Letter of Recommendation Address Forum

[MysticalWheel]

Does anyone have a strong view on whether to have the person writing the letter of recommendation send it directly to LSAC or to send it to you? I am reading the letter of recommendation form that is to be given to the person writing the letter of recommendation and it gives the option of either having the letter be sent to the applicant (with the signature of the person recommending across the envelope flap) or sent to LSAC directly. Any ideas on which one is advantageous? Thanks.

-MW

[Deuce]

Does anyone have a strong view on whether to have the person writing the letter of recommendation it directly to LSAC or to send it to you? I am reading the letter of recommendation form that is to be given to the person writing the letter of recommendation and it gives the option of either having the letter be sent to the the applicant (with the signature of the person recommending across the envelope flap) or sent to LSAC directly. Any ideas on which one is advantageous? Thanks.

-MW

It has to be sent directly from the recommender, that is why you sign it, to acknowledge that you won't be reading it.

HTH

[MysticalWheel]

Does anyone have a strong view on whether to have the person writing the letter of recommendation it directly to LSAC or to send it to you? I am reading the letter of recommendation form that is to be given to the person writing the letter of recommendation and it gives the option of either having the letter be sent to the the applicant (with the signature of the person recommending across the envelope flap) or sent to LSAC directly. Any ideas on which one is advantageous? Thanks.

-MW

It has to be sent directly from the recommender, that is why you sign it, to acknowledge that you won't be reading it.

HTH

If that's true, then why would LSAC give the option of having the person writing the recommendation letter send it to the applicant? If the letter has to be sent directly to LSAC, then this option would seem to be very contradictory. Any ideas?

-MW

[094320]

..

[capitalacq]

Does anyone have a strong view on whether to have the person writing the letter of recommendation send it directly to LSAC or to send it to you? I am reading the letter of recommendation form that is to be given to the person writing the letter of recommendation and it gives the option of either having the letter be sent to the applicant (with the signature of the person recommending across the envelope flap) or sent to LSAC directly. Any ideas on which one is advantageous? Thanks.

-MW

just have them send it. why in the world do you think a method of mailing would be advantageous?

-CAP
-PRELAW SOCIETY FOUNDER
-COLLEGE DEMOCRATS MEMBER
-CLASS OF 2009

[billyez]

I always tried to get my recommenders to write the letter and give it to me. It gives you the ability to read what they wrote and gauge which LOR's are the best and which ones I don't really need to give to schools. Some of them, especially professors, might already know that you're not "supposed" to read them - but this is only if you've signed - so you should be prepared that you might not be able to read them. The ebst way to cure this is to just ask only people you know will say good things about you.

[Deuce]

I always tried to get my recommenders to write the letter and give it to me. It gives you the ability to read what they wrote and gauge which LOR's are the best and which ones I don't really need to give to schools. Some of them, especially professors, might already know that you're not "supposed" to read them - but this is only if you've signed - so you should be prepared that you might not be able to read them. The ebst way to cure this is to just ask only people you know will say good things about you.

This is what I did. My four recommenders are a lawyer I interned for and worked very hard for, close relationship, and three professors who I received an A in all classes, TAed for, and even spent time with outside of the classroom playing tennis and racquetball. I won't be reading any of the letters, but I can't imagine them saying anything really bad about me except that my backhand is miserable.

[Stringer6]

i didn't sign the LOR form, but the professor is sending the recommendation directly to LSAC. will it look bad that i didn't sign it?

[billyez]

It's really not that big of a deal.

[Stringer6]

the only reason i didn't sign it was because i wanted to e-mail the form to the professor and i didn't have a scanner nearby. i figured LSAC would require the signature if it were really important. plus the letter is going directly from the recommender to LSAC.

[094320]

..

[Stringer6]

Signing it means that you waive away your right to then look through your file to read your rec letters after you attend the school, not that you don't read it beforehand.

that's what i originally thought after reading the form, but some people on TLS didn't think so.

why would law schools care if you read a recommendation after you are admitted?

[billyez]

Trust the form, not disparate opinions on TLS.

I suspect that some schools are interested in whether or not people do exactly what I did. I basically screened my LOR's. If a Professor knows your going to read a letter then they might not say some bad things about you. That's my take. By signing that form, I interpret you to be saying to the law school that what they'll be receiving is the most honest assessment by that recommender that's possible and not one that's been cleared by you. Also, to be clear, I don't think it matters if it's after you're admitted. Despite that signature meaning that you waive your right to read it, ever (or so I believe that's what it entails) it holds much mroe weight during the admission process than afterwards.

That's why I'd just ask people you trust to write an LOR. Or, just read the LOR and dispense with signing altogether if you want to be honest. I really just don't think that it affects adcomms that much whether you've read them or not. But that's just me.