Confidential Letter of Recc Forum

[Bjavadi]

I contacted my undergraduate thesis advisor from a few years ago via email to write a letter. I made sure to ask if he felt he could provide a strong letter, and he said he would be happy to help. Mailed him the form, asked for it to be in by Jan 15. He emailed me indicating that he had sent it just a day after he got the form. I am pretty confident that he sent a good letter... I wouldn't have asked him to otherwise.

I signed the confidentiality section, and he mailed to LSAC directly. He did not offer me a copy or to see it at all. Is there any polite way to ask if he could show me what he sent? I don't want to seem like I'm trying to subert the confidentiality thing, because I am mostly just curious... But I am also looking to apply to the T14 and really want to know what I am sending in.

Any insight would be really helpful!

[Anonymous Loser]

There is no "confidentiality section" on the LSAC letter of recommendation form.

Your signature on that form merely indicates that you waiving any rights you may have under FERPA to access that letter after submission. Without this waiver, schools are required to retain the letter for several years, and produce it for inspection on your request. With the waiver, schools can discard the letter along with the rest of your application materials once they have rejected you.

You aren't going to "subvert the confidentiality thing," because nothing on that form, whether signed or not, prevents an applicant from reviewing a copy of the submitted letter.

[BrownBears09]

I contacted my undergraduate thesis advisor from a few years ago via email to write a letter. I made sure to ask if he felt he could provide a strong letter, and he said he would be happy to help. Mailed him the form, asked for it to be in by Jan 15. He emailed me indicating that he had sent it just a day after he got the form. I am pretty confident that he sent a good letter... I wouldn't have asked him to otherwise.

I signed the confidentiality section, and he mailed to LSAC directly. He did not offer me a copy or to see it at all. Is there any polite way to ask if he could show me what he sent? I don't want to seem like I'm trying to subert the confidentiality thing, because I am mostly just curious... But I am also looking to apply to the T14 and really want to know what I am sending in.

Any insight would be really helpful!

Tact. You lack it.

[Bjavadi]

Sorry... I'm pretty new to the application process here. And the forum...

I'm not sure I understand how I lack tact?

[Renzo]

Tact. You lack it.

This.

You can ask; the thing you signed only says that LSDAS and the school that receives the letter don't have to give it to you.

But, it's flat rude, the recommender is likely to say no, and you'll have soured the relationship by asking.

[tsutsik]

Don't ask. Demand. It's your letter, after all.

[Bjavadi]

Tact. You lack it.

This.

You can ask; the thing you signed only says that LSDAS and the school that receives the letter don't have to give it to you.

But, it's flat rude, the recommender is likely to say no, and you'll have soured the relationship by asking.

Thanks for the explanation... This is why I brought it up. I don't really know the etiquette for this process, and definitely don't want to jeopardize a relationship over a curiosity.

I would like to note... I don't think I inherently lack tact for wondering.