Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[nickhalden]

What profs/classes should you definitely use a #1 bid on?

[foxes]

On a broader note, I can't see myself filling my preferences up (given the combination of what I want to take, and who is offering those courses). Ok to do that and fill up with electives? Or am I running the risk of being screwed somehow?

I did exactly this last year and did completely fine, ended up with my ideal schedule and only had to ride one waitlist. It's obviously context specific, my classes are not your classes etc., but bidding light on multi-section and filling the gap with electives worked well for me [though for purposes of full disclosure I was also doing a clinic, which helped fill credits].

basically also my concern. the "core" classes/MSR classes don't really overlap with my interests, so does anyone else have any opinions on how sketchy it would look if i only did like, 1 or 2 for next year?

eta: anyone have opinions on klarman for 14th vs feldman for 1st ?

[tomwatts]

Any chance getting Admin with Freeman at 3 or below?

I would think so, unless there's something screwy about the Admin options next year. Which, now that I check, there isn't: you've got Sunstein in the fall and Freeman and Vermeule in the spring, all of whom are going to draw significant crowds. I'd guess that you could get Freeman at pretty much any preference number, given that it's in the spring (more chances to drop) and a lot of people are going to chicken out on Admin between now and then.

What profs/classes should you definitely use a #1 bid on?

Totally anecdotally from 2 years of preferencing, some general thoughts.

Things that tend to make a class more impacted (more students for limited spots):
* A teacher that HLS Dope grades in the DS/H range, especially 4.8 or higher (e.g., Klarman, Feldman, Schulman, Warren, Bordone)
* A multisection where the other options are iffy (e.g., some years, Warren is the only good Tax prof who's scheduled)
* Anything that sounds cool to a lot of people (e.g., it has "Supreme Court" or "Constitution" in the title, or it's taught by a famous judge)

Things that tend to make a class less impacted:
* It's a hard blackletter class (e.g., Admin, Fed Courts)
* It's a spring multisection (because people have longer to change their minds and may drop as they choose conflicting spring electives)

There are probably more things that others could add.

basically also my concern. the "core" classes/MSR classes don't really overlap with my interests, so does anyone else have any opinions on how sketchy it would look if i only did like, 1 or 2 for next year?

Sketchy to whom? For clerkships, that's probably not great. For PI, it depends on your electives, but if the electives are mostly in relevant areas, then it's fine. For firms, no one cares, because you'll have an offer without anyone knowing what your classes were anyway.

eta: anyone have opinions on klarman for 14th vs feldman for 1st ?

They're both great. 14th is more fundamental, so you really ought to take it at some point (but could skip 1st). If you have a strong aversion to cold calls, Klarman doesn't cold call and Feldman does.

[foxes]

basically also my concern. the "core" classes/MSR classes don't really overlap with my interests, so does anyone else have any opinions on how sketchy it would look if i only did like, 1 or 2 for next year?

Sketchy to whom? For clerkships, that's probably not great. For PI, it depends on your electives, but if the electives are mostly in relevant areas, then it's fine. For firms, no one cares, because you'll have an offer without anyone knowing what your classes were anyway.

eta: anyone have opinions on klarman for 14th vs feldman for 1st ?

They're both great. 14th is more fundamental, so you really ought to take it at some point (but could skip 1st). If you have a strong aversion to cold calls, Klarman doesn't cold call and Feldman does.

ty! yeah, not interested in clerking so i'll probably just go with the classes i'm interested in then.

[foxes]

sorry to keep spamming this thread, but anyone taken fallon for either of the con laws?

[fozzie]

I'm not sure this is the place to ask. But the vibe is that *some* 1Ls should already be thinking about lining up LORs for clerkship applications. That seems so hard to do after just seven months here and one set of grades. How well did some of you know profs when you asked? How much could the letters really say at this point? (Do professors adjust their standards when they write letters for 1Ls? Do judges adjust theirs?) And are professors expecting the question? If not, I worry it sends a bad message (e.g., I know we just met, and trust me I'm sincere in my interest in your work etc., but also could you do this important thing for me right away?). Maybe the message is that, if I've got these questions, I'm not the sort of person who should apply this summer.

[tomwatts]

I'm not sure this is the place to ask. But the vibe is that *some* 1Ls should already be thinking about lining up LORs for clerkship applications. That seems so hard to do after just seven months here and one set of grades. How well did some of you know profs when you asked? How much could the letters really say at this point? (Do professors adjust their standards when they write letters for 1Ls? Do judges adjust theirs?) And are professors expecting the question? If not, I worry it sends a bad message (e.g., I know we just met, and trust me I'm sincere in my interest in your work etc., but also could you do this important thing for me right away?). Maybe the message is that, if I've got these questions, I'm not the sort of person who should apply this summer.

If you got a good grade and participated in class/went to office hours such that the prof would remember you if prompted, it's fine. You don't have to be besties with a prof to get a LOR. Profs are very used to students asking them for LORs when the students have not much more relationship with them than taking one class with them.

Now, if (later) you can take a second class with them, R.A. for them, or whatever, that will help later on. The clerkship hiring timeline is completely nuts now — for a clerkship to begin right after graduation (+ bar summer), you might get hired at any time between the end of your 1L year and when you graduate — so even if you have a fairly basic LOR initially, you can build on that relationship and get a more specific LOR later in the application process. (Or not — you can also drop that prof from your list of recommenders once you have a 2L prof who knows you better to replace the 1L prof.)

[malleus discentium]

I'm not sure this is the place to ask. But the vibe is that *some* 1Ls should already be thinking about lining up LORs for clerkship applications. That seems so hard to do after just seven months here and one set of grades. How well did some of you know profs when you asked? How much could the letters really say at this point? (Do professors adjust their standards when they write letters for 1Ls? Do judges adjust theirs?) And are professors expecting the question? If not, I worry it sends a bad message (e.g., I know we just met, and trust me I'm sincere in my interest in your work etc., but also could you do this important thing for me right away?). Maybe the message is that, if I've got these questions, I'm not the sort of person who should apply this summer.

One of the best pieces of advice I never got was for 1Ls to keep a summary of their interactions with professors—including cold calls, voluntary comments in class, emails, and discussions at office hours. Professors often ask for such a list when writing letters, and it is much easier to have one already written than to try to remember every time you said something they might now find clever. The semester is almost over, but if clerkships are on your radar, it's something to start now.

[meisme23]

I'm not sure this is the place to ask. But the vibe is that *some* 1Ls should already be thinking about lining up LORs for clerkship applications. That seems so hard to do after just seven months here and one set of grades. How well did some of you know profs when you asked? How much could the letters really say at this point? (Do professors adjust their standards when they write letters for 1Ls? Do judges adjust theirs?) And are professors expecting the question? If not, I worry it sends a bad message (e.g., I know we just met, and trust me I'm sincere in my interest in your work etc., but also could you do this important thing for me right away?). Maybe the message is that, if I've got these questions, I'm not the sort of person who should apply this summer.

If you got a good grade and participated in class/went to office hours such that the prof would remember you if prompted, it's fine. You don't have to be besties with a prof to get a LOR. Profs are very used to students asking them for LORs when the students have not much more relationship with them than taking one class with them.

Now, if (later) you can take a second class with them, R.A. for them, or whatever, that will help later on. The clerkship hiring timeline is completely nuts now — for a clerkship to begin right after graduation (+ bar summer), you might get hired at any time between the end of your 1L year and when you graduate — so even if you have a fairly basic LOR initially, you can build on that relationship and get a more specific LOR later in the application process. (Or not — you can also drop that prof from your list of recommenders once you have a 2L prof who knows you better to replace the 1L prof.)

What's the general advice for second semester professors? Is it okay to wait until grades come out in the summer and then send them an email asking for the LOR (assuming you've had face-to-face time during the semester)?

[thegoat2019]

Incoming 1L here planning for financial aid/scholarship offers. Is the first term bill due in August?

[leslieknope]

I'm not sure this is the place to ask. But the vibe is that *some* 1Ls should already be thinking about lining up LORs for clerkship applications. That seems so hard to do after just seven months here and one set of grades. How well did some of you know profs when you asked? How much could the letters really say at this point? (Do professors adjust their standards when they write letters for 1Ls? Do judges adjust theirs?) And are professors expecting the question? If not, I worry it sends a bad message (e.g., I know we just met, and trust me I'm sincere in my interest in your work etc., but also could you do this important thing for me right away?). Maybe the message is that, if I've got these questions, I'm not the sort of person who should apply this summer.

If you got a good grade and participated in class/went to office hours such that the prof would remember you if prompted, it's fine. You don't have to be besties with a prof to get a LOR. Profs are very used to students asking them for LORs when the students have not much more relationship with them than taking one class with them.

Now, if (later) you can take a second class with them, R.A. for them, or whatever, that will help later on. The clerkship hiring timeline is completely nuts now — for a clerkship to begin right after graduation (+ bar summer), you might get hired at any time between the end of your 1L year and when you graduate — so even if you have a fairly basic LOR initially, you can build on that relationship and get a more specific LOR later in the application process. (Or not — you can also drop that prof from your list of recommenders once you have a 2L prof who knows you better to replace the 1L prof.)

What's the general advice for second semester professors? Is it okay to wait until grades come out in the summer and then send them an email asking for the LOR (assuming you've had face-to-face time during the semester)?

OCS told me that it's okay to do that, but it's also cool to bring it up now if you feel like you're close with them.

[foxes]

Incoming 1L here planning for financial aid/scholarship offers. Is the first term bill due in August?

yes

[ManOurHouseisGreat]

How highly do we need to rank Schulman (Evidence) and Fallon (1st Amend)?

[thegoat2019]

When submitting our college certification, is it okay if we don't waive our right of access to the form? I just want my university dean's office to send me an electronic copy of whatever they send to HLS.

[Dmorales5]

Not sure if this was already asked, but what is a typical 1L schedule?

[despina]

Not sure if this was already asked, but what is a typical 1L schedule?

What does a class schedule typically look like for 1Ls? (Especially first semester)

It's worth searching the thread because there has been a detailed explanation of this before.

Your fall semester you will be in class for 18 hours per week, probably including one to three classes every day.

You will have:
LRW (2 hours), civil procedure (4 hours), and three of the following five common law classes, each of which are 4 hours: torts, contacts, property, criminal law.

In January Term, you take the Problem Solving Workshop, which meets all morning (9-12) every day, and have the afternoon free to work... on "solving problems"... or not.

Spring semester, you will also have LRW, plus the two common law classes you didn't have in the fall, plus an international law class (you choose between 7 classes, each of which are 4 hours). You also have an elective which you choose, which can be almost any (non-clinic) class the school offers, and can meet from 2 hours per week (seminars) to 8 hours per week (Negotiation Workshop).

From page 240 -- more info there.

[Dmorales5]

So you're likely to have classes Monday through Friday 1L?

[TripTrip]

So you're likely to have classes Monday through Friday 1L?

Yes.

[leslieknope]

So like, how much do wait lists move? If I'm 80th on the WL for a 120 person class, I can probably just move on with my life, right?

[Orion311]

Two questions for planning summer flights:

1. How important is it to be back for EIP Orientation on Friday, August 5th? Is it fine to come back the Saturday or Sunday before interviews start on the Monday?

2. Does the HLR competition have to be handed in physically, and does it go right until 23:59 on the Saturday? Does this mean you shouldn't plan to leave until Sunday the 22nd? (I don't want to write remotely)

Thanks!

[despina]

So you're likely to have classes Monday through Friday 1L?

Yes.

Almost certainly, at least in the fall. Some folks don't have Friday classes in the spring but it's not necessarily something you can control.

[TripTrip]

So like, how much do wait lists move? If I'm 80th on the WL for a 120 person class, I can probably just move on with my life, right?

Not necessarily. Waitlists can and often do go through that many people. The Registrar can firesale it (forcing a few hundred people off the waitlist) or expand the class size, both of which could put you in the class.

[despina]

So like, how much do wait lists move? If I'm 80th on the WL for a 120 person class, I can probably just move on with my life, right?

Not necessarily. Waitlists can and often do go through that many people. The Registrar can firesale it (forcing a few hundred people off the waitlist) or expand the class size, both of which could put you in the class.

Agreed. And remember, you don't need 80 of the 120 people to drop. Even if only 30 people drop, not everyone on the waitlist will take their spot. And the farther down the waitlist, the more quickly it often moves, because people who ranked it lower are less likely to take the spot (and their schedules are more likely to be settled).

[foxes]

Has anyone ever had a problem getting a dorm extension for the write on? Want to buy my flight home.

[Indifference]

Related to the above: Is it normal to only get 3 classes (for the year) after preferencing is done for multi-sections? My schedule is woefully empty (nothing in the fall as of right now, one winter class, and two spring classes (one of which I don't really want).