Professors suck a$$

hypn0tik

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2005
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I asked this prof. of mine whether or not he would be willing to write a few letters of reference for me for grad. school applications. He was a logical choice to ask since I had worked for him during the summer. He agreed, and told me to let him know what schools I was applying to and what the deadlines were.

I sent him an e-mail with all my reference letter requests so he could take them out in one shot. I mean, all he has to do is spend 30 minutes writing one and then just copy and pasting them (since most are online) or simply print and sign for the ones that are required to be mailed in.

I have a deadline on the 31st (of Dec), one on the 5th and a couple on the 15th. He still hasn't sent in the one for the 31st. I know this because it's an online application and when I check it tells me who has responded and who hasn't. I'm really worrying as to whether he'll get them in on time. I've tried e-mailing him reminders and calling him. I can't knock on his office since I'm home but I'm heading back up tomorrow.

I understand that the 31st is a Sunday which means it'll be due the next business day, which won't be until the 2nd, but it'd be nice if he showed me some courtesy by at least replying to my e-mail letting me know that he is aware and will get them done in time.

I sent in these requests in the second week of December, well before the deadlines so it's not a last minute favour I'm asking of him.

I really don't know what to do if he doesn't respond on time. I guess I'd have to contact the school I'm applying to and see what they say. What a crock of sh!t.

Cliffs:
- Requested a prof. to write a few reference letters for grad school.
- He agrees so I sent him a bunch all at once well before the deadlines.
- Have a deadline coming up on the 31st and he hasn't submitted his reference yet.
- I'm pissed off and I don't know what to do if he doesn't get it in on time.

Update Jan. 1, 2007
The university closed off the application on the 1st itself. My application was incomplete since I didn't have his letter of reference and I wasn't able to submit it. I tried contacting the Professor by all means I knew of and I can't get a hold of him. I tried contacting the University I wanted to apply to in order to see if there was anything that could be done about my situation but they are closed as well. I am royally pissed off right now. What an amazing way to start off the new year.

Hopefully my application that is due on the 5th will not endure the same fate.
 

imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
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$50 says he forgot and doesn't care. I asked my summer supervisor to write me a letter, he told me to write it, then he'd look over. If the ****** hits the fan, just write an easy template for the guy to read, correct and sign if he's ok with it.
 

hypn0tik

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: dartworth
:(

Yeah. If he at least had the courtesy to let me know that he would not be able to write them for me I would have had a chance to request someone else to. Now I don't think I have that option. I just have to pray he gets it in on time.


Originally posted by: Imp
$50 says he forgot and doesn't care. I asked my summer supervisor to write me a letter, he told me to write it, then he'd look over. If the ****** hits the fan, just write an easy template for the guy to read, correct and sign if he's ok with it.

See, that's what gets me. I would have been perfectly content had he told me from the get go that he wouldn't have time to write one for me or he just didn't want to.
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
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Lets all send an email to the professor to remind him.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
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Did he agree to do this three weeks ago and you just sent him the requests 2 days ago? Do you really think your professor is at work checking his email the week between christmas and New Years?

If you sent him this email a month ago, then you should have reminded him a couple times before the end of school. If you just sent it now, you waited too long.
 

hypn0tik

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: notfred
Did he agree to do this three weeks ago and you just sent him the requests 2 days ago? Do you really think your professor is at work checking his email the week between christmas and New Years?

If you sent him this email a month ago, then you should have reminded him a couple times before the end of school. If you just sent it now, you waited too long.

I went and personally spoke to him before I left for the holidays. I sent him an e-mail with all the deadlines.

I also started all my applications so I could send the requests to him before I left as well (each school sends out an e-mail to the people you are asking letters for).

He told me he'd do it so I left with confidence. I did the same with another Professor of mine. She got most of the letters done. For the deadline I have coming up on the 31st, I sent her a reminder e-mail and she responded the very next day letting me know it was completed. I checked and it was indeed done.

I'm not sure where I went wrong here.
 

hypn0tik

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Lets all send an email to the professor to remind him.

Hahahaha. How awesome would that be? He checks his mail to find 300 e-mails from good ol' ATOT members reminding him to write hypn0tik's letters of reference.
 

Gigantopithecus

Diamond Member
Dec 14, 2004
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Originally posted by: hypn0tik
I sent in these requests in the second week of December, well before the deadlines so it's not a last minute favour I'm asking of him.

If you lack the foresight to ask for letters of recommendation more than two weeks before deadlines, do you think you have the maturity for grad school? Or does your professor not have to write finals, grade finals &/or papers, submit grades to the registrar, or get to spend some time with his family during the holidays?

I've asked for letters of rec. & have been asked to write them. If a student asked me the second week of December to write them letters, then emailed & called me multiple times over break, I probably wouldn't write them the most flattering letter.
 

hypn0tik

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: Gigantopithecus
Originally posted by: hypn0tik
I sent in these requests in the second week of December, well before the deadlines so it's not a last minute favour I'm asking of him.

If you lack the foresight to ask for letters of recommendation more than two weeks before deadlines, do you think you have the maturity for grad school? Or does your professor not have to write finals, grade finals &/or papers, submit grades to the registrar, or get to spend some time with his family during the holidays?

I've asked for letters of rec. & have been asked to write them. If a student asked me the second week of December to write them letters, then emailed & called me multiple times over break, I probably wouldn't write them the most flattering letter.

There were a few applications that were due on the 15th of December. I sent those requests in 2 weeks before that. He pretty much has it done but I don't know why he can't find 10-15 minutes to simply copy, paste and send.
 

hypn0tik

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: BigJ
You really should've given him more than 2 weeks to write the letters.

When I was talking to him at the end of summer when I was done my work with him, I asked how much time he would need to write a letter of reference. His words were 'a couple weeks'

Edit: I don't expect ATOT to sympathize with me but I just needed to vent.
 

Kevin1211

Golden Member
Dec 14, 2004
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You shouldve told him the deadline was before the holidays. Your fault for waiting until then
 

BigJ

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
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Originally posted by: hypn0tik
Originally posted by: BigJ
You really should've given him more than 2 weeks to write the letters.

When I was talking to him at the end of summer when I was done my work with him, I asked how much time he would need to write a letter of reference. His words were 'a couple weeks'

IMHO, you should've given him at least 3-5 weeks, more towards 5, to write the letters. Especially during finals and the holiday season.

Hell, when I was getting recs for undergrad applcations, I gave all my teachers at least 2 months to write them. When I was applying to transfer for schools out of my current college, I gave them 2-3 months.
 

Gigantopithecus

Diamond Member
Dec 14, 2004
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Originally posted by: hypn0tik
There were a few applications that were due on the 15th of December. I sent those requests in 2 weeks before that. He pretty much has it done but I don't know why he can't find 10-15 minutes to simply copy, paste and send.

Ah, sorry if I missed that in your OP. In that case, yeah, that's a drag. However, most grad admissions committees won't even look at your app until the mid/end of Jan at the earliest, and as long as your prof uploads his letter before then, you'll be fine.

But if you think this sucks, wait til you get into grad school, where profs will make you do all the hard work & take the glory!
 

hypn0tik

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: chrisms
Maybe he thinks you aren't grad school material.

Then a simple 'Sorry, I don't feel comfortable writing a letter of reference for you' would have been sufficient. I'd promptly have thanked him and found someone else to write one for me. Screwing me over is unnecessary.
 

chrisms

Diamond Member
Mar 9, 2003
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Originally posted by: hypn0tik
Originally posted by: chrisms
Maybe he thinks you aren't grad school material.

Then a simple 'Sorry, I don't feel comfortable writing a letter of reference for you' would have been sufficient. I'd promptly have thanked him and found someone else to write one for me. Screwing me over is unnecessary.

Maybe you looked at him funny or didn't call him "Dr." enough. Either way you need to mind your p's and q's buster.
 

Rike

Platinum Member
Oct 14, 2004
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Originally posted by: BigJ
You really should've given him more than 2 weeks to write the letters.

True, but if you say you're going to do the letter, you do the letter on time. That said, I'd say about half of the letters of req I write go in the mail on the due day. Postmarks are what count when it goes by snail mail.

The kids who ask earliest generally get the best letters because I'm more creative and thoughtful when I haven't already done a bunch.

He still has two days, no need to panic just yet. ;)
 

TanisHalfElven

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2001
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Originally posted by: Rike
Originally posted by: BigJ
You really should've given him more than 2 weeks to write the letters.

True, but if you say you're going to do the letter, you do the letter on time. That said, I'd say about half of the letters of req I write go in the mail on the due day. Postmarks are what count when it goes by snail mail.

The kids who ask earliest generally get the best letters because I'm more creative and thoughtful when I haven't already done a bunch.

He still has two days, no need to panic just yet. ;)

just for my information
how early do is early enough and how early is too early.

 

Rike

Platinum Member
Oct 14, 2004
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Originally posted by: tanishalfelven
Originally posted by: Rike
Originally posted by: BigJ
You really should've given him more than 2 weeks to write the letters.

True, but if you say you're going to do the letter, you do the letter on time. That said, I'd say about half of the letters of req I write go in the mail on the due day. Postmarks are what count when it goes by snail mail.

The kids who ask earliest generally get the best letters because I'm more creative and thoughtful when I haven't already done a bunch.

He still has two days, no need to panic just yet. ;)

just for my information
how early do is early enough and how early is too early.
I like it when students hit me up early (six weeks), just asking if I'll do it. If I say yes, I tell them if I need any additional info from them and tell them it get it to me within two weeks. When they get me their paperwork, it goes on my calendar and it gives me a month of lead time to get the letter done. Of course, every one is different. You shouldn't ask so early that the prof forgets!

Good letters of req are as much about a positive student-teacher relationship as they are about academics. Any school can look at your grades; letters of req are about character and other "intangibles" that aren't a part of the record.
 

hypn0tik

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2005
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The university closed off the application on the 1st itself. My application was incomplete since I didn't have his letter of reference and I wasn't able to submit it. I tried contacting the Professor by all means I knew of and I can't get a hold of him. I tried contacting the University I wanted to apply to in order to see if there was anything that could be done about my situation but they are closed as well. I am royally pissed off right now. What an amazing way to start off the new year.

Hopefully my application that is due on the 5th will not endure the same fate.
 

alphatarget1

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2001
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I asked two professors and a supervisor at work MONTHS before the deadlines. They sent it to a school where the deadline was in december and I just have to ask them to send it to other schools since they have everything written up already.

Can't say I have too much sympathy for you.
 

Mermaidman

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
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Are you a hot blonde chick? If not, no harm in writing a letter yourself and see if he will rubber stamp it.
 

bleeb

Lifer
Feb 3, 2000
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YOu should have given 1-2 months advance notice along with an estimated time from the Professor.