<p>Should I? Does it impact the school's decision in any way?</p>
<p>It's expected that you'll waive your right. You should.</p>
<p>What if the teacher hands you back the recommendation? I had no idea she was doing this until it actually happened! So now I kind of HAVE to not waive my right =</p>
<p>(sorry for jacking your thread Jarn I hope you don't mind)</p>
<p>If the teacher shows it to you, she shows it to you. I'd sign regardless and send it on its way, but I'm sure there is some CCer here with a different idea.</p>
<p>Most college prefer that you waive the right...for the reason that if a teacher knows that the student is not going to see the recommendation they will write a less bias recommendation, but if they think you might see it, they might sugar coat things or not tell the full truth...</p>
<p>Also, to super18blue, you could ask the teacher to sign across the seal of the back of the envelop...this used to be a common thing to do to show that the student did not read it, before they started having the students sign away the right on the form.</p>
<p>It's not a problem if the teacher lets you read it. What you're signing away is your right to demand that the college show you the letter as part of your academic record (which you are legally entitled to see). When you sign the waiver, you are not saying that you haven't or will never see the letter. It just means that if you ask for it, they can say, "No."</p>
<p>I concur. Most students waive the right to see the rec, but many writers will show them the letter anyway. That's perfectly fine.</p>
<p><em>Some</em> readers of recs (for colleges admissions, jobs, grad school, you name it) will give less weight, or no weight, to a letter where the "right to see" was not waived. Some will treat it the same as any other letter. For that reason alone, the smart thing to do is to waive your right to see the contents of any letter of recommendation.</p>
<p>Is waiving the right the same thing as "giving it up"?</p>
<p>^ Yes.</p>
<p>Also, it means that once admitted to a school and attending, you cannot ask to see your file and the letters that were written about you (just a little side note to add).</p>