Letter of Rec. not sent, should I rescind?

  • Thread starter Cygnus_A
  • Start date
In summary, the conversation discusses the issue of a professor not sending in a letter of recommendation for a PhD application and the potential impact on the applicant's chances of admission. The person is considering whether to remove the professor from the list or to keep the unreceived fourth letter. It is noted that most schools require a minimum of three letters, but some allow for more to be sent. The person is wondering if it is better to remove the unsent fourth letter or leave it as a backup.
  • #1

Cygnus_A

34
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Fortunately I asked for four letters of recommendation for my PhD applications. One of the four has not sent any letters in and has not responded to my emails asking about them.

Since all of the schools that I applied to require a minimum of two or three, I don't believe my applications are in peril. I'm just wondering if I should rescind the letter requests for this professor. Do you think it would reduce my chances of admission if I were to not rescind the letter (so I would just have an unreceived fourth letter)? Or would it be better to remove the recommender from the list?
 
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  • #2
I feel like it would be better to remove the person from the list. I feel like the schools wouldn't have a record of the fact that you put someone's name in, but then changed/deleted it. Those sorts of changes can happen for any reason.
 
  • #3
I find it odd that the schools have specified that they would like more than three reference letters. Three is commonly what is required. There are no bonus points for additional letters.

Is it possible that these schools actually only require three and this professor saw that you already had three references?
 
  • #4
Choppy said:
I find it odd that the schools have specified that they would like more than three reference letters. Three is commonly what is required. There are no bonus points for additional letters.

Is it possible that these schools actually only require three and this professor saw that you already had three references?

Correct. There is a minimum of three for most of them, but they all allow more to be sent (as a backup or extra letter). In my case, I added four, and one of the four has not been sent (post-deadline). I'm just wondering if it's bad to have an unsent (but unneeded) fourth letter. I'm thinking that maybe I should remove/rescind the four letter that has not been sent.
 

1. What is a "Letter of Rec. not sent"?

A "Letter of Rec. not sent" refers to a situation where a person has requested a letter of recommendation from someone, but the letter was not actually sent to the intended recipient.

2. Should I rescind my request for a letter of recommendation if it has not been sent?

It ultimately depends on the reason for the letter not being sent and how much time has passed since the request was made. If the letter was not sent due to a misunderstanding or technical issue, it may be worth reaching out to the person and politely reminding them of the request. However, if a significant amount of time has passed and it seems unlikely that the letter will be sent, it may be best to rescind the request and find another person to write the letter.

3. How can I avoid a situation where a letter of recommendation is not sent?

To avoid this situation, it is important to give the person enough time to write and submit the letter. Be sure to clearly communicate the deadline and provide any necessary materials or information for the letter. Additionally, following up with the person a few days before the deadline can serve as a reminder and give them a chance to let you know if they are unable to write the letter.

4. What should I do if I am unable to reach the person who was supposed to write the letter of recommendation?

If you are unable to reach the person, try reaching out through different methods such as email, phone, or in person. If all attempts to contact them are unsuccessful, it may be necessary to find a new person to write the letter.

5. Can I still submit my application without a letter of recommendation?

It depends on the requirements of the application. Some applications may require a certain number of letters of recommendation, in which case it may not be possible to submit without one. If the application does not specify a certain number of letters, you may still be able to submit without a letter of recommendation, but it is important to consider how this may impact your chances of being accepted.

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