YLS requires Dean's Certificate? Forum

[dueprocess14]

Hey y'all,

Asking on behalf of a friend: does YLS now require a dean's certificate from each school you've attended? This wasn't the case when I applied two years ago, but they're saying it is now. On YLS's website it states "Yale Law School does not require a dean’s certification form." (http://www.law.yale.edu/admissions/abou ... dation.htm)

However, my friend is saying on their LSDAS application instructions for YLS it states that it is required. Anyone know? Thanks!

[dbrddr]

from the application instructions:

Yale Law School requires a dean's certification form from each college or university degree program in which an applicant is, or has been, enrolled, regardless of whether a degree was awarded. The certification form is located under supplemental forms.

Please print a form for each degree program, complete and sign the top section of the form, and give it to the current dean of students (or a comparable administrative official with access to the school's official records) at each degree program in which you have been enrolled. Forms should be submitted by each school directly to the Yale Law School Admissions Office.

This form needs to be completed for colleges or universities at which you were enrolled in a degree program. Some examples for which a certification form would be required:

* Any and all undergraduate or graduate degree programs in which you have been, or currently are, enrolled.
* Degree programs you started, but from which you withdrew.
* Intermediate degree programs en route to a bachelor's or doctoral degree (associate's degrees, master's degrees).
* Schools from which you transferred while working on a degree.

You will not be required to submit a dean's certification for:

* Semester- or year-long study abroad programs in which you participated while enrolled in another degree program.
* Schools at which you took non-degree courses during summers or in high school, even if credit for such courses is included on the transcript of your degree-granting school.
* Schools at which you were auditing courses or not enrolled in a degree program.

[dueprocess14]

Huh, thanks. Wow - that's really annoying. I wonder why they're requiring this with the application, rather than upon admission? Seems like an unnecessary step for them to require it up front.

[The Real Jack McCoy]

Probably because there are some students who try to hide their disciplinary proceedings or other such problems, and it is easier to fill a class of desirable students knowing everything up front. It makes sense that two small and highly competitive admissions programs have this extra step (Stanford, Yale).

Though it is a pain.

[im_blue]

Probably because there are some students who try to hide their disciplinary proceedings or other such problems, and it is easier to fill a class of desirable students knowing everything up front. It makes sense that two small and highly competitive admissions programs have this extra step (Stanford, Yale).

Though it is a pain.

The huge difference is that Stanford requires the dean's form only from your degree-granting UG, while Yale wants them from every institution you've attended with a few exceptions.

[SullaFelix]

Seems to just be a way to deter applicants from sending in casual applications, as Penn does with their supplemental essays. Granted, I figured that the 250 word essay was already more or less accomplishing that.

[Knock]

Probably because there are some students who try to hide their disciplinary proceedings or other such problems, and it is easier to fill a class of desirable students knowing everything up front. It makes sense that two small and highly competitive admissions programs have this extra step (Stanford, Yale).

Though it is a pain.

The huge difference is that Stanford requires the dean's form only from your degree-granting UG, while Yale wants them from every institution you've attended with a few exceptions.

Wait are you sure? I read Yale's policy and it said it wanted it from institutions you enrolled with the intent of pursuing a degree, including intermediate degrees on the way to other degrees, such as your A.A. and Masters. So if you enrolled in a 4 year, and then transferred you'd need them from both, but if you enrolled in a 4 year and took some CC classes during the summer you wouldn't need a dean's cert from the CC. Or am I not interpreting that correctly.

Edit: After re-reading the policy, I am unsure of this interpretation. I sure hope I don't have to get 4 Dean's certifications.

[rundoxierun]

Good thing I have no interest in actually attending Yale.. wouldve been a hassle to go through that hassle again.

[4102011]

Probably because there are some students who try to hide their disciplinary proceedings or other such problems, and it is easier to fill a class of desirable students knowing everything up front. It makes sense that two small and highly competitive admissions programs have this extra step (Stanford, Yale).

Though it is a pain.

The huge difference is that Stanford requires the dean's form only from your degree-granting UG, while Yale wants them from every institution you've attended with a few exceptions.

Wait are you sure? I read Yale's policy and it said it wanted it from institutions you enrolled with the intent of pursuing a degree, including intermediate degrees on the way to other degrees, such as your A.A. and Masters. So if you enrolled in a 4 year, and then transferred you'd need them from both, but if you enrolled in a 4 year and took some CC classes during the summer you wouldn't need a dean's cert from the CC. Or am I not interpreting that correctly.

Edit: After re-reading the policy, I am unsure of this interpretation. I sure hope I don't have to get 4 Dean's certifications.

Call them? :/ it's confusing...

[Knock]

Call Yale?! You don't call Yale, Yale calls you.

[d34d9823]

Wait are you sure? I read Yale's policy and it said it wanted it from institutions you enrolled with the intent of pursuing a degree, including intermediate degrees on the way to other degrees, such as your A.A. and Masters. So if you enrolled in a 4 year, and then transferred you'd need them from both, but if you enrolled in a 4 year and took some CC classes during the summer you wouldn't need a dean's cert from the CC. Or am I not interpreting that correctly.

Edit: After re-reading the policy, I am unsure of this interpretation. I sure hope I don't have to get 4 Dean's certifications.

Clearly, it means that if you were in a degree program (whether or not it was the degree you graduated with) you need it, while if you were taking classes without pursuing a degree (such as concurrent enrollment in high school) you do not need it. For most people, you will only need one.

[WestOfTheRest]

Yale's viewbook specifically states that you do not need a dean's certificate. http://www.law.yale.edu/documents/pdf/A ... ewbook.pdf page 15.

[4102011]

Yale's viewbook specifically states that you do not need a dean's certificate. http://www.law.yale.edu/documents/pdf/A ... ewbook.pdf page 15.

But the application says you do...

[Knock]

Wait are you sure? I read Yale's policy and it said it wanted it from institutions you enrolled with the intent of pursuing a degree, including intermediate degrees on the way to other degrees, such as your A.A. and Masters. So if you enrolled in a 4 year, and then transferred you'd need them from both, but if you enrolled in a 4 year and took some CC classes during the summer you wouldn't need a dean's cert from the CC. Or am I not interpreting that correctly.

Edit: After re-reading the policy, I am unsure of this interpretation. I sure hope I don't have to get 4 Dean's certifications.

Clearly, it means that if you were in a degree program (whether or not it was the degree you graduated with) you need it, while if you were taking classes without pursuing a degree (such as concurrent enrollment in high school) you do not need it. For most people, you will only need one.

Grrr, this is going to be unbelievably annoying haha.

[WestOfTheRest]

Yale's viewbook specifically states that you do not need a dean's certificate. http://www.law.yale.edu/documents/pdf/A ... ewbook.pdf page 15.

But the application says you do...

Where does it say so on the application?

[4102011]

Yale's viewbook specifically states that you do not need a dean's certificate. http://www.law.yale.edu/documents/pdf/A ... ewbook.pdf page 15.

But the application says you do...

Where does it say so on the application?

The application instructions is what dbrddr quoted.

[WestOfTheRest]

Why do they give contradictory info?

[Knock]

Why do they give contradictory info?

They're Yale. They can.

[4102011]

Because they suck

Please don't kill me Asha...

[im_blue]

DEAN'S CERTIFICATION
Yale Law School requires a dean's certification form from each college or university degree program in which an applicant is, or has been, enrolled, regardless of whether a degree was awarded. The certification form is located under supplemental forms.

Please print a form for each degree program, complete and sign the top section of the form, and give it to the current dean of students (or a comparable administrative official with access to the school's official records) at each degree program in which you have been enrolled. Forms should be submitted by each school directly to the Yale Law School Admissions Office.

This form needs to be completed for colleges or universities at which you were enrolled in a degree program. Some examples for which a certification form would be required:

* Any and all undergraduate or graduate degree programs in which you have been, or currently are, enrolled.
* Degree programs you started, but from which you withdrew.
* Intermediate degree programs en route to a bachelor's or doctoral degree (associate's degrees, master's degrees).
* Schools from which you transferred while working on a degree.

You will not be required to submit a dean's certification for:

* Semester- or year-long study abroad programs in which you participated while enrolled in another degree program.
* Schools at which you took non-degree courses during summers or in high school, even if credit for such courses is included on the transcript of your degree-granting school.
* Schools at which you were auditing courses or not enrolled in a degree program.

Your application will not be considered complete and ready for review until all certification forms are received in the Admissions Office.

If you are unsure if you need a certification form for a school which you attended, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions.law@yale.edu or 203.432.4995.

[r6_philly]

Clearly, it means that if you were in a degree program (whether or not it was the degree you graduated with) you need it, while if you were taking classes without pursuing a degree (such as concurrent enrollment in high school) you do not need it. For most people, you will only need one.

In the schools that I have attended, you can either sign up for classes as a "non-degree" student, or a "degree-seeking" student with a major. So while I only ever intended to pursue a degree at one of them, because I was not classified as a non-degree student at the others, I think I need to get a certification from each of them. Plus grad school I will need 4 sent out. This is going to delay my application by at least 2 weeks. I am going to call and ask tomorrow.

[094320]

..

[d34d9823]

OK, so, it's in the LSAC site instructions, but there's no mention of it in the actual application, and no mention of it on the Yale website. Not to mention, the instructions direct you to send an ambiguous "form" to your college, but this form is nowhere to be seen. IMO Yale just doesn't have their act together yet.

[Knock]

OK, so, it's in the LSAC site instructions, but there's no mention of it in the actual application, and no mention of it on the Yale website. Not to mention, the instructions direct you to send an ambiguous "form" to your college, but this form is nowhere to be seen. IMO Yale just doesn't have their act together yet.

It's under supplemental forms on Yale's application on LSAC.

[d34d9823]

OK, so, it's in the LSAC site instructions, but there's no mention of it in the actual application, and no mention of it on the Yale website. Not to mention, the instructions direct you to send an ambiguous "form" to your college, but this form is nowhere to be seen. IMO Yale just doesn't have their act together yet. I am a moron.

It's under supplemental forms on Yale's application on LSAC.