Those of you who are using the Common Application to apply to colleges may be confused as to whether or not you must waive your right to access recommendations and other information contained in your application. Please use the following link to view a detailed explanation of the process.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dTI2wJ_JA
As you can see, you must sign the FERPA waiver in order for your high school and teachers to release information about you to your prospective college. However, you do not need to waive your right to access the materials and recommendations they send.
Some students feel that failure to waive that right may be frowned upon by college admissions officers - that it may imply collusion on your part regarding what your recommenders write. If that were the case, why wouldn't the colleges suspect your grades as well. The letter of recommendation is just that - a recommendation. It is not an evaluation or a progress report. Ergo, the teacher who agrees to write one has agreed to highlight your attributes, like the letters of reference of old which many travelers carried to vouch for their character in parts unknown.
If you choose to waive that right, confident in the fact that you have chosen your recommenders wisely, you should at least get a copy of the letters. When you succeed in gaining admission to the college of your choice, you can use the letter to win an off-campus job in a town where you are most likely unknown and too new to get the backing of your current professors. It just may make the difference as to whether you or your legion of competitors get that barista job!
