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

[Lavitz]

That's ok. I'd be shocked if you don't get into harvard with your numbers

I wouldn't be that surprised, but I guess it would be impolite to argue this point, so alright, if you say so

ETA: I updated the OP with the new Skype interview information in case anyone needs to review it in the future.

[moonman157]

I really hope that I don't end up at the same school as chickensoup

If you get into HLS, you won't.

Hmm easier said than done lol. Though that wouldn't be the only perk of going to HLS

[shntn]

I really hope that I don't end up at the same school as chickensoup

Though developing a tolerance of douchenozzles is an integral part of law school, from what I hear.

[helix23]

I love how it is a Skype interview. I suck at phone interviews; I am pretty good in person. I feel like a Skype interview is basically an in person interview. Good stuff.

How do you know you are good at in-person interviews? Have you ever been evaluated by a team of experts at Interpol?

This is how he interviews: http://youtu.be/OwaxFAC6rzk

Does this mean we get to be Jason Bourne in our interviews?

You're coming out of your local state college, is that correct?

....

What is the, uh, nature of your interest in Harvard?

....

[snap snap]

Look. I don't know what your softs are, but you're going to play ball one way or the other.

[ninetails]

Does anyone know what the medians were for last cycle? On their website they only list 75th/25th, could that be their sly attempt to cover up a median drop?

[Kionaltski]

Does anyone know what the medians were for last cycle? On their website they only list 75th/25th, could that be their sly attempt to cover up a median drop?

Yeah, I haven't seen anything either. Their 75th and 25th have dropped for lsat and GPA though, so I wouldnt be surprised if the median is 172/173 and 3.87

[one_by_one]

.

[Lavitz]

FYI this is worth looking at -- http://www.admissionsdean.com/researchi ... sica-soban

Wow, thank you for posting this. There's plenty of useful information here and I'd highly recommend reading it. Adding to OP.

Some important parts IMO:

We will begin reviewing files in October this year, just as we have in the past few years. I expect that this year’s timeline will appear more similar to two years ago than last year, and yes, that means some people will start getting decisions in mid-to-late November.

Looks like they'll actually be a bit faster than last cycle.

People get to sign up for a timeslot, so hopefully, no one will be rolling right out of bed to talk with us!

This sounds different from the old practice of being assigned a timeslot.

Interviewees shouldn’t need to prep too much for this interview.

I'd love to know what she considers "too much" lol

[Mr. Elshal]

Checking in.

[Yukos]

FYI this is worth looking at -- http://www.admissionsdean.com/researchi ... sica-soban

Plenty of the standard adcomm weasel words but still a great source of info, thanks so much for posting!

Love that they're going back to the schedule of two years ago

ETA:

Apart from the class size issue, if your child was applying to law school and was deciding between Harvard and other law schools in the T5, what factors would you hope that he or she consider before making a final decision?

Egregious anti-NYU trolling

[Anonymous4444]

Checking in. Applied to H, complete on 10/11. This waiting game is tough....

[joeycrack]

Same here. Received the application complete email on Oct. 11.

Will post as soon as I hear something else.

[Mista Bojangles]

Hey all - just wanted to wish best of luck to this year's applicant group.

I applied last year in September, was held in January, then waitlisted in April, then finally got a JS1 in early June and my JS2 about a week later (and I'm now writing to you from the palatial confines of Gropius, HLS's sardine can-style on-campus housing complex). I know my timeline is pretty atypical, but if it says anything, it's that there's really no reason to ever lose hope until the day they tell you the class is full. Stay hungry and stay patient, and it certainly can pay off.

It's perfectly easy for me to say the following in retrospect, but that doesn't make it any less true: try your best not to freak out about the process, it won't do you any favors. Just relax, be confident in what you've given the admissions people to work with, and let things unfold - very patiently, if need be.

If anyone has any questions about the way I navigated the process (hint: for one thing, I expended way the fuck too much energy being agitated over each new wave of JS1s that passed me over, and obviously, there were a lottt of them), I'm happy to answer.

[banjo]

Hey all - just wanted to wish best of luck to this year's applicant group.

I applied last year in September, was held in January, then waitlisted in April, then finally got a JS1 in early June and my JS2 about a week later (and I'm now writing to you from the palatial confines of Gropius, HLS's sardine can-style on-campus housing complex). I know my timeline is pretty atypical, but if it says anything, it's that there's really no reason to ever lose hope until the day they tell you the class is full. Stay hungry and stay patient, and it certainly can pay off.

It's perfectly easy for me to say the following in retrospect, but that doesn't make it any less true: try your best not to freak out about the process, it won't do you any favors. Just relax, be confident in what you've given the admissions people to work with, and let things unfold - very patiently, if need be.

If anyone has any questions about the way I navigated the process (hint: for one thing, I expended way the fuck too much energy being agitated over each new wave of JS1s that passed me over, and obviously, there were a lottt of them), I'm happy to answer.

Thanks for the pep talk. Where did you plan to attend before HLS came through?

[WhiteyCakes]

Hey all - just wanted to wish best of luck to this year's applicant group.

I applied last year in September, was held in January, then waitlisted in April, then finally got a JS1 in early June and my JS2 about a week later (and I'm now writing to you from the palatial confines of Gropius, HLS's sardine can-style on-campus housing complex). I know my timeline is pretty atypical, but if it says anything, it's that there's really no reason to ever lose hope until the day they tell you the class is full. Stay hungry and stay patient, and it certainly can pay off.

It's perfectly easy for me to say the following in retrospect, but that doesn't make it any less true: try your best not to freak out about the process, it won't do you any favors. Just relax, be confident in what you've given the admissions people to work with, and let things unfold - very patiently, if need be.

If anyone has any questions about the way I navigated the process (hint: for one thing, I expended way the fuck too much energy being agitated over each new wave of JS1s that passed me over, and obviously, there were a lottt of them), I'm happy to answer.

Thanks for the pep talk. Where did you plan to attend before HLS came through?

+1 for this...were you planning on waiting for this cycle and applying again?

[hopeful16]

FYI this is worth looking at -- http://www.admissionsdean.com/researchi ... sica-soban

It's also interesting that the increase in interviews will be by about 200 (from 1000 to 1200) so the chances of being admitted are still pretty good if you get an interview.

[Mista Bojangles]

Hey all - just wanted to wish best of luck to this year's applicant group.

I applied last year in September, was held in January, then waitlisted in April, then finally got a JS1 in early June and my JS2 about a week later (and I'm now writing to you from the palatial confines of Gropius, HLS's sardine can-style on-campus housing complex). I know my timeline is pretty atypical, but if it says anything, it's that there's really no reason to ever lose hope until the day they tell you the class is full. Stay hungry and stay patient, and it certainly can pay off.

It's perfectly easy for me to say the following in retrospect, but that doesn't make it any less true: try your best not to freak out about the process, it won't do you any favors. Just relax, be confident in what you've given the admissions people to work with, and let things unfold - very patiently, if need be.

If anyone has any questions about the way I navigated the process (hint: for one thing, I expended way the fuck too much energy being agitated over each new wave of JS1s that passed me over, and obviously, there were a lottt of them), I'm happy to answer.

Thanks for the pep talk. Where did you plan to attend before HLS came through?

+1 for this...were you planning on waiting for this cycle and applying again?

Before getting into HLS, I'd been in at all of CCN and out at YS (applied to T6 only). I'm a little weird in that I wasn't set on law school at all, based on the kind of goals I probably want to pursue. I had sent a deposit to Chicago by their deadline just to buy myself more time, but wasn't certain I'd be headed to law school - figured I'd make the tough choice of whether to go to Chi, reapply the following year, or pursue options other than law school. Thankfully, once I was in at H (and given my own goals/preferences, which are NOT just biglaw or bust), I found the opportunity too good to walk away from.

[WhiteyCakes]

Before getting into HLS, I'd been in at all of CCN and out at YS (applied to T6 only). I'm a little weird in that I wasn't set on law school at all, based on the kind of goals I probably want to pursue. I had sent a deposit to Chicago by their deadline just to buy myself more time, but wasn't certain I'd be headed to law school - figured I'd make the tough choice of whether to go to Chi, reapply the following year, or pursue options other than law school. Thankfully, once I was in at H (and given my own goals/preferences, which are NOT just biglaw or bust), I found the opportunity too good to walk away from.

How did it feel eating that deposit for Chicago?

[shntn]

Before getting into HLS, I'd been in at all of CCN and out at YS (applied to T6 only). I'm a little weird in that I wasn't set on law school at all, based on the kind of goals I probably want to pursue. I had sent a deposit to Chicago by their deadline just to buy myself more time, but wasn't certain I'd be headed to law school - figured I'd make the tough choice of whether to go to Chi, reapply the following year, or pursue options other than law school. Thankfully, once I was in at H (and given my own goals/preferences, which are NOT just biglaw or bust), I found the opportunity too good to walk away from.

How did it feel eating that deposit for Chicago?

LOL @ caring about money.

[Lovely Ludwig Van]

Another accepted from last year, checking in. Last year's HLS admissions thread was extremely helpful to me and probably played a not insignificant part in helping me get in. I'd love to chime in and/or take PM's if anyone has any questions.

FYI I was also a re-taker and re-applicant, held until early March before being admitted. Decent undergrad, nothing too special on the extracurricular front.

[lc.]

Any thoughts on when we will start seeing apps go under review/ JS1s?

[WhiteyCakes]

Any thoughts on when we will start seeing apps go under review/ JS1s?

the Dean's blog said JS1 invites will start in early November if I remember correctly

[JedBartlett]

This is extremely nooby, but can someone please explain for myself and future posterity what exactly JS1/JS2 mean and how admission to Harvard differs from admission to other law schools? I visited the site, but I'd rather hear it in non-admissions dean jargon.

[Yukos]

JS1 is a 15 minute interview. It is necessary but not sufficient for admission (I think about 1000 students will be interviewed this year, about 800 will be accepted). JS2 is just the congratulatory phone call telling you you're in.

[JedBartlett]

JS1 is a 15 minute interview. It is necessary but not sufficient for admission (I think about 1000 students will be interviewed this year, about 800 will be accepted). JS2 is just the congratulatory phone call telling you you're in.

Wow, so if you get far enough for JS1 you basically have an 8/10 chance of admission?

What is JS1 for? Just to make sure you have decent social skills or what?

And what does "JS" stand for?


I appreciate the response.