Can we just send the same two recommendation letters to every colleges? And will I be able to look at what was written in each recommendation letter?

Question

I'm a French student planning to go study in the United States.Most colleges in the United States seem to ask for two recommendation letters from our professors.Can we just send the same two recommendation letters to every colleges? Or do we need to provide two different recommendation letters for each college?In other words: If I'm applying to 10 universities/colleges, do I need to get 20 recommendation letters or just 2?Also: Will I be able to look at what was written in each recommendation letter? Or are they sent via internet by the professors, without the option for me to see them?

Answer 1

I'm not sure if this response is past your deadlines....but, yes, the same recs go to all of your colleges. With on line submission, the teacher or professor simply responds to your invite on the common application. Very very few colleges still take paper recommendations.

Protocol for recommendations is that you sign a waiver that says you waive your rights to see the recommendations. It is very important to waive your rights. If not, then colleges will give less value to the recommendation. The assumption here is that you may have had a hand in what they wrote, or could possibly have input into a process that needs to be confidential, allowing the teacher/prof to be honest with the colleges.

However, some teachers/profs write the letters of recommendation and give you a copy anyway. Do not assume that they will, but if you have a close relationship with your rec writers, that would be more the case. It is important, here, that you not ask to see them. This could be interpreted as your distrusting the rec writer.

Answer 2

It should be fine to send the same two recommendation letters to all of the schools unless you are applying to very different kinds of programs (i.e. engineering vs. business). Most schools will ask you to provide the email addresses of your recommenders and have them upload the recommendations online. It may also be possible for your recommenders to send physical copies of the letters by mail. In either case, you typically don't get to see what's written in the letters.