I know that technically FERPA doesn’t have any bearing on admissions, but I want to see if there’s any correlation or strong representation in one category.
FWIW: Two similar, but slightly conflicting takes on the matter. MODERATOR’S NOTE Deleted link - not allowed
And: http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/000299/
Bottom line: I would think most students in a survey will have waived their FERPA rights. I know my kids did.
“Technically” FERPA shouldn’t have any bearings on admissions, but in reality, it probably does. If you don’t waive FERPA, your recommenders may not write a genuine LOR. Also, colleges will probably not take your LOR as seriously, since they know that you could see them.
^^ If a student opts NOT to waive their FERPA rights, there’s nothing that prevents an Admissions Officer from telephoning a guidance counselor or the high school and speaking directly to the recommendation writer and asking them for the honest opinion of an applicant. I always advise students to sign the waiver for the reasons @BlingBlingBling just enumerated.
Sounds good, thanks for the feedback both of you.
I was less concerned with my teacher’s responses to the decision (because my teachers writing recs both really like me and we’re great friends), and more concerned with the AO’s response.
As did I for all the reasons given.
The other thing to realize is, I don’t believe FERPA requires Harvard (or other colleges) to retain letters of recommendation or anything else in applications - just to share what they have retained to enrolled students, if a student asks.
When Stanford started getting a lot of FERPA requests last year, it complied with the requests - then said from now on, it is deleting admissions files once decisions have been made. I believe Yale and some other schools did the same thing - not sure about Harvard’s policy though.
^^^ As of last year: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2015/1/27/admissions-records-ferpa-stanford/
PTon and Stanford got bit by the FERPA requests in 2014. It’s been Yale’s long standing policy to purge lots of docs so their releases weren’t as complicated as S or P.
Hi, huge FERPA nut here. My friends call me the “FERPA nut” and I may or may not have a Tshirt which reads “FERPA is my jam.” I don’t even remember how it started, but suffice to say that this niche part of federal law is my passion.
I would 100% waive it, in fact 1000000000%. If you are concerned about what your teachers wrote or want to access it, a little known route is to make a FERPA request through your school before the letter is submitted. So long as the LoR has your name on it, and it was created using school resources (i.e. a school computer, software given to the teacher through the school, or emailed using a school email address) you are entitled to inspect it under FERPA. When FERPA says all records, it means all records. All you (or your parent if you are under 18) need to do is go to your school official in charge of FERPA compliance (normally the registrar or equivalent official) and request to inspect all documents bearing your name created by the teacher in question, specifically any letters of recommendation addressed to X university. They might make you pay a slight fee and don’t have to give the letter to you, just let you view it.
Good luck!
Interesting point, legaleagle1. That seems like an approach that may stir up ill will at the student’s high school, but interesting to know about that avenue.
@bluewater2015 I would never, ever do it if I wanted something from the teacher or otherwise. In fact, after you do that the teacher could choose to withdraw the recommendation after hearing you chose that route. Nothing is forcing them to make the recommendation.
That being said, I subscribe to the theory that the best decisions are made when all possible options are known, so for that reason I let the OP know that was available.
I think my older son didn’t waive, as he examined his admissions folder a couple of years ago.