LOR last possible date!?

[physicslover]

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Hey guys,

I need some advice on what to do with my LORs. I already have 3- one from opt, one from a prof I worked for and one from a community club president i was part of. However the schools that I am applying to ( SUNY, New england, and SALUS) require another letter by a prof.

I asked one of my profs that knows me well and she said she could only write it after March 12, as she is away from the university. Wouldn't this be past the due date?? I asked another prof as a backup but I don't really know him personally and his response was that he would write it if I absolutely had noone else but he strongly recommends for me to find someone else as all he could really say about me is my grades. Should I ask him anyway or put her as a designated LOR?

any help is appreciated! thanks

 

[lnh]

I'm in somewhat similar situation with my optometrist's letter, so you're not alone! But I am also applying to a few schools with later deadlines, so I am willing to take responsibility for any rejections from those schools because I did not ask my doctor sooner. That's just how it is.

But I am still hopeful. From what I've heard, the "real deadline" for recommendation letters is different from the application deadline for some schools.

http://www-bsac.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/etc/recommendations.htm

This is one of the sites I referenced when I was seeking LoRs, and it supports that theory. Granted he was only talking about that program in particular.

Personally I think it's okay if one letter comes in a little bit late as long as your application is on time--especially if you designated them early on. However, will she have it in by mid-March or will she need more time? Courtesy dictates that you give them at least a month. Professors vary in the time it takes to complete an LoR. I had one prof take the full month, and another did it in 2 hours!! (I'm slightly worried about that one, but I have no reason to think it is unfavorable.) If she really likes you, maybe she will expedite the process for you.

I think the best course of action is to call the schools and see if they have anything to say about the matter. I would be hesitant to ask your back-up since he is already reluctant. I figure a slightly late letter is better than a half-ass letter.

If you're really paranoid you can always apply to more schools. 🙂

 

[Rinny]

I would contact the schools that you are applying to and ask if it would be okay to have a letter arrive near the end of March. I think some of the school deadlines were March 15th or March 31st (somewhere around there) so it may not be too late. Also, I was invited to an interview and then accepted at a school before they received my last LOR. So hopefully it won't be a huge deal as long as you have everything else turned in way before the deadline! I don't know all of the schools policies though so others schools may not make a decision on you until they have received everything. I would just suggest to submit your application as soon as possible (if you haven't already) since we are starting to near the end of the application cycle and spots are beginning to fill up. Good luck!!

 

[physicslover]

I would contact the schools that you are applying to and ask if it would be okay to have a letter arrive near the end of March. I think some of the school deadlines were March 15th or March 31st (somewhere around there) so it may not be too late. Also, I was invited to an interview and then accepted at a school before they received my last LOR. So hopefully it won't be a huge deal as long as you have everything else turned in way before the deadline! I don't know all of the schools policies though so others schools may not make a decision on you until they have received everything. I would just suggest to submit your application as soon as possible (if you haven't already) since we are starting to near the end of the application cycle and spots are beginning to fill up. Good luck!!

thanks for the advice guys. the other thing is the reluctant prof is a science one vs the other one which is a non-science one. I would prefer to have a science prof write, because that is the requirement for most of the schools I am applying for.

 

[Rinny]

Yeah, you will definitely need the science one for Salus. I had submitted 4 letters through OptomCAS (science prof, non-science prof, OD, and MD that I worked for) and then I had to send a separate letter directly to Salus that was from an additional science prof. So it sounds like you should ask the science prof. Even though he said he can only comment on your grades, it seems that the other three letter writers know you personally and will be able to talk about you in that way so hopefully overall your letters will be strong!