Decision Letters

Slate can be used to generate decision letters for use in print or online delivery via an Application Status Portal.

Before you begin

Moving the decision process to Slate is an opportunity to restructure current processes. Take the time to audit existing decision letters. Managing 30 + versions of the admit letter can be a difficult task, and this migration offers an opportunity to rethink your business process and pare down the number of decision letters needed. Review documentation on content blocks and Liquid Markup to understand how a single letter template can display dynamic, logic-based content.

We recommend printing all current letters and looking for consolidation opportunities. Then make a list of all letters and decision codes to help guide the letter writing process. Here is an example of how a list might look:

Code	Letters
Admit	EA Admit Letter Transfer Fall Admit Letter RD Admit Letter Spring Transfer Admit Letter
Deny	EA Deny Letter Transfer Fall Deny Letter RD Deny Letter Spring Transfer Deny Letter
Defer	EA Defer Letter
Waitlist	RD Waitlist Letter

EA - (Early Admission)
RD - (Regular Decision)

Once all decision letters have been organized, create them in Slate using Letter Templates.

Creating letter templates

Select Database on the top navigation bar and select Letter Templates.
Select New Letter.
Enter the following user configurations in the dialog box:
- Status: Set to Active.
- Folder: Add the letter to a folder for organization
- Summary: Give the letter a clear name.
- Export Code: Leave blank at this time.
- Effective: This letter may only be assigned to a person after the effective date has passed.
- Decision: Select the decision code that should be attached to this letter.
- PDF: Leave this set to HTML/CSS v2 (full). Existing Letter Templates should also be updated to HTML/CSS v2 for full web fonts support.
- Options: Select this box to make this the default letter for a decision. Typically this is selected when there is just one letter associated with aletter’s decision. See note below in red for more details.
- Search Applicant: Type in an example record to view data associated with each merge field. This is a not necessary to create a template, but is a testing tool to be used while building content.

Letter template settings

Setting	Description
Status	Letters should be set to either Active or Archived. Archived - Letters from previous periods or rounds should be set to Archived Archived letters will not be available for assignment.
Summary	The title or description of letter.
Export Code	Each letter can be assigned an export code for querying purposes. (Optional)
Effective	Each letter will need an effective date set. The setting indicates which date a letter can be assigned to an applicant.
Decision	Each letter is associated with a particular decision.
PDF	This setting controls which engine is used to render the decision letter to PDF when a user prints or downloads the letter. The default setting HTML/CSS v2. This instructs Slate to use a headless browser to render the decision letter as it appears on the web. This allows Slate to support more complex HTML and include web fonts. Existing Letter Templates should be updated to HTML/CSS for full web fonts support. Letters configured to use the HTML / CSS v2 (full) option will not utilize any /apply/decision.pdf templates. Print styling should be performed using CSS.
Options	Overall description Default letter for decision code - Selecting this option will make letter the default for a particular decision code. Default for decision is only recommended if there is one letter for the decision code.

Need a merge field for a decision letter that isn't included by default?

Many standard fields and all custom fields are automatically available to add to a decision letter. Any items that are not available by default can be added by creating a MergePublic query.

📖 Further reading: Displaying Custom Fields in Decision Letters (MergePublic Queries).

Multiple letters for one decision

As decision letters are created, they will appear in the Letter Templates view. Some decision codes may have multiple associated letters. For example, an Admit decision may include several letter variations for different programs or populations.

Because these letters will later be assigned to applicant records, it is important to use clear, descriptive template names so staff can easily identify and select the correct letter when applying decisions.

🔔 Important: Uncheck “Default letter for decision code” setting for multiple letters
When building the letter template, ensure the “Default letter for decision code” option is not selected if multiple letters are associated with the same decision. If this setting is enabled, Slate will automatically assign that letter when the decision is applied to a record, which may result in the wrong letter being selected when several versions exist for that decision (e.g., multiple Admit letters).

Dynamic content in decision letters

Avoid starting the decision letter creation process with complex conditional logic using Liquid markup. While Liquid markup can be used to create conditional content (for example, different messaging for domestic vs. international admits), it can quickly make letters difficult to manage.

Once your team has a better understanding of how letters are assigned and what your needs are, you can gradually introduce Liquid markup for conditional content and begin consolidating existing letters where possible and creating clear, distinct letter versions in Slate. This keeps the decision process simple and easier to maintain.

As an alternative, Content Blocks can also be used to conditionally insert HTML content into decision letters. Content Blocks allow you to format and edit content separately before merging it into the letter and can be a simpler option than extensive Liquid markup.

📖 Content blocks in decision letters