Recommender missing deadline?

[socaljournalist]

I'm trying to apply by the early notification deadline for one of my schools, by Nov. 15.

Two of my three recommenders have already completed the letter. The third, my thesis advisor, has not submitted her letter yet. I need her to overnight her letter in the FedEx envelope I provided by today, if it's going to get processed and sent to my school in time.

I emailed a "Friendly reminder on upcoming letter deadline" email on Monday night. No response.

I called her office and left a polite message this morning.

Here's my worry: she somehow drops the ball, which is totally out of character for her, and doesn't mail the letter today.

There is also an option to upload the letter, which she could still do next week.

But here's my question: How much more pressure do I apply on this woman?

I do have a letter she wrote for me last year for graduate school that I never used (b/c I decided not to apply). Worst case scenario, I can use that letter. Although, of course, I'd prefer her updated letter with a current date.

Is this not a big deal or do I have a reason to worry?

[captiv8ed]

Call the school and find out what their policy is. I emailed one school that has a Dec 15th deadline, and the DGS told me they don't start looking at the material until Jan 1, and they accept supporting paperwork until then. Maybe your school has some wiggle room on extra documents.

Do you live near the recommender? If so, go in person and show desperation.

[socaljournalist]

Call the school and find out what their policy is. I emailed one school that has a Dec 15th deadline, and the DGS told me they don't start looking at the material until Jan 1, and they accept supporting paperwork until then. Maybe your school has some wiggle room on extra documents.

Do you live near the recommender? If so, go in person and show desperation.

Thanks for responding. I do live near the recommender's current university, although I'm not sure how professional or even fruitful that would be. No guarantee she'll be in her office the day/time I show up; in fact, I'd say it's highly unlikely she'll be there. She's the type to only be there during scheduled office hours. I guess I could try to look up when her office hours are next week...

Alternatively, maybe I could send her one final email next Tuesday saying I hope she's okay b/c I hadn't heard from her, and that although I had hoped for a current letter, I will use last year's letter for now. Hopefully, she can get the new letter together by the later deadlines for other schools.

[KieBelle]

I'm in the midst of a similar situation right now. I've applied (or at least started the application process) to grad school twice before. The first time, one of my recommenders (who was the dean of my department and knew me very well as I'd had 4 classes with him) was two months late submitting his LORs. The second time, he agreed to write and then I never heard from him again despite repeated panicked emails. I ended up abandoning the application process anyhow, but still. And this time, I've asked him again and made sure he knew that I will be submitting all apps by mid-November. I made it VERY easy for him- complete with stamped envelopes and everything. It's getting close to the submission date I gave him and.... nothing. My other two recommenders have already submitted everything. And I'm trying to remain calm, but inside I'm freaking out. I wish there was someone else I could ask to write for me, but I've been out of undergrad for almost 5 years so my options are extremely limited.

[modernity]

From my understanding its very common for professors to submit in the 11th hour, or even late. If you have left phone messages and emails, then you have done your best. Checking with the schools you're applying to might be a good way of relieving your anxiety though, as they might be able to reassure you that they will still take materials.

[coyabean]

Again, I'm just different, I guess. LOL

With a week out to deadlines I take the gloves off. All of my writers are local, thankfully, and I have a semi-personal/within professional boundaries relationship with them. Sooooooooo, I start showing up, calling, emailing everyday, etc. I make it all about my frailties, not theirs though. I frame everything like "I'm just a little OCD and I am soooo nervous about this whole process so I'm sorry to pester you but I want to do do whatever I can to make this easy for you blah, blah, blah."

No one has taken offense yet. And one could have. I told him, only half jokingly, that if all four of his tires ever go flat at the same time that i'm sure its just a coincidence. He laughed...and submitted all my LORs within the next couple of days.

[socaljournalist]

I'm in the midst of a similar situation right now. I've applied (or at least started the application process) to grad school twice before. The first time, one of my recommenders (who was the dean of my department and knew me very well as I'd had 4 classes with him) was two months late submitting his LORs. The second time, he agreed to write and then I never heard from him again despite repeated panicked emails. I ended up abandoning the application process anyhow, but still. And this time, I've asked him again and made sure he knew that I will be submitting all apps by mid-November. I made it VERY easy for him- complete with stamped envelopes and everything. It's getting close to the submission date I gave him and.... nothing. My other two recommenders have already submitted everything. And I'm trying to remain calm, but inside I'm freaking out. I wish there was someone else I could ask to write for me, but I've been out of undergrad for almost 5 years so my options are extremely limited.

Awww, I'm so sorry! Try to remain calm, and if you need the letter no matter what, then maybe the calling everyday method is the way to go. Do you have his letter from two years ago on file somewhere? Worst case scenario, can you use that? I'm going to resort to that if my recommender does not respond by next Thursday, which is the drop dead deadline for me. Like you, I have been out of school for close to 5 years, and I doubt my thesis advisor's letter is going to change much in substance from what she wrote last year.

[socaljournalist]

Awww, I'm so sorry! Try to remain calm, and if you need the letter no matter what, then maybe the calling everyday method is the way to go. Do you have his letter from two years ago on file somewhere? Worst case scenario, can you use that? I'm going to resort to that if my recommender does not respond by next Thursday, which is the drop dead deadline for me. Like you, I have been out of school for close to 5 years, and I doubt my thesis advisor's letter is going to change much in substance from what she wrote last year.

Kiebelle, another thing we both have in common: I also abandoned the application process (once before). Is it possible that our rec writers don't have much respect for our deadlines this time around b/c we've flaked out before? Damn. I hope not. I have no intention of abandoning the process this time. My professor is acting out of character and maybe it is because she's annoyed by my second request? Who knows. No sense in worrying about it, I guess.

[acup313]

I feel bad reading thsese posts. I guess I didn't realize how lucky I was. One of my LOR writers finished them all within a week of me filling out the applications, the other two were finished within three weeks. I am sorry for your situation, but I agree with the other posters about checking with the school about late submissions, I have heard from numerous people that as long as the application is on time the other materials can trickle in a little later.

[KieBelle]

Kiebelle, another thing we both have in common: I also abandoned the application process (once before). Is it possible that our rec writers don't have much respect for our deadlines this time around b/c we've flaked out before? Damn. I hope not. I have no intention of abandoning the process this time. My professor is acting out of character and maybe it is because she's annoyed by my second request? Who knows. No sense in worrying about it, I guess.

OMG I hope not! When I sent the email over a month ago asking if they'd be willing to write for me again I acknowledged the fact that my previous two attempts hadn't worked out and gave some reasons/evidence as to why I feel that I'm mature enough and ready for grad school this time. Plus, I tried demonstrating how serious I was by sending old exams and papers from their classes (thank god I kept everything), my CV, SOP, and a letter thanking them for the umpteenth time and spelling out exactly which schools would be sending them emails vs. requiring hard copy letters (and of course I provided the necessary forms and stamped envelopes).

Unfortunately, the only old letters I have are from one of the professors who already submitted everything. I just sent another email to the professor I'm worried about, so hopefully this time he'll start writing. My first application is due December 1st though so he doesn't have much time.

[LateAntique]

My 'big name' is at the 11th hour for two schools that are both due tomorrow. He has written many a letter in his day, so I know he knows what he's donig. Still, it's a little unnerving to think of something going wrong.

[Deleted]

I honestly do not think it would be too much of a damage if your LoR came in say even 10 days late. I believe unis expect late arrival of material (in particular transcripts and GRE tests) and set a deadline which allows them to first classify the applications along some criteria (national/international, potentially interesting/not interesting etc...) before looking again in more detail a couple of weeks after the deadline. My thinking especially applies to December deadlines because we all know everybody is out eating and drinking starting the 15th until after the new year's hangover has cleared away.

My 2 cents

(of course the earlier the application is compete, the better)

[alexis]

My professor (who sits on our master's admin committee) told me yesterday that schools usually accept LORs after the deadline. I'm not sure how much this applies to all programs; I can see the super-competitive ones enforcing the deadline, but it sounds like it's also common for letters (&GRE scores) to be accepted late, especially since the admin committee doesn't meet until the new year.

[captiv8ed]

I have talked to a few secretaries (including a comp program) and all have said there are several weeks between deadline and when they actually starting looking at them. So I was told it is okay for pieces to come in after the deadline.

[LateAntique]

I have talked to a few secretaries (including a comp program) and all have said there are several weeks between deadline and when they actually starting looking at them. So I was told it is okay for pieces to come in after the deadline.

Glad to hear it - my recommender ended up mailing them off a few days after the deadline. Granted, this is not his first rodeo, so he knew that deadlines are really more for applicants than they are letter writers.