Accessing your reference letters under FOIP

[hanet]

I know everyone has the right to see their referee's letters under FOIP, but I'm not sure how the process works. I guess I intend to email the admissions office and just ask for my letters, but probably not until after they have finished interviews (just to be polite).

 

I'd like to look at my letters and evaluate each referee as a letter-writer, especially since we won't be getting a specific mark for our references this year. I'm not totally sure what looking at the letters will tell me, exactly, but I mainly want to check if there are any glaring problems.

 

I've heard there's a fee involved?

 

Any info/suggestions would be great.

[imperfection]

I think if you do this, they also tell your references that you requested to see their letters. I'm assuming you are on good terms with your references (otherwise you wouldn't have asked them for a reference in the first place), so why not just ask them if they saved a copy of your reference letter and have them forward it to you?

[ILuvCrossFit]

Careful, Hanet. Listen to Dr. Walkers podcast. I specifically remember him saying this is not a good idea. They DO tell your references you're requesting them and it's not always received lightly. Those letters are written under the understanding that they are confidential and between the school and the referee so if you break that understanding I wouldn't ask them for another reference. In short, don't do it. Either you trust your referees or you don't. Unless they offer to show you (1 of 3 of mine did), don't ask. Just my opinion. Don't want to see you throw away good references.

[proteinaceous]

Very bad idea. This is not a right that should be exercised on a whim. Think long and hard before doing that.