Waive right to read LoR

genome
Tue, 01 Mar 2011 02:58:48 +0000

Short comment : Do whatever you feel right.

Long comment : I can say for 99.99% sure that this LoR issue is going to be a choking point in every possible academic application for foreseeable future, let’s say 10-20 years ahead? Maybe more years ahead. I reserved the remaining 0.01% in case the whole application package or requirement changes in its landscape. UG application, Graduate application, Postdoc application, Faculty position application, Tenure application ….
Waiving your rights to see: This option serves good impression subconsciously to some because the letter is written as if you completely trust the recommenders and allow them to write whichever they feel worth mentioning, good or bad about you, in a way, reflecting your talents, personality, and attitude. The admission committee can then evaluate your application holistically.

Your rights to see: After all, it’s our own rights, mandated by FERPA. But if you choose this option, you recommender will notice before they write reference about you. They are allowed to write about you but somewhat limited (yes, depends on the personality of recommenders, or Professors) in their freedom of writing because of the knowing that you are going to read the recommendation once you got admitted. Some recommenders do not have any misgiving about writing bad recommendation, while some utilize subtle description of your weaknesses, or foibles. Others will skip the weak point, and appears taciturn. www.orl.med.umich.edu/rehughes/sample_letter.pdf

I wander from my point, why would the program accept students if recommendation is too bad, which means students can’t get accepted, and never would have a chance to read the recommendation. Or admission committee realizes that a particular recommender (out of 3) seems pain in the a** at best or ___ (fill the bad word here) and take the student in and student can later read the recommendation?

If novels are based on real life experiences, fictions are never-heard-of life events, then reality is even more complicated and way too beyond our imagination. Professors are human. We are not going by books or straight line as in doing good works – generating good data – keep it professional – maintain relationship – get the good recommendation. What @Oyama stated is true and following that practice is more likely to have higher percentage of good recommendation though it’s not 100% because we are dealing with the realities. One of the Professors whom I maintained good relationship took me 6 months to write recommendations and handed me only after I finished all my applications. The reason is he is too busy. Luckily, I had managed to get another one. There are only 2 sentences here. But it can cost my entire application or simply put, my whole journey into graduate years ahead.