URM 2012-2013 Cycle... let's go! Forum

[griffin.811]

Hope they continue this next cycle, although my GPA may still keep me out. Hoping a great LSAT will give me the needed boost.

[HankBashir]

URMs with stats about mine and who went complete at about the same time have all gotten their JS1s. Pretty sure I'm left behind.

[John_rizzy_rawls]

URMs with stats about mine and who went complete at about the same time have all gotten their JS1s. Pretty sure I'm left behind.

You barely submitted over a month ago, you'll be fine just give it time.

[BlaqBella]

So is it just me or is Harvard showing some major kindness to URMs this cycle with low-mid 160 LSATs and 3.5+ GPAs? This is amazing! Hope this continues on for next cycle. I hope all new admits in this thread are planning to visit Harvard's ASW. Please report back!

No you're totally right and it's a slight aberration from the last few cycles. The number of qualified AA candidates must be dipping big time, because there have been many AAs this cycle well below both 25ths to be accepted.

Also, congrats to new admits.

And for reference, to add to the numbers pool -

AA Female with 163 and 3.609 UGPA from a top public school. I also did the Peace Corps and had some other strong softs.

I think her LSDAS GPA is lower than a 3.6...more like 3.5. Totally awesome.

I love hearing about these acceptances because it goes to show its seldom ever just about numbers, especially for URMs who are at or below 25th percentile of these top schools.

[chiach1]

I've been complete at HLS since Nov, havent heard a peep. This wait is painful

[BlaqBella]

URMs with stats about mine and who went complete at about the same time have all gotten their JS1s. Pretty sure I'm left behind.

You barely submitted over a month ago, you'll be fine just give it time.

+1. Hank, give it some time.

[Teflon_Don]

Had my JS1 last Wed.. I know it can take awhile but I'm already losing faith!

[bfigsan]

Had my JS1 last Wed.. I know it can take awhile but I'm already losing faith!

I feel you. People with 1/31 interviews got JS2 today, so it's a little unsettling. I think we URMs always wait longer than non-URMs.

[BlaqBella]

Hope they continue this next cycle, although my GPA may still keep me out. Hoping a great LSAT will give me the needed boost.

3.2 is presumably the cutoff.

[bizzybone1313]

"My people be projects or jail never Harvard or Yale." -Nas, Book of Rhymes. What do you know about that TLS?

[griffin.811]

Hope they continue this next cycle, although my GPA may still keep me out. Hoping a great LSAT will give me the needed boost.

3.2 is presumably the cutoff.

Haha! I'm cutting it dangerously close then!

[BlaqBella]

"My people be projects or jail, never Harvard or Yale." -Nas, Book of Rhymes. What do you know about that TLS?

He does have a point. Did you listen to Harry Belafonte's acceptance speech at the recent NAACP Image Awards ceremony? Excerpt:

“In the gun game, we are the most hunted,” he said.
“The river of blood that washes the streets of our nation flows mostly from the bodies of our black children,” Belafonte said during the live broadcast from the Los Angeles stage. “Where is the raised voice of black America? Why are we mute?

Victims to crime, violence, the legal system. Hopefully the few that make it to the finest institutions in this country can utilize their knowledge (and utlimately power) to give back.

[2012applicant2013]

...

[John_rizzy_rawls]

I've been complete at HLS since Nov, havent heard a peep. This wait is painful

Are you something other than AA URM? That could be why. They're not dipping nearly as low for MA and NA applicants from what we've seen on TLS so far.

[TatNurner]

So is it just me or is Harvard showing some major kindness to URMs this cycle with low-mid 160 LSATs and 3.5+ GPAs? This is amazing! Hope this continues on for next cycle. I hope all new admits in this thread are planning to visit Harvard's ASW. Please report back!

No you're totally right and it's a slight aberration from the last few cycles. The number of qualified AA candidates must be dipping big time, because there have been many AAs this cycle well below both 25ths to be accepted.

The timing is interesting too. Usually some of the URM numbers getting in now come off the waitlist in late spring/early summer.

It's gonna be a fascinating next few months. Slow motion drama.

Congrats to all those who've been accepted!

[TatNurner]

We may even see the unicorn that is a ~3.5 URM Yale admit.

[bizzybone1313]

We may even see the unicorn that is a ~3.5 URM Yale admit.

Lol. Does anyone know what it really takes for an URM to get into Yale? I think they are a mystery for most people.

[TatNurner]

We may even see the unicorn that is a ~3.5 URM Yale admit.

Lol. Does anyone know what it really takes for an URM to get into Yale? I think they are a mystery for most people.

They like high GPAs above all. And they have a small class so they can achieve a representative number of URMs while having very few of them. Their elite status + freedom to be selective means they can cherry pick the most attractive URMs in each cycle.

[John_rizzy_rawls]

We may even see the unicorn that is a ~3.5 URM Yale admit.

Lol. Does anyone know what it really takes for an URM anyone to get into Yale?

FTFY.

It's a matter of being academically, socially, and personally intriguing and impressive as shown by accomplishments, glowing letters of recommendation, and academic achievement. Basically, the whole package.

All that plus no C&F, no red flags, no mediocre recommendations, and no mistakes whatsoever on your application.

Have all that and you may have a shot.

[BlaqBella]

Rizzy, you forgot being born into the right family. Some admissions are based on who you are/know.

[bizzybone1313]

We may even see the unicorn that is a ~3.5 URM Yale admit.

Lol. Does anyone know what it really takes for an URM anyone to get into Yale?

FTFY.

It's a matter of being academically, socially, and personally intriguing and impressive as shown by accomplishments, glowing letters of recommendation, and academic achievement. Basically, the whole package.

All that plus no C&F, no red flags, no mediocre recommendations, and no mistakes whatsoever on your application.

Have all that and you may have a shot.

The C&F part isn't true. Lets not just speculate. Mkay?

Great. So when I stole an eraser from a grocery store as a 12 year old that won't be held against me. Happy to hear that.

[John_rizzy_rawls]

The C&F part isn't true. Lets not just speculate. Mkay?

I meant major C&F (fraud, violent crimes, etc), not the standard stuff. Don't worry Worm, you're in.

[amc987]

So is it just me or is Harvard showing some major kindness to URMs this cycle with low-mid 160 LSATs and 3.5+ GPAs? This is amazing! Hope this continues on for next cycle. I hope all new admits in this thread are planning to visit Harvard's ASW. Please report back!

Yeah I think you're right. Last year Harvard made a lot of URMs with higher numbers wait much longer (think decisions between late-March and mid-June) than this year's admits. I'm not sure if this is happening because of the smaller applicant pool this year or a change in policy (since JS is running the show now where as KB was in charge for most of 2011-12) or just serendipity.

Regardless, congrats to everyone who got in!! To those who are still waiting, keep your heads up. I'm hoping the odds will be in your favor as well.

[EttaJ]

Congrats to all the new Harvard admits!! Well done!

[BlaqBella]

So is it just me or is Harvard showing some major kindness to URMs this cycle with low-mid 160 LSATs and 3.5+ GPAs? This is amazing! Hope this continues on for next cycle. I hope all new admits in this thread are planning to visit Harvard's ASW. Please report back!

Yeah I think you're right. Last year Harvard made a lot of URMs with higher numbers wait much longer (think decisions between late-March and mid-June) than this year's admits. I'm not sure if this is happening because of the smaller applicant pool this year or a change in policy (since JS is running the show now where as KB was in charge for most of 2011-12) or just serendipity.

Regardless, congrats to everyone who got in!! To those who are still waiting, keep your heads up. I'm hoping the odds will be in your favor as well.

Do you think JS was the reason behind Harvard's want for more applicants with work/post-grad life experiences?

I wonder if that has anything to do with the # of URM applicants that have been admitted thus far. I've never seen a wave like this before and the majority have/had post-grad experience (Peace Corp, TFA, opera singer, analyst, etc...).

Either way, I am not complaining.