Start with Common App’s official FERPA and your application guide. It explains two different choices: permission for your school to release requested records, and whether to waive your right to review recommendations and other forms.
These are not the same decision. Common App explains that the release allows colleges to receive school records and ask the school questions. Its guide also explains the purpose of a recommendation waiver and notes that some recommenders have their own policy about writing confidential letters.
Your next step is to read the wording in your application before making a selection and discuss any uncertainty with your school adviser. For a Singapore applicant unfamiliar with the US process, use the official guide to understand this application step rather than copying another student’s choice. This guide explains the process, not your individual legal rights.
Find your next step
Official sources at a glance
| Task | Official source | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Understand the two choices | Common App FERPA guide | Release authorisation and recommendation waiver |
| Locate further application resources | Common App first-year toolkit | FERPA and recommendation resources |
Contents · Next: practical checks
Practical checks before you act
Read each statement separately
Pause at each authorisation or waiver statement and identify what it asks. Write down any phrase you do not understand before proceeding. A permission to send requested records should not be confused with a decision about reviewing confidential recommendations.
Speak with your school adviser
Common App recommends discussing the process with a counsellor, school official or parent or guardian. Ask your adviser how the school handles records and recommendations. If a legal question remains, seek qualified advice rather than treating a general application guide as a ruling on your situation.
Clarify recommender expectations
Before requesting a letter, ask whether the teacher or other recommender has a confidentiality policy. Common App notes that some may write only if the review right is waived. Understand that policy before making commitments; do not pressure someone to produce or disclose a confidential letter.
Keep the application under your control
Make your own informed selection after reviewing the official explanation. Do not give an adviser your password merely to handle this step. If you think you selected an option incorrectly, ask official Common App support about the available procedure before assuming it can be changed.
Previous: official sources · Contents · Next: your next step
Your next step
Read both choices, ask your school adviser about anything unclear and make an informed selection in your own application.
Common App recommender information
Singapore school pathways and education information directory
Previous: practical checks · Back to contents
Official sources reviewed: 13 October 2026. Recheck current instructions before acting.
