I got a recommendation from the vice principal. I thought that he would find it disturbing to sign up for the common app account and attach the recommendation. So I faked his email address and submitted the letter.
After few days, I asked him indirectly about signing up in common app. He said that he would do that for me. Now, I am in dilemma. I cannot delete the old recommender since I have already submitted the letter.
Should I invite him? Wouldn’t common app suspect if there are two recommenders with the same name and position? Which one is better : going through the fake one or now applying for the other colleges with the real one?
A small amount of pain now (fixing things) is better than a lingering pain (uncertainty) which may eventually result in death (rescinding of admission).
So the same letter will be uploaded twice under two different e-mail addresses - not much of a problem, as long as Common App allows for the required number of LOR’s in total.
You’ve gotten yourself in a bind. You really shouldn’t be gambling with any dishonesty on your college apps! So your options now seem to be: 1) Have the VPrin. submit through Common App, leave your fake one alone, and cross your fingers. 2) Own up to the VPrin, have him submit through Common App (if he still wants to recommend you after this), and find a way to delete your fake one. How did you submit it? I guess not many of us know what the process looks like as a (fake) recommender; can you go withdraw it?
Definitely apply to other colleges with the real one, and I don’t think Common App will check all of your LORs to different schools to see if the names match up with the email addresses. I can’t imagine they would. But you have to know, you might get caught somehow and it definitely could affect your admission, or result in consequences at your high school. DO NOT send any more fake ones.
I thought students weren’t supposed to see their recommendations. How is it possible a student can create an email address for the vice principal of a school and upload a recommendation? Don’t the rec letters have to be sent from an official email tied to the school?
@austinmshauri Students aren’t supposed to see their recommendations, which is what makes this situation all the worse. Rec letters don’t always have to come from a school address, there’s nothing in common app stopping someone from putting in a gmail or aol account (because of coaches and mentor recs). It’ll just look very suspicious to a school if a teacher/administration rec is from a non-school account. I’m not sure exactly, but this might count as a violation of FERPA, and therefore a violation of the law.
What do you mean you thought he would find it “disturbing”? Does he have some sort of fear of application websites? Is he just lazy? In any case, this was not the right move.
@cptofthehouse OP didn’t forge the letter, but they did forge the email address. So it is fraud, but not as serious as forging a letter. They just uploaded a rec letter that they received outside of common app to common app (a violation of FERPA) using a fake email address (fraud).
@CheddarcheeseMN Pretending to be a school official to upload confidential documents is. Its a little tricky, but under some circumstances, an underaged student handling records not meant for them to see would be a violation of FERPA.
I think we have to guess that the recommender gave his letter directly to the student. Not unheard of, one of my D’s recommenders did this. Especially if the recommender is new to the job or process which he probably is if he wasn’t familiar with Common App and how rec letters are done.
How would this be a violation of FERPA? FERPA is the right for students (and parents if the student is under 18) to review school records and protect the student’s privacy rights regarding what information a school can release to other parties. The student typically waives FERPA to allow the school to send the recommendation letters directly to colleges WITHOUT the student reviewing. Under FERPA, a student has every right to see their letter of recommendations and would not be in violation if they see the letter.
I imagine the vice principle gave the letter directly to the student. Now the student absolutely made a huge mistake in creating a fake email account and uploading it. But it wouldn’t be a violation of FERPA. I would imagine the college would see it as a substantial ethical violation and the student absolutely needs to clean up the mess in the common app before any colleges download the letter.