One of my recommenders is working as a high-up person for one of the presidential candidates. They accepted my LOR and said they would love to write it for me. Since receiving the chance to write the letter of recommendation, they have not responded to my messages. I understand they are busy, and I know they loved me in their class and truly enjoyed me as a student. How should I play this?
That is pretty exciting-but I definitely understand that it’s stressful as you’re dealing with firm deadlines.
Unless you have done this already, do you think it would help to give them a bulleted list with your strengths and contributions to the class? They probably have so much swimming in their head at the moment so this might help give them some structure. But maybe you should also consider giving them an out-something like “I know you are probably busier than you’ve ever been, and I don’t want to add onto your load. Would you prefer I ask someone else? I appreciate your willingness and I hope you’re having a great experience on the campaign” or something like that. Then you’re still on good terms, and who knows, maybe they’ll be able to do it after all. Good luck.
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When they accepted the LOR, I sent them a full brag sheet with anecdotes from the class.
I am considering texting them tomorrow along the lines of, “I understand you are bombarded helping the campaign. I truly hope you can write me a strong recommendation letter since you profoundly impacted me during my time at _____. Is there anything I can do to help you write the letter?”
Are they a teacher or former teacher? It’s far more important you start there.
Third party LORs are great if they can speak about you - but not all schools want them and they likely hold far less weight than a teacher.
All you can do is remind - you can’t force them unfortunately. But I also wouldn’t panic if you can’t get it done. If they are a teacher, you might need to find another.
Good luck.
They taught my APUSH class during junior year.
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If you get to the point of discomfort, you can find another teacher. It’s unfortunate but it happens.
Good luck.
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Too much.
As mentioned, a few bullet points. If they are enthusiastic, they can have a lot of impact in a few lines. “Jeremy made a huge impact with his project on ______. I’m still thinking about it a year later. He will make important contributions and be a fantastic addition to any college.”
A polite, short email saying you’d be grateful for their time, but you understand how busy they are.
Meanwhile, plan on finding another teacher quickly to write a rec as a backup.
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This seems borderline inappropriate.
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What schools and what major? Depending on the school they likely wont care about the political affiliation. I’d pick someone else.
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Pick someone else and don’t spin your wheels.
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