Waitlist help from LOR writer?

[Timberwolf]

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So I'm on the waitlist at a school that I would really like to go to and one of my LOR writers is on the faculty. Would it be appropriate to call him up to ask him to "see what he can do"? What would be the best way to approach this? Perhaps a letter would be best?

 

[mbe36]

If he wrote you a LOR, then I am guessing you know him well and are fairly comfortable with each other. I would send him an email. Just explain the situation and why you fell the school is a good fit for you. Do not approach it as, "Hey, can you do me a favor?". I would ask more along the lines of what things YOU can do in this valuable time and maybe he will offer that nudge once he sees you doing your part.

Also, ask other students who came off the list in past years- if possible,

 

[eyang22286]

If he wrote you a LOR, then I am guessing you know him well and are fairly comfortable with each other. I would send him an email. Just explain the situation and why you fell the school is a good fit for you. Do not approach it as, "Hey, can you do me a favor?". I would ask more along the lines of what things YOU can do in this valuable time and maybe he will offer that nudge once he sees you doing your part.

Also, ask other students who came off the list in past years- if possible,

totally agree. be sure to phrase it carefully, and yeah, asking "indirectly" would probably be the best option. there are a few professors i know very well in my grad program, and even then i wouldn't ask them to do something like that for me as a straight up favor. definitely hint to them you are bordering desperate on going to that school and the whole thing about being an excellent fit.

but of course, use all your resources to the fullest extent! best of luck

 

[GoSpursGo]

Just be careful. I did summer research at a med school this last summer and roomed with a med student who was between his MS1 and MS2 years. He said that he had a LOR from the head of surgery at his dream school and was waitlisted. He asked his LOR writer to "check up on his application," or something to that effect. Within a week or so, the LOR writer emailed him back to say that the admissions office seemed more annoyed than anything that an applicant was trying to use their faculty "in" as a way to muscle their way off the waitlist. In the words of the LOR writer, "I'm not sure I did you any favors."

So thread lightly. Adcoms probably have a pretty light fuse around this time of year.