Question about references on SOPHAS

[oceanhue]

I will not be applying to graduate school right now, but I already have my LOR... I was wondering if I can have my professors submit the LOR to SOPHAS without me actually applying to a graduate program? I have already created an account this afternoon and I have looked up their FAQ on references, but nothing. I was going to call them, but I live on the West coast so they're closed until tomorrow.

Would the LOR expire after some time? I just need to get my letters stored.

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[kutmasta]

Once the application season is over most of the information on your account is removed, which means in a few months once SOPHAS "shuts down" your LOR's will be taken down as well. Unless you're applying for the upcoming academic year, you should wait for the fall when SOPHAS opens registration again to ask your prof to submit the LOR. This way it'll stay on your file when you apply.

You should contact SOPHAS tomorrow just in case though.

 

[oceanhue]

Once the application season is over most of the information on your account is removed, which means in a few months once SOPHAS "shuts down" your LOR's will be taken down as well. Unless you're applying for the upcoming academic year, you should wait for the fall when SOPHAS opens registration again to ask your prof to submit the LOR. This way it'll stay on your file when you apply.

You should contact SOPHAS tomorrow just in case though.

What do you suggest that I do? I prefer having my professors write these letters when they still remember me. But I'm not sure if I'm going to apply next year or the year after that. My university has a reference letter service where they hold letters, but they're not electronic. I thought about having them mail it over to my school's career service and then having it mailed to them when I apply for graduate school so they can just copy and paste onto SOPHAS 😕

BTW are LOR on SOPHAS photo-coppied or do they have to be entered online?

 

[kutmasta]

What do you suggest that I do? I prefer having my professors write these letters when they still remember me. But I'm not sure if I'm going to apply next year or the year after that. My university has a reference letter service where they hold letters, but they're not electronic. I thought about having them mail it over to my school's career service and then having it mailed to them when I apply for graduate school so they can just copy and paste onto SOPHAS 😕

BTW are LOR on SOPHAS photo-coppied or do they have to be entered online?

Will you be taking any classes with the professors again? If it's going to be over two years before you apply with SOPHAS, then I'd suggest finding new professors...unless you can arrange some kind of agreement for those profs to save their letters for two years 😎. I'm not sure about your school's service, but perhaps you can ask SOPHAS if they do that sort of thing when you call them tomorrow.

As far as I know, SOPHAS only takes electronic LORs. You enter the contact info of the people recommending you and SOPHAS will take care of the rest.

 

[364462]

What do you suggest that I do? I prefer having my professors write these letters when they still remember me. But I'm not sure if I'm going to apply next year or the year after that. My university has a reference letter service where they hold letters, but they're not electronic. I thought about having them mail it over to my school's career service and then having it mailed to them when I apply for graduate school so they can just copy and paste onto SOPHAS 😕

BTW are LOR on SOPHAS photo-coppied or do they have to be entered online?

If your university offers the reference letter service, I would take advantage of it because it will at least hold the letter in a safe place in the interim. As noted above, SOPHAS takes electronic letters within a specified application period. There is no "hold" service.

Your situation is not uncommon because many applicants to graduate programs are well out of college. Since many, if not most, programs require academic references, many applicants will have had to make or continue contact with prior advisors/professors. As such, you may be at an advantage by having these letters already completed.

Use your university service, and contact your professors again when you do decide to apply. If you have some kind of ongoing contact with them in the year or two between graduating and applying, this is ideal, as well. I assume that those who wrote your letters know you well enough to comment on your personal capabilities and professional potential. Therefore, a year or two should not be an issue; they will still remember - and with better memories having already written the letters. 😀