Academic recommender disappeared... alternatives?

[Kunarion]

Hi friends! I'm applying for MDiv programs at Harvard Divinity School (1/17 deadline) and Yale Divinity School (1/15 deadline). My pastoral recommendations are already submitted, and I'm making final changes to my SOP for one of my academic recommenders for Harvard, and then hers will be done.

But my third letter, from another of my undergrad professors, is nowhere to be seen. We met at his home in November to discuss my plans and the various schools I was considering, and he agreed to write my letters and even look over my writing sample. He hasn't responded to my emails since December 16th (I've sent three), but we have had informal interactions on Facebook since then, mostly in the Religious Studies Fb group from my school. I sent him a Facebook message on Friday, and he read it but never responded. I know he has been traveling since the last semester ended, but this radio silence is freaking me out.

What do I do?? I took three classes with him as an undergrad at a small liberal arts college, so he knows my work very well! Does he not want to write? Should I give him a deadline to get back to me? Should I be panicking? Because I am.

I graduated from undergrad in May 2010, so I've had 7 years in the workforce, and I've been at my current job for 4 years. My boss is already writing me a recommendation for an auxiliary program at Yale. Should I have her write my third rec for YDS and HDS? Then I'd have one academic, one work, and one pastoral. Is that inferior to two academics and one pastoral?

Any advice is much appreciated!

[xypathos]

If you're unable to get a hold of the LoR writer, you really only have two options: 1) Attempt to contact the Chair* (keep in mind that this will almost surely not go over well with your LOR writer!) or 2) Replace them.

*I had a very similar situation, that I chronicled on here about three years ago - one of my LoR writers dropped off the face of the planet, deactivated their FB account, wasn't returning emails or phone calls, etc. I took the route of contacting the Chair who informed me that the Prof. had a a bit of a midlife crisis and quit the college, left his family, and moved to Iceland. The Chair was happy I contacted them and agreed to write the LoR (we'd had only one class) and said he even included a note about the situation as to why the abrupt change - at the time the application system didn't allow me to change LoRs on my own so I had to ask the department to delete him.

EDIT: Also check the guidelines on YDS and HDS' website as per how the LoRs should be spread out as far as 1/2 academic, 1 pastoral, etc. If you can only meet the minimum, so be it.

Edited January 8, 2017 by xypathos

[Kunarion]

Thanks, @xypathos! YDS says, "Three letters of recommendation, two of which should address academic potential." And HDS says, "At least two of these letters should be solicited from college, university, or seminary professors who have taught you and are well-acquainted with your academic qualifications."

But HDS goes on to say that MDiv students need a pastoral letter of recommendation (true of both schools and already submitted) AND that students with "extensive professional experience" may solicit a letter from a mentor or supervisor. If you can only submit three letters, doesn't that mean that you'd only have one academic letter? My work supervisor could certainly address my intelligence and work ethic, though she can't speak to my academic potential directly.

My main concern is that, if I don't have two academic letters and that's what they really need, they will dismiss me as un-academic or something, regardless of the strength of the content of the three recommendations and the rest of my application.