Recommendation letter distribution when the envelope needs a signature?

[Dr. J MD/DDS]

Some schools require LOR's to not only be signed but also sealed and signed once more across the envelope seal. What's the procedure used to provide several different schools with the same letter? Is this formality really neccesary?

My school has a service that stores the letters in a database and send them out to each school for you. So i assume there's no need to go through the formalities. I was thinking of just asking the recommenders to type up about 3/4 of a page, sign it, and I'll be back to pick it up. I don't think not waiving my viewing right will impact the schools' decisions very much. Is there anything wrong with this?

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[UBTom]

FYI, LOR confidentiality is NOT a "mere formality."

Not waiving your viewing right WOULD have a negative impact. Most adcoms would feel that the recommenders cannot give a candid/honest assessment of your character if they know you will see what they wrote about you.

That's the reason why if those LORs are not sent directly by the recommenders to your college's preprofessional advising office or to the schools you are applying to, you have to have all those signed seals on those envelopes to indicate that you have not seen the contents of those letters.

That was the policy at the university admissions office I used to work at, anyway...

If I was in your shoes, I would sign the waiver at your college's preprofessional advising office to certify that you will not see the LORs, and have your recommenders send their letters directly to the preprofessional office. The office will duplicate the letters as necessary and send them to the schools you are applying to at your request.