<p>So I read the explanation on the Common App about FERPA, but I still don't get why it's a big deal. What do waiving or not waiving the rights entail? What do admissions officers look at in regards to FERPA? Basically why does FERPA matter and how does it affect the applicant?</p>
<p>There are already lots of threads about this, but basically waiving your FERPA means that you’re waiving your right to view your recommendation letters (though, if they want to, your teachers can choose to show you even if you’ve waived your rights). You should seriously consider waiving them because this allows colleges to ensure that your recommenders are being completely honest - they aren’t writing nice things about you just because they know you’re going to read it, haha.</p>
<p>Most people do waive their rights, and are encouraged to do so. My school effectively requires us to waive our rights.</p>
<p>Okay. Thanks for the explanation. </p>
<p>Just to make sure you don’t think ^^ is an outlier opinion, I agree that you should waive these rights for your application. It’s the normal thing, and there is no downside.</p>
<p>Thanks for this, I was really confused as well</p>