Student asking to see recommendation letter

Question

A member of my lab is applying for STEM PhD positions in Europe. They asked me to write a letter of recommendation, and I am happy to write one. But they insist to see the contents of the letter first. They said if they don't agree with the letter they wouldn't want the letter to be sent. This troubles me, but I'm having difficulty explaining to them why this is a problematic behavior. How can I succinctly explain that this is not how recommendation letters work?

Answer 1

How can I succinctly explain that this is not how recommendation letters work?

The recipient of the letter expects to read an honest account of the student's strengths and weaknesses from someone who has worked closely with them. This is where the value of the letter comes from. Showing letters of recommendation to students reduces this value, because then the recipient cannot know to what extent the letter is accurate and to what extent its contents were skewed by the (conscious or subconscious) pursuit of some other goal, such as flattering or not offending the student.

They said if they don't agree with the letter they wouldn't want the letter to be sent.

You could ask the student if there is something in particular that they are worried might appear in the letter. The student should not be trying to micromanage the contents of the letter, but I think it's fine for them to inquire whether you intend to mention such and such in the letter (say, an instance of very minor academic misconduct) and ask you not to submit the letter if you do.

On the other hand, I imagine this is more likely to be just an instance of general anxiety over the fact that two people are openly discussing the student's professional strengths and weaknesses and they have no control over what they are saying to each other. In that case I would try to convey the idea that (1) it's understandable that this is making them uncomfortable because this may be the first time they are faced with this experience, but (2) this is something that is normal in the professional world and something that they should try to come to grips with emotionally on their end.

Answer 2

I want to point out that there is probably a different cultural expectation at play here. I know that in the US it is generally assumed and even enforced that people do not get to see the recommendation letters written about them. There are good abstract reasons for this convention but it is not universal.

You wrote that the candidate wants to apply to positions in Europe and the general attitude on this topic is a lot more relaxed. Recommendation letters may be secret from the subject of recommendation but there could also be an expectation that these letters are jointly written by the letter writer and the subject of recommendation. It depends on country and context.

You can of course still refuse to show them your letter but please be aware that this could be unusual for the specific position that your student is applying to. The university might assume that every candidate knows their recommendation letters and evaluate them accordingly.

Answer 3

While it might be appropriate for them to ask whether your letter would be positive, it isn't proper for them to demand to see the result. Some people are happy to share such letters with some applicants, but it isn't a requirement to do so.

To force sharing makes such letters largely meaningless and if the recipient knows that such sharing was required, would likely discount what was said in them.

It is to the candidate's benefit that the recipient has the sense that what is said is honest and not influenced by social or other pressures.

My response to such a demand would be to refuse to write the letter, telling the person to look elsewhere. In effect they want the power to write their own letters.

Answer 4

This troubles me

It shouldn't. If anything, it is behind-the-back evaluations that should trouble you.

I'm having difficulty explaining to them why this is a problematic behavior.

Of course you are, as the student's expectation of receiving the letter is not problematic. It is either a case of disagreeing norms, or, to judge more harshly - an unjust norm to which you subscribe. Yes, I know it's common in some parts of the world - but it's certainly not universal, and many regard it as inappropriate. As some commenters suggest, it is patently illegal in some places.

How can I succinctly explain that this is not how recommendation letters work?

You can present some of the points in other answers to this question; but - they're not very convincing, unless one tends to accept the basic legitimacy of these behind-the-back evaluations. So, you can explain the rationale, but I would claim you cannot convincingly explain it.

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Now, some might object and ask "wait, how are we supposed to prevent the student from skewing the evaluation in their favor, without keeping the recommendation letter confidential?"

... and my answer is: You are not evaluating the student; they have asked you for a recommendation, not an evaluation. Whenever someone applies for some position, or grant, or prize, they try to make the best case in their favor. Even if letters were confidential - they would approach people who are very likely to write positive letters, and avoid people who are likely to write more negatively; and they would otherwise avoid disclosing parts of their record which are detrimental to their application. If you don't feel comfortable supporting the student making their best case - then don't write them a letter of recommendation.

Answer 5

Don't make the mistake of conflating one issue (showing or not showing the letter to the student) with a separate issue (sending it, or not).

I would never think of writing a letter that I wasn't willing to show the student. Indeed, having been asked to write a letter of recommendation, I find myself more often being in the position of arranging a time to show the letter the student and discuss it with them, than being in the position of the student asking to see it!

However, my feeling is that when you are asked for a letter of recommendation, you should take the description at face value. If you can't recommend the person, then you can't write a letter of recommendation! Instead, tell the student that you can write a description of what you perceive to be their strengths and weaknesses but that you would find it difficult to recommend them.

If, after all this honesty, the student is willing to throw in their lot with your advice, then write your letter, show it to them, discuss it with them ... and send it!

Answer 6

Adam Přenosil's answer covers the reasons. It looks like you are in the United States. FERPA (Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act) makes such letters "education records," which the student is entitled to see. It is possible for a student to waive that right, and your institution's registrar can provide the necessary form. In the absence of such a waiver, you should decline to write a recommendation.

If you receive a waiver and write a letter, I recommend closing the letter with the following:

The information contained in this letter is confidential and protected by United States Federal law. This information should not be disclosed to [name of student] or anyone in your organization who is not involved in the decision process regarding this individual. The information may not be disclosed to anyone outside of your organization without the consent of [name of student].

(I made this an answer rather than a comment because the FERPA implications are important in the United States.)

Answer 7

They said if they don't agree with the letter they wouldn't want the letter to be sent.

This shouldn’t actually be problematic if carried out in a transparent way that doesn’t compromise your integrity. You might answer the student:

Dear Student,

I can send you the letter to review and decide if you want me to send it. In that case, to ensure transparency I will include the following notice at the top of the letter: “At student [name]’s request, I shared the letter with them and they have reviewed it and approve of its contents.”

Please confirm you are still interesting in reviewing the letter and I will send it to you.

You can perhaps add that a letter carrying such a notice may be discounted by the recipients; indeed, in the US and potentially other countries where there is a strong norm of not disclosing the content of letters of recommendation to the student, the letter may be dismissed as completely worthless. (By contrast, as others have commented, in certain European countries the practice of showing the letter to the student is viewed as less problematic or even pretty normal. To be clear, I have no way to tell what the effect of the notice would be in those locations, but it's potentially still worth cautioning the student about a possible effect.)

Answer 8

Depending on the country in which you, and the corresponding university, are in, you might not have a choice in whether the student gets to see the letter should you write one.

Many countries, such as the UK, have the concept of a Subject Access Request whereby a person can request a copy of any data/correspondence that an organisation holds on them. This would include any letters of recommendation that were sent. So they'd be able to get hold of it anyway.

Honestly, I don't see why you even feel as though you shouldn't let them see it. You shouldn't be writing anything in a letter of recommendation that you wouldn't say to a student's face. If you don't feel as though you can be honest about someone's weaknesses openly with them then maybe take a look at why you feel that way.

I also don't think it's unreasonable for a student to request a few letters of recommendation and then only submit the strongest. That's no different to guessing which professors are going to give you the best references and asking them to do it except it removes the guesswork and the chance of the student being torpedoed by a prof who's having a bad day.

Answer 9

You touched the limits of "recommendations". In industry, this does not exist anymore (usually) because the recommendation is extremely subjective. Or it exists on an informal plane.

I was once asked to provide recommendation contacts for a position, I gave three of my friends who said that I was the incarnation of [you choose your deity], mixed with a genius-level professionalism. Since that company had old-fashioned ways of hiring, my friends also dropped that I of course have a weakness which is to be too hard-working (or something like that). Usefulness for the company: zero.

Academia believes in integrity and this is nice. The reality of the world is that you can be very good, but chemically incompatible with the person the jury expects a recommendation from. And that person can be an asshole.

This is to say that, as a European, I completely support your students. Either the letter chants their marvelousness, or it should be trashed. The receiving institution should have its own criteria and checks to decide about a candidate and not rely on sheer luck.

Answer 10

I would sit down with the student and explain/discuss what I would write in the letter completely honestly and in fairly specific terms, offer to answer any questions, and then just tell them that you only do confidential letters, if that is your personal pref. The student can then decide if they still want your letter. If they still want your letter, then write one, adhering as closely as you can to what you told the student you would write.

Answer 11

First of all, you do not need to explain anything to such a student. Since it is he/she who requests a favor from you, the game should be played on your terms or not played at all, period.

Second, the request for the letter would normally come directly from the hiring institution, and you are under no obligation to follow the student advice on whether to send the letter or not once you have written it.

So, what I would do is just to say something like "I'll be happy to write a letter for you, but then I'll send it regardless of what you think of it even if I show it to you. This is a take or leave offer, your choice. End of message." and then stick to these words no matter what.

Whether to show a letter to the student or not is entirely up to you. Sometimes I show some parts of the letters I write to the people I recommend to check that I haven't misstated some of their results or that my idea of what to emphasize in their work is not too far from theirs, but you are under no obligation to promote them unless you want to and under much less obligation to be led by them during that process in any way. It is customary to refuse to write anything for people you do not want to recommend for whatever reason rather than to write some killer stuff, but, again, the choice is yours. Once the request arrives, you are the sole authority as to what and how to write and you are solely accountable for your opinions. That should be communicated clearly to the students from the beginning and after that it should be their headache whether to add you to the list of potential reviewers or not. Don't overthink it!

Just my two cents, as usual :-)

Answer 12

Another reason you can tell the student: the letter is likely to contain comparisons with other students. Even if these comparisons are indirect ("This student is in the top 10% of students I've ever supervised"), it's still improper for a student to read information that sheds light on other students' performance.