Time frame for prof to write reference letter

[Sarah_2020]

Is a month in advance too short?

[nemesis]

...one month's notice, and he said that was plenty of time; however, it's clear that this will vary depending on the schedule and personality of the referee in question.

[runningdoc]

The more important the individual, the more time you should probably give (also probably should keep the notion fresh in their head as sometimes the best referees are also a little scatterbrained and may forget about it if it gets pushed to the bottom of their pile.

[rmorelan]

Is a month in advance too short?

 

I would say that varies of course, but one month is probably the general minimum you would want to give them. A rushed LOR is not usually the best LOR

[supafield]

I'd also give as much notice as I can if you know you're using the person.... I gave about a month the first time around.... but the second time I used the same people so I gave them their reference forms in July.... and still managed to have one that wasn't handed in until mid November haha.

[shannn]

I contacted my potential references about writing a "strong" letter in July, then I gave my references who I wanted to write me letters all the forms required by the beginning of August.

 

I also gave them some points of what should be on the reference letter (not what to write, but if I showed the skills/abilities of a future physician).

[spiderpig]

Mine was really last minute - I think I gave them only 2 weeks notice. I was really worried about that, and apologized a lot while asking them for the reference. I also offered to bring them Xpresspost envelopes. They all managed to get it in on time, although I think one of them was a bit peeved that I gave him so little time, especially when his other grant application deadlines fell around the same time.

 

I think 1 month is a good timeframe, since too much more time, and they may end up forgetting. Maybe the best thing to do would be to tell them a couple of months in advance, and remind them at the 1 month mark, and ask how it's going at the 2 week mark.

[mizz.lee]

I gave my academic reference prof about 8 months' notice, then a 1 1/2 month and 3 week reminder, and he still wound up writing it 4 days after the deadline for all of the other materials and hand-delivering it to me so I could walk it straight over to the OUAC office.

 

sidenote: Guelph students, the OUAC office is walking distance from campus lol