Amending a LOR

[member000000000]

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Quick question: Can a recommender amend a letter of recommendation they have already submitted?

Background: A professor wrote me a positive letter (from what I am told) but wants to make it even stronger by reading my personal statement (Other professors learned about my life and experiences through conversations and didn't need this). He is older and having surgery in two days so he wanted to get it in tomorrow but...... it is NOT complete and won't be done until Friday/Saturday (guess). He said he would submit this one now and alter it if there is time after recovery if he is doing better before secondaries (and he has my PS). I'm not sure if he can actually change it later so I might tell him to wait until the end of July to submit so it will be really strong.

What do you guys think?

 

[Holmwood]

Edit: I misread what you were asking. I've heard people add new letter of recs in update letters post secondary . Maybe that's what you're talking about.

I would personally hold off on submitting secondary until your new letter comes in if it's that important. Either that or get another recommender, and include the letter from your recovering professor in an update letter (ask the schools about this first).

 

[member000000000]

Edit: I misread what you were asking. I've heard people add new letter of recs in update letters post secondary . Maybe that's what you're talking about.

I would personally hold off on submitting secondary until your new letter comes in if it's that important. Either that or get another recommender, and include the letter from your recovering professor in an update letter (ask the schools about this first).

I'm saying if he submits, can he edit to his letter later?

 

[Holmwood]

I'm saying if he submits, can he edit to his letter later?

Well, it depends on whether you're doing it before or after submitting secondary.

If you didn't submit secondary yet, then you're free to make any changes to the LOR as you want. That's what I'm doing now.

If you already submitted the secondary with the incomplete letter, then adcoms are probably going to go ahead with judgement using your incomplete letter... and an update letter may not really change their ruling.

Which is why I said that if the letter is absolutely integral to your application, then withhold secondary submission until after the letters have been amended. Else, abandon the letter altogether and find another recommender. Late july secondary completion ain't a bad thing either; it's not considered late in the least.

 

[member000000000]

I think you are misunderstanding my question. I want to know if the writer can change their letter through the letter submission system. I don't have anything I need to do on my part.

Well, it depends on whether you're doing it before or after submitting secondary.

If you didn't submit secondary yet, then you're free to make any changes to the LOR as you want. That's what I'm doing now.

If you already submitted the secondary with the incomplete letter, then adcoms are probably going to go ahead with judgement using your incomplete letter... and an update letter may not really change their ruling.

Which is why I said that if the letter is absolutely integral to your application, then withhold secondary submission until after the letters have been amended. Else, abandon the letter altogether and find another recommender. Late july secondary completion ain't a bad thing either; it's not considered late in the least.

 

[whitemagic]

Once submitted, it can't be edited. You could theoretically submit a NEW letter by creating a new letter ID and sending that instead of the old letter, of course.

 

[Holmwood]

What xyphr said. : P

 

[member000000000]

Thanks @xyphr