Stanford Law School c/o 2018 Applicants (2014-2015 Cycle) Forum

[lilyt93]

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that's how it works. I think the rule is that you have the right to see your LORs from the school you decide to attend, once you are enrolled, but only at that point. By signing the waiver, you waive that right. Not signing the waiver doesn't mean you get to see your LORs before they get sent off. I've read this before but can't find it now -- someone else please weigh in?

I've never heard that, but I would love to know if that's the case! If so, I would definitely waive the right.

[w0w]

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that's how it works. I think the rule is that you have the right to see your LORs from the school you decide to attend, once you are enrolled, but only at that point. By signing the waiver, you waive that right. Not signing the waiver doesn't mean you get to see your LORs before they get sent off. I've read this before but can't find it now -- someone else please weigh in?

I've never heard that, but I would love to know if that's the case! If so, I would definitely waive the right.

No not true! I asked KB.

[xylocarp]

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that's how it works. I think the rule is that you have the right to see your LORs from the school you decide to attend, once you are enrolled, but only at that point. By signing the waiver, you waive that right. Not signing the waiver doesn't mean you get to see your LORs before they get sent off. I've read this before but can't find it now -- someone else please weigh in?

I've never heard that, but I would love to know if that's the case! If so, I would definitely waive the right.

Found where I read that and it's just a TLS post, nothing official/whatever. Carry on!

[lieph82]

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that's how it works. I think the rule is that you have the right to see your LORs from the school you decide to attend, once you are enrolled, but only at that point. By signing the waiver, you waive that right. Not signing the waiver doesn't mean you get to see your LORs before they get sent off. I've read this before but can't find it now -- someone else please weigh in?

I've never heard that, but I would love to know if that's the case! If so, I would definitely waive the right.

Pretty sure schools look down on people not waiving.

[xylocarp]

Hmm actually this is what Stanford says on the subject:

Federal law provides a student, after enrollment, with a right of access to, among other things, letters of recommendation in the student's file that are submitted to the law school on the student's behalf. This right may be waived, but such a waiver may not be required as a condition for admission to or receipt of any other services or benefits from Stanford Law School.

[w0w]

I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that's how it works. I think the rule is that you have the right to see your LORs from the school you decide to attend, once you are enrolled, but only at that point. By signing the waiver, you waive that right. Not signing the waiver doesn't mean you get to see your LORs before they get sent off. I've read this before but can't find it now -- someone else please weigh in?

I've never heard that, but I would love to know if that's the case! If so, I would definitely waive the right.

Pretty sure schools look down on people not waiving.

KB said it doesn't matter at all and that it's not even included on the report they get anymore. They have to dig to get it.

[w0w]

Hmm actually this is what Stanford says on the subject:

Federal law provides a student, after enrollment, with a right of access to, among other things, letters of recommendation in the student's file that are submitted to the law school on the student's behalf. This right may be waived, but such a waiver may not be required as a condition for admission to or receipt of any other services or benefits from Stanford Law School.

It sounds like if waived it's still waived after enrollment though, right? Or am I misreading?

[xylocarp]

Okay, I just called LSAC and they confirmed what I thought. If you don't waive your right to see your LORs, you DO NOT get to see them once they're uploaded to LSAC or at any time before they are sent to schools. Only after enrollment would it make any difference.

The reason (some) schools (might) look down on it is that profs may write different things or be more favorable in general if they know you might someday read it. Seems like there's no real benefit to not waiving and quite possibly a downside.

[twitterati]

Checking in! My bf is at SLS and he's happy as a clam. *fingers crossed*

[xylocarp]

Hmm actually this is what Stanford says on the subject:

Federal law provides a student, after enrollment, with a right of access to, among other things, letters of recommendation in the student's file that are submitted to the law school on the student's behalf. This right may be waived, but such a waiver may not be required as a condition for admission to or receipt of any other services or benefits from Stanford Law School.

It sounds like if waived it's still waived after enrollment though, right? Or am I misreading?

Yeah exactly. That's what the waiver is for — after enrollment — not for looking at your LORs once they're uploaded/before sending in apps. So if you don't waive, you'll get to look at your LORs. After you're enrolled.

[LeeAllen]

Hmm actually this is what Stanford says on the subject:

Federal law provides a student, after enrollment, with a right of access to, among other things, letters of recommendation in the student's file that are submitted to the law school on the student's behalf. This right may be waived, but such a waiver may not be required as a condition for admission to or receipt of any other services or benefits from Stanford Law School.

It sounds like if waived it's still waived after enrollment though, right? Or am I misreading?

Yeah exactly. That's what the waiver is for — after enrollment — not for looking at your LORs once they're uploaded/before sending in apps. So if you don't waive, you'll get to look at your LORs. After you're enrolled.

Well that makes not waiving pointless. Who cares what your LORs said after you're at school? lol

[lilyt93]

Thanks so much for checking, Xylo!

[w0w]

Okay, I just called LSAC and they confirmed what I thought. If you don't waive your right to see your LORs, you DO NOT get to see them once they're uploaded to LSAC or at any time before they are sent to schools. Only after enrollment would it make any difference.

The reason (some) schools (might) look down on it is that profs may write different things or be more favorable in general if they know you might someday read it. Seems like there's no real benefit to not waiving and quite possibly a downside.

Oh awesome, thanks for checking on that.

[xylocarp]

No worries! It was annoying me not knowing for sure haha. It would suck to not waive and then, only after that, find out you can't even see your LORs.

[lilyt93]

No worries! It was annoying me not knowing for sure haha. It would suck to not waive and then, only after that, find out you can't even see your LORs.

That probably would have been my situation haha. Seriously, thanks again!

[Winston1984]

So how can we tell which letter our recommender does is the targeted one? Do we ask them to send one and then wait to send the other?

[xylocarp]

So how can we tell which letter our recommender does is the targeted one? Do we ask them to send one and then wait to send the other?

you use the label, you'd name one "for all law schools" and the other "for Stanford" or whatnot

[Winston1984]

So how can we tell which letter our recommender does is the targeted one? Do we ask them to send one and then wait to send the other?

you use the label, you'd name one "for all law schools" and the other "for Stanford" or whatnot

But when they show up, don't they just show up as letter 1, letter 2, etc? It just shows who wrote it right? If one professor does two letters for you, wouldn't it be impossible to know which is which?

[xylocarp]

So how can we tell which letter our recommender does is the targeted one? Do we ask them to send one and then wait to send the other?

you use the label, you'd name one "for all law schools" and the other "for Stanford" or whatnot

But when they show up, don't they just show up as letter 1, letter 2, etc? It just shows who wrote it right? If one professor does two letters for you, wouldn't it be impossible to know which is which?

no they show the description you label it with
so you'll see

L1 - Dr. A. Professor - for all law schools
L2 - Dr. A. Professor - for Stanford only

[Winston1984]

So how can we tell which letter our recommender does is the targeted one? Do we ask them to send one and then wait to send the other?

you use the label, you'd name one "for all law schools" and the other "for Stanford" or whatnot

But when they show up, don't they just show up as letter 1, letter 2, etc? It just shows who wrote it right? If one professor does two letters for you, wouldn't it be impossible to know which is which?

no they show the description you label it with
so you'll see

L1 - Dr. A. Professor - for all law schools
L2 - Dr. A. Professor - for Stanford only

But when they come in, won't we just see two letters? Once they are in, that's when we can name them right?

[xylocarp]

But when they come in, won't we just see two letters? Once they are in, that's when we can name them right?

ohh, no you label it when you send the request, so the recommender submits the targeted letter for the "for Stanford only" request and then the general letter for the "for all law schools" request. See: sample LOR form that all your profs get — it's the "description" part in the gray box where you'd specify the targeted letter

[Winston1984]

But when they come in, won't we just see two letters? Once they are in, that's when we can name them right?

ohh, no you label it when you send the request, so the recommender submits the targeted letter for the "for Stanford only" request and then the general letter for the "for all law schools" request. See: sample LOR form that all your profs get — it's the "description" part in the gray box where you'd specify the targeted letter

That makes sense. Thank you! Sorry I wasn't being clear before.

[R. Jeeves]

Bay Area native checking in

[Mack.Hambleton]

tag

[MidwestLifer]

Checking in!

How would a recommender even go about writing a Stanford-specific LOR? None of my recommenders have any connection to the school...