Top Law Schools

ed ited

I think you've got the meaning of 'waiving your right' backwards. Once you sign the LOR form, you've waived (i.e. given up) your right to see that letter, ever. If you signed the form before giving it to the prof (as they recommend), no school will show you that letter. If you hadn't signed the form, you would still have a right to request to see the LOR. I am not entirely sure how one would go about doing that (contact the schools and ask them to look it up in your file, I guess?).

The schools want people sign the waivers because then there's less chance that the LOR-writer was under pressure to write a good one, or that you wrote your own LORs for the profs to submit.

rinkrat19 wrote:I think you've got the meaning of 'waiving your right' backwards. Once you sign the LOR form, you've waived (i.e. given up) your right to see that letter, ever. If you signed the form before giving it to the prof (as they recommend), no school will show you that letter. If you hadn't signed the form, you would still have a right to request to see the LOR. I am not entirely sure how one would go about doing that (contact the schools and ask them to look it up in your file, I guess?).

The schools want people sign the waivers because then there's less chance that the LOR-writer was under pressure to write a good one, or that you wrote your own LORs for the profs to submit.

Yes I do. After I finished writing my post I realized what I had done.


edit: I just corrected the errors I saw.

I don't think you can look at it until well after the cycle anyway. Regardless, just use the other three letters if you're worried about a lukewarm endorsement. Three is plenty. And I would be worried if I were you.

Samara wrote:I don't think you can look at it until well after the cycle anyway. Regardless, just use the other three letters if you're worried about a lukewarm endorsement. Three is plenty. And I would be worried if I were you.

Should I be worried?

I find it hard to believe that a professor would not write a letter they would stand behind.

This guy is an almost retired professor. Why would he take time out of his day to write a letter to ding me?

The feeling that I have I feel is irrational.

hamsamitchguy03 wrote:

Samara wrote:I don't think you can look at it until well after the cycle anyway. Regardless, just use the other three letters if you're worried about a lukewarm endorsement. Three is plenty. And I would be worried if I were you.

Should I be worried?

I find it hard to believe that a professor would not write a letter they would stand behind.

This guy is an almost retired professor. Why would he take time out of his day to write a letter to ding me?

The feeling that I have I feel is irrational.

It's not that he would write a bad letter so much as it is that he might not take the time to write a good letter. Even if what he submitted was a "tweak" of the Fulbright letter, it's probably not as strong as the other three that were presumably written specifically for law school. That can make a big difference. The other three sound like great letters, so if I were you, I wouldn't take the chance. The upside is very low and the downside, as low as it may be, is much greater than the upside.

If you really want to save one back for waitlists, save one of the other two faculty ones and submit two letters. That's what I would do, but ultimately it's your judgement call.

Does anyone have suggestions about my question?


How to view a LOR without tipping off target schools?

hamsamitchguy03 wrote:Does anyone have suggestions about my question?


How to view a LOR without tipping off target schools?

I don't think it's possible, but I'm not familiar with the whole process. Plus, if you already signed the waiver on the form, it's too late.

hamsamitchguy03 wrote:Does anyone have suggestions about my question?


How to view a LOR without tipping off target schools?

What part of "you can't" is hard to grasp?

Just don't use that rec. You only need two.

I think that you should have taken the hint early on that he was not a good candidate for a LOR. Just use the other ones you have and don't submit his. Judging from your experience, his letter is at best mediocre and adding such a letter would not improve your applications.