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Recommender sent me LOR to review and make edits. Is it "allowed" to make edits?(content, proofread)

LSAT4234LSAT4234 Alum Member
in General 75 karma
Recommender will obviously make the final decision to send it herself.

Is it considered "narcissistic" to edit and change an LOR?

The LOR sounds pretty good but any improvements are a plus.
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Comments

  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma
    Did you waive your right to see the letter on the LSAC website? If so, then it might create an ethical problem... Otherwise, I'm pretty sure you're aloud to.

    Whether or not it is narcissistic, I do not know, haha. What kind of improvements were you thinking of making? And how many? I'm guessing a few wording changes here and there wouldn't be too much of an issue.
  • SprinklesSprinkles Alum Member ⭐
    11542 karma
    Agreed with @"Alex Divine" also when submitting on LSAC, you should ALWAYS waive your right to see the letter(s). Being able to view the letter will allow adcomms to think the writer isn't being completely authentic with their recommendation.
  • J. TharpJ. Tharp Alum Member
    edited December 2016 575 karma
    @"Alex Divine" @montaha.rizeq Where do you waive the right to see the letters?
  • TheMikeyTheMikey Alum Member
    edited December 2016 4196 karma
    @"J. Tharp" said:
    Where do you waive the right to see the letters?
    When you input your recommenders information into LSAC, at the end it will ask you if you want to waive your rights to view the letter
  • SprinklesSprinkles Alum Member ⭐
    11542 karma
    @TheMikey said:
    When you input your recommenders information into LSAC, at the end it will ask you if you want to waive your rights to view the letter
    Thanks Mikey :)
  • J. TharpJ. Tharp Alum Member
    575 karma
    @TheMikey I just added my first recommender, but I'm not seeing that option...
  • J. TharpJ. Tharp Alum Member
    edited December 2016 575 karma
    EDIT: Jk, figured it out. Thanks!
  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    edited December 2016 23929 karma
    @"J. Tharp" said:
    @TheMikey Oh, I think it asks you to waive your right to view it when you are sending it, not when adding the reccomender's info.
    You waive your right to see it at the time of requesting the LOR. It will then notify your recommenders that you have waived your right to view the letters.
  • Chipster StudyChipster Study Yearly Member
    893 karma
    Actually, when you waive your right, that does not mean that you can not see it. It just means that you are not guaranteed to see it. You are not waiving the opportunity to see it if the recommender offers it unprompted.
  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    edited December 2016 23929 karma
    Sounds like it could be a bit gray area, but if they willingly let you see, you might be alright. My issue is with the making edits. This is honestly above my pay grade though, haha. Sorry I can't be of more help.
  • Chipster StudyChipster Study Yearly Member
    893 karma
    That is the way that term waive your right to see letters is interpreted in my profession. I get evaluations from those I supervise and every contract I have ever signed has that I waive the right to see who wrote the evaluation. As my employment attorney has pointed out, that means that I can not demand to see who wrote a specific evaluation, but that if my boss and the writer wants to share it with me, I can certainly see it. I don't waive the opportunity to see it if certain permissions are met that I do not control.

    I thought that was standard legal holding, but I am not an attorney yet. I have not specifically queried LSAC, so perhaps they see it differently.
  • LSAT4234LSAT4234 Alum Member
    75 karma
    I found an opinion on this online in case anyone's interested.
    http://www.thinkinglsat.com/blog/episode-18-law-school-admissions-qa-with-ann-levine/
    43:20-44:40
    According to Ann Levine, its "unprofessional" to ask to see the letter of rec but I believe it really depends on the relationship between the applicant and the recommender. The most important part is that its allowed even if you click "yes" on the waiving to see LOR box and she even says its, "increasing common practice" for recommenders to send the applicant the LOR before submitting it.
  • Chipster StudyChipster Study Yearly Member
    893 karma
    Very helpful. Thanks for digging that up. That explanation fits in with my understanding and what is universally done in my profession. You can't demand it, but if the writer offers it, hey, take a look.
  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma
    @LSAT4234 said:
    I found an opinion on this online in case anyone's interested.
    http://www.thinkinglsat.com/blog/episode-18-law-school-admissions-qa-with-ann-levine/
    43:20-44:40
    According to Ann Levine, its "unprofessional" to ask to see the letter of rec but I believe it really depends on the relationship between the applicant and the recommender. The most important part is that its allowed even if you click "yes" on the waiving to see LOR box and she even says its, "increasing common practice" for recommenders to send the applicant the LOR before submitting it.
    Nice thank you!
  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma
    @"Chipster Study" said:
    You can't demand it, but if the writer offers it, hey, take a look.
    Ok. That fits in more with what I was thinking. Thank you! :)
  • David BusisDavid Busis Member Moderator
    7355 karma
    +1 on @"Chipster Study". There's no ethical problem.

    If you don't waive your right to see a letter, you're allowed to march into your law school's admissions office as a student and demand to see your LORs. But even if you waive, there's nothing morally problematic about looking at a letter which your recommender shows you. Nor is there anything wrong with editing a letter they show you, @LSAT4234. That's between you and the recommender.
  • combsnicombsni Free Trial Member
    652 karma
    Like @"Alex Divine" alluded to, it's a dark shade of gray, especially if you waived your right to view it. I too had a professor send me a draft of the letter of recommendation and I also had another professor send me the final copy of the letter of recommendation before he mailed it. Technically, I think LSAT would disapprove and if the ABA got its hands on it, you might have to answer some questions but realistically, it isn't very likely that anyone would ever find out
  • Creasey LSATCreasey LSAT Member
    edited December 2016 423 karma
    @montaha.rizeq said:
    when submitting on LSAC, you should ALWAYS waive your right to see the letter(s). Being able to view the letter will allow adcomms to think the writer isn't being completely authentic with their recommendation
    My habits of trolling LSAT forums led me to this same belief! However, I asked my admissions consultant about this and was told it doesn't really work this way (note: she was a director of admissions HLS for 10+ years and had been on various other adcomms before that). She said adcomms usually don't even look at whether or not you waived your right. In her case, it never once factored into any decisions. It looks scary visually on LSAC's website if you don't waive because a flag is placed next to your recommender's name, but it doesn't actually appear that way on a submitted application. As some people mentioned above, not waiving your right to see the recs just means that you are guaranteed the right to see them once you are actually in law school. It doesn't have anything to do with your right to see the recs before or during the application process.
  • Creasey LSATCreasey LSAT Member
    edited December 2016 423 karma
    @LSAT4234 said:
    According to Ann Levine, its "unprofessional" to ask to see the letter of rec but I believe it really depends on the relationship between the applicant and the recommender. The most important part is that its allowed even if you click "yes" on the waiving to see LOR box and she even says its, "increasing common practice" for recommenders to send the applicant the LOR before submitting it.
    Interestingly enough, Ann Levine provides about a page worth of advice in her book on how to write a rec if you're asked by the recommender to do so! She literally breaks down what to say paragraph by paragraph. For example, "Conclusion: State the qualities you bring to law school and why the person highly recommends you for law school admission, and that he or she is available to answer questions about your experience and candidacy." - pg. 70, The Law School Admissions Game, Levine

  • SprinklesSprinkles Alum Member ⭐
    11542 karma
    @"Creasey LSAT" said:
    My habits of trolling LSAT forums led me to this same belief! However, I asked my admissions consultant about this and was told it doesn't really work this way (note: she was a director of admissions HLS for 10+ years and had been on various other adcomms before that). She said adcomms usually don't even look at whether or not you waived your right. In her case, it never once factored into any decisions. It looks scary visually scare on LSAC's website if you don't waive because a flag is placed next to your recommender's name, but it doesn't actually appear that way on a submitted application. As some people mentioned above, not waiving your right to see the recs just means that you are guaranteed the right to see them once you are actually in law school. It doesn't have anything to do with your right to see the recs before or during the application process.
    Ok, wow. This is so interesting! thanks for sharing, Creasy. You learn something new everyday :)
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