Waiving right to see LORs?

[Revilla]

I have a professor who said she'd be glad to write me an LOR, but she wants me to sit with her and help craft a really good one. She wants us to do it together. If I do that, I can't sign the statement saying I haven't seen it. What should I tell her?

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[LikeClockWork]

Is there a waiver that says you haven't seen it? I thought it was worded that you waived your right to see it, not that you're never allowed to see it even if the writer wants you to.

 

[Textuality]

You can tell her that most schools prefer you not to see it. But, you can probably give her some "pointers", as in, I've known some writers who requested that students give them a little paragraph on why medicine, some extracurrics they are proud of, what they think their strengths and weaknesses are, and what they hope this letter will convey about them. I think that much is ok because you can honestly say you don't know how your writer will use that information or what they will end up writing.

 

[kami333]

I have a professor who said she's be glad to write me an LOR, but she wants me to sit with her and help craft a really good one. She wants us to do it together. If I do that, I can't sign the statement saying I haven't seen it. What should I tell her?

Talk to a lawyer

Depends on the statement you have to sign, I've never seen any that say you haven't read it before you've signed, just that you waive the right to see it later.

 

[postbacker]

I have a professor who said she's be glad to write me an LOR, but she wants me to sit with her and help craft a really good one. She wants us to do it together. If I do that, I can't sign the statement saying I haven't seen it. What should I tell her?

Don't be silly - one has nothing to do with the other...if the prof wants you to see it, or wants you to participate in the writing of it, or even wants you to write it out all by yourself (for his/her signature), it is kosher...and you can still waive your rights to seeing your LORs...

 

[Abilene85]

You waive your right so med schools know profs were honest when writing their letter and not pressured into excluding any negative information. If she wants to show you the letter, that's her business. I think you're fine.

 

[Begaster]

You can't be serious.

I wish my PI had offered that to me. Count your blessings.

 

[Textuality]

Haha...I had one interviewer start reading my letter to me...it was kind of funny since I was surprised by the things that my writer thought was important enough about me to share. For example, random anecdotes about my travels.

 

[punkindrublic]

Yeah, I had a few folks who were quite adamant that I read it. The form just means you waive any legal right to see it, so if you get rejected from schools and think you might've had a bad letter, you can't sue or anything to see it. If the writer wants you to, whatever, be stoked that its one less unknown in the application process.

 

[beachblonde]

when you sign the waiver, you're signing away your right to see the letter after it has been submitted to the schools you're applying to. if the prof lets you see the letter beforehand, that's their choice but shouldn't have any bearing on the waiver.

I wouldn't stress about it. A lot of profs do similar things-letting student see the letters, asking for students to write the letter themselves, asking what to put in it, etc.

 

[alesdu1]

You are waiving YOUR right to see the letter. If someone shows you what they wrote, then you didnt do anything wrong (unless you blackmailed them into showing you the letter....) I really wouldnt worry about it.

when you sign the waiver, you're signing away your right to see the letter after it has been submitted to the schools you're applying to. if the prof lets you see the letter beforehand, that's their choice but shouldn't have any bearing on the waiver.

I wouldn't stress about it. A lot of profs do similar things-letting student see the letters, asking for students to write the letter themselves, asking what to put in it, etc.

 

[Revilla]

Thanks guys! I thought the waiver stated that you had never seen the letter in the first place and would never ask to see it in the future.

Thanks for clearing that up!