<p>Our school couselor said she would not fill out the common application school report form (SR) unless we "voluntarily" choose the top box on the waiver form (I waive my right to FOREVER see what you've written about me). If I choose the second box (I waive my right to see this until after I graduate from college....almost forever) then she would NOT completly fill out the common application, only attache a preprinted sheet about the school and nothing about you. This is a public school and it seems they are using coersion and performing public duties differently for students who met or resist thier coersion to sign as they (not you) see fit. </p>
<p>Can anyone comment on this practice? </p>
<p>I am a special ed student who also scored 2100 on the SAT so want to make sure the (overworked) counselor say's appropriate things about me and if I can never see what's written there is no way to check against discrimination of this type...which is unfortunately common (even though it's not "supposed" to happen.)</p>
<p>Your guidance counselor is completely out of line to refuse to file the form unless you waive this legal right. In fact, it probably is not legal for her to demand this action of you. You may need to go to the principal or even the school board about this. Try talking to the counselor again about it. If she still refuses, ask her who at the school will write the letter for you.</p>
<p>Some counselors are convinced that college admissions officers will not believe that they are telling the truth if the student doesn’t waive their rights. These counselors think that the colleges will assume that there is something ugly in your past that the counselor isn’t admitting to because the counselor knows that you will see what they have to say about you. Personally, I think if the counselor isn’t willing to tell you to your face what he/she thinks, then they need another job. And, frankly, what any given admissions officer at any given college is going to think about the rights not being waived is entirely up to that individual. Unless your counselor personally knows the individual who is going to read your letter she can’t tell you how that person would handle your choice to retain your rights, and she is in no position to tell you what to do!</p>
<p>Some counselors prefer that students waive their rights to their letters because they are afraid that the students and/or their parents will start comparing letters and then want to know why studentA’s letter was so much “nicer” than studentB’s. Having seen some of these whiny parents in my day, I have a bit more sympathy about this point, but still hate to think the counselors are that lacking in backbone.</p>
<p>Some counselors who do indeed know that at CollegeA a waived letter will be taken into consideration and an unwaived letter will be ignored, and that at CollegeB no letters are even read, and that at CollegeC waived and unwaived letters are treated the same realize that StudentA could send waived letters to CollegeA and unwaived letters to CollegeC, but just don’t want to have to deal with all of the paperwork involved. If students waive all their letters it just makes life easier. I’ve a bit of sympathy for this situation, counselors and teachers do have only so many hours in the day. However, it does still remain a morally questionable practice.</p>
<p>If you absolutely have no luck going the counselor to principal to school board route, you may want to check with your state department of education legal branch and/or hunt down a bored but energetic newspaper reporter. In the past, I was able to force action out of my school district by finding a friend in the press. Twenty minutes after I emailed my question to the reporter, the school staff member in question was on the phone to me with a solution to the problem that had vexed me.</p>
<p>have any college admissions people told you that specifically? Ive asked several and they say it would be illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of thier not waiving a legal right that they are given by congress. I think you are repeating a self serving myth put forward by the association of lazy high school counselors who want to misuse their power at your expense.</p>
<p>I have never been told by an admissions officer that they don’t read recommendations with unwaived rights. I have heard here at CC, and from Happykid’s guidance counselor that “some admissions officers don’t take them as seriously as waived letters”. Since none of those individuals has ever actually given me a name (either of a specific admissions officer, or of a specific institution of higher education) I remain skeptical of the verity of their statements. And, as you state, there is indeed a legal issue involved.</p>
<p>I came up with the letter-sharing and whiny parents theory on my own - mostly from knowing whiny parents. The making all the letters the same because it’s easier theory is also my own. But it only stands to reason. These are busy people.</p>
<p>Long ago I waived my rights to a couple of letters of recommendation. At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do. Many years later I had the opportunity to read those letters. Had I known that those individuals approved of me so thoroughly, and respected my work so highly, it would indeed have made a difference in my life. I spent years wondering if I was competent, when I should have believed that I was.</p>
<p>My take-home lesson from that experience is: Know your recommenders. Know what they think about you. Know what they are going to say about you. The good ones will give you confidence.</p>
<p>If someone is unhappy with your performance, or has reservations about your abilities, you want to know that too. In person. So that you can think about whether you need to change your ways, and so that you can indeed change your behavior if you decide that you agree with them. What you don’t need is someone who is unhappy with you, or someone that you don’t trust, writing a letter of recommendation for you.</p>
<p>Clearly, you don’t trust your guidance counselor. Possibly with good reason. You are going to have to find a way to work around that issue. Get someone else to write the letter, or work on developing trust between the two of you.</p>
<p>My parents went to the school board and threatened legal action, and voila…the school staff and counselor quickly changed their tune and were happy to give the same service to students who waived their rights and those who did not. </p>
<p>The principal even offered to write the recommendation himself if needed. Service with a smile, but only when challenged with the law and the facts by another adult. </p>
<p>Lots of school employees are great, but some simply like to be powerful over someone…even if it’s a kid. That’s too bad…but true.</p>
<p>In most cases, it is good to waive your right to see your recommendation.</p>
<p>If you get rejected from a college, you cannot see your rec anyways. And if you get into that college, there is not really a purpose to reviewing your rec. The “waiving your right” only applies to if you are going to attend that college. It does not mean that the counselor has to show u the rec before she mails it off to college.</p>
<p>I do not want to sound rude, but all you did was probably make your counselor mad (she might end up writing something bad—and yes you will get to see it, but thats only if you get into that college–> maybe your counselor does not know about this piece of information). </p>
<p>Besides, by waiving your right to access the recommendation, it makes it sound way more legitamate and allows your counselor to have the freedom to write whatever she wants, without any bias.</p>
<p>However, I do understand your concern. I doubt your counselor will write anything bad…all that will do is make the admission officers look down upon the counselor if they write some things that are discriminatory and should not take away from your situation.</p>
<p>I think it is completely pointless to give students the right to “waive” their right to see the recommendation form if the colleges and the counselor can see that you waived it. </p>
<p>Imagine if colleges wanted to review your medical records in admissions. There would, like in this situation, be three groups of people:</p>
<ol>
<li>People who don’t have any medical issues and don’t care</li>
<li>People who just think the college doesn’t have any right to snoop in on their medical records for admissions</li>
<li>People who have a stigmatized medical issue they don’t want colleges to know about</li>
</ol>
<p>As would be the case in the above those who simply don’t think they should be required to waive the right get clumped into group 3.</p>
<p>What happens if you don’t check any option? Just curious…</p>