You should carefully choose which teachers will write your letters of recommendation for your college application. This process requires faith, respect, and a healthy dose of foresight. You trust that these teachers hold you in high regard and think of your time in their classroom with fondness (not just from your perspective but, crucially, from their perspective!), and you trust that they will be able to write persuasively and eloquently about their time as your teacher.

Recommendations are essential to any application to a highly selective college, so choose your recommenders wisely. And once you make this critical selection, waive your FERPA rights to view whatever they have written. If you’ve done your due diligence in selecting teachers who truly view you in a positive light and have your best interests at heart, you should proceed with faith that they’ve written a stellar recommendation. Don’t choose to read what they’ve said by neglecting to waive your FERPA rights — this will automatically compromise the credibility of the recommendations your teachers have worked so hard to craft.

Let’s unpack why failing to waive your rights to view your recommendations on The Common Application is such a bad look to elite college admissions officers.

Waiving Your FERPA Rights Gives Your Recommenders Free Reign to Sing Your Praises!

If you’ve done your due diligence and chosen recommenders who have your back, you should be confident that they will write glowing letters to prospective colleges. When you decide not to waive your right to see what they’ve written, it signals to admissions officers that, whether it’s true or not, you’ve influenced what they’ve written. Suddenly, they can’t take your teacher’s assurances that you are a strong leader and engaged learner at face value. For all they know, you’ve penned this letter and had your teacher sign off on it at the bottom!

Now that your credibility is in question, admissions officers have reason to question every part of your application. The solution is simple: waive your rights and forget about it! Kissing the privilege of knowing goodbye is hard for some to swallow, but it must be done for your admission odds. Some students feel a natural but misguided urge to see what has been said about them; others want the opportunity to editorialize what is said in their letters, but it is essential to fight this instinct. Curiosity killed the cat, after all. Once you’ve made it onto the campus of your dreams, the person who cared what your high school teachers said about you will seem like a distant memory.

Remember that Recommendations Contain Evaluative Criteria Too!

When teachers are assigned recommendations, they do more than write a letter. They also must fill out a chart rating the student relative to their classmates using the following criteria: “Academic achievements; Intellectual promise; Quality of writing; Creative thought; Productive discussion; Faculty respect; Disciplined habits; Maturity; Motivation; Leadership; Integrity; Reaction to setbacks; Concern for others; Self-confidence; Initiative; Overall.” 

This chart underscores the importance of choosing a teacher with whom you have more than just a positive rapport — you should have excelled in their class academically and interpersonally. The best recommendations speak to your singular admissions hook, i.e., the highly unusual passion that sets you apart from your peers. 

The Ivy Coach Solution to Ensuring an Optimal Teacher Recommendation

How are you meant to influence the contents of the recommendation if you’ve waived your FERPA rights? We’re glad you asked! We at Ivy Coach know that counselors and teachers usually have the best interests of their students at heart. You may not be able to see what they’ve written, but rest assured that they will consider any material you send them to aid in their process.

We help our students prepare powerful anecdotes they share with recommenders, who are always junior year teachers in a core subject area, ensuring that their recommendation is more than just a generic account of personal characteristics. 

If you’re interested in optimizing your child’s case for admission to a highly selective college through strong letters of recommendation, fill out our complimentary consultation form and we’ll be in touch.