Giving your recommender false due dates

Try to be as honest as you can. Just explain that you are worried about gathering all of your materials on time and say that you would like it by XX date but if you are very busy the actual deadline is XX....something like that.

Can you not just say that you'd like to have everything in by a certain date?

I just told my recommenders that I'd like to have my application in by a certain date (usually a week before the deadline). I explained that I don't want there to be any last minute problems. They were fine with that. You shouldn't have a problem doing that if you're honest with them.

i am having frustrating time with my recs. One is so lazy and he doesnt seem to care if i had a deadline - i mean duke has been on his list for 1months+ yet and he hasnt even touched yet although he kept saying "i will get to it" everytime i ask him down the hall.. My new rec shes great - when she says shes working on it she gets it done the next couple of days. Same with my other rec but he's been on vacation so i need to touch up with him again... I wouldnt lie about dates - they get notices and lying wont do you any good. Just tell them the deadlines and what other schools are within that range so they know the "deadline" isnt just that school. My recs understand the number of schools i need to apply so they try to do it quickly..

i gave mine early dates and they knew they actual dates were much later and were fine with it.

they also preferred this since they had to only keep track of the one date for each round, instead of having to remember each schools individual due date

I told my recommenders that I'd like it in x date because sometimes it takes a while to sync up the recommender with the applicant or the system freezes.

So for a Nov 3. deadline I said Nov. 1.

Good luck!