A Dean of Students Evaluation form is a one-page document your current or former college completes to verify your disciplinary standing for a school, licensing board, or agency you’re applying to. You fill in a short student section with your identifying information, sign a privacy waiver, and deliver the form to the conduct office on your campus. That office certifies your conduct record and sends the completed form directly to the receiving institution.
Who Asks for This Form
Applying to a new school is the most common trigger. Transfer applicants, law school candidates, and medical school hopefuls all encounter some version of a dean’s evaluation or “dean’s certification.” Some programs require every applicant to submit one. Others require it only if you answered “yes” to a character-and-fitness or institutional-action question on the application.1Brooklyn Law School. Dean’s Certification Form Medical schools that use AMCAS take the same approach: if you reported an institutional action or previously enrolled in another medical school, you’ll need a dean’s certification before your application is considered complete.2Medical College of Wisconsin. Dean’s Certification Applicant Instructions
Beyond admissions, some state bar associations and government agencies request the same type of clearance. UCLA’s Dean of Students office notes that these letters are “usually required by graduate and professional schools, state bar associations, government agencies, or independent agencies when applying for admission or employment.”3UCLA Office of the Dean of Students. Dean’s Certification If you attended more than one undergraduate institution, expect to need a separate form from each school.
Filling Out the Student Section
The student portion is short. You typically provide your full legal name, permanent address, the dates you attended the institution, and your expected date of entrance at the new school.4University of Mount Union. Dean of Students Evaluation Form Some schools also ask for your campus ID number and a current phone number.5University of Utah. Forms – Dean of Students Fields vary, since some receiving institutions provide their own version and others use a generic template.
Where you get the blank form depends on the application. The receiving school’s admissions website or application portal usually hosts a downloadable PDF. For medical school applications, the form often comes directly from the school’s secondary application packet. For Common App transfer applicants, the “College Report” functions as the institutional evaluation; check each program’s instructions to see whether it’s required and how to send it.6Liaison International. Common App for Transfer Program Materials
After filling in your details, you sign and date the form. Your signature confirms the accuracy of what you’ve written and activates the FERPA waiver printed on the form.
What the FERPA Waiver Authorizes
Federal law under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act prohibits your school from sharing your education records, including disciplinary records, without your written consent.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 20 USC 1232g – Family Educational and Privacy Rights The signature block on the evaluation form is that consent. Federal regulations require written consent to specify the records being disclosed, the purpose of the disclosure, and the party receiving them.8eCFR. 34 CFR 99.30 Most forms print this language above the signature line, so one signature covers all three.
Some forms also include a separate waiver of your right to see the completed evaluation. Signing that portion means you won’t be able to read what the official wrote before it goes out. Schools cannot require this second waiver as a condition for processing the form; it’s optional. If you’re uncertain what your record contains, consider reviewing it before you sign. FERPA gives you the right to inspect your education records by making a request to the office that maintains them.9U.S. Department of Education. FERPA – Protecting Student Privacy
Finding the Right Office at Your School
The form’s name points to the “Dean of Students,” but on many campuses the office that actually handles conduct records goes by a different name. Look for an Office of Student Conduct, Office of Academic Integrity, or Office of Community Standards. At UCI, for example, the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct processes dean’s certifications.10UCI Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct. Dean’s Certification At other schools, the Dean of Students office handles everything directly.3UCLA Office of the Dean of Students. Dean’s Certification
If you’re unsure, start with the Dean of Students office. They’ll either process the form or point you to the right department. Don’t assume the Registrar handles it. Registrar offices manage transcripts and enrollment verification, which are separate from conduct clearance, and routing the form there is one of the easiest ways to lose a week.
What the Official Will Report
The institutional portion is where the substance lives. The designated official reviews your disciplinary file and answers two core questions: whether you were ever subject to disciplinary action, and whether you are eligible for immediate re-enrollment.4University of Mount Union. Dean of Students Evaluation Form If either answer raises a flag, the official describes the nature of the violation and the action the school took.
Medical school forms often go further, requiring a detailed narrative of the exact nature of the violation, the circumstances, the institution’s response, and any corrective steps.2Medical College of Wisconsin. Dean’s Certification Applicant Instructions The official is giving a factual account, not a recommendation.
How far back the record reaches depends on your school’s retention policy. At UIC, disciplinary records are kept for seven years after the final decision, except for suspensions, dismissals, and expulsions, which are maintained permanently.11Office of the Dean of Students, University of Illinois Chicago. Record Requests Policies vary by institution, so check with your school’s conduct office if you’re uncertain.
How to Submit the Form
Once you’ve filled out the student section and signed the waiver, you deliver the form to the appropriate campus office. Some schools accept walk-in drop-offs. Others want you to email a scanned copy or submit through an online portal. The University of Utah asks students to complete the applicant section, sign the form, and submit it to the Dean of Students office along with any special handling instructions.5University of Utah. Forms – Dean of Students
After the official completes the institutional section, they send it to the receiving school, not back to you. Common delivery methods include:
- Direct mail from the official to the receiving school’s admissions office. Brooklyn Law School lists this as the preferred method and provides a mailing address on the form itself.1Brooklyn Law School. Dean’s Certification Form
- Return to you in a sealed, countersigned envelope that you include with your application packet. Less common, but still accepted by some programs.
- Fax or email. UCLA sends completed forms by U.S. mail or fax, and some medical schools accept scanned forms sent to a dedicated admissions email address.3UCLA Office of the Dean of Students. Dean’s Certification2Medical College of Wisconsin. Dean’s Certification Applicant Instructions
- Electronic submission through an application portal. For Common App transfer applications, recommendations go through an electronic recommender portal, though the College Report itself may still be handled offline depending on the program.6Liaison International. Common App for Transfer Program Materials
Read the receiving school’s instructions carefully. Some programs state that no action will be taken on your application until the completed form arrives.1Brooklyn Law School. Dean’s Certification Form
How Long Processing Takes
Build more time into this step than you think you’ll need. Processing times vary widely: UCI estimates five to seven business days during normal periods,10UCI Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct. Dean’s Certification UCLA quotes ten to fourteen business days,3UCLA Office of the Dean of Students. Dean’s Certification and Baylor warns that forms go through several levels of approval and can take two weeks or more.12Baylor University. Dean Certification Forms Peak request periods — late fall for law and medical school deadlines, spring for transfer applications — push these estimates further.
Count backward from your application deadline and add a buffer for mail delivery if the form is sent by post. Getting the form to the campus office at least three to four weeks before the admissions deadline gives you room if the office is backed up or if a clerical error requires a correction. After it’s sent, check the receiving school’s application status portal to confirm it arrived. If no portal exists, a quick call or email to the admissions office can verify your file is complete.
If You Have Something on Your Record
A past violation doesn’t automatically disqualify you, but the disclosure has to be handled well. AMCAS asks medical school applicants to report any institutional action, and schools expect both a personal statement explaining what happened and a completed dean’s certification to accompany it.2Medical College of Wisconsin. Dean’s Certification Applicant Instructions Law schools take a similar approach, expecting a brief, factual addendum.
Before you sign, review your disciplinary file so you know exactly what the official will report. FERPA gives you the right to inspect your education records, and it’s worth exercising that right before the form goes out.9U.S. Department of Education. FERPA – Protecting Student Privacy The worst outcome is a mismatch between what you disclosed on your application and what the dean’s office reports. Admissions committees expect consistency, and some schools will revoke an offer if the form reveals something you didn’t mention.
Fixing an Inaccurate Record
If you believe your disciplinary record contains an error, address it before the form is completed. FERPA gives you the right to request an amendment to any education record you believe is inaccurate or misleading. Start by contacting the conduct office in writing, identifying the specific entry you’re disputing, and explaining why you believe it’s wrong.
Most schools have a formal appeal process for disciplinary findings, with typical grounds including procedural error, new evidence, or a disproportionate sanction.13UMBC. The Appeal Process Appeal deadlines are tight, often just a few business days from the original decision, so pursue this promptly after the initial outcome rather than months later when applications are due. If the appeal window has closed, you may still request that a brief statement of your position be added to your file, which the official can reference when completing the form.
Keep in mind that disciplinary records have a shelf life at most schools. Sanctions short of suspension or expulsion are commonly purged after a set number of years. At UIC, that retention period is seven years from the final decision.11Office of the Dean of Students, University of Illinois Chicago. Record Requests If enough time has passed, your file may already be clean. Contact the conduct office to find out before assuming the worst.