How should I get my professor to write that letter already?

[577455]

I have a letter from two dentists and one from a physiology professor. Most dental schools require 2 letters of recommendation from a science professor.
In February I visited my Orgo professor and asked her for a letter of recommendation. I let her know that I wouldn't need the letter until June 1st, and that she could take her time. She agreed to write me a letter and told me not to worry and that she will definitely write me a letter. She also told me that she is busy and to keep sending her emails to remind her. I told her I would send a follow up email to remind her in a few weeks.

I sent my initial email in February letting her know that I had submitted the request to Interfolio and I appreciated her help. I received no reply. In March, I sent her another email letting her know that it was recommended we have all documents ready to be submitted as close to June 1st as possible and basically reminded her that I was still waiting on that letter. I received no reply.

Its now April, I'm currently on vacation in the Philippines so I can't go to her office hours. I haven't recieved any reply yet. I plan on sending her another email but I'm unsure how to word it. I don't want to be rude, but I do need that letter. I really wanted to have everything ready to be submitted by the end of May. I've heard from another predent that she did write him a letter but she didn't submit it until the middle of June.

Do you guys have any advice in how I should get her to write that letter?

Thanks for the help.

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[doc toothache]

Maybe she also went on a vacation. You either have to be patient or find someone else to write you one.

 

[fogorvostan]

I had a professor go silent on me last year. I just ended up getting another professor to write me one. It's frustrating because I would have rather her told me that she can't write it as opposed to leave me in silence.

 

[577455]

I have a letter from two dentists and one from a physiology professor. Most dental schools require 2 letters of recommendation from a science professor.
In February I visited my Orgo professor and asked her for a letter of recommendation. I let her know that I wouldn't need the letter until June 1st, and that she could take her time. She agreed to write me a letter and told me not to worry and that she will definitely write me a letter. She also told me that she is busy and to keep sending her emails to remind her. I told her I would send a follow up email to remind her in a few weeks.

I sent my initial email in February letting her know that I had submitted the request to Interfolio and I appreciated her help. I received no reply. In March, I sent her another email letting her know that it was recommended we have all documents ready to be submitted as close to June 1st as possible and basically reminded her that I was still waiting on that letter. I received no reply.

Its now April, I'm currently on vacation in the Philippines so I can't go to her office hours. I haven't recieved any reply yet. I plan on sending her another email but I'm unsure how to word it. I don't want to be rude, but I do need that letter. I really wanted to have everything ready to be submitted by the end of May. I've heard from another predent that she did write him a letter but she didn't submit it until the middle of June.

Do you guys have any advice in how I should get her to write that letter?

Thanks for the help.

 

[JLT223]

Go see her in person when you get back home. Professors don't feel obligated at all to write letters, especially if you don't give him/her the decency of speaking face to face.

 

[doc toothache]

I had a professor go silent on me last year. I just ended up getting another professor to write me one. It's frustrating because I would have rather her told me that she can't write it as opposed to leave me in silence.

Silence was your answer.

 

[fogorvostan]

Silence was your answer.

There's a little more to it than what I typed in my last post. She agreed to write it and then we met in person to go over my resume and application. I then confirmed with her a couple of weeks after we met by thanking her again and she responded how she was happy to do it. It was only after her confirmation did things go silent.

If she didn't want to write it or didn't feel comfortable doing it, then she should have told me before confirming 3x. I've told some of my students that I won't write them a letter when they ask as opposed to stringing them around.

 

[577455]

Go see her in person when you get back home. Professors don't feel obligated at all to write letters, especially if you don't give him/her the decency of speaking face to face.

Well the initial request was done in person during office hours. She told me to keep emailing her reminders, so I was just trying to follow her instructions. But yeah I agree, if she doesn't respond to my next email I'll visit her in person. I'm just having trouble with the wording of my next email. I don't want to sound too pushy.

 

[hellofuturedentists]

You told her it didn't have to be done until June 1. Today is April 20.
Do you normally get things done a month and a half before the deadline? At least wait until May to remind her again. For stuff like this, I usually give people a "deadline" that's a couple weeks early.
Also, AADSAS takes a month to verify your GPA. If the letter is submitted mid June, that won't affect you negatively in the slightest.

 

[JLT223]

Well the initial request was done in person during office hours. She told me to keep emailing her reminders, so I was just trying to follow her instructions. But yeah I agree, if she doesn't respond to my next email I'll visit her in person. I'm just having trouble with the wording of my next email. I don't want to sound too pushy.

I had the same dilemma. Only thing that got me anywhere was doing it myself, aka going to their offices. Good luck!

 

[Cello]

You did give the professor a deadline which is still far in the future. It is a good idea to give people deadlines which are in keeping with your expectations if you want them to submit by the date you have established in your own head.

That said, there is certainly a problem when professors agree to write a letter and then suddenly go silent as they are wasting precious time. It is much more helpful to simply say no, or to inform the student that they are busy and will take a while to write the letter, than to keep the student waiting with a promised letter which never comes.

My advice is that you have backup letter writers. Remember, you don't need to submit all of your letters. I had one extra letter last year which I did not send.

 

[doc toothache]

A prof agrees to do a student a favor. There is a change of heart for reasons unknown. Going from best bud to public enemy #1 in 8 easy weeks.

 

[1passbbsSHAVE]

i was in same predicament last year. I had been out of school for so long so it was hard to find professors to write me a letter at all. I did find two, and one agreed to write it. The other, I had to almost beg him to write me one even if it's a mediocre one.

Guess what happened, I asked them about the letter in April, my letters weren't in until September. And this was after constant begging, nagging, and email reminders. I am still not sure if the letter was of good quality.

I know you are getting frustrated, but like someone just said, give it at least until mid may or so and then remind them again.

Good luck, stay strong.