Putnam also says although he almost never refuses to write for a student, he tries to look out for the student's best interests.

"If I am going to have to write someone a letter that will definitely hurt their cause, I usually give them a chance to change their mind," he says.

"For the most part, however, Harvard students are so good that that the issue does not arise," Putnam added

Weighing Their Words

Not only do recommendations take a huge amount of time, but professors also say writing the letters can be a nerve-wracking task.

Although most admit they write most of their letters from an informal template of sorts, changing standards in the world of recommendations makes it necessary to fit the letter to the application.

"There is no fun in it because you have to conform to the standards and formulas by which the choosing agencies choose people," Kishlansky says. "You've really got to moderate your language. It's very complicated--the standards keep changing, and there is this escalation of language."

Kishlansky and Skocpol say they have noticed an increase in requests over the last few years, particularly because so many applications within the Harvard system require recommendations. Kishlansky says this makes an onerous task only harder.

"It used to be you got done by Thanksgiving. It was a November thing in the old days and I set aside time then," Kishlansky says. "Now you write them from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. It's endless, and inside the University are the worst offenders."

Coming Through in the End

So how can professors write meaningful recommendations for hundreds of students each year?

Most say they see the letter-writing process as part of their job description. And dealing with students on a daily basis gives them ample opportunity to get to know a surprising number of undergraduates.

"Except in very rare cases, I know the students quite well," wrote Stanfield Professor for International Peace Robert D. Putnam in an e-mail message. "In the overwhelming majority of cases I have taught them in a small seminar with weekly papers and lots of discussion, so I really have a chance to see them in many different contexts."

And though writing recommendation is both time-consuming and difficult, some professors say that they enjoy the end result.

"I'm not sure I enjoy the writing," Putnam wrote in an e-mail message. "But I do enjoy the results vicariously, in the sense of being thrilled when students of mine get good jobs, good fellowships and other good things that they deserve."