please answer quick question about letters...

[my alias]

Hi. I have a quick question about how to handle this situation...I needed a liberal arts letter, so I went to a teacher's office that I hadn't seen in about 4 years...unfortuately, my only choice. He actually remembered me really well, and wrote the letter right there with me, a really nice one actually. He gave me a few copies of it, and sent me on my way, but now I'm unsure how to get it to the schools. Can I use my own return address? Do I need to use my teacher's return address at school? I'm concerned about how they will match it up to my file since my SS # will not be included. With my other letters, they were always sent to my file in the pre med advisor's office, but due to irreconcileable (sp?) differences with the pre med advisor, I had hoped not to involve him. anyway, any responses would be appreciated. Thanks.

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[irish79]

I don't think you are allowed to send the letter yourself (I'm not even sure if you are supposed to see it). If you go back and ask him to send it, have him add your social security number to the letter and then send it himself.

 

[Herpeto]

There is certainly nothing wrong with an individual seeing a letter of recommendation that someone wrote for them. It just depends on the relationship between the two people. When you send the letter off I would definitely place the professors address in the upoper left hand corner as students are not suppose to send their own letters. If they see his address there, there will never be question of where it came from.


Herp

 

[Chisel]

My advice......

Did the person who wrote the letter use a computer?

If so, call and ask them if they could edit the letter, adding your SS#, and if they could forward the letter to where it needed to get to.

Offer to send him the postage required to send the letters.

Chisel
PCOM 2006

 

[my alias]

thanks for all your advice. unfortuately, the teacher did write the letter on his computer, but I'm positive he did not save it. he made a point of keeping a hard copy of it...he doesn't seem like much of a computer person. He was also getting ready to walk out of his office to go on vacation for a month or so, so I was lucky to catch him. I'd prefer not to delay the completion of my application by waiting for him to get back. does anyone know if SS#s are necessary? I know other people have written me letters without that information, and they arrived in my file. ould it be ridiculous to call the school in question and ask what I should do? Is it unethical to write his address on the envelope? Thanks so much for the advice.

 

[irish79]

If it is your only option--I guess just write his name on the envelope and send it off. I am sure it will get to the school and into your file with no problems. Another option would be to write the social security number on the letter yourself (but that may be stepping over the line of ethical behavior). Apparently I don't really know much about this topic though--I was always under the guise that one shouldn't see their LOR's in the first place, so who knows? Herps might have better guidance.

Good Luck.

 

[my alias]

just to clear it up if anyone else runs into the situation...i called the school i'm applying to..nova... and explained the situation, and they said to write my SS # on it and send it in a regular envelope, they didnt care. apparently its not a big deal. thanks for all your advice.