My teacher sent me the letter of recommendation that she wrote for me in the Common App, and she copy pasted part of my resume in the recommendation and referenced it. All in all, it was an extremely strong recommendation. If parts of the recommendation are not necessarily well written but are very meaningful, is that okay? I have a chance to help her edit it a little bit for schools that have other portals.
You requested a letter of recommendation from a teacher and received an extremely strong letter from her. It would be insulting, obnoxious, arrogant and not your place or choice to offer to edit her letter. If you offered to help me with my letter for you, I would be disinclined to submit it. I don’t think your offer would go over well in the teacher lounge.
I can’t imagine what universe you live in that you think you have the right to alter a letter of rec. Wouldn’t it have been easier to write the letter for each teacher and get their signatures. Correcting the writing could lead to charges that you either inflated the letter or cheated in the application process because the letter would no longer be the teacher’s.
Wow, you’ve chosen NOT to waive your right to read your letters of recommendation, then? Honestly, it’s a poor choice. Now every one who reads your letter will know you’ve seen it, and will assume that the writer ran her words by you. There’s absolutely no credibility to anything in her letter or in any other letter written on your behalf.
Every single school I’ve ever heard of STRONGLY urges kids to waive that “right.”
In the words of one of my favorite movies, “You have chosen poorly.”
And, no, you can’t go back and waive it now, not if you hope for your word to retain anything close to credibility. You’ve already read the letter.
@bjkmom @zannah No, she sent the letter to me after she submitted just because she wanted me to read it… I did waive my right. I completely agree with you @zannah this post was immediately after reading and I panicked, but I haven’t requested any edits! Thank you both… definitely didn’t want to be disrespectful.
If you waived your right, you should NOT have read the letter. You understand what “waive” means.
You signed a document saying you chose not to read the letter, then your read it and considered editing it.
Let it go. Be thankful and gracious that she wrote you such a flattering recommendation. No ad com committee is going to hold you responsible for someone else’s grammar or sub par writing. You are over thinking it. Your app will be reviewed for all its components and will not hinge on only one part. The tone of the recommendation seems to be great so stop worrying. What is so hard for many applicants to do when applying to college is relinquishing control. This is out of your hands at this point.