Top Law Schools

Harvard and NYU (among others I imagine) want to know about suspensions disciplinary/academic issues at any academic institution attended. They pretty much leave it at that. This is in contrast to most schools who say "after high school," "any college, university, post-secondary educational institution," etc.

Do these schools want to hear bout high school/grade school suspensions? Harvard doesn't even require a high school name in the education section...

When in doubt email and ask or disclose.

I was hoping someone had already asked...

anonid wrote:I was hoping someone had already asked...

If you have doubt, and you opt not to disclose, what is your follow-up conversation going to be should it become an issue later? Will you reply that you opted not to disclose because some random person on an Internet forum told you not to?

As others have said, you should email and ask when in doubt.

With that said, I did email them, and below are the responses I got from Harvard and NYU:

Harvard:
Good afternoon, and thank you for your message. Responses to Character and Fitness questions should include any relevant situations from post-secondary school institutions, i.e., college and beyond. However, if there is a significant character and fitness issue from prior to your collegiate studies that you feel should be brought to the attention of the committee, you are welcome to include it in your answers. Please note that your character and fitness question answers should be consistent with any future institutional and legal documents such as your college certifications (we require these after admission) and your bar application.

NYU:
Any disciplinary action imposed by a college or university must be disclosed, regardless of your age at the time of the incident. Disciplinary action imposed by an elementary or secondary school need not be disclosed unless it included a violation of the law.

haus wrote:

anonid wrote:I was hoping someone had already asked...

If you have doubt, and you opt not to disclose, what is your follow-up conversation going to be should it become an issue later? Will you reply that you opted not to disclose because some random person on an Internet forum told you not to?

As Haus said, even though i'm posting the answers here, you absolutely should email them get verification yourself in case it somehow comes back that they wanted it.

Post removed.

js1663 wrote:
With that said, I did email them, and below are the responses I got from Harvard and NYU:

Harvard:
Good afternoon, and thank you for your message. Responses to Character and Fitness questions should include any relevant situations from post-secondary school institutions, i.e., college and beyond. However, if there is a significant character and fitness issue from prior to your collegiate studies that you feel should be brought to the attention of the committee, you are welcome to include it in your answers. Please note that your character and fitness question answers should be consistent with any future institutional and legal documents such as your college certifications (we require these after admission) and your bar application.

NYU:
Any disciplinary action imposed by a college or university must be disclosed, regardless of your age at the time of the incident. Disciplinary action imposed by an elementary or secondary school need not be disclosed unless it included a violation of the law.

haus wrote:

anonid wrote:I was hoping someone had already asked...

If you have doubt, and you opt not to disclose, what is your follow-up conversation going to be should it become an issue later? Will you reply that you opted not to disclose because some random person on an Internet forum told you not to?

As Haus said, even though i'm posting the answers here, you absolutely should email them get verification yourself in case it somehow comes back that they wanted it.

Thank you and I agree. I was worried about annoying them with a question they probably get very often, though I suppose they can change the wording on that question any time they like.

anonid wrote:

js1663 wrote:
With that said, I did email them, and below are the responses I got from Harvard and NYU:

Harvard:
Good afternoon, and thank you for your message. Responses to Character and Fitness questions should include any relevant situations from post-secondary school institutions, i.e., college and beyond. However, if there is a significant character and fitness issue from prior to your collegiate studies that you feel should be brought to the attention of the committee, you are welcome to include it in your answers. Please note that your character and fitness question answers should be consistent with any future institutional and legal documents such as your college certifications (we require these after admission) and your bar application.

NYU:
Any disciplinary action imposed by a college or university must be disclosed, regardless of your age at the time of the incident. Disciplinary action imposed by an elementary or secondary school need not be disclosed unless it included a violation of the law.

haus wrote:

anonid wrote:I was hoping someone had already asked...

If you have doubt, and you opt not to disclose, what is your follow-up conversation going to be should it become an issue later? Will you reply that you opted not to disclose because some random person on an Internet forum told you not to?

As Haus said, even though i'm posting the answers here, you absolutely should email them get verification yourself in case it somehow comes back that they wanted it.

Thank you and I agree. I was worried about annoying them with a question they probably get very often, though I suppose they can change the wording on that question any time they like.

Yep don't worry about it just email them so you can say you heard it from them. I highly doubt they've ever nixed someone as long as it's a normal email, and they'll give you a simple short response or a template response about it.

Has anyone asked about this more recently? Specifically for Harvard and Yale. Thanks