Need Advice on Approaching my Professor
 

Ok, let me summarize my situation in bullet points to make it easier to read:

-Last year (Fall 2004), I apply for grad schools and research fellowships. I get into grad school, but no luck on fellowships.
-In August 2005, before I leave for grad school, I ask in person the same 3 professors to write recommendations again this year for fellowships. I get "yeah sure no problem" from all 3.
-The deadline for recommendations is Dec 31 (online submission). 2 of the 3 have submitted, one hasn't.
-The one that hasn't submitted, I've sent multiple reminder emails which he himself requested me to do at the beginning.
-I have had 0 responses from this one professor. Grad school is far away from undergrad, so all my communication has been through email. But I'm visiting family near my undergrad school for winter break, so I could go visit this professor personally if I want to.

I know he does a lot of his recommendation writing between Xmas and New Year's, so I'm guessing he's probably working on everyone's recommendation right now. But the fact that I've gotten absolutely no response from him concerns me.

Would a personal visit or a phone call / voice mail message be too aggressive?

Any other suggestions on what I should do?

Thanks in advance for your help

I would try a phone call first. If he's working on them now, then hopefully he's taking care of yours, as the deadline is so close, but I would call him to make sure.

A phone call or voicemail is appropriate; I would drop by as a last resort, if you don't a) get a response from him or 2) get a recommendation from him in the mail by the middle of next week.

If you have to approach him in person, leave one more phone call, expressing your concern that this very important (to you) task won't be done). Then tell him that, in your uncertainty over what's happening, you'll be dropping by if you don't hear from him.

This ploy gives him both notification of your visit and one more chance to respond and head you off. By telling him exactly what your next move is, you've put the ball in his court. If he doesn't want you to show, he has to call. If you do have to show, you've done all the right and polite things to press your case, and he doesn't have the slightest case for getting upset about it. Of course, that doesn't stop some college profs!

Some people are just naturally tardy at writing recommendation letters. I had a college intern working with me last summer, and she asked for weeks in advance of her departure for recommendation letters from us three permanent staffers. I think I'm the only one who got around to giving her one, and even then it was the last minute!

The last thing you should do, in my opinion is pop into his office.
Especially after you call and say so. What will that accomplish? Will he write it with you standing there tapping your foot? Will he suddenly draft something and send it via email? And finally, assuming your implicit threat of showing up secures you a letter after all, could you imagine how positive that letter would be...

...unless he leads it of with, "" is the most persistent person I know...

Seriously, your best bet is to find another letter writer. Someone who is motivated to do it on time, perhaps someone who wants to write one for you. Maybe this professor wants to write one, but he's on vacation? or dealing with a particular issue? visiting him won't sreolve either of those kinds of situations.

If you need recommendations in the future, plan ahead by asking for more than you need by one or two.

I disagree. He agreed to do it. And yes, he may well stand there and write it with the guy tapping his foot. _I have been the foot tapper_ for letters and documents that people owed me, and I damn well got them. They wrote it while I stood there. And if I hadn't done it, the letter would never have been written. I had one guy come right out and tell me that this was the only way to get him to write something. Even though the person involved truly respected me. Some people are just like that.

But I would agree: more recommendations if possible in the future. I always have four or five on tap, when three will do.

I had dozens of profs who got HUNDREDS of e-mails per day.

I had one prof who insisted that all assignments be handed in electronically, then penalized me for not handing in an assignment. I went to his office personally:

Me: I am sorry, sir, but I handed in that assignment on time and complete. Is there some way that you, or the server connection, misplaced it?

Prof: Let me look... (types in Ben's name under the search e-mail command)... (Ben's assignment pops up on the screen) Oh, sorry, my mistake.

This guy had like 900 unread e-mails. He had filters on that immediately deleted all e-mails marked "Urgent" or "High Importance" and refused to accept anything from free e-mail account servers. He still had over 900 e-mails,
from colleagues
and students,
and grad students,
and international students
and seminars he had registered for,
and journals that he was trying to publish to,
and journals that he helped edit,

WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY: Dude, you got lost in the shuffle. Give him a call.