LOR is not responding to my emails

[joro]

One of my LOR is not responding to my emails and it is driving me insane. Over the summer, he asked me to send my SOP to him so that he can start on writing a letter for me. I sent it in September and have heard nothing since. I emailed asking for any kind of update, but still no response. I got sick last year cause of all this stress and I fear it will happen again.

[JerryLandis]

Call instead. Emails can be easily lost or ignored, and some people don't consider a confirmation response necessary even if they are on top of whatever it is you are asking.

[samjones]

yeah, a prof who wrote for me last year and who i assumed would write for me this year wouldn't respond to my first email asking her to write for me again. at first, i thought it was because she no longer liked me or felt strongly about my ability to go to grad school. i was seriously scared she had lost all faith in me and i was just starting to lose all faith in her willingness to write for me but then she finally responded to a second letter request by email! i was elated, and it turned out that she had just been busy with teaching and all the other stuff she's involved in.

i wrote that "cool story, bro" monologue for a reason to say, maybe they are just busy and another email or two will remind them that you are curious about their progress. calling could work, too! find out their office hours this term and drop by, even. it's okay to "pester" them about something they promised to do for you.

[KieBelle]

I posted about a similar situation a few days ago

[LateAntique]

I hate it for all of you people who are going through this. I see my LoR writers almost every day, so there's no escaping me. Plus, they're all just really nice guys who know how important this is to me.

[joro]

I know they're nice (yet very busy) guys. My LOR is out of the country from time to time lecturing and working with other researchers. I try to email him when I know he's back in the US and I try not to bug him too much about it. I want to assume he's working on it, but it would be nice for him to at least let me know that he's working on it.

Edited November 15, 2009 by joro

[gremot]

I've got the opposite problem - sent my LOR an email today officially requesting the letter for three programs (we had briedly discussed it before) - about 40 minutes after submitting him at the online application environments I received an email: "all done". I went and checked the status - they were really all completed... it's kind of scary as well. and i waived my write to see them ... I guess now it's all up to trust

[samjones]

I've got the opposite problem - sent my LOR an email today officially requesting the letter for three programs (we had briedly discussed it before) - about 40 minutes after submitting him at the online application environments I received an email: "all done". I went and checked the status - they were really all completed... it's kind of scary as well. and i waived my write to see them ... I guess now it's all up to trust

well, you wouldn't have been able to see the letters until after you were enrolled in on of the schools that might accept you, so it doesn't matter that you waived your right to see them.

but maybe they just wrote one for you awhile ago in anticipation of you asking formally later? i bet the letter was decent and they should had to put in a few tailored sentences for you! try not to worry.

[gremot]

but maybe they just wrote one for you awhile ago in anticipation of you asking formally later? i bet the letter was decent and they should had to put in a few tailored sentences for you! try not to worry.

i do hope so! thanks. luckily there's tons of other things to panic about so I've moved on to other problems

Edited November 18, 2009 by gremot

[Ziz]

If it makes you feel any better, I had a similar problem until today. I had written a former prof in mid-October asking if he would act as my reference. He hadn't responded so I wrote him off in my head and was panicking trying to find someone else (another prof of mine is on sabbatical and said she couldn't be my reference until January) since 2 of my apps are due December 15. Then randomly out of the blue today he wrote me back saying he would be happy to be my reference again. So basically it took a month, but he did write back. So don't give up all hope, but do try to look at other options and possibly line up a back-up.

[JennyFieldsOriginal]

i'm going through something similar right now and if you are closer with any of your other letter writers, i'd suggest mentioning something to them if the person went MIA out of nowhere.

you have to be really really really careful you don't come off as talking about one of their colleagues behind their backs, but if you handle the situation very delicately and make sure that you put it back on yourself (er...maybe i'm typing the email address in wrong?...maybe he broke his leg in 16 places?...maybe i've accidentally been writing all my correspondence in wingdings and it's unreadable?). often another recommender can badger their colleague in ways you've only dreamed of.

though definitely take my advice with a grain of salt because i'm sitting here praying that my application fees and all the money i spent getting gre scores sent isn't going to waste because "omgz i'm totally too busy to write this letter you've been asking for for over two years SORRY whats your name you are insignificant to my fancy life as an intellectual BYE" (clearly this scenario has no relationship to the way my letter writer has treated me in the past, but it's my insane hellish fantasy)

in the end, what i'm trying to keep in mind is that all my professors have treated me wonderfully in the past, they've agreed to write the letters, they are good, kind people and i should be grateful to be getting any help at all.

i'm crossing all my fingers and toes for you and i hope your LOR writers come through! i have faith that it will all wind up okay in the end but try your best not to stress and i'll be sending any extra good luck vibes the way of anyone who is having trouble of this kind

[joro]

I know he's busy, he's normally out of country doing research and at conferences. But it would be nice for him to send me a little email saying that he's working on it even if that part is a lie. I will probably give him a call next week after making sure he's in the country at least.

[gradschoolnewbie]

I know he's busy, he's normally out of country doing research and at conferences. But it would be nice for him to send me a little email saying that he's working on it even if that part is a lie. I will probably give him a call next week after making sure he's in the country at least.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now!!

I have two faculty recommenders who have been very supportive of me in my job/internship searches while I was in school. Since graduation, I've moved away from the school, and the only way I have of contacting them about my grad school apps is by email.

I sent emails to both faculty on Saturday (I know, I know...should have waited until Monday morning to send the email) letting them know I'd like to receive LORs for the two schools I'm applying to this year. They've both written letters for me in the past, so my request shouldn't require them to reinvent the wheel. Since they've been supportive of me in the past, my emails requesting the LORs were for formality more than anything else.

My apps aren't due until January 15, so I'm not pressed for time. I know it's Thanksgiving week, and also only 3 days since I've emailed both professors; I know that they're probably writing their final exams since classes are ending soon. I told myself that I would send out friendly reminder emails next Monday, but it's hard to sit still (yeah, I'm type A). It would really do wonders for me if the professors could just send a short email---even a simple "OK" will do!!