Waive right to access recommendations?

Question

What is the appropiate response to this question?

Hjort · Answer

The conventional wisdom is that the authors will give a more objective evaluation of your weaknesses if you waive your right to access the LOR.

rhyme · Answer

The appropriate response is always to waive.

homefry · Answer

Is this because the adcomm will see you waived your right and judge the recs better?

rhyme · Answer

In theory. Most adcoms say they don't care. I don't believe them. I think it lends credence to the argument that your recs are honest and truthful.

homefry · Answer

Do the recommenders see that you waived your rights?

rhyme · Answer

Yes, I think so.

homefry · Answer

You're fast.

rhyme · Answer

<img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" />

willget800 · Answer

OH SHOOT -> I clicked on I dont waive my right to access the recs!

Is that bad? Now I am worrieD!

helg · Answer

I did not waive the right for any of the 3 apps that I made in R1.
Rhyme might be right, but I do not think that it is absolutely crucial to show "good faith" on this minor issue.
Anyway, I will only have the right to see the recos if and when I am admitted. So, if the reco is bad and I am not admitted I will not have the chance to see it and will not know that I failed because of the poor reco... hence, no worries about the objectivity of the recommenders

rhyme · Answer

Its not a big deal.

Mark4124 · Answer

Always waive... It gives the impression that the recommender is not being swayed by the pressure of your oversight. It gives the impression of an objective and impartial recommendation. Top schools want to see that you waived. Don't you guys remember all those "sealed and signed" envelopes from college apps?

helg · Answer

Let me disagree. Envelope should be sealed and stamped so as to prevent tampering with the documents.
Waiving or not waiving the right to review the reco  upon the admission   is my right by law.

flapjack · Answer

I disagree. Don't most (or at least many) recommenders show you their recommendations before they submit them anyway if for no other reason than to ask you to verify that they didn't leave anything out? 

It's difficult for me to believe that the Admissions Committee would assume that a recommendation is not objective (or less objective) just because someone chose to not waive access, or that a recommendation is objective (or more objective) solely because someone chose to waive access. 

The Admissions Committee must be more sophisticated than that. After reading hundreds of recommendations each year, they've probably gotten to the point that they can tell right away whether a recommendation is objective based on the substance of the recommendation.

neo656 · Answer

I think it would be helpful to the readers if I posted my conversations with Tuck adcom on the matter.

VeritasPrepMike · Answer

I would definitely waive your right to see the recommendation. Why would you not do it? Once the letter of recommendation has been submitted, there is no pulling it back. So even if you saw it and didn't like it, you couldn't do anything with the school to make it better. Sure, you could talk with your recommender, but what would that do for you? Possibly just fracture a relationship. So what value does seeing the letter after it is submitted hold for you other than to "know" what is said?

stonecold · Answer

Adcoms Erratic Behaviour  #404

During MBA fairs -> Nah, we don't care if you waive your rights or not.

During that admissions meeting -> Mam, this candidate didn't waive his right. Which shredding machine do you want me to use?

zhang128 · Answer

wish I had seen this before I submitted my applications

epsilon8 · Answer

It is appropriate to waive. Your recommender can see you waived your right to see the recommendation and it shows you trust him, so he can say what he really thinks of you. It's also a good sign for the adcom.

Waive right to access recommendations?

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