Harvard Letter Forum

[gendefect]

I assume this means absolutely nothing, but I'm still curious. I received the following email from Harvard:

Dear XX:

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 HLS and the unparalleled opportunities that are available in our legal "metropolis."

Harvard Law School 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 300 courses (150 with enrollments of fewer than 25 students), 28 in-house clinics, and over 90 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 are part of the world and having an impact on its many communities.

Admission remains highly competitive at Harvard Law School, 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,

Josh Rubenstein
Assistant Dean and Chief Admissions Officer

Now, to be clear, my numbers are almost certainly not high enough for Harvard. So I'm wondering who else got this letter? I feel like Harvard must just be trying to get more people to apply so that they can get more application fees and reject more people and thus look even more exclusive than they already are, maybe.

Did Harvard send this to everyone with numbers at a certain level (even though it's clearly a level not quite high enough for them), or I wonder if they're only sending it to people who don't really have a shot, to try to get their rejection #s up. Or something else?

Curious to hear others' thoughts on the matter.

[leggy1T1]

I got this too! A week AFTER I applied to Harvard. My numbers are 175/3.9... guess they're just looking to boost applicants. I wouldn't put too much weight on it.

[icouldbuyu]

I got the same thing in an email. They just want us to apply, so they can deny us.

[shanshan333]

I got one from Harvard and Yale. My numbers are NOWHERE near what they would need to be to get in. Definitely think they're looking for more people to reject.

[shoop]

I got that from Harvard, too. I have the sort of numbers where I think about my admission to Harvard in the same terms that I think about the existence of unicorns: if it turns out to be true, FANFUCKINGTASTIC OMG BEST DAY OF MY LIFE but I'm not going to die of shock if the verdict is "no way."

[whymeohgodno]

God, is anyone else getting tired of someone posting everytime they get some kind of letter from a school?

[ahduth]

God, is anyone else getting tired of someone posting everytime they get some kind of letter from a school?

No. I got a letter from Florida International University a couple days ago. They invited me to "explore the opportunities..." I think I might take them up on it.