Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Bad reference?

I have applied to a postgraduate MSc programme about two months ago and I was confident that I would get an offer. I have contacted them last week and they told me that I should receive a decision once my second referee submits a reference letter.

Once I received a notification that my second referee submitted the letter, literally the next morning I received a rejection e-mail. I'm wondering if university professors are able to write bad references? Or it could be due to the reason that the letter was submitted very late? So sad and angry at the same time :frown:

Reply 1

capplicant

It could be for a variety of reasons:

- Your profile was weak and they were waiting for an extremely strong letter in order to give you an offer.
- Your profile was okay but the letter was poorly written. Did the professor have enough information to write a letter? Did he know you enough?
- Any other reason, including being late if they did rolling admissions.

Reply 2

monkyvirus

There's no harm in asking them why you were rejected.

Reply 3

Klix88

Original post by feverish

I'm wondering if university professors are able to write bad references?

Of course they are. Although at my current uni the preferred tactic is just to not provide a reference at all. Academia is a small world and it would be unusual to recommend someone for a course they didn't think was a good match. Your referees have to guard their reputation and credibility. Do you have any reason to believe that your reference might not have been great when you asked them for it?

Or it could be due to the reason that the letter was submitted very late?

That could be the reason - I suggest you contact your target uni urgently to check. If it was just an admin cut-off, it could be that the reference just wasn't passed to the right person in time. Don't give up until you've exhausted all the options - the situation may yet be salvageable (although don't get your hopes too high). At least try to get info on how to improve a future application.