Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013) Forum

[gianna]

And the e-mails keep coming!

E-mail from JS:

The Law School Admissions Council has informed me that you may be considering law school this year. I invite you to take a closer look at Harvard Law School and the unparalleled opportunities that are available here.

HLS is a dynamic, vibrant, and energetic place to study the law. HLS is home to the world's most intellectually interesting and diverse law faculty, leading an incredible array of courses, seminars, and reading groups, which cover every major substantive area of legal study. Our size is our greatest strength. For example, Harvard Law School offers over 430 courses and small reading groups (132 with enrollments of fewer than 25 students), 30+ clinical areas, and over 100 student organizations ranging from the Scales of Justice (our a cappella group) to journals like the Environmental Law Review. In addition, Harvard's focus on public service and international legal studies means that our students have an impact on many communities.

Admission to Harvard Law School is highly competitive, but each application receives individual consideration by our team of faculty members and admissions officers. We believe that a student body with a wide range of experiences, interests, and backgrounds helps to create the best teaching and learning environment imaginable. While this message in no way ensures your admission, we encourage you to apply. Every year, we end up admitting students who never thought they had a chance at getting into Harvard.

Please visit Harvard Law School online at http://www.law.harvard.edu to explore the extensive resources and opportunities available to J.D. students, or follow the links below for more information on specific topics that interest you.

Sincerely,
Jessica Soban
Assistant Dean and Chief Admissions Officer

A JS-.5 - congrats!

Haha +1

hahahha +2

[elterrible78]

How'd the Monday JS1s go?

Do you have yours scheduled yet?

Yeah I'm scheduled towards the end of the week. Was going to grab Monday but then I decided against it, just to have a little more time to prepare and just in case anyone here who had their JS1 early in the week helped shed light on how the interview had changed, especially w/r/t what type of questions she asks to fill those extra ten minutes.

I wanted to do it Monday too, just to get it out of the way and maybe even hear back a little sooner, but I didn't have a reliable internet connection today, and I wanted to see if we got any input, too. As it is, I'm going Thursday at 10:40 EST.

[facile princeps]

And the e-mails keep coming!

E-mail from JS:

The Law School Admissions Council has informed me that you may be considering law school this year. I invite you to take a closer look at Harvard Law School and the unparalleled opportunities that are available here.

HLS is a dynamic, vibrant, and energetic place to study the law. HLS is home to the world's most intellectually interesting and diverse law faculty, leading an incredible array of courses, seminars, and reading groups, which cover every major substantive area of legal study. Our size is our greatest strength. For example, Harvard Law School offers over 430 courses and small reading groups (132 with enrollments of fewer than 25 students), 30+ clinical areas, and over 100 student organizations ranging from the Scales of Justice (our a cappella group) to journals like the Environmental Law Review. In addition, Harvard's focus on public service and international legal studies means that our students have an impact on many communities.

Admission to Harvard Law School is highly competitive, but each application receives individual consideration by our team of faculty members and admissions officers. We believe that a student body with a wide range of experiences, interests, and backgrounds helps to create the best teaching and learning environment imaginable. While this message in no way ensures your admission, we encourage you to apply. Every year, we end up admitting students who never thought they had a chance at getting into Harvard.

Please visit Harvard Law School online at http://www.law.harvard.edu to explore the extensive resources and opportunities available to J.D. students, or follow the links below for more information on specific topics that interest you.

Sincerely,
Jessica Soban
Assistant Dean and Chief Admissions Officer

A JS-.5 - congrats!

LOL

[anela00]

What the heck...I came home to 4 different emails from HLS.

[hryu2]

Did anyone get this? I didn't apply yet and they sent me this email yesterday.
lol


"Dear [My name],

Congratulations on your admission to Harvard Law School. You have been admitted to one of the most preeminent institutions of legal education and to be a part of an exciting and vibrant community. One year ago, I was in your shoes and I understand that considering law school can be a challenging and daunting experience. Fortunately, Harvard Law School has numerous affinity groups that provide students with resources and guidance to assist them in this process of transition.

APALSA (Asian Pacific American Law Students Association) is a political, academic, community-minded, and social organization. Our goal is to increase awareness and understanding of Asian Pacific American issues while always pushing to give students more opportunities to participate in various initiatives through our activities and resources. We acknowledge that Asian Pacific Americans from the previous generations have made tremendous progress, and we must seize the momentum and continuously challenge the status quo. In the academic year of 2012-2013, we are planning various political, professional and social events to this end (e.g., speaker series, summer job search tips panel, study panel, boat cruise). As our major event of the spring, APALSA annually hosts the National Asian Pacific American Conference on Law and Public Policy. Prominent jurists, public interest advocates, corporate partners, and policymakers from across the nation convene at HLS to participate in panels, meet law students, and discuss pressing political, cultural, and social issues.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly -- I would be more than happy to talk to you about, academics, life in Cambridge, or anything else that might be on your mind. Harvard Law School is a wonderful place to attend, and APALSA is here to assist you in every step of your adjustment to the next chapter of your life.

Sincerely,

Janet Yu
kyu@jd14.law.harvard.edu
President, 2012-2013"

[pacifica]

Did anyone get this? I didn't apply yet and they sent me this email yesterday.
lol


"Dear [My name],

Congratulations on your admission to Harvard Law School. You have been admitted to one of the most preeminent institutions of legal education and to be a part of an exciting and vibrant community. One year ago, I was in your shoes and I understand that considering law school can be a challenging and daunting experience. Fortunately, Harvard Law School has numerous affinity groups that provide students with resources and guidance to assist them in this process of transition.

APALSA (Asian Pacific American Law Students Association) is a political, academic, community-minded, and social organization. Our goal is to increase awareness and understanding of Asian Pacific American issues while always pushing to give students more opportunities to participate in various initiatives through our activities and resources. We acknowledge that Asian Pacific Americans from the previous generations have made tremendous progress, and we must seize the momentum and continuously challenge the status quo. In the academic year of 2012-2013, we are planning various political, professional and social events to this end (e.g., speaker series, summer job search tips panel, study panel, boat cruise). As our major event of the spring, APALSA annually hosts the National Asian Pacific American Conference on Law and Public Policy. Prominent jurists, public interest advocates, corporate partners, and policymakers from across the nation convene at HLS to participate in panels, meet law students, and discuss pressing political, cultural, and social issues.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly -- I would be more than happy to talk to you about, academics, life in Cambridge, or anything else that might be on your mind. Harvard Law School is a wonderful place to attend, and APALSA is here to assist you in every step of your adjustment to the next chapter of your life.

Sincerely,

Janet Yu
kyu@jd14.law.harvard.edu
President, 2012-2013"

haha, damn, JY2 already. congrats!

[Lavitz]

Interesting thought about the earlier interview invitation. I too got the email on Wednesday and also am in the NY area. Clearly this sample size of two means something haha

It actually might, considering how few people received the invite that day. But I guess it's not worth fretting over right now.

Yeah I'm scheduled towards the end of the week. Was going to grab Monday but then I decided against it, just to have a little more time to prepare and just in case anyone here who had their JS1 early in the week helped shed light on how the interview had changed, especially w/r/t what type of questions she asks to fill those extra ten minutes.

I wanted to do it Monday too, just to get it out of the way and maybe even hear back a little sooner, but I didn't have a reliable internet connection today, and I wanted to see if we got any input, too. As it is, I'm going Thursday at 10:40 EST.

Yeah, I would've done it Monday if not for the hurricane making everything unpredictable. If I'd known what I know now, I would've grabbed the first Monday morning slot.

I had the same thoughts about hearing back earlier if we interviewed earlier, but going back through previous years' threads, it looks like it's perfectly normal for people to be included in the first wave of acceptances the Monday before Thanksgiving even after having an interview as late as the previous Thursday. So if this cycle follows past trends, everyone interviewing this week and next should be eligible for the first wave of JS2s.

Currently debating rescheduling for next Tuesday, but if I don't, I'll be going earlier than you on Thursday. Maybe I'll be able to provide a quick update before you have yours. I don't know if it would help much, but it seems like we're not getting any feedback from today's JS1ers.

[elterrible78]

Interesting thought about the earlier interview invitation. I too got the email on Wednesday and also am in the NY area. Clearly this sample size of two means something haha

It actually might, considering how few people received the invite that day. But I guess it's not worth fretting over right now.

Yeah I'm scheduled towards the end of the week. Was going to grab Monday but then I decided against it, just to have a little more time to prepare and just in case anyone here who had their JS1 early in the week helped shed light on how the interview had changed, especially w/r/t what type of questions she asks to fill those extra ten minutes.

I wanted to do it Monday too, just to get it out of the way and maybe even hear back a little sooner, but I didn't have a reliable internet connection today, and I wanted to see if we got any input, too. As it is, I'm going Thursday at 10:40 EST.

Yeah, I would've done it Monday if not for the hurricane making everything unpredictable. If I'd known what I know now, I would've grabbed the first Monday morning slot.

I had the same thoughts about hearing back earlier if we interviewed earlier, but going back through previous years' threads, it looks like it's perfectly normal for people to be included in the first wave of acceptances the Monday before Thanksgiving even after having an interview as late as the previous Thursday. So if this cycle follows past trends, everyone interviewing this week and next should be eligible for the first wave of JS2s.

Currently debating rescheduling for next Tuesday, but if I don't, I'll be going earlier than you on Thursday. Maybe I'll be able to provide a quick update before you have yours. I don't know if it would help much, but it seems like we're not getting any feedback from today's JS1ers.

I would appreciate that, for sure. I talked with a friend at HLS today, and he pretty much confirmed that the past interviews were essentially Why Law / Why Harvard / Let's talk about your resume. Notwithstanding any changes due to the new, longer format, I'm prepared more or less for that. Let me know if they throw you a curveball.

[wingedwolf]

What does the email mean? At first I thought it was a joke from a friend.

Seriously, what does the email mean?

[Kitkatt]

What does the email mean? At first I thought it was a joke from a friend.

Seriously, what does the email mean?

This. Does Harvard usually send out emails like these in past cycles? Or are they worried that the drop in applicants could hurt them? I didn't expect to be hearing anything from Harvard.

[Lavitz]

I would appreciate that, for sure. I talked with a friend at HLS today, and he pretty much confirmed that the past interviews were essentially Why Law / Why Harvard / Let's talk about your resume. Notwithstanding any changes due to the new, longer format, I'm prepared more or less for that. Let me know if they throw you a curveball.

Will do.

What does the email mean? At first I thought it was a joke from a friend.

Seriously, what does the email mean?

This. Does Harvard usually send out emails like these in past cycles? Or are they worried that the drop in applicants could hurt them? I didn't expect to be hearing anything from Harvard.

I don't know if they've done these in the past, but they're probably just trying to get more people to apply so they can increase their selectivity. It may be a small factor in the ranking methodology, but since Stanford overtook Harvard, there's room for improvement in the rankings now.

[bernaldiaz]

reliable internet connection today, and I wanted to see if we got any input, too. As it is, I'm going Thursday at 10:40 EST.

Yeah, I would've done it Monday if not for the hurricane making everything unpredictable. If I'd known what I know now, I would've grabbed the first Monday morning slot.

I had the same thoughts about hearing back earlier if we interviewed earlier, but going back through previous years' threads, it looks like it's perfectly normal for people to be included in the first wave of acceptances the Monday before Thanksgiving even after having an interview as late as the previous Thursday. So if this cycle follows past trends, everyone interviewing this week and next should be eligible for the first wave of JS2s.

Currently debating rescheduling for next Tuesday, but if I don't, I'll be going earlier than you on Thursday. Maybe I'll be able to provide a quick update before you have yours. I don't know if it would help much, but it seems like we're not getting any feedback from today's JS1ers.

When looking at last year's thread, did you notice if the first JS1ers having a high percentage of conversions to JS2s? It seems like almost everyone who has a JS1 right now has very high numbers-- almost like they are just trying to get the high probability people in first.

[pacifica]

When looking at last year's thread, did you notice if the first JS1ers having a high percentage of conversions to JS2s? It seems like almost everyone who has a JS1 right now has very high numbers-- almost like they are just trying to get the high probability people in first.

I so very much wish that was true and hope you're right.

But the pessimist in me worries that the East Coast thing might be right too. Two NY/NJ posters above, I'm down the street from HLS. Sample size of 3, I know, but might be something... I read a lot of complaints in last year's thread about them not being explicit about which time zone their call is from, so maybe they're starting this year first in the same time zone to get off to a good start??

[Lavitz]

When looking at last year's thread, did you notice if the first JS1ers having a high percentage of conversions to JS2s? It seems like almost everyone who has a JS1 right now has very high numbers-- almost like they are just trying to get the high probability people in first.

I'd have to re-examine them and check the numbers to be sure of course, but going by memory I think that's been the trend in all three of the previous cycles. The first batch of TS/JR/KB/JS1s appears to have an above average acceptance rate compared with the overall conversion rate for the cycle. Not that any of us should get overconfident: there are always people with early interviews who don't get pre-Thanksgiving acceptances. Sometimes they get in later in the cycle--making it difficult to keep track--but sometimes things don't end well for them.

And when you talk about a "high percentage," keep in mind that the overall conversion rate has to decrease this cycle since they plan to interview approx. 200 more applicants while accepting the same number as previous cycles. Still, I believe being chosen for this batch is a relatively positive sign, and we can expect a better conversion rate than the 66% predicted for this cycle overall.

But the pessimist in me worries that the East Coast thing might be right too. Two NY/NJ posters above, I'm down the street from HLS. Sample size of 3, I know, but might be something... I read a lot of complaints in last year's thread about them not being explicit about which time zone their call is from, so maybe they're starting this year first in the same time zone to get off to a good start??

We were really just discussing the possibility that they sent out JS1 invites only to people in hurricane-affected areas on Wednesday--several days earlier than everyone else. I don't think that everyone included in both the first and second waves of JS1s is located on the East Coast, but then again, I don't know everyone's location so I could be wrong.

[hellohi]

Does anyone send thank you emails after these?

[pacifica]

Does anyone send thank you emails after these?

consensus from last year's thread was a resounding no.

but it was a lot shorter and more impersonal with a phone call than a video call, so... shrug

[vzapana]

Clarification e-mail from JS:

I am writing to apologize for a confusing email you received from HLS earlier this evening. The Admissions Office inadvertently emailed an updated version of a note from the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) that had gone out to students admitted to HLS last year, rather than sending you a message from APALSA encouraging you to apply to HLS this year.

As you can imagine, I am embarrassed by the mistake. That said, I want to take a minute to reiterate a few points in the email that I hope you do consider as you are applying to law schools. APALSA is a very active affinity group on campus and hosts fantastic events for students throughout the year. The opportunities the group affords its members—from professional to social to cultural—are truly wonderful.

So again, sorry for any confusion, and I wish you the best in your law school application process. I hope you will keep HLS in mind!

Sincerely,
Jessica Soban

[goden]

So apparently I'm not the only one who got these. Nice.

[Lavitz]

Clarification e-mail from JS:

I am writing to apologize for a confusing email you received from HLS earlier this evening. The Admissions Office inadvertently emailed an updated version of a note from the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) that had gone out to students admitted to HLS last year, rather than sending you a message from APALSA encouraging you to apply to HLS this year.

As you can imagine, I am embarrassed by the mistake. That said, I want to take a minute to reiterate a few points in the email that I hope you do consider as you are applying to law schools. APALSA is a very active affinity group on campus and hosts fantastic events for students throughout the year. The opportunities the group affords its members—from professional to social to cultural—are truly wonderful.

So again, sorry for any confusion, and I wish you the best in your law school application process. I hope you will keep HLS in mind!

Sincerely,
Jessica Soban

Scrolled down the page too quickly, saw "Sincerely, Jessica Soban" and thought she made an account and started posting here lol.

Seriously though, I'm glad she cleared that up.

[JedBartlett]

Clarification e-mail from JS:

I am writing to apologize for a confusing email you received from HLS earlier this evening. The Admissions Office inadvertently emailed an updated version of a note from the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) that had gone out to students admitted to HLS last year, rather than sending you a message from APALSA encouraging you to apply to HLS this year.

As you can imagine, I am embarrassed by the mistake. That said, I want to take a minute to reiterate a few points in the email that I hope you do consider as you are applying to law schools. APALSA is a very active affinity group on campus and hosts fantastic events for students throughout the year. The opportunities the group affords its members—from professional to social to cultural—are truly wonderful.

So again, sorry for any confusion, and I wish you the best in your law school application process. I hope you will keep HLS in mind!

Sincerely,
Jessica Soban

Scrolled down the page too quickly, saw "Sincerely, Jessica Soban" and thought she made an account and started posting here lol.

Haha, I'm 100% positive they at least read these threads. (I'd be fine with that, since I never post anything un-kosher.)

Quick question: Do you think it is okay if I have a headset with an attached mic during the interview? Or should I get another type of mic?

[Lavitz]

Quick question: Do you think it is okay if I have a headset with an attached mic during the interview? Or should I get another type of mic?

I have no idea what they would think of it, though they do recommend an "external microphone" so they shouldn't be too surprised to see a headset. I don't think it would influence their decision unless you felt self-conscious wearing it and it negatively affected your performance.

[ht2988]

Did anyone get this? I didn't apply yet and they sent me this email yesterday.
lol


"Dear [My name],

Congratulations on your admission to Harvard Law School. You have been admitted to one of the most preeminent institutions of legal education and to be a part of an exciting and vibrant community. One year ago, I was in your shoes and I understand that considering law school can be a challenging and daunting experience. Fortunately, Harvard Law School has numerous affinity groups that provide students with resources and guidance to assist them in this process of transition.

APALSA (Asian Pacific American Law Students Association) is a political, academic, community-minded, and social organization. Our goal is to increase awareness and understanding of Asian Pacific American issues while always pushing to give students more opportunities to participate in various initiatives through our activities and resources. We acknowledge that Asian Pacific Americans from the previous generations have made tremendous progress, and we must seize the momentum and continuously challenge the status quo. In the academic year of 2012-2013, we are planning various political, professional and social events to this end (e.g., speaker series, summer job search tips panel, study panel, boat cruise). As our major event of the spring, APALSA annually hosts the National Asian Pacific American Conference on Law and Public Policy. Prominent jurists, public interest advocates, corporate partners, and policymakers from across the nation convene at HLS to participate in panels, meet law students, and discuss pressing political, cultural, and social issues.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly -- I would be more than happy to talk to you about, academics, life in Cambridge, or anything else that might be on your mind. Harvard Law School is a wonderful place to attend, and APALSA is here to assist you in every step of your adjustment to the next chapter of your life.

Sincerely,

Janet Yu
kyu@jd14.law.harvard.edu
President, 2012-2013"

haha yes... i wasn't even planning on applying to HLS, but after 6 emails from them in a 12-hour span, I'm beginning to reconsider.

[JedBartlett]

Quick question to any current students (or others):

What is Harvard's social culture like? What are the people like? What is the atmosphere like?

I'm genuinely curious. Thanks!

[bernaldiaz]

So radio silence after a day and a half about how the new JS1s are going?

[Lavitz]

Quick question to any current students (or others):

What is Harvard's social culture like? What are the people like? What is the atmosphere like?

I'm genuinely curious. Thanks!

I think you'll be more likely to get a response if you ask this in the Harvard Students Taking Questions thread: http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 4&t=141188