Desperate letter of recommendation issue

[tonberry]

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Sorry, I'm using this forum to vent right now, but there's a semi-serious question at the end.

So my teacher has royally screwed me and doesn't seem to care.

he promised me a letter of recommendation and had me waiting, literally postponing me each week saying "next week" "next week" "next week" "next week" "next week" for over 3 months.

Today he sent me an email saying that he left the country and will get back to me at the end of the month. I'm behind on turning in my secondaries all because of him and I feel like i'm living a nightmare.

Has anyone else gone through this, and are my chances for medical school this cycle over now?

 

[ukae]

Man.... he clearly doesn't try to understand how important this is for you.
It's one of the mandatory science letters?

 

[Pyrogenic]

It has happened to me before. My only science letter and my professor totally screwed me over. I took a few of his classes and TAed for him, and asked many times but he was just really lazy when it came to doing stuff for others. I asked for it in March and got it sometime in August. My applications were super late but still got a few interviews later in the cycle but was wait-listed.. I am currently reapplying - this may have been due to my poor GPA and MCAT score / lack of volunteering ... so it may turn out different for you.

My advice, if you can submit without the letter, Submit.
If he does finish the letter then just update the schools with it

 

[LuciusVorenus]

I would submit without the letters. Maybe you'll be placed in queue but marked as incomplete until your letters come in. Regardless, you have nothing to lose by submitting your secondary so you can be complete the minute your letter comes in. Well, unless this letter is your last hope and you might not be able to apply this cycle without it. In which case it might be more wise to save your money just in case you need to wait this cycle out.

 

[tonberry]

Thank you for the replies guys. i've been having massive panic attacks every week and this kind of made me feel better.

I think I will just submit my letters and just hope for the best.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Thank you for the replies guys. i've been having massive panic attacks every week and this kind of made me feel better.

I think I will just submit my letters and just hope for the best.

You might also try emailing some schools that are adamant about having 2 science letters and ask for an exception. Most of the schools I contacted for an exception on a non-science letter gave me one.

 

[Yuyukachoo]

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[TriagePreMed]

Sorry this is happening. I told all my people that my letter due date was a month before I applied. I reminded them and still some gave it to me until the last day or even a few days late, but because I was smart, I had them weeks before needing them.

 

[kyamh]

This may not be an option for you, but if this is a mandatory letter, is there someone else you can ask? I was in this situation a month and a half ago: one of my science letter writers was doing the "next week" dance even though I asked her last February and sent regular reminders 😡

I went and candidly spoke with another professor I knew who had written a recommendation for me in the past but I didn't ask for one for med school because it has been a long time since I was a student with him. I explained my situation and basically asked if he could bail me out. He said sure, letter writing can take as little as an hour, and uploaded to interfolio that same evening. I paid him back with lots of gratitude and chocolate chip cookies 😛

Sometimes people really come through if you are honest about the extent of your situation.

 

[BlueLabel]

This may not be an option for you, but if this is a mandatory letter, is there someone else you can ask? I was in this situation a month and a half ago: one of my science letter writers was doing the "next week" dance even though I asked her last February and sent regular reminders 😡

I went and candidly spoke with another professor I knew who had written a recommendation for me in the past but I didn't ask for one for med school because it has been a long time since I was a student with him. I explained my situation and basically asked if he could bail me out. He said sure, letter writing can take as little as an hour, and uploaded to interfolio that same evening. I paid him back with lots of gratitude and chocolate chip cookies 😛

Sometimes people really come through if you are honest about the extent of your situation.

I'll write you a letter any day of the week