What? I forgot to sign it?

[commoner]

So, I am out of the country and just got an email from one of my recommenders. I checked off the waiver box on the forms I dropped off for him and the others, but forgot to put a signature down. Apparently, I was in too big of a hurry to hand them over so I could get out of the country (no, no sudden need to get out, just business and stress). He sent one off because it was due and let me know about the other two, and he has offered to hold on to them until I get back so I can sign them. My other recommenders have all sent theirs off.

My questions: Does it really matter at this point? Three schools are getting letters with unsigned waivers from two profs already. Does the waiver even matter? Should I give these schools a call when I get back in the country? I'm not real stressed about it because what is done is done. But, if enough of you think I should at least put my sig on a couple, I'll have him wait. They aren't late. Otherwise, I'll tell him to go ahead and send them on out.

Your thoughts about the whole waiver business, please. Many thanks.

c.man

[Minnesotan]

My advisors told me it matters quite a bit. Wat I would do is sign a new copy and fax it to each prof. That way, at least there is a signature on file.

[coho]

I live abroad, and I ran into a similar problem.

I think the safest thing to do would be to print out the form, sign it, and scan it to your letter writer.

But since most of your letters have already been sent, you ought to contact the schools and explain the situation. You definitely want them to know that you waived your rights, but my guess is that you can let them know that electronically as well as by on that slip of paper. You sort of de facto waived your rights by absenting yourself from the country when the letter was being written, so I doubt they'll make a big fuss about it!

Anyhow, that's my take on it.

[dowjonesindustrial]

Yeah, this may be a formality, but it's a formality that (nearly) everyone takes rather seriously.

I agree with the above posters.

[commoner]

So much for civil rights and all.

All right. I'll call the depts when I get back and see if I can waive my rights some other darn way.

Thanks for the insight!

c.

[commoner]

Just thought I'd update you all (admins and coords are finally back to the office). One school said that as long as the form was involved, it would be implied that I was waiving my rights, and that if the adcom even noticed, it would not be a problem. The other two schools had me send an email that they would print and attach to my file.

So just a hiccup, folks. And communication with the departments has been quite friendly. That's nice to see/hear when sometimes they can seem quite abstract, just an address to which I've sent a part of myself. Believe it or not, there are humans on the other end.

c.

[coho]

i'm glad they were nice about it!