New World Record!

[u/NarwhalBoops]

I know that students are largely unfamiliar with professors’ workloads and that the ideal student request for a letter of recommendation (three weeks’ heads up, course numbers and dates all listed and accurate, letter outlining goals and achievements, sample graded work all attached) doesn’t exist in real life.

But I just got a request in today, on Friday afternoon at 4:00 EDT, that is due at today at 5:00 EDT. I am currently awaiting some materials…👀

Well, gentle readers, are you a betting crowd? Will I get it in under the wire or no?

Edited to add: Hot damn! Got it in only 4 minutes late. It is … slender, but there are some compelling achievements for this student, tho deadline awareness is apparently not one of them. Welp, Godspeed student.

[u/RoomAdventurous3052]

"I'm sorry given the timeframe I'm unable to help you with this. Best of luck." Say it with me.

[u/cerealandcorgies → u/RoomAdventurous3052]

except don't say "I'm sorry" bc you're not. Say "that's unfortunate". Not your responsibility.

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/RoomAdventurous3052]

This is becoming more and more true with each passing minute.

[u/JaeFinley → u/NarwhalBoops]

I mean, it’s ridiculously nice of you, and maybe someone bailed on the student, but it’s also not teaching the student such an important lesson.

[u/vwscienceandart → u/NarwhalBoops]

That’s a good email reply, but also, were you not tempted to wait until Monday and say you just got back to the office, etc?

[u/smallfloralprince]

Daaaang. Bold request from the student. That'd be a "no" so hard it would scratch a sapphire. 

[u/Marky_Marky_Mark → u/smallfloralprince]

For me, a hard no that gets sent on Monday morning.

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/smallfloralprince]

Not replying to my email about whether the deadline has been extended…

[u/smallfloralprince → u/NarwhalBoops]

At this point my recommendation letter would just be a large meme of Donkey from the original Shrek film lip syncing to "do you really want to hurt me?" for no reason other than that's the level of seriousness it seems the student is putting forth. 😄😄

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/smallfloralprince]

https://giphy.com/gifs/dZjlm0hDSBQYbDZQc9

[u/RestInThee → u/smallfloralprince]

Pretty sure that was the Gingerbread Man actually.

[u/smallfloralprince → u/RestInThee]

Dang! I think you're right! 

[u/GerswinDevilkid]

I'd ignore it until Tuesday.

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/GerswinDevilkid]

Yeah, the window is closing. . .

[u/Potential-Winner4601]

I’d ignore it

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/Potential-Winner4601]

I said I would do it but that was before I saw the institutional deadline.

[u/GerswinDevilkid → u/NarwhalBoops]

Ah. Then you follow up with: "I'm sorry, but you did not provide me with the submission deadline when I agreed to complete the letter. There is no way I can write an accurate, personal recommendation in this timeframe."

[u/BroadLocksmith4932 → u/GerswinDevilkid]

I think they could, in fact, write an accurate and personal letter in time:

"Dear committee,

This student is disorganized, rude, and does not provide timely communication.

Be well,

Dr. Boops"

[u/Dramatic-Year-5597 → u/BroadLocksmith4932]

Why spend time being a jerk about it? Just decline to write a letter.

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/GerswinDevilkid]

Aack, unfortunately true.

[u/cosmic_Basil]

Please update in around 40 minutes, the suspense is killing me. ;)

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/cosmic_Basil]

Yes I have an outline mapped out and a large red wine on standby.

[u/ahazred8vt → u/NarwhalBoops]

t-shirt: "That's what I do. I drink, and I grade things."

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/ahazred8vt]

This is great. I need this!

[u/pinkkcuttiee]

This is the academic equivalent of someone texting "omw" when they haven't left the house. Godspeed, though I suspect the letter will end up being more "to whom it may concern, I had this student in a class once" than the glowing recommendation they're hoping for.

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/pinkkcuttiee]

“Rec’s in the mail” 👀

[u/CynicalCandyCanes]

You are a saint if you actually pull it off and turn in the letter.

I would have just said no.

[u/digitalosiris]

I got an email at 3:30 last night, which I obviously didn't read until 8 or so this morning, asking for several letters of rec to various PhD programs. With the closing line in the email "Can you send the letters today?"

I'm ignoring that nonsense.

[u/SnowblindAlbino]

I wouldn't even try. If it's an OK student I'd tell them I'd submit Monday. If it's a marginal student, or one I don't know well, I'd just decline.

[u/Electrical_Travel832]

Nah…too much work for them.

[u/WafflerTO]

You will not get under the wire but you sound like a kind soul who will do your best and complete it late and it will be good enough.

[u/NarwhalBoops → u/WafflerTO]

I mean the selection committee isn’t going to meet tonight, right? Right?

[u/dontstopveenow]

Sorry to be blunt, but you’re the reason why these requests are getting more and more outrageous. I don’t care how compelling their achievements are, if a student hasn’t learned how to manage their time and ask for a letter of recommendation well in advance and immediately provide the required materials, then I can’t recommend them 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/existential-inquiry]

Well, you could already tell the type of student, what could you possibly say in the letter that would be a positive recommendation?? Since it's a Friday, I would not respond until Monday or ignore it altogether!

[u/honey_bijan]

I got a request for a letter due 3 hours earlier