How to politely tell my letter writer to hurry up?

[AcceptableKale]

So I'm still waiting on an individual letter from a science professor who is also my advisor at my current post-bac. I asked for the letter in June, so it's already been 3 months. The original deadline I set for him was 7/31/20. I've followed up with him in email and office hours regularly. He keeps saying he's working on it, but it's really stressing me out. I just don't know how else to ask him to hurry up because I don't want to sound aggressive or rude. We have a great relationship and he knows me both inside and outside of the classroom, and has read and gone over my whole application (primaries and secondaries) with me. I'm truly convinced that he is going to write me an outstanding letter that I'm willing to wait for his letter for the schools that require 3 letter maximum. He is also a director at the post-bac, and I know that the directors are behind with writing their committee letters. I know this because one of my friends who asked for a committee letter in June just got his committee letter in last week.

This is my 5th letter overall but is a letter I would consider “very strong” and is my 3rd letter that I’m submitting for schools that require a maximum of 3 letters. How long more should I be waiting before this delay hurts me as I can easily submit one of my 2 other letters to be complete?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Talldoctor96]

It’s already hurting you. Say you need it asap

 

[AcceptableKale]

It’s already hurting you. Say you need it asap

Sadly this has already been done nicely and professionally several times in email and office hours. I don’t know what to do anymore without sounding rude or aggressive.

This whole situation is honestly making me question the organization and professionalism of this program.

 

[candbgirl]

Tell him you know he’s very busy but at this point you need a date the letter will be ready! Or just move forward without it and thank him for agreeing to write it but you have to get your application complete! It’s almost 4 months. That’s unacceptable!

 

[KnightDoc]

Tell him you know he’s very busy but at this point you need a date the letter will be ready! Or just move forward without it and thank him for agreeing to write it but you have to get your application complete! It’s almost 4 months. That’s unacceptable!

This^^^^. He's a post-bacc director and advisor. He knows the admissions timeline, and it's probably safe to assume he has access to a calendar.

He's buried for whatever reason, and you are paying the price. You are asking a question you already know the answer to. You have literally done everything in your power to move it along. There is nothing you can tell him about your need for it, and the length of time you have been waiting, that he does not already know.

As "great" as your relationship is, in and out of the classroom, he has shown zero willingness between June and today to drop everything and take care of this for you in a reasonable amount of time to maximize your opportunities this cycle, so it's probably not quite as great as you think. You are either going to move on without it or keep waiting until he is good and damn ready to do it for you.

Unfortunately, only you can decide if the letter is going to be such a difference maker that it would be worth continuing to wait for.

 

[RickyRic]

So I'm still waiting on an individual letter from a science professor who is also my advisor at my current post-bac. I asked for the letter in June, so it's already been 3 months. The original deadline I set for him was 7/31/20. I've followed up with him in email and office hours regularly. He keeps saying he's working on it, but it's really stressing me out. I just don't know how else to ask him to hurry up because I don't want to sound aggressive or rude. We have a great relationship and he knows me both inside and outside of the classroom, and has read and gone over my whole application (primaries and secondaries) with me. I'm truly convinced that he is going to write me an outstanding letter that I'm willing to wait for his letter for the schools that require 3 letter maximum. He is also a director at the post-bac, and I know that the directors are behind with writing their committee letters. I know this because one of my friends who asked for a committee letter in June just got his committee letter in last week.

This is my 5th letter overall but is a letter I would consider “very strong” and is my 3rd letter that I’m submitting for schools that require a maximum of 3 letters. How long more should I be waiting before this delay hurts me as I can easily submit one of my 2 other letters to be complete?

I had one letter writer that was holding back my app too. So, I sent that professor a gift through amazon and my letter was submitted within 2 days of receiving the gift.

However, if he still doesn't submit the letter after a week of receiving the gift, I would thank him and move on. You already have 4 letters.

 

[KnightDoc]

I had one letter writer that was holding back my app too. So, I sent that professor a gift through amazon and my letter was submitted within 2 days of receiving the gift.

However, if he still doesn't submit the letter after a week of receiving the gift, I would thank him and move on. You already have 4 letters.

That's outright bribery!!! Who gives a gift BEFORE receiving the favor????

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

That's outright bribery!!! Who gives a gift BEFORE receiving the favor????

May be it's a box of fine chocolate that gave the extra energy and excitement needed to write a LOR. I was thinking of suggesting same

 

[KnightDoc]

May be it's a box of fine chocolate that gave the extra energy and excitement needed to write a LOR. I was thinking of suggesting same

If you say so. To me, it sounds like a "gift" to a Russian bureaucrat to get him to do his job, i.e., bribe. Gifts are given as thank-yous after the fact, not as encouragement before the fact. By the way, not sure if @RickyRic was kidding or not, but an ethical letter writer is as likely to be offended as motivated by such a gesture, so I would strongly advise against suggesting that anyone actually do this. Definitely do NOT make the mistake of thinking that practices that might be acceptable in other countries are okay here.

 

[candbgirl]

I sent gifts after the cycle was over telling them how things went and thanking them for their help!
This person agreed 4 months ago. It’s time to move on if he can’t get it to you by next Friday!

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

If you say so. To me, it sounds like a "gift" to a Russian bureaucrat to get him to do his job, i.e., bribe. Gifts are given as thank-yous after the fact, not as encouragement before the fact. By the way, not sure if @RickyRic was kidding or not, but an ethical letter writer is as likely to be offended as motivated by such a gesture, so I would strongly advise against suggesting that anyone actually do this. Definitely do NOT make the mistake of thinking that practices that might be acceptable in other countries are okay here.

You would consider box of chocolates as a bribe?

 

[RickyRic]

If you say so. To me, it sounds like a "gift" to a Russian bureaucrat to get him to do his job, i.e., bribe. Gifts are given as thank-yous after the fact, not as encouragement before the fact. By the way, not sure if @RickyRic was kidding or not, but an ethical letter writer is as likely to be offended as motivated by such a gesture, so I would strongly advise against suggesting that anyone actually do this. Definitely do NOT make the mistake of thinking that practices that might be acceptable in other countries are okay here.

Well, I was sending gifts to all my other letter writers (who submitted in a reasonable time) and decided to include that last prof in the order. My prof knows me fairly well, so I doubt it came off as a "bribe" especially because he submitted a LOR for a scholarship couple months prior and said, "I just need to change around a few things". I'm pretty sure they were super busy, and needed some encouragement.

 

[KnightDoc]

You would consider box of chocolates as a bribe?

Anything of value, yes. Do you just give boxes of "fine chocolate," randomly to people, for no reason at all? If so, I'll give you my address. If not, then yes, it's a bribe. After the fact it's a thank you, but, before hand, it's an inducement to write the letter, or to write it ahead of others. In other words, a bribe. Just do it all over the place and see what kind of reaction you get. This isn't South America, or Eastern Europe, or Asia. If you did that with a professor at a public school, it would be illegal.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Anything of value, yes. Do you just give boxes of "fine chocolate," randomly to people, for no reason at all? If so, I'll give you my address. If not, then yes, it's a bribe. After the fact it's a thank you, but, before hand, it's an inducement to write the letter, or to write it ahead of others. In other words, a bribe. Just do it all over the place and see what kind of reaction you get. This isn't South America, or Eastern Europe, or Asia. If you did that with a professor at a public school, it would be illegal.

PM me your address, I will send you See's Candy

 

[candbgirl]

PM me your address, I will send you See's Candy

Sees Candy is the best!

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Sees Candy is the best!

I only deal with the best "Bribed" (holiday gifts) few folks at kid's school with that.