Does waiving your right to access the letters of recommendation assist your essay?

[youngcharlie101]

If I see what my professors wrote, and mark my application as declining to waive my rights, would this hurt my application? 

 

What did you guys do? 

[youngcharlie101]

*assist your application. Not essay. Sorry, I'm high on Dayquil right now from this awful cold. 

[GeoDUDE!]

Why wouldn't you waive your rights? Its meant to give confidence that the LOR are truthful. You should ask your professors directly if you want to see them. 

[fuzzylogician]

If I see what my professors wrote, and mark my application as declining to waive my rights, would this hurt my application? 

 

Some schools will trust the letter less. If you don't waive your right to see it, then it is not truly confidential and therefore the prof is not really free to write their true opinion of you. 

[youngcharlie101]

Some schools will trust the letter less. If you don't waive your right to see it, then it is not truly confidential and therefore the prof is not really free to write their true opinion of you. 

 

I agree. It's better to have full confidence in the professor rather than "double check." 

[peachypie]

just waive the right.  I did and had no qualms about it because I knew that my recommenders had great things to say and I had nothing to hide or worry about.  If you choose to view it, it doesn't allow your LORs the ability to be completely honest without fear (which as someone who has written LORs it is nice to know you can honestly write it peer to committee and the admins will also know its credibility has not been altered by the knowledge of an applicant accessing it; and its also a sign of respect to the people that you asked that you trust they have good things to say.  It also shows the admission committee you feel solid that you have good things to write about.  There is no benefit to waiving your right except that you will read it.  Doesn't mean you prevent what gets said either way.  

[TakeruK]

Definitely waive the right always (unless you have a very good reason not to). Everyone above has given good reasons to waive it!

 

Just to clarify, the waiver of your FERPA right is not a certification that you have not read the letter. Instead, it is only the agreement that you will not use your FERPA-granted right to see your student record, which might force the school to show you a submitted LOR.

 

So, even if the prof shared their LOR with you, you can still waive the FERPA right on the application. Or, even if you waived the right, you are still permitted to ask your professor to show you the LOR. 

 

In addition, some schools make it clear that you only have a "student record" established once you enroll/register for the school, so at these places, even if you do not waive the right, you still will not be able to view your LOR if you do not get accepted. 

[Vene]

Just to clarify, the waiver of your FERPA right is not a certification that you have not read the letter. Instead, it is only the agreement that you will not use your FERPA-granted right to see your student record, which might force the school to show you a submitted LOR.

I actually have a copy of one of my LORs even though I waived the right. I could go on a mini-rant about how on principle I'm opposed to waiving a right I have, even if it's minor, but fuck it I'd never try and read the letters anyway.

[TakeruK]

I actually have a copy of one of my LORs even though I waived the right. I could go on a mini-rant about how on principle I'm opposed to waiving a right I have, even if it's minor, but fuck it I'd never try and read the letters anyway.

 

Indeed, it's also totally legit for the school you applied to give you a copy of your own LORs because they want to (or even because you ask). Upon graduation, a student I know said their school gave them their entire student record, including the LORs that came with their application (admittedly, I only have their word that this is true). This wavier is just waiving the right to legally obligate (via FERPA) the school to allow you access to the letters.