Letters of recommendation for grad school?

Question

I'm in my senior year of college, and this recent summer, I did research for a professor (she). I did really well, and we got along, and she liked me very much, said I did very well. I thus asked her to write a letter of recommendation for me, in support of my application to graduate school next year, which I am preparing right now. I asked her during the last few weeks I worked with her, in early September, and told her that it's no rush, since the deadlines are December. Well, it's getting close to there. We're in different cities, so I've talked to her through e-mail, and she says she'll "get right on it" asap, since she has grant apps for her own research and stuff. But now I'm slightly nervous and angry, since I did give her a full three months, and I believe this letter will make or break my application (I really do believe she will write a wonderful reference for me). So I need to push her for the letter. But how do I do so? Do I have the right, giving her all this time?

Answer 1

You do not need to push her. Obviously, you have already contacted her, and she is aware of the deadline.

I realize you are nervous about your application, but surely she has written letters before, and is aware of the necessity of getting the letter in on time. Pushing at this point will only be annoying.

(And honestly, late letters are usually not a problem anyway. Graduate admissions committees usually cut professors some slack.)

Answer 2

I successfully matriculated to graduate school, and although all my professors did a great job of completing their work and meeting my timeframe, yours is perhaps blowing off yours.

Were you specific in when it was due? Is there a way you can follow up, say, with her secretary, without troubling her?

It would be wise to let her apply to her grants for a few months but do by ALL MEANS write a reminder two weeks to go and one week to go.

Professors are very good with deadlines, they understand deadlines. Your professor WOULD NOT HAVE AGREED to write you a letter of recommendation had she not thought she would be able to.

You need to have some confidence in her but stay on her just the same. It is possible she will write you a better reference the day before than she would have with three months to go... so by all means remind but do not antagonize. She too was in your situation.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

Answer 3

Yes. Although professors are human too and have a great deal on their plates, she did say she would write it. It is, however, part of her responsibility as a professor to write LORs.

I would suggest you email her again, saying that although you don't want be a bother, your deadlines are fast approaching and you really need the letters. Be sure to thank her at the end of the letter for her time.

Also, if you have a backup writer, you might want to look into asking him or her if a letter an be written.

Answer 4

Well you are in her hands, but professors are always forgetting things since they all a lot going on. So I would ask again, but what matters is how you ask. Tell her that you are just remainding her about the letter because you know that she is really busy and understand that she might forget. it will be like giving her a compliment.

Answer 5

i am in the exact same process and i have realized that when a grad school states Dec1st as a deadline they really just want ur application by then to start a file but 90% of them will take all of the supporting documents up to Feb 15th.
relax dont piss the prof off. you know that never results in any good.