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What is a "Dean's Letter"? In addition to your letters of recommendation, many law schools require you to submit a "Dean's letter," sometimes also called a "Dean's Certification Letter" or "College Certification Letter." The Dean's letter certifies that you are (or were upon graduation) a student in good standing at Harvard. If you were ever the subject of formal academic or disciplinary proceedings at Harvard, the Dean's letter generally must disclose this information (under what circumstances?).
The Dean's letter is one of the institutional advantages that Harvard students enjoy in the law school application process. For most students at most colleges, the Dean's letter is simply a photocopied form letter from the Dean's Office. Harvard, however, does things differently (doesn't it always?).
Harvard views the Dean's letter as an opportunity to supplement and develop your application. After discussing your concerns with you and studying your application, your Dunster nonresident pre-law tutor will compose a "customized" Dean's letter that both makes the necessary certifications AND functions as an additional letter of recommendation on your behalf. Your letter will then be edited and signed by the Resident Tutor in Law and by the Resident Dean.
Some law schools (such as NYU, at least in the past) do not require a Dean's letter. Dunster usually sends a copy of your Dean's letter to these schools anyway.
How Can the Dean's Letter Help Me? Think of the Dean's letter as a letter of recommendation over which you have greater (albeit not perfect) control. There are certain disclosures that the House is required to make in your Dean's letter. Otherwise, your Dean's letter is a tool for you (through conversations with your pre-tutor, who will write the letter) to address aspects of your qualifications that are awkward or inconvenient to raise elsewhere.
For example, a student might use his Dean's letter to offer an explanation for a particular bad grade that appears on his transcript -- e.g., that he was distracted by a family tragedy that occurred during that semester. The Dean's letter is perfect for this purpose because it comes from the College, not from you, and therefore the explanation does not appear defensive or canned. Of course, we will only report explanations that are true! Alternatively, a student might use her Dean's letter to highlight a theme in her extracurricular activities -- e.g., leadership in charitable organizations. This approach can be particularly effective in combination with your personal statement, which might highlight (or juxtapose) similar (or divergent) themes.
Also, if there is a weak spot in your application (i.e. a low LSAT score that you feel does not represent your true abilities, or a GPA that was lowered as a result of a bad semester due to an unusual circumstance) please talk to your Pre-law tutor about it. There a couple of options for handling this - in some cases, your tutor may recommend that you write a separate statement to be appended to your application explaining the circumstances surrounding that part of your application. Another possibility would be for your tutor to mention/explain it in your Dean's letter. Your tutor can advise you as to the best course of action depending on your particular circumstance.
How Do I Obtain a Dean's Letter? Just tell your pre-law tutor and it shall be done! (Don't have a pre-law tutor? Register for the Dunster Pre-Law Program and you will be assigned a tutor automatically). Of course, your pre-law tutor can hardly write a good Dean's letter for you if he/she doesn't know you at all. As noted below, it is your responsibility to make sure your tutor has all the information he/she needs to compose your letter.
What Information Should I Give to My Tutor? Needless to say, it is your responsibility to work with your pre-law tutor to ensure that your tutor has the information necessary to address the strengths and/or weaknesses that you perceive in your application. There are a few specific things you should do:
- First, the essential grist for your Dean's letter will likely come from your House file, which includes your transcript and copies of all letters of recommendation on file with the House. This information is enormously helpful to your tutor; indeed, it is difficult to get a good picture of your application without it. Before your tutor can access these materials, however, you must complete and return the Dunster House Waiver Form, which entitles your tutor to obtain your file and, if necessary, quote from material therein. (You should have submitted the Waiver Form as part of the registration process; if not, you can get it from the downloads page). Got something in your file that you don't want your tutor to see? Don't worry -- even after you return the waiver form, under no circumstances will your pre-law tutor have access to any confidential disciplinary records in your House file. Only the Resident Dean has access to these records. If you have questions about what's in your House file, contact the Resident Dean directly.
- Second, meet with your tutor early and often. Your tutor will contact you to set up your first meeting. If you are an alumna/us who lives far from Boston, try to arrange several telephone calls with your tutor at a minimum. At least two or three meetings will typically be necessary to give the tutor a good basis for writing your Dean's letter. Try to give your tutor a clear understanding of what you see as the strengths and weaknesses in your application. You may also find it helpful to consult with your tutor about other parts of your application. Don't forget that Dunster keeps these tutors around to serve as a resource to you. Use them!
- Finally, consider providing your tutor with a copy of your resume and personal statement. This information can be immensely helpful to your tutor. It is also a good opportunity for you to get some feedback on your personal statement (and on your resume, if you want it!).
What Information Must Harvard Disclose? In the Dean's letter, Harvard has an obligation to disclose whether you have ever been the subject of formal academic or disciplinary proceedings. This obligation is limited to formal proceedings (such as proceedings in front of the Ad Board). Informal measures (for example, an email to the House from a TF regarding inadequate preparation for tutorial) do not trigger this obligation and will not be disclosed to law schools. When there is something in your record that must be disclosed, we try hard to cast it in a positive (or at least neutral) light and point out any benefits that have come from the experience. This portion of your letter is usually added by the Resident Dean, who is typically the only person involved in the process who has access to confidential disciplinary records.
If you have questions about your record, or about what will or will not be disclosed, contact the Resident Dean.
Can I See My Dean's Letter? Generally no. You will have significant input into the composition of your Dean's letter through conversations with your pre-law tutor. The final letter, however, often draws on confidential letters of recommendation in your House file. Unless you have not waived your right of access to those letters, University policy prevents the House from telling you what's in them -- and that includes giving you a copy of a Dean's letter that draws upon them.
If you have questions about accessing your Dean's letter, contact the Resident Dean.
I'm an Alumna/us. Can I Still Get a Dean's letter? Yes -- but there are special considerations for alumni/ae applicants that you should be sure to review!
