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Short answer: yes. Long respond: there's no need to worry almost checking "yeah" and waiving your right to see your letters of recommendation on the FERPA waiver section of your college applications.

This article will explain exactly what FERPA is, why you're being asked to waive information technology, and how it impacts your letters of recommendations. To be honest, the FERPA waiver volition probably be the easiest part of filling out your college applications!

What is FERPA?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), otherwise known as the Buckley Subpoena, was passed to protect the privacy of students' educational records. Information technology gives parents and students who are 18 years and older the right to access their records. It also requires that parents or eligible students give permission before their information is released to a tertiary political party, except in special circumstances like transferring schools or a health emergency.

Since virtually students who enroll in college are 18 or older, FERPA gives them the right to request access to their letters of recommendation, wherever they might exist stored along with the balance of their application materials. I like to picture all the applications of years past stored somewhere like the Hall of Prophecies in Harry Potter, except the endless shelves are filled with files instead of shiny glass orbs.

There's ane caveat to your FERPA-given right of access: y'all can only access your recommendation letters afterward you lot've gotten your access alphabetic character of credence and chosen to enroll in a higher. If y'all were rejected from or chose not to go to a certain school, and so yous won't be able to go your hands on those letters.

Note how I said that FERPA gives yous the right to access your messages of recommendation after you enroll at a college. It really doesn't accept anything to do with getting to read your letters earlier your recommenders send them. Some recommenders will let you run into them, while others volition continue them confidential.

The full general assumption around reference letters is that they are confidential—this seems more honest in the eyes of admissions officers. Whether or not you encounter the letters before they're sent is non actually what FERPA'south near, when you become down to the specifics of it.

On the Common Application (or whatever awarding yous're using), you'll exist asked whether or not you want to waive your right to admission your rec letters. Read on for a preview of what you'll see.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of College Applications

Waiver of Access (FERPA) on the Mutual Application

Once you add a college to your Common Application, you'll see a tab testify upwards to invite your recommender(southward). Earlier you ship those invites, you'll be prompted to read about your waiver of access and select a response. This is what you'll run across:

"Waiver of Access (FERPA)

Under the terms of the Family unit Educational Rights and Privacy Human action (FERPA), you can review letters of recommendation and accompanying forms after you enroll at a postsecondary institution and just if that institution saves the documents post-enrollment.

Why should you consider waiving your correct of access? Waiving your right lets colleges know that you volition never try to read your recommendations. That in turn reassures colleges that your recommenders take provided support that is aboveboard and truthful. While yous are free to respond every bit you wish, if y'all choose not to waive your right, some recommenders may decline your request, and some colleges may disregard letters submitted on your behalf. Think, even if you retain your right of access, you still won't be able to view any recommendations until after you lot have been admitted to and enrolled in a college. In other words, FERPA does not requite you the correct to inspect recommendations before they are sent to your colleges.

After you lot make your pick, you lot will be able to invite your advisor and recommenders. Once you make the first invitation, y'all will non be able to change your response to the waiver question. To ensure that you fully understand the implications of your selection, we urge y'all not to reply the waiver question until y'all accept consulted with your guidance counselor or some other school official.

For more information on FERPA follow this link: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/alphabetize.html"

Source: The Mutual Application

Sounds like serious stuff. In reality, it's pretty straightforward. FERPA lets you lot request access to your recommendation letters afterwards getting in and enrolling in a school.

By that point, months after yous've applied, done the requisite flow of nervous waiting, received the thick envelope and decided on a school, yous probably aren't thinking almost corking into your admissions file to read exactly what Mr. Smith said about you back in Dec of senior year. You got in, and so the rec letters had to have been pretty complimentary.

Again, notation that FERPA does non give you the right to see your letters of recommendations earlier they are sent. In the bookish world, recommendation letters tend to exist kept confidential. Your instructor or counselor may show you the letter and ask for your feedback or revisions, but this depends on the person. Even if you're burning with curiosity, you shouldn't pressure your recommenders to bear witness you the letter. Information technology could point that you don't trust them to provide y'all with a strong letter—and, if that's the case, you lot shouldn't cull them in the showtime identify!

Since you tin only answer to the waiver question on the Common App once, let'southward go over exactly why it'due south a expert idea to waive access.

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"Waive" goodbye to FERPA—you don't need it this time.

Why It'due south a Good Idea to Waive Your FERPA Right

Every bit I mentioned above, the typical expectation for messages of recommendation in college admissions is that they are kept confidential. Admissions officers give well-nigh weight to letters that provide an honest and qualified assessment of the bidder. If you don't waive your FERPA correct, you could accidentally signal to admissions officers that y'all don't trust your recommender or that the recommendation is less aboveboard or genuine.

Your recommender might also go the subtle bulletin that you don't trust him or her. The cognition that you'll see the letter at some point in the futurity might cause your recommender to write a more generic letter, and thus be less powerful and effective in support of your candidacy.

You won't be penalized for your response, but it's risky to cheque "no" since you don't know how admissions officers or your recommenders will translate it. If you yet feel uneasy about waiving your FERPA right, keep reading. In the next section, I'll explain why there's no need to worry near your recommendation letters, even if y'all never get the adventure to read them.

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Go along your recommenders within the circle of trust.

No Demand to Worry Nigh Recommendation Letters...

Perhaps easier said than done, but y'all really shouldn't stress almost your letters of recommendation. Your teachers and counselor are there to aid you—in fact, it's literally their job. They desire to advocate for you and help you further your education.

When you lot ask for a recommendation, you should inquire your teachers if they can provide yous with a strong letter of back up. If they seem hesitant at all, then thank them for their time and ask somebody else. As long every bit yous're thoughtful about choosing people with whom you take skillful relationships and who tin write an insightful letter nigh you, then y'all don't have to worry about leaving the rest up to them.

Apart from choosing recommenders who know you well, you tin can too have some say into shaping what goes into the letter. Most schools will requite you a "brag sail" where you can remind your recommenders of your interests, motivations, and goals. Yous and your parents can describe some significant experiences you've had or challenges you've overcome to help your recommenders make the strongest letter they can. And then even if the letter stays confidential, you'll withal take some sense of what likely went into information technology.

At this indicate, hopefully y'all have a meliorate sense of what the FERPA waiver is all about and why it'south in your best interest to get ahead and concur to the waiver. Or peradventure you've scrolled down to this point, thinking "too long; didn't read." Either fashion, you're in luck! Below are the key points I wanted to make, distilled into bullet points for your reading pleasure.

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Key Points About the FERPA Waiver

The FERPA waiver only waives your right to access your recommendation letters after you've been accepted to and enrolled in a higher.
It's common exercise for recommendation letters to be kept confidential in admissions procedures. Your recommenders may still let you see their letters earlier they send them—that's totally up to them.
Every bit long equally you're thoughtful about choosing recommenders who are supportive and know you well (and help them out with a detailed brag sheet), yous tin can remainder easy knowing your recommenders want to support you and help you get into college.
The FERPA waiver is probably the easiest part of your awarding. Just get ahead and click yes!

What's Adjacent?

While the FERPA waiver'south like shooting fish in a barrel, the residual of your awarding can get a flake more complicated. Read all about how to build a versatile college application that showcases your strengths and makes you stand out among the contest.

Is it that time of year when you're thinking most requesting letters of recommendation? This article breaks down how to request a letter of recommendation, step past pace.

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Nearly the Author

Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Boyish Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate almost helping students achieve their goals and ameliorate their well-existence. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.