When applying to a business school, just as in applying to college, you’ll have two options: waiving your right to view your letters of recommendation or retaining this right. It’s as simple as checking a box. But when it comes time to choose, many students are unsure of the best option.

Generally speaking, waiving your right to view your letters of recommendation is ideal. While you can retain the right to view them, many admissions officers consider waiving the right as more honest. This article explains why; continue reading to learn more!

What Does It Mean to Waive The Right To View Your Letters of Recommendation?

As you move through the application process, you’ll ask individuals in your professional and personal life to write letters of recommendation. Waiving your right to view your letters of recommendation does precisely that: you cannot view these letters before they are submitted to the MBA programs you are applying.

Your recommenders, whether they are a supervisor, team leader, teacher or mentor, usually highlight your strengths, accomplishments, and potential for growth and success. In addition, they might mention your potential contributions to the school.

In most cases, the document writer will submit the letter through the school’s application platform. Students rarely submit their own letters of recommendation, so they don’t get the opportunity to read them.

If you check the box to waive your right to view these letters — known as a FERPA waiver — you will never get your hands on them. However, if you select the opposing box retaining this right, you can review the letters after your writer finishes them.

What is a FERPA Waiver?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It covers critical documents such as grades, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. Under FERPA, students have the right to access these records after enrolling in an educational institution. This allows students to review their recommendation letters. However, during the application and admissions process, you’ll often encounter a FERPA waiver. When you sign this waiver, you forfeit your right to view these letters. This signals that you trust your recommenders to provide candid assessments without your review. Waiving this right is often seen as a sign of confidence in your qualifications.

Why Do Schools Ask for a FERPA Waiver?

Colleges and business schools ask applicants to sign a FERPA waiver to ensure the authenticity and credibility of recommendation letters. When recommenders know that their letters will remain confidential, they are more likely to write honest and unbiased evaluations. When admissions committees can expect candid feedback, they can take greater confidence in the validity of the recommendations.  This helps them better assess your qualifications for admission.

Waiving your FERPA rights to view your letters of recommendation is generally viewed as a confident and trustworthy approach. However, while this is often the better choice, it might not be the ideal option for every student.

To Waive Or Not To Waive

Choosing to Waive The Right

If you’re comfortable doing so, it’s usually better to waive your right to view your letters of recommendation. Doing so shows self-assurancce in your qualifications, trust in your recommenders, and ease in your relationships. It shows the admissions officer you’re confident in the contents of that letter instead of insecure about what it might contain.

On top of that, letter writers can be more candid and open when they know the information they provide is confidential. So, by waiving this right, you can create a strong first impression with the admissions committee.

Ideally, there shouldn’t be any stress surrounding the contents of your letters, because you personally select your recommenders. When choosing letter writers, take care to pick individuals who know your work and your character and can vouch for your strengths, accomplishments, attitudes,  and potential contributions to your school. In essence, you’ll want someone who can give you a glowing letter of recommendation, so choose thoughtfully!

Choosing Not To Waive The Right

Although many recommend waiving your right to review these letters, it isn’t the best choice for everyone. For example, if you feel anxious or stressed regarding the contents of the letters, you might feel better having access to them.

By viewing the letters and their contents, you can prepare for your upcoming interview. If the writer included criticism, you have the opportunity to prepare for it and use it constructively. In addition, you can correct any factual mistakes the writer may unintentionally make.

For some prospective students, choosing to retain their rights might be the better option. If you’re on the fence regarding this right, we recommend discussing it with someone you know and trust. This could be an advisor, counselor, teacher, current graduate student, or someone else offering input you can trust.

Let’s Get You Admitted

In conclusion, remember that waiving your right to view recommendation letters is the standard and expected practice. At Fortuna, from our perspective as former MBA admissions gatekeepers, we feel waiving your right to see recommendations signals confidence in your recommenders and allows for more candid assessments, strengthening your application.

This is just one of the many questions and strategic decisions you’ll face when completing your MBA applications. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the task of shaping all the required elements into a profile that stands out from the crowd, Fortuna can help.

Our expert team of coaches has insider experience at the world’s most prestigious business schools.  We’ve made admissions decisions for MBA programs at Harvard Business School, The Wharton School, Stanford GSB, INSEAD, London Business School, and more. Our coaches have the know-how necessary to help you craft a well-rounded profile, ensuring that you put your best foot forward and giving you the best chance at securing your admission. Ready to get started? Contact us to get started with a free consultation at Fortuna Admissions today!