Harvard C/O 2019 Applicants Forum

[curious bobcat]

More than just a few posters had interviewers saying this, I don't think it was just for non-"presumptive admits," etc.

I also don't necessarily think they were just trying to get people to not freak out...seems possible they were planning on having a slower cycle until they saw the new LSAC data...

What new lsac data?

Yes, they also told me that and based on last year's lsn data I probably would be a presumptive admit. (Probably; it's a bit borderline)

http://blog.spiveyconsulting.com/2015-1 ... data-lsat/

[lunixer]

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[cantorb]

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[lunixer]

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[salander]

1. The +2.8% claim on 175+ scorers seems to be incorrect based on the numbers released last year (should be -6.6% - see page 35 ITT), Spivey messaged me on reddit that he would try to ask LSAC if he felt that it wouldn't hurt him for getting future data.

2. I was probably a 'presumptive admit' by any standards (JS1 5 days after complete), was warned no decisions until New Year's and not to specifically expect anything until March or April, and was in the first JS2 wave.

In that case, I suspect it just depended on the interviewer.

[oliverotis]

More than just a few posters had interviewers saying this, I don't think it was just for non-"presumptive admits," etc.

I also don't necessarily think they were just trying to get people to not freak out...seems possible they were planning on having a slower cycle until they saw the new LSAC data...

What new lsac data?

Yes, they also told me that and based on last year's lsn data I probably would be a presumptive admit. (Probably; it's a bit borderline)

Lol most obnoxious response ever.

[lunixer]

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[cantorb]

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[brooklynboy]

I was in the first JS2 wave; I wasn't given a specific timeline but was told, "You might have heard through the grapevine that decisions are going to happen a bit later than usual this year. It's still very early and so don't expect to hear back from us for a while."

I think that they honestly just expected to hold off on decisions until the New Year (last year admits started 12/15 and it sounded like they thought this year would be later than that) but maybe they were able to agree on some of us now and figured why hold off. Fwiw, I had also thought that JS was on leave, but she was the one who called me, so maybe she came back earlier than expected and that's why decisions happened sooner?

[texasellewoods]

Do we think JS2s will be coming out in semi-regular waves now? Or was the first wave abnormal and the rest will come after the new year?
As per usual, wild speculation is encouraged!

[tflan19]

Do we think JS2s will be coming out in semi-regular waves now? Or was the first wave abnormal and the rest will come after the new year?
As per usual, wild speculation is encouraged!

I'm really hoping/expecting another wave this tuesday and then radio silence until after new year's. In the past years, when decisions have started moderately early (before the week before christmas - like last year) then there have been multiple semi-regular waves after the first initial one.

That being said, with my luck I'll be right about tuesday JS2s but still not receive one.

[Oskosh]

What is the traditional cycle for "waves"? I thought JS2 waves happened up until March, after which only a few received JS1s and JS2s.

[mdnyc]

Do we think JS2s will be coming out in semi-regular waves now? Or was the first wave abnormal and the rest will come after the new year?
As per usual, wild speculation is encouraged!

I'm really hoping/expecting another wave this tuesday and then radio silence until after new year's. In the past years, when decisions have started moderately early (before the week before christmas - like last year) then there have been multiple semi-regular waves after the first initial one.

That being said, with my luck I'll be right about tuesday JS2s but still not receive one.

That's what I'm hoping for, too, and I think it makes sense. I wouldn't be surprised if it were more like Thursday or Friday, though. I'd imagine they'd want to make one last push to get as many decisions out before the holidays so they have a slightly more clear plate when they return.

That said, one person's interviewer indicated the office is about to go on vacation this week. Not sure how much to trust that information - sounds like an effort to lower expectations more than anything else.

[lunixer]

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[mdnyc]

Do we think JS2s will be coming out in semi-regular waves now? Or was the first wave abnormal and the rest will come after the new year?
As per usual, wild speculation is encouraged!

I'm really hoping/expecting another wave this tuesday and then radio silence until after new year's. In the past years, when decisions have started moderately early (before the week before christmas - like last year) then there have been multiple semi-regular waves after the first initial one.

That being said, with my luck I'll be right about tuesday JS2s but still not receive one.

That's what I'm hoping for, too, and I think it makes sense. I wouldn't be surprised if it were more like Thursday or Friday, though. I'd imagine they'd want to make one last push to get as many decisions out before the holidays so they have a slightly more clear plate when they return.

That said, one person's interviewer indicated the office is about to go on vacation this week. Not sure how much to trust that information - sounds like an effort to lower expectations more than anything else.

That was me. She said to wait at least 3 weeks.

OK. Thinking about it more, I doubt she would straight up lie about that. I'll hold out hope that they ARE going on vacation, but going to knock out one more group before they head out.

[tflan19]

Do we think JS2s will be coming out in semi-regular waves now? Or was the first wave abnormal and the rest will come after the new year?
As per usual, wild speculation is encouraged!

I'm really hoping/expecting another wave this tuesday and then radio silence until after new year's. In the past years, when decisions have started moderately early (before the week before christmas - like last year) then there have been multiple semi-regular waves after the first initial one.

That being said, with my luck I'll be right about tuesday JS2s but still not receive one.

That's what I'm hoping for, too, and I think it makes sense. I wouldn't be surprised if it were more like Thursday or Friday, though. I'd imagine they'd want to make one last push to get as many decisions out before the holidays so they have a slightly more clear plate when they return.

That said, one person's interviewer indicated the office is about to go on vacation this week. Not sure how much to trust that information - sounds like an effort to lower expectations more than anything else.

That was me. She said to wait at least 3 weeks.

OK. Thinking about it more, I doubt she would straight up lie about that. I'll hold out hope that they ARE going on vacation, but going to knock out one more group before they head out.

Then again - you were interviewed pretty recently, right? She probably told you that they're about to go on vacation and you wouldn't hear back till after because they weren't going to turn around your app from JS1 to JS2 in a week and therefore would end up after vacation? Unless she explicitly told you they were going on vacation monday

[lunixer]

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[QuentonCassidy]

re: vacation thing, there are interviews scheduled for this week so I doubt the admissions staff is on vacation

[tflan19]

re: vacation thing, there are interviews scheduled for this week so I doubt the admissions staff is on vacation

QC coming in with rock solid logic while the rest of us speculate wildly - why your lsat score is so good

[texasellewoods]

Then again - you were interviewed pretty recently, right? She probably told you that they're about to go on vacation and you wouldn't hear back till after because they weren't going to turn around your app from JS1 to JS2 in a week and therefore would end up after vacation? Unless she explicitly told you they were going on vacation monday

That's possible. I was interviewed Thursday. I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was something about how everyone in the office would be going on vacation for a few weeks, therefore ... There was no specific timeline or anything like that. Just a general impression.

Serious question - why don't they turn a JS1 into a JS2 in a week? Other top schools (granted not as top as Harvard but still) have fast turnarounds, and Stanford (and Yale?) doesn't even need an interview. Seems like they could sit down right after while the interviewer still remembers everything and say yes or no.

Also it seems weird to me that adcoms would take "a few weeks" of vacation. That seems like a lot of time, especially for a job that is so seasonal. The wishful thinker in me wants to believe that they're making this up just like the post NYE decisions.

[texasellewoods]

re: vacation thing, there are interviews scheduled for this week so I doubt the admissions staff is on vacation

QC coming in with rock solid logic while the rest of us speculate wildly - why your lsat score is so good

ooooh now answer my JS1 question oh wise QC!

[pittsburghpirates]

Maybe some more JS1 invites before the holidays? Rooting for all you folks waiting for JS2s as well!

[tflan19]

Serious question - why don't they turn a JS1 into a JS2 in a week? Other top schools (granted not as top as Harvard but still) have fast turnarounds, and Stanford (and Yale?) doesn't even need an interview. Seems like they could sit down right after while the interviewer still remembers everything and say yes or no.

Also it seems weird to me that adcoms would take "a few weeks" of vacation. That seems like a lot of time, especially for a job that is so seasonal. The wishful thinker in me wants to believe that they're making this up just like the post NYE decisions.

My guess is that they have to go before a committee and make these decisions - it looks like they have about 15 interview time slots each interview day (potentially more interviews than that if they have multiple interviews? since they're just making decisions I'm sure they're still dealing with a backlog of JS1s to turn into JS2s. Decisions might move faster later once they've worked through that backlog?

[mdnyc]

Serious question - why don't they turn a JS1 into a JS2 in a week? Other top schools (granted not as top as Harvard but still) have fast turnarounds, and Stanford (and Yale?) doesn't even need an interview. Seems like they could sit down right after while the interviewer still remembers everything and say yes or no.

Good question. It likely depends on their review process. For example, they may do a quick scan and sort to figure out to whom they'll give a JS1. Then, once they have the JS1 notes in hand, several readers may perform a fuller review of the entire application. Finally, they may batch a bunch together and make decisions all at once in order to ensure apps are reviewed in context. I bet that entire process after the JS1 would take quite some time. Other schools are probably quicker because they depend on numbers more.

[Indifference]

As to JS2s.

1L exams end this Friday; Upper level exams I believe a few days later. Profs (who are involved in the admissions process) will be on vacation/grading, I assume. I know my CivPro prof is going to miami until January... So they are not BSing you or anything.

JS1s? I dunno what the admissions peeps do, but I assume they will be taking some time off while school is out of session.