Help me interpret LOR response from professor?

[sk1540]

Hi All,

I am applying to MPP programs this fall, and have been out of school for 2+ years. I did well in my classes, participated, etc. but haven't kept in touch with professors since graduation (I know...). I sent e-mails to two former professors asking if they'd be comfortable writing me positive LORs (I only need one, but figured it'd be safe to ask two just in case one never responded). Both of these professors were references for my current job, which is why I reached out to them first.

One just got back to me, and her first email was (I'm paraphrasing here): sorry for the delay in getting back to you, can you let me know the deadline, depending on the deadline "I hope I can write for you."

I told her my earliest deadline (which is in about two months). She then responds saying "if you want me to write for you, please send me all the requested materials" etc. etc.

BUT THEN:

"if there is someone who has had more recent contact with you than I have, please ask that person rather than me."

Oof. A bit of a punch in the gut, but, well, what did I really expect?

So, my question(s) really is: would you still have this professor write you a recommendation, knowing that your other two LORs are strong? Should I wait for my other professor to respond to see if I get something a little more enthusiastic? Since I never took more than one class with a professor, didn't write a thesis, and of course, since it's been a few years, I'm not expecting my academic LOR to be anything stellar. With that said, all of the schools I'm applying to request one academic LOR. My professor did ask for my statement of purpose, resume, etc., so I assume she'd make an effort to personalize it a bit. However, I can't stop thinking about that dreaded "please ask that person rather than me" comment!

Thanks for your insight!

 

[fuzzylogician]

I think this comment means that this is a responsible professor who knows that she can't write you a very strong letter, and telling you as much. If she had wanted to say 'no,' she would have. I don't think that should be a concern. She asked for all the materials that would help her write the most detailed letter that she can. That said, if you have a chance to get a stronger letter, you should wait to see about the other professor. It's not very clear that that's the case, and I don't think you can really tell from the level of enthusiasm in the email reply what the level of enthusiasm in the letter will be. In both cases, the letter will have to be pretty generic, given the circumstances. But, I don't see why you shouldn't wait for the other prof to see what kind of reply you get, and take it from there. I don't think it'll be very different, but who knows.