How many times can you email about a late rec letter before your professor hates you??

[her_black_tights]

Hi! I posted here a couple weeks ago about a rec letter issue and now I'm posting again because I have another issue, albeit with the same professor. For some background, she's notoriously late/does things last minute but I asked her to write me a letter in September, thinking that would mean she would have it done in time. She's a very well respected scholar in my field and the only person I could possibly switch her out with (though, even that's up in the air because I would have to ask him to write the letter) is an English professor while I'm applying for Anthropology (I was a double major). She submitted all of my Dec. 15 letters either at midnight on the 15th or kind of late but they all got in. I've been emailing her every week informing her of my deadlines at her request; however, she hasn't responded to any of my emails since December 22nd. I had applications due on Jan 1, Jan 5, and Jan 15, emailed her like the day before the due date for each one, and didn't hear anything back and she still hasn't uploaded any of those letters. 

I figure that for the Jan 1 due date, I've already been rejected (which sucks but I wasn't the most into that program anyway). However, both my Jan 5 and my Jan 15 applications are programs that I'm both very interested in and that I have a decent shot at (as a decent shot as one could have when applying to PhD programs). I emailed the Jan 5 program asking when is the absolute latest the letter can be submitted for consideration and the admissions director said next Monday. I emailed this professor on the 16th with a reminder and a polite request to upload everything ASAP but she hasn't gotten back to me yet. I called her office today and left a voice mail informing her about this Jan 23rd hard deadline but I don't have high hopes for her listening to it. What should my next steps be?? I still live in the same town as my college so I could show up there and ask but she doesn't post her office hours online and I work full-time so I don't have the time to hang out there, waiting for her to show up. Would it be okay to email her again? Is there a way to make my email subject line urgent without seeming super obnoxious? I really like this professor and do not want to offend her but it's hard to keep my head on straight when her letter can literally determine my future. Thanks for reading this rant and for any advice you may have!

[DBear]

That sounds like my problem professor, though mine was a dude. I randomly dropped by his office twice, both times just a quick hello and reminder. Since you're working, would it be feasible to try and drop by on your lunch break or on your way home? If worse comes to worse, I'd say get your back up professor ready... I understand she's the best option (mine was for me, too) but a letter from an English Prof is better than no letter. I'm applying to Communication programs and had three LORs from English professors. As long as they know you and your aptitude to study and they're not some random lecturer you took some elective with, I don't think that'll be a big deal. I think it's time for a swap.... So sorry you're going through this, that one last LOR was easily the most stressful part of this entire process

[her_black_tights]

Thank you for responding and your comforting advice! It turned out that that my letter writer's mother had died and that's why I hadn't heard from her in over a month. Once I had that information, I ended up just asking my backup professor and he thankfully came through in the 11th hour. I'm hoping that it doesn't affect my candidacy at the only school affected by this slip-up because my rec letter was like thirteen days late but the department said it was okay??? I don't know. I hope everything worked out with your late rec letter writer as well!

[DBear]

 

13 hours ago, her_black_tights said:

Thank you for responding and your comforting advice! It turned out that that my letter writer's mother had died and that's why I hadn't heard from her in over a month. Once I had that information, I ended up just asking my backup professor and he thankfully came through in the 11th hour. I'm hoping that it doesn't affect my candidacy at the only school affected by this slip-up because my rec letter was like thirteen days late but the department said it was okay??? I don't know. I hope everything worked out with your late rec letter writer as well!

As long as they accept the letter, they won't dock points for the later being late. I had a letter that was 15 or so days late and still received very positive feedback on my application (still waiting on final response though) and I know plenty of people who were accepted with late letters. It's too bad about the Professor's mother but it's great your back up worked and now, all you need to do is relax... Though that may be the hardest part of this whole process.