I was having some technical difficulties with the recommender section on the Common App and asked one of my recommenders to directly email the letter to an admission counselor at a university (I was instructed to do so by the university). Long story short, the recommender sent the email but copied me in the conversation. I want to know if the school will no longer accept the recommendation because I have a copy of it. Thanks!
If the teacher voluntarily sent it to you, that’s their own choice, which they are entitled to, and it doesn’t make the letter inadmissible. (In fact, the colleges you’re applying to are unlikely to even have any way of knowing you saw it.) It’s probably worth giving the teacher a heads-up to let them know they sent it to you, in case it was an accident rather than done on purpose—but that’s more from politeness than any sort of letter of the law.
I was just worried because most colleges don’t want students seeing the recommendation in order to ensure that it is a completely honest evaluation of the student.
I was CC’d in the email so, unless the college doesn’t notice that, they’ll know I have seen it.
Speak to your guidance counselor this morning. He or she will know more about this situation than anyone here.
In all seriousness, this is a bit of a mischaracterization of the situation.
The crucial thing is whether you waived your right to read the letter. Colleges will know, though, that some (and not just a few) letter writers—more at the college faculty level than the high school staff level, I suspect, but enough everywhere—show their letters to those they’re writing on behalf of as a matter of principle. In this case they will know for certain that you’ve seen it, but really, they have to assume that every student has seen every letter written on their behalf.
TL;DR: Calm down. It won’t make a difference one way or the other.
When you sign the waiver you promise not to ask/demand to see the LOR. Teachers are free to share it with you if they like. It should be no problem. Just be sure the letter gets into the system properly.