A HUGE thank you to Cdotson2 for starting this thread! I shall do my best to serve it well in your honor!
applications open: September 15
J.D. Admissions
Application Check List
Application Status Checker
Terms:
JS1: Invitation to interview with either Jessica Soban (Admissions Dean) or another interviewer.
JS1b: A phone call from Jessica Soban, generally later in the process, clarifying continued interest in attending Harvard Law. Often goes to people who have been held or waitlisted.
JSW: Being placed on the Harvard waitlist.
JS2: A call from Jessica Soban offering admittance to Harvard Law School.
LoCI: Letter of Continued Interest
2018 class profile:
Number of Applications: 5,207
Number of Admission Offers: 931
44% students of color
Percentage Offered Admission: 17.8%
Newly Enrolled 1Ls: 560
GPA 75th / 50th / 25th percentiles: 3.96 / 3.86 / 3.75
LSAT 75th / 50th / 25th percentiles: 175 / 173 / 170
47% women
12% hold advanced degrees
80% at least 1 year out of college
63% 2+ years out of college
FAQ (read this first!) Credit to Mdnyc
*What are my chances with X LSAT and Y GPA? Go here http://mylsn.info/r/pre-law/admissions/search/
Any specific question about timing given a particular score or submission date. Make a copy of this spreadsheet and explore! Or check out http://mylsn.info/r/pre-law/timeline/graph/
*How will my status checker change? Those who submit complete applications typically see their status checker go to complete within two to three weeks. After that it will remain at "Application Complete" until your decision. If you receive a ding (sorry!), you may see it say "Decision Rendered" before you receive the email.
*How will I be notified of my decision? If you live in the United States and are accepted, you will receive a phone call from area code 617. International admits, all dings, and all waitlists receive emails. JS1's invites are also emailed.
*Do all admits go through a JS1? Yes. You must go through a JS1 to be admitted. Some folks are put directly on the waitlist without receiving a JS1, but if they are admitted off the waitlist, they will eventually interview.
*What's the JS1 like? Generally pretty chill. Be prepared to discuss your resume, have a "Why Harvard" and "Why law" answer, and think of a few questions to ask your interviewer. See below for more details.
*Should I suit up for the JS1? If you'd like. Generally, a shirt and tie for men or a conservative blouse or cardigan for women are sufficient.
*Should I send a thank you after my JS1? Nope, no need. Consensus is the AdComs have so much going on, there's no expectation for one. If you REALLY want to send one, send it to the main email.
*When do waitlists go out? Late March and early April
*I haven't heard a peep from Cambridge in a long time. Should I begin despairing? No! While your chances of being admitted do decrease over time, it's not over until your email delivers the ding!
*I just got a JS1 or JS2! I'm so excited! What do I do now? Celebrate! And then make sure your stats and decision are in this spreadsheet so the rest of us can learn from your success. Congrats! You made it!
Timeline:
First Complete (c/o 2016): Wednesday, October 10
First Complete (c/o 2017): Thursday, September 26
First Complete (c/o 2018): Tuesday, September 30
First Complete (c/o 2019): Wednesday, September 23
First JS1 Invite (c/o 2016): Wednesday, October 31 (~4 PM EST)
First JS1 Invite (c/o 2017): Tuesday, October 15 (~4 PM EST)
First JS1 Invite (c/o 2018): Monday, October 27 (~4 PM EST)
First JS1 Invite (c/o 2019): Tuesday, October 20 (~11:45AM EST)
First JS2 (c/o 2016): Tuesday, November 20 (~2:30 PM EST)
First JS2 (c/o 2017): Monday, November 25 (~7 PM EST)
First JS2 (c/o 2018): Monday, December 15 (~3 PM EST)
First JS2 (c/o 2019): Tuesday, December 8 (~4 PM EST)
JS1 waves for the c/o 2019
1st wave: 10/20/15
2nd wave: 10/27/15
3rd wave: 11/3/15
4th wave: 11/5/15
5th wave: 11/10/15
6th wave: 11/12/15
6.5 wave: 11/20/15
7th wave: 12/01/15
8th wave: 12/03/15
9th wave: 12/09/15
10th wave: 12/22/15
11th wave: 1/4/16
12th wave: 1/5/16
13th wave: 1/14/16
14th wave: 1/19/16
15th wave: 1/27/16
16th wave: 1/28/16
17th wave: 2/3/16
18th wave: 2/5/16
19th wave: 2/8/16
20th wave: 2/12/16
21st wave: 3/7/16
22nd wave: 3/9/16
23rd wave: 3/11/16 (?)
24th wave: 3/14/16
JS2 waves for the c/o 2019
1st wave: 12/8/15
2nd wave: 1/14/16
3rd wave: 1/15/16
4th wave: 2/11/16
5th wave: 2/12/16
6th wave: 3/10/16
7th wave: 3/11/16
8th wave: 3/28/16
Rejection waves for c/o 2019
1st wave: 1/27/16
2nd wave: 3/9/16
3rd wave: 3/10/16
4th wave: 3/11/16 (?)
5th wave: 3/16/16
6th wave: 3/17/16
7th wave: 3/22/16 (?)
8th wave: 3/23/16
9th wave: 3/28/16
Wait list waves for the c/o 2019
1st wave: 3/29/16
2nd wave: 3/30/16
3rd wave: 3/31/16
4th wave: 4/4/16
Links:
Harvard home page
Law School Transparency
Law School Numbers
Above the Law
Tls Resources:
Harvard wiki
Assistant Dean for Admissions Interview
Harvard Students answering questions
Last year statistics from TlS users who applied
Spreadsheet for tracking applications credit to Benwyat
Interview Prep:
Last years thread from pg. 17
Legendary Lavitz wrote: Questions I remember her asking:
"Tell me about your job."
"How have your experiences at that job informed your decision to go to law school?"
"What are you looking forward to at Harvard?"
"Is there a particular area of study you find most attractive?"
"What do you think your greatest challenge would be at Harvard?"
"What accomplishment are you most proud of?"
"What do you envision a successful career for yourself would look like?"
"Is there anything you were hoping I would ask? In other words, is there anything not in your app that you'd like us to know about you?"
"Do you have any questions for me?" (Asked her like 4 questions)
Interview lasted about 14:30.
I asked about:
0L Summer Research Assistant positions
The accessibility of the professors
How the clinics compare to those of other schools
How I would fit in given that I don't come from an "elite" undergrad
***Back to the Compendium***
Harvard 2015-2016 Spreadsheets
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