the LATEST to ask for a letter of rec

[signal08]

given that deadlines for '08 matriculation is fastly approaching, do you still think its acceptable to ask for a LOR now? i already have two (very strong) recs, but i obviously need a third one still. i have a professor in mind who i've just gotten to know (he just agreed to be the faculty adviser for the honors thesis i'll be writing next semester). do you guys think its too late to ask for a LOR?

thanks in advance!

[asianecon]

Maybe the question is, is it too early (in your relationship with the Prof since you just recently interacted with hiim) to ask a letter? Haha I'm just messing with you (though there might be some grain of sense here) =)

[signal08]

haha point well taken but i actually do know this professor from a course i took with him last year as well. we've just recently become more, "intimate" in our relationship however.

[polkaparty]

Well as of today there is about exactly one month left before the first application is due, so it's not like you're waiting until they have one week left. Nonetheless it is a little late, but do you really have a choice? Unless you're only applying to LSE and Northwestern (only schools I know of that accept just two letters)....

[Olm]

One month is the minimum amount of time I would give a professor to write a letter. These folks are busy (at least, they pretend to be) and asking them to write a glowing letter takes more than a few moments.

[zappa24]

Of course, some just take a letter written for someone else that conveys the feeling they have about you and replace the names, which will take almost no time at all. Just make sure that if you know that is what they are doing, they change the name everywhere (and change pronouns to match.)

[Tex Jansen]

If you apologize for asking a little late while asking for the letter, it should not be a problem. There does not seem to be a good alternative given that you need three letters.

[guan]

Would anyone comment on the earliest to ask for a letter of rec, e.g. for a professor whose course you are taking this semester?

[desimba]

My gut sense would be if you have been in the class with someone for 2 months or so and you have been active in class discussions/ showed up occasionally during office hours, you should be OK. The best option of course is to go for someone you have known for a long while who will offer you a glowing recommendation but in the absence of that, someone who knows you reasonably well and will write you a strong LOR is a good bet too.