Harvard 2011 Applicants Forum

[apple430]

It varies. Sometimes JR tags an app early on thats gotten some preliminary screening (maybe general sorting? I'm guessing) and interviews the applicant. The app then goes to the 'board of adcomms' lol or whatnot who look at it (possibly twice, i cant remember what he told me last yr). Other times your app will have already been looked at (read: mostly decided on haha) and then he'll interview you and send it to them AGAIN to review. Something along those lines.

Point is, your app gets looked at multiple times by multiple people, and JR can interview you early on in that process or later on, though I am assuming it is always after some sort of preliminary screening (i.e. an app he finds 'interesting' w/ decent numbers or probable in's...etc.)

So, does this mean that the people interviewed in the first batch have only received initial screening or can their, I guess, degree of review differ from person to person?

[CreativityKing]

It varies. Sometimes JR tags an app early on thats gotten some preliminary screening (maybe general sorting? I'm guessing) and interviews the applicant. The app then goes to the 'board of adcomms' lol or whatnot who look at it (possibly twice, i cant remember what he told me last yr). Other times your app will have already been looked at (read: mostly decided on haha) and then he'll interview you and send it to them AGAIN to review. Something along those lines.

Point is, your app gets looked at multiple times by multiple people, and JR can interview you early on in that process or later on, though I am assuming it is always after some sort of preliminary screening (i.e. an app he finds 'interesting' w/ decent numbers or probable in's...etc.)

Thanks for the info.

[DoubleChecks]

75% of those interviewed get in, and the 25% who don't were considered "on the bubble". (Close, not quite). Only 15% get interviews. So one can assume that you've been through some sort of indicative screening already. Whether it's more than that, who knows, but your chances are at least 75% right now.

yeah thats about right...though from what JR said to me, it seemed as if his interview is usually not the last step...so someone else reviews it after him (maybe w/ his notes attached?). if it helps, i was interviewed in the first batch so around this time last yr.

its 800+ accepted out of 1000-1100 interviewed, so odds are pretty good...i mean, you know what questions he'll ask and JR is extremely chill

just dont do stupid things...i heard from HLS adcomms that 1 yr an interviewee put TS or whoever on hold to feed his dog haha

[GeePee]

Rumor is that the ratio of accepted/interviewed was down to something like 800/12-1300, which is closer to 60%. It's still definitely a very good sign to get an interview, but it seems like you also needed to perform reasonably on that interview.

[CreativityKing]

It is hard for me to believe that the decision to let someone in or not is based in large part on a 7-10 minute conversation...just seems like it would be difficult to significantly improve or hurt your standing with an answer to "Why do you want to go to Harvard?" or "Where do you see your career going?"

Thoughts?

[r6_philly]

It is hard for me to believe that the decision to let someone in or not is based in large part on a 7-10 minute conversation...just seems like it would be difficult to significantly improve or hurt your standing with an answer to "Why do you want to go to Harvard?" or "Where do you see your career going?"

Thoughts?

I work at a newspaper, and we have staff that does fact checking. They call up and ask a series of questions to make sure everything is authentic. I would think they could find out in 5-10 minutes whether or not you wrote your PS and whether their perception of you is accurate or not. Many jobs also do phone interview/screening before bringing you in. Basically they like what they see from your materials, but they are fact checking to see if some awesome consultant crafted your app, and if you are indeed the person they want you to be. This may be a bigger deal for someone coming from a background/UG they don't now a lot about.

[invisiblesun]

It is hard for me to believe that the decision to let someone in or not is based in large part on a 7-10 minute conversation...just seems like it would be difficult to significantly improve or hurt your standing with an answer to "Why do you want to go to Harvard?" or "Where do you see your career going?"

Thoughts?

I was also flipping out after my phone interview. Bear in mind that JR probably knocks many out in a row and likely jots down some notes and moves onto another applicant. A fellow HLSer told me that JR mentioned a candidate who replied "I don't know" to "Why do you want to go to Harvard?". As long as that's not how your phone interview went, I would breathe easy and feel good about getting an interview this early.

[rundoxierun]

Problem: I just went under review at Harvard and if I receive a quick jr1 I may have trouble getting it in time. I have fall break coming up and will be heading to the ozark mountains(arkansas). I'm not sure if my phone will get data on the specific place I will be and I doubt our cottage will have internet. How soon after the email is the interview typically?

[CreativityKing]

It is hard for me to believe that the decision to let someone in or not is based in large part on a 7-10 minute conversation...just seems like it would be difficult to significantly improve or hurt your standing with an answer to "Why do you want to go to Harvard?" or "Where do you see your career going?"

Thoughts?

I was also flipping out after my phone interview. Bear in mind that JR probably knocks many out in a row and likely jots down some notes and moves onto another applicant. A fellow HLSer told me that JR mentioned a candidate who replied "I don't know" to "Why do you want to go to Harvard?". As long as that's not how your phone interview went, I would breathe easy and feel good about getting an interview this early.

Haha fortunately I came up with a better answer than "I don't know" for that question. Nothing to do now but sit back and wait for the next six weeks or so.

[biryou84]

aaa

[mydogteddy]

Just got my "application complete" email. App submitted 9/15, went "under review" 10/6. Is it a bad sign that I've yet to receive a JR1 email?

[vsl89]

Just got my "application complete" email. App submitted 9/15, went "under review" 10/6. Is it a bad sign that I've yet to receive a JR1 email?

+ 1 Same situation, although my #s are not competitive...LSAT below 25%

EDIT: I should note that some people have received complete emails before JR1s based on past threads,but that appears to be the case only marginally.

[er doctor]

same here tracker said complete as of 10/5 but application email today no JR1 yet.

[vegenator]

same here tracker said complete as of 10/5 but application email today no JR1 yet.

+1

[r6_philly]

same here tracker said complete as of 10/5 but application email today no JR1 yet.

+1

Did it change to under review or stay at complete?

[vsl89]

same here tracker said complete as of 10/5 but application email today no JR1 yet.

+1

Did it change to under review or stay at complete?

My status said under review since 10/06 and has stayed there despite the complete email today

[vegenator]

same here tracker said complete as of 10/5 but application email today no JR1 yet.

+1

Did it change to under review or stay at complete?

Whoops, my bad. Mine went from complete to "Under review" on 10/5. Got my application complete email today. No JR1 (yet?).

[vegenator]

same here tracker said complete as of 10/5 but application email today no JR1 yet.

+1

Did it change to under review or stay at complete?

Whoops, my bad. Mine went from complete to "Under review" on 10/5. Got my application complete email today. No JR1 (yet?).

And my status checker stayed at "under review" even though I got the complete email.

[r6_philly]

So based on ONE week of evidence, can we tentatively say they submit apps for review and pick people for JR1 on Fridays? Maybe if you are not picked the first week you get sent to the next week's pool. If you don't get picked until a certain time they will put you on hold for the last round of decisions.

[rundoxierun]

I never went complete. Went straight from app received to under review.

[hellome]

Just got my "application complete" email. App submitted 9/15, went "under review" 10/6. Is it a bad sign that I've yet to receive a JR1 email?

hm yeah, also got the email today although my status has been "under review" for at least a couple days.
ugh, i hope it just means that they've been a little slow with sending out emails.

[WestOfTheRest]

I think the next group of JR1s will be tomorrow.

[hellome]

I think the next group of JR1s will be tomorrow.

+1

[CreativityKing]

I got the complete email this morning...had my interview a couple days ago.

[rundoxierun]

Just got JR1. Went under review 10/13