Did you guys waive your rights?

[wxl31]

So I waived my rights to see my LOR before applying to med school, but if you get into a school you have a right to access them in your file. Will it look bad if I dont waive my rights? I'm just curious. Thx.

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[gobblety_gook]

So I waived my rights to see my LOR before applying to med school, but if you get into a school you have a right to access them in your file. Will it look bad if I dont waive my rights? I'm just curious. Thx.

I think it will...your LORs will just be a lot more legitimate if you give the freedome to your recomendors to write whatever they want....it preserves confidentiality and professionalism...plus its not as if you'd get a BAD LOR, most recomendors are good about telling you how glowing of a rec they could write for you.

 

[BlueMagpie]

Are you serious? Perhaps I don't understand the question...do you want to look at them after you get in, or do you wish you hadn't waived your rights to see your LOR before they went out?

 

[dr.z]

Are you serious? Perhaps I don't understand the question...do you want to look at them after you get in, or do you wish you hadn't waived your rights to see your LOR before they went out?

It is better to waive your rights not to access them (at least before it is sent out). People will take your letters more seriously this way, and I have seen this posted at some schools (I saw this when I was applying to graduate schools).

If you wish to see your letters after you get in, you maybe able to. I am not sure though the admissions office people will let you do that.

 

[wxl31]

Are you serious? Perhaps I don't understand the question...do you want to look at them after you get in, or do you wish you hadn't waived your rights to see your LOR before they went out?

I have already waived my rights to them and will not be looking at them before I get accepted. But if I already get accepted somewhere and they have them on file still, it looks like I have a right to read them afterwards.

At that point, won't I already be in? I dont understand why I should waive my rights to read them after getting in?

 

[wxl31]

As currently interpreted by the Department of Education, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 provides that applicants who subsequently enroll will have a right to inspect and review a letter of recommendation if it is retained by the university unless that right is waived in writing.

So this is the text I'm reading. Am I misunderstanding it?

 

[BlueMagpie]

As currently interpreted by the Department of Education, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 provides that applicants who subsequently enroll will have a right to inspect and review a letter of recommendation if it is retained by the university unless that right is waived in writing.

So this is the text I'm reading. Am I misunderstanding it?

No, I don't think so. If you're in, you're in. Unless, it somehow affects your recommendations for residency...but that's getting convoluted...uh, yeah. Maybe you can just bust in at night and steal them from the office.

 

[principessa]

I guess . . . but why would you want to read your letters after you've been admitted? Personally, I think it's best to keep the trust of your recommenders even if you don't think you need their help anymore.

 

[jlee9531]

yeah no need to read them after you got in. almost pointless.

 

[adamj61]

I waived away...always worried that maybe one of them wasn't the best of letters, but what can you do?

 

[wxl31]

ok, decision made. you're right, there's no pt in reading them afterwards. thanks guy!

 

[YzIa]

I just sent stamped addressed envelopes to my authors and had them send directly. The committee was the only one where waiving the right came up, of course I did. Otherwise I think it was just mutual that I would not see the letter as it would be sent direct.

 

[Howard Roark]

good luck

 

[pseudoknot]

Some schools (I know this is true for my graduate institution) destroy letters of recommendation when someone is admitted so that this issue does not come up after they arrive.

 

[bewitched1081]

i waived mine. there is no reason why anyone should have to read their letters unless they believe that for some reason they should drop a letter.

 

[soreed]

so do you get to read them after getting into a school?

i just wanna read them out of curiosity

 

[Howard Roark]

good luck

 

[g3pro]

Does it affect how the adcoms view the letter? very, very little. Does it help you identify how you rub off on others? Greatly! I intend to read the letter from the MD I shadowed extensively over 2 months. I want to know how MDs think of my work and think of me as a future MD.