<p>a school i am applying to asked for a dean letter of good standing. does this mean i have to go to the dean and get a letter, or is this the same letter of good standing that i can get from my registrar?</p>
<p>I am not totally sure but doesn't the registrar people just use a stamp of the dean's signature?</p>
<p>It is a letter signed by the Dean of Students or Dean of your college (eg, Engineering..). It is pro forma, so it is something you can drop off with the Dean/Dean's secretary. The Dean doesn't have to know you personally, but there will be a few questions on it about you being in good standing both academically and "as a member of the campus community." Wants to know that you would be welcome back at your current school and that you are not on the list of "regular troublemakers" that a Dean has to deal with from time to time.</p>
<p>Deans are very used to these letters and will send them off as a matter of course.</p>
<p>My dean barely knew me, so I included a short "bio" along with the form. He ended up including in his letter almost everything I mentioned in that bio.</p>
<p>Good idea, m_"alphabet". Some of the forms do allow for the Dean to talk about you, and it can only help if they do that.</p>
<p>do you think a letter of good academic standing from the registrar would do the same thing?</p>
<p>I dont think a letter of good standing really does anything unless your dean writes about how awesome you are, which in most people's cases (or at least from large schools), is highly unlikely. I think the letter just establishes that you have not gotten in trouble with the school. However, if it is a personal one with a lot of detail, it can only help. otherwise, I would say its neutral with respect to things like GPA, SAT, recs, EC's, etc.</p>
<p>samuial - If the form is meant to be from a Dean, it needs to be from a Dean. Usually it is the Dean of Students. Why are you thinking of/wanting to get it from the Registrar?</p>
<p>Also, I think Jimmy2588 has it right about the use and value of the Dean letter. It is primarily a "check-off'" with no further value and nothing that any applicant should obsess about. If it so happens that the Dean knows you well enough to report that you walk on water, so much the better. But I cannot imagine it ever trumping GPA, recs.... only enhancing them.</p>
<p>^^well put.</p>
<p>If this is UChicago we're talking about, when I applied last year, I called around to different offices at my school and was told that "Dean's forms" were to be filled out by your advisor. This could vary from school to school though.</p>