is in agreement about when and how often they should hear from you. There is lots of good advice about this step in the process, once you're closer to it.

[rising_star]

Before November 1 if your deadlines start in December. No need to ask this spring.

[victorydance]

I asked something like a year before the deadlines. I think the earlier the better as long as the relationships are already well established. 

[bsharpe269]

I asked for advice on PhD applicaitons from my PI over the summer before app season. In that conversation, I mentioned something like "Any advice on who to ask for letters? You and X are my obvious ones... Should I use Y or Z for the other." He said that one of the letters would be much better than the other because they are more known in the field so the advice was very helpful. I guess that is how I asked my PI but honestly, they know they will be writing a letter and would probably even be insulted if you dont ask. For Prof X who I am very close to, he was a very obvious LOR writer for me and he had previously offered. I think I brought him all of the info in September/October. He knew I would be asking though. For the final LOR writer (Prof Y), I never actually got a chance to ask him. After that conversation with my PI, he told prof Y that I would be asking and Prof Y approached me in the hall to tell me that he would be happy to. That was around September I think too.

 

I gave Profs official lists of schools/deadlines in October and then sent out all of the emails to upload letters about 3 weeks before the first deadline.