Harvard C/O 2019 Applicants Forum

[rachelql]

ahhhhhhh
going crazy here
any predictions on when the next wave of admissions come???

I think today!

you just made sure that iim gonna check my email like 30 times every half an hour

[TheKisSquared]

Here's my draft of an FAQ. Feel free to propose additional questions or edits to the answers:

If you're asking what should girls wear (if they don't want to go full suit) then I'd just say "a conservative blouse or cardigan"

No stripes/busy patterns, try to wear dark solid colors since they show up much better on Skype.
For girls, simple jewelry thats not too sparkly (pearl earrings and a simple chain necklace are good). In general, more intense eye makeup and bronzer look better than you might think. Test out makeup before hand on screen! You don't want to look washed out, but don't want to look like a clown either.
Hair pulled back from face is a must. I like a half up, half down or a low bun with tendrils to still frame my face.

Nothing is ever a must. I wore my hair down for my HLS interview. I don't like when we perpetuate this idea that women must do 900 things to look professional. What do you feel best in? Go with that. I wore zero make-up and no earrings in all my interviews. Wore a sweater on top and sweatpants on bottom.

Excellent point Hilde! Women have SO MANY fashion rules to live by in the workplace and they can drive anyone insane. Obviously, do not do these things if they put you out of your comfort zone - the most important thing is that you are presenting yourself at your most confident.
When I reference the hair pulled back, I don't mean for aesthetic reasons - I (and other nervous hair touchers) find it much easier to avoid fiddling with hair when it is pulled back, and I think we can all agree that excessive face touching doesn't look good in an interview.
As far as the makeup goes, I noticed when I was practicing and looking at myself in a camera that I looked super tired and pale. I normally only wear mascara and under eye concealer, and while I feel totally fine in that on a regular day, I do think it is important to feel put together in an interview. When I wore "more intense eye makeup" I certainly didn't wear fake eyelashes - just did liquid eyeliner, light brown eye shadow, and thicker mascara. I also wore bronzer on my forehead and jaw to make my face stand out from the white background, and a light blush to make me look healthy. Doing all these things made me feel more confident, which at the end of the day is the goal!
While I am 100% supportive of the no makeup, no jewelry path if that is what you like, I think the women looking at the fashion FAQ section are looking for general advice such as this. But a disclaimer that no woman should feel compelled to change herself would be nice

For my video/skype interviews I definitely wear a little more makeup than normal (read: makeup at all) because the camera flattens you. I was also finding my normal routine of just BB Cream made it worse because my face looked more homogeneous. I figured out a little blush and bronzer (if only for contour) would go a long way. This is good advice, especially for someone like me who doesn't normally wear make-up and was sort of lost.

No JS1 for me (yet!), but this is just solid interview advice generally.

[ugg]

ahhhhhhh
going crazy here
any predictions on when the next wave of admissions come???

I think today!

you just made sure that iim gonna check my email like 30 times every half an hour

I don't think it's by email, unless I'm totally wrong?

[rachelql]

ahhhhhhh
going crazy here
any predictions on when the next wave of admissions come???

I think today!

you just made sure that iim gonna check my email like 30 times every half an hour

I don't think it's by email, unless I'm totally wrong?

nah, you're right. I just don't even know what I'm doing/saying. want it so bad...

[Li'l Sebastian]

I'm predicting today and tomorrow will be good days for us.

[rachelql]

I'm predicting today and tomorrow will be good days for us.

just curious, what are you basing this off?

[Li'l Sebastian]

I'm predicting today and tomorrow will be good days for us.

just curious, what are you basing this off?

The tea leaves and the position of the sun in relation to the amount of depression I would have if I have to wait another week.

[rachelql]

I'm predicting today and tomorrow will be good days for us.

just curious, what are you basing this off?

The tea leaves and the position of the sun in relation to the amount of depression I would have if I have to wait another week.

... ... you're amazing

[cranburial]

Had my JS1, and I feel like I didn't completely fail but wasn't great either. MyLSN says that almost everyone with my numbers gets in, so I'll know that if I don't, it's because I'm socially dysfunctional.

[Li'l Sebastian]

... ... you're amazing

I hope Harvard thinks that too.

Truth is I'm just one miniature horse with not so miniature dreams.

[frozencavemanlawyer8]

Submitted 1/21 and went complete today. Roughly how long after going complete has everyone been receiving an interview invitation/receiving a decision?

[clarf]

Submitted 1/21 and went complete today. Roughly how long after going complete has everyone been receiving an interview invitation/receiving a decision?

Depends on your numbers really. I'm sitting here complete from 12/7 and I still haven't nothing. On the other hand I haven't been dinged yet so

[coldmonkey13]

~

[meowmers]

i don't see anyone else talking about it, but: JS1

[WinterComing]

i don't see anyone else talking about it, but: JS1

Congrats!

[lemonparty]

i don't see anyone else talking about it, but: JS1

Wow congrats!! Just now?

[Li'l Sebastian]

i don't see anyone else talking about it, but: JS1

See! I told y'all there would be good news today!

[meowmers]

thanks y'all! it was just after 11am, actually.

[crescentstars]

Submitted 1/21 and went complete today.

This is disconcerting...I submitted on 1/11 and still haven't gone complete. I'm complete everywhere else though, and I even got an interview request from elsewhere. Just want to confirm that this isn't something I should stress out over (yet)?

Also, congrats on the JS1s people!

[TheKisSquared]

Submitted 1/21 and went complete today.

This is disconcerting...I submitted on 1/11 and still haven't gone complete. I'm complete everywhere else though, and I even got an interview request from elsewhere. Just want to confirm that this isn't something I should stress out over (yet)?

I wouldn't worry. It took me over a week for my application to go complete back in November and the volume of apps is higher now.

edit: I realize now I apparently can't read. whelp. clearly not cut out for HLS. Are all of your LORs in, etc?

[gamerish]

i don't see anyone else talking about it, but: JS1

Congrats!

When did you go complete?

[eugepaeee]

Submitted 1/21 and went complete today.

This is disconcerting...I submitted on 1/11 and still haven't gone complete. I'm complete everywhere else though, and I even got an interview request from elsewhere. Just want to confirm that this isn't something I should stress out over (yet)?

Also, congrats on the JS1s people!

Coming out of lurk-dom to say I submitted on 1/4 and still haven't gone complete... I have decent numbers and am already under review at almost every other school I applied to on the same day, so I don't know what's up with HLS

[maracuya]

Here's my draft of an FAQ. Feel free to propose additional questions or edits to the answers:

If you're asking what should girls wear (if they don't want to go full suit) then I'd just say "a conservative blouse or cardigan"

No stripes/busy patterns, try to wear dark solid colors since they show up much better on Skype.
For girls, simple jewelry thats not too sparkly (pearl earrings and a simple chain necklace are good). In general, more intense eye makeup and bronzer look better than you might think. Test out makeup before hand on screen! You don't want to look washed out, but don't want to look like a clown either.
Hair pulled back from face is a must. I like a half up, half down or a low bun with tendrils to still frame my face.

Nothing is ever a must. I wore my hair down for my HLS interview. I don't like when we perpetuate this idea that women must do 900 things to look professional. What do you feel best in? Go with that. I wore zero make-up and no earrings in all my interviews. Wore a sweater on top and sweatpants on bottom.

I agree that it's really f*cking stupid that women have to follow one million guidelines to be taken seriously in a professional setting, BUT sometimes you have to abide by the ~code~ so you can get what you want (JS2) and then break the glass ceiling later.

For my interview, I had my hair pulled back in a bun, wore a dark grey button up blouse (wore that for all my interviews), and wore subtle makeup. Ultimately, it's not about what you look like and you should wear whatever makes you feel confident, but I think there is great value in considering the advice texasellewoods gave out. When I did collegiate mock trial, my scores suffered when my hair was up (supposedly this made us seem unrelatable and bitchy) or if I was wearing a pants-suit (too masculine) instead of a skirt-suit. It's completely ridiculous and unfair, but if you know the biases and expectations are there, you should be mindful of them.

[meowmers]

i don't see anyone else talking about it, but: JS1

Congrats!

When did you go complete?

regarding completion, which was a bit strange: i was compulsively checking the status and saw that i went complete on 12/14. i did not get an e-mail about completion until 12/17. the date on the status checker said 12/14, but below there is the listing for the e-mail which (accurately) says 12/17.

hey and thanks!

[ftge232]

Meowmers - stats?