I'm just here to rant

[TammyTams]

Probably should just make a blog but I am so frustrated with one particular LOR. This is my second round of applying for a PhD, so I was smart enough to submit 4 LORs but for some schools they limit you to only 3. The irony in this is that the two programs I am most interested in are the programs that are limiting LORs to 3...and guess what? My third LOR has officially missed the due date. This would be no big deal if I hadn't reminded him last Friday of the due date and it wouldn't sting so bad if I didn't receive an automatic email reply stating he'd be out of the office until Wednesday...which means my alert will go unread...which means he'll prob continue to forget. "Calm down, Tammy. You're getting worked up over something that'll solve itself eventually." Eh, I *REALLY* beg to differ. My top program stated they'll be sending out interview invites on Dec. 15th (So decisions are prob going to start being made next week) and the other program I love is infamous on GradCafe's result page for sending out invites in the next week and a half. I'm terrified I'm going to be short changed because my application is still considered incomplete. If kind, encouraging or words of knowledge (lol) can be shared, please share. My anxiety is up the wall.

EDIT: I'm aware he's often busy...but I also asked him 3 months ago and as a punctual person who also asked 3 other people whom were ALL able to get theirs in on time, I'm finding it hard to locate my sympathy :/

Edited December 2, 2017 by TammyTams

[fuzzylogician]

Any chance to get your other letter writer to email their letter to the department(s) in question? That way your application isn't incomplete, and I'm sure that if that's done on Monday, you'll be fine. Since this extra letter actually exists, it shouldn't be a lot of extra work for the writer to email it to a couple of other places. Good luck! 

[TammyTams]

56 minutes ago, fuzzylogician said:

Any chance to get your other letter writer to email their letter to the department(s) in question? That way your application isn't incomplete, and I'm sure that if that's done on Monday, you'll be fine. Since this extra letter actually exists, it shouldn't be a lot of extra work for the writer to email it to a couple of other places. Good luck! 

I was debating this but I'm unable to change my recommendations because the application has closed. I also debated emailing my other recommender to submit via email to the department but I almost feel as if I've asked him for too much (I've also recently used him for job recommendations) and Im afraid to ask for anything else :/ so I may wait it out until Monday and if there's no response then email my other recommender...I just wish I didn't have to worry about this.

Edited December 2, 2017 by TammyTams

[fuzzylogician]

At this point I don’t think you can afford to worry about your recommender’s workload. If I were you I’d email them, apologize profusely, explain the situation, and ask if they would be willing to email the letter directly to the department basically right now. You don’t need to change anything in your application for this. Just do what you have to do to make sure your application is complete and is under consideration. 

[fuzzylogician]

(BTW I say this as someone who had to get an emergency fourth letter, and mine wasn’t even from someone who already had anything written up. The original third letter eventually was submitted, but either way I don’t think that whole crisis ended up affecting my acceptance decisions very much since all that really mattered was that the application be officially considered complete. My anxiety levels were a whole other story.)

[TammyTams]

30 minutes ago, fuzzylogician said:

At this point I don’t think you can afford to worry about your recommender’s workload. If I were you I’d email them, apologize profusely, explain the situation, and ask if they would be willing to email the letter directly to the department basically right now. You don’t need to change anything in your application for this. Just do what you have to do to make sure your application is complete and is under consideration. 

You're completely right. I'll send my other reference an email tonight!

Thank you for the push!!

[fuzzylogician]

14 minutes ago, TammyTams said:

You're completely right. I'll send my other reference an email tonight!

Thank you for the push!!

I'm sometimes very surprised at how much my students seem to factor my workload into their plans. Trust me to make my own plans and to tell you if what you're asking isn't feasible for me given my other commitments. (And anyway, at this point, what have you got to lose?)