LoR Etiquette.

[_alyssaryan_]

When I applied for my MA, all of my applications required online letter submissions. This was nifty as (as you all know) I would input their name and email address and the internet took care of everything. Now, applying for my PhD, nearly half of my applications call for mailed letters of recommendation. Critique my plan for handling this and let me know what you would do differently (if anything):

- I have a list of all of the schools/deadlines/etc.

- I have the letter of recommendation forms for schools that require them.

- I have envelopes (stamped and addressed) to the schools that require mail submissions.

Is this appropriate? Can I just give each professor a packet with all of the necessary elements? It seems like the easiest way to make sure that things get where they need to go... Am I missing anything? Do you have a better way of doing this?

All help is greatly appreciated.

[captiv8ed]

That is how I handled it.

[modernity]

Also how I did it. As mentioned in another post, they probably won't use your envelopes/stamps as they'll have their own letterhead but I think its good form to provide them anyways.

[LateAntique]

+1. I had three schools that required snail mail submissions. I sent all of my recommenders an email that included: 1) PDF of my official transcript 2) SoP 3) Writing Sample 4) List of schools and due dates 5) Any forms they needed to fill out.

A week or so after I sent them this, I dropped by their offices with 3 stamped envelopes. I see them every week anyway, so I wasn't scared they weren't going to mail them out, but it was nice to be able to check in for just that purpose without seeming rude.

[fuzzylogician]

That's how I handled it. I also set up a reminder system for the recommenders I knew I wouldn't be seeing too often.

[_alyssaryan_]

Thank you all so much for helping to ease my ever-present anxiety.

I see (or can hunt down) all of my recommenders pretty regularly, so I was unsure of how to handle this situation. That said, I am glad that others have done it this way. I plan on leaving town for the holidays shortly after my first deadline and I will be staying out of town until shortly after my second deadline, so it seemed important to leave them with everything they need to get the job done. And the promise of homemade cookies - for bribery, you know. Or peanut butter fudge. Mmm..

[kahlan_amnell]

Yep, that is how I dealt with all my paper LORs. Yet some professors still managed to loose some of the darn forms! One of my applications was reviewed missing a LOR.

Anyway, good luck with your applications. Try not to worry too much once you've done everything you can to make sure you applications get in.