Letter of Rec Had a Wrong Fact! Help!

[autismadvocate]

So my recommender showed me her letter of recommendation she wrote for me after she submitted it. It's lovely, but there's actually an incorrect fact in it! She said I developed a discussion forum, which I didn't actually develop (although I did give her the link for it along with a link for a website that I did actually develop, which is probably why she got confused).

 

What do I do? Should I email the school to let them know? How should I phrase it? I definitely wasn't prepared to have this happen...

 

Help!

[ion_exchanger]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that students are not supposed to know what is in letters of recommendation. Sure, sometimes our mentors show them to us, but we aren't "supposed" to know what they say, right? If that is true, then you say nothing, and if someone brings it up, address it. That's a tough situation, I'm sorry I don't have a better answer. 

[autismadvocate]

You're not supposed to know before they submit it - but I think it's okay that she showed it to me afterwards. That said, I'm questioning myself now...

[Persis]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that students are not supposed to know what is in letters of recommendation. Sure, sometimes our mentors show them to us, but we aren't "supposed" to know what they say, right? If that is true, then you say nothing, and if someone brings it up, address it. That's a tough situation, I'm sorry I don't have a better answer. 

Yes, that is right.  We are not allowed to see our references, so that might go against you if you say something

[autismadvocate]

I'm also kind of concerned that what she said that's a false fact might discredit the true fact. I did, in fact, make the second website, but I didn't make the one she said right before it and it's really obvious to anyone who knows anything about autism that I didn't, so I'm worried it may make it seem like I didn't make the other website she mentioned either, even though I did, or like I was trying to lie or something. It's just a bad situation...

[SashaB]

I'm no expert but maybe your reference can contact them and just say she realized she made a little error in the letter?  Maybe she can simply request to resubmit the letter.  I'm having an issue myself where one of my references thought I was applying only to bilingual certification schools (I'm not for most of the applications-UGH).

[ion_exchanger]

I'm also kind of concerned that what she said that's a false fact might discredit the true fact. I did, in fact, make the second website, but I didn't make the one she said right before it and it's really obvious to anyone who knows anything about autism that I didn't, so I'm worried it may make it seem like I didn't make the other website she mentioned either, even though I did, or like I was trying to lie or something. It's just a bad situation...

She's human, she makes mistakes. We all make mistakes. I think an adcomm will understand, if they bring it up and you correct them. Did you put anything about the website that you actually did develop in your SOP? If they ask, just talk about the fact that is true, and correct them on the fact that is not. 

[autismadvocate]

It's so true. I just feel so bad because I know how much time and thought she put into the recommendation, and I'm not sure if I have the heart to tell her (the recommender) that she wrote something wrong. The website I did make is mentioned in my SOP? Should I wait and see if the adcomm brings it up, or email them and let them know in advance? Or should I go ahead and have the recommender tell them, as bad as I feel about that.

[TakeruK]

First of all, there is nothing that says we cannot see our LORs or that we are not "supposed" to see our LORs. It's all not true. What is supposed to happen is that the graduate schools want to know that our LOR writers wrote the LOR honestly without worrying about what we would think if we saw it. So if the LOR writer chose to share it with you, then obviously the LOR writer was comfortable with you seeing the LOR and that's no longer an issue.

 

Most schools have you sign a waiver because of FERPA. FERPA gives you the right to see the content of your student record and if the school keeps your admission LOR in your record, then after you enroll in the school (and only AFTER you enroll), you are allowed to use your FERPA rights to view your file and thus your LOR. So, many graduate schools would be worried that if your LOR writer did not want you to see the LOR in the first place, they might be worried that you will later on use your FERPA rights to see the LOR later. So, to make sure the LOR writer does not feel influenced by this possibility, they give you the option to waive your rights and you should. Unless you signed a specific waiver to never see your letter (which would unusual), the FERPA waivers do not mean you are promising to not see your letter. Instead, it only means that you will not specifically use your FERPA rights to see the letter in the FERPA way. 

 

Second, to address the OP's situation, I think it's best to let the LOR writer know that there was a mistake and ask them what they think. If they don't think a correction is necessary, then trust their opinion. If the grad school thinks it's strange, you can always explain it in an interview, or they might contact the original prof to clarify and if you let the prof know, then they can provide the correction.