Harvard, C/O 2017, Applicants Thread (2013-2014) Forum

[lawschool22]

When are you guys filling out fafsa and stuff? Hoping to do my tax return and get that in by end of this month.

I won't do FAFSA until my and my parents are done with the return, which probably will be mid February.

Keep in mind that you can't apply for finaid until both you and your parents have paid your taxes. At the schools I've looked at (HLS included), the first day you can apply for aid is Feb. 15th, so you may find it helpful to have your taxes done before then if you want an early aid decision.

I didn't think this was true? I was under the impression that you could fill out an estimated FAFSA and Need Access application based on your estimated income and taxes and then adjust if necessary when you filed your taxes. In addition, I've looked at several schools, and some start making financial aid DECISIONS before February. Duke's application, for example, says they will start sending out financial aid notices in late January on a rolling basis.

Not all schools require FAFSA for financial aid and scholarships, just for loans.

[Searchparty]

I won't do FAFSA until my and my parents are done with the return, which probably will be mid February.

Keep in mind that you can't apply for finaid until both you and your parents have paid your taxes. At the schools I've looked at (HLS included), the first day you can apply for aid is Feb. 15th, so you may find it helpful to have your taxes done before then if you want an early aid decision.

I didn't think this was true? I was under the impression that you could fill out an estimated FAFSA and Need Access application based on your estimated income and taxes and then adjust if necessary when you filed your taxes. In addition, I've looked at several schools, and some start making financial aid DECISIONS before February. Duke's application, for example, says they will start sending out financial aid notices in late January on a rolling basis.

Not all schools require FAFSA for financial aid and scholarships, just for loans.

But they do have additional applications that require more/different information than FAFSA. For HLS, students do not need to send in their tax returns, but parents need to send in their signed 1040 with schedules and any additional information if required (trusts, estates, real estate information). Both students and parents fill out HLS' form that determines what additional information is required. For students, all that is really important are your current assets/debts and your expected summer income.

[lawschool22]

Not all schools require FAFSA for financial aid and scholarships, just for loans.

But they do have additional applications that require more/different information than FAFSA. For HLS, students do not need to send in their tax returns, but parents need to send in their signed 1040 with schedules and any additional information if required (trusts, estates, real estate information). Both students and parents fill out HLS' form that determines what additional information is required. For students, all that is really important are your current assets/debts and your expected summer income.

Yep this is true. I was just saying that you don't necessarily need to wait until your returns are finished to complete those forms, as not all of them require information specifically from your return (such as AGI), unlike the FAFSA.

[CURIOUSABOUTLAW]

So we should hear some decisions on Monday, right?

[midwest17]

Bit of a lurker, but hoping for some piece of mind:

From looking around this page it feels like I should have at least had my JS1 invite by now. I know my numbers are borderline at best, so it could just be a ding, but I thought my PS was good enough to at least warrant a JS1. Should I be worried?

Complete 11/4/2013.
LSDAS GPA: 3.68
UGPA: 3.80
LSAT: 171

Thanks

I wouldn't get your hopes too high... You're significantly below 25th GPA and below median LSAT. You'd probably need substantial softs, not just a good PS, to overcome those numbers.

I'm not saying you should give up, but manage your expectations (unless there's some key non-numerical part of your application.)

[esrom55]

Checking in. Submitted this evening with my new December LSAT.

[wowhio]

Bit of a lurker, but hoping for some piece of mind:

From looking around this page it feels like I should have at least had my JS1 invite by now. I know my numbers are borderline at best, so it could just be a ding, but I thought my PS was good enough to at least warrant a JS1. Should I be worried?

Complete 11/4/2013.
LSDAS GPA: 3.68
UGPA: 3.80
LSAT: 171

Thanks

I don't know if you should be worried or not, but remember that people tend to be more forthcoming with good news than with disappointing news. It seems like everyone on TLS has had a JS1 by now, but that's definitely not the case. I'm in a similar boat as you, except I submitted a little earlier... I haven't had a JS1 invite either. I know there are more of us too. Personally, I'm a little worried but you know... It's not over 'til it's over.

I wouldn't get your hopes too high... You're significantly below 25th GPA and below median LSAT. You'd probably need substantial softs, not just a good PS, to overcome those numbers.

I'm not saying you should give up, but manage your expectations.

This is good advice. For everyone. We all need to manage our expectations, no matter what our numbers are. It's Harvard, people. It's Harvard.

[Balthy]

Bit of a lurker, but hoping for some piece of mind:

From looking around this page it feels like I should have at least had my JS1 invite by now. I know my numbers are borderline at best, so it could just be a ding, but I thought my PS was good enough to at least warrant a JS1. Should I be worried?

Complete 11/4/2013.
LSDAS GPA: 3.68
UGPA: 3.80
LSAT: 171

Thanks

I don't know if you should be worried or not, but remember that people tend to be more forthcoming with good news than with disappointing news. It seems like everyone on TLS has had a JS1 by now, but that's definitely not the case. I'm in a similar boat as you, except I submitted a little earlier... I haven't had a JS1 invite either. I know there are more of us too. Personally, I'm a little worried but you know... It's not over 'til it's over.

I wouldn't get your hopes too high... You're significantly below 25th GPA and below median LSAT. You'd probably need substantial softs, not just a good PS, to overcome those numbers.

I'm not saying you should give up, but manage your expectations.

Not to poop on you specifically midwest17, but we ALL need to manage our expectations. No matter what our numbers are. It's Harvard, people. It's Harvard.

But Harvard is the most predictable of HYS so really some here on TLS don't have to manage expectations when it comes to H.

Btw i dont have great numbers for H but others with nearly identical numbers and completion dates have gotten JS1s and i haven't.. So there's that.

[wowhio]

Harvard is the most predictable of HYS so really some here on TLS don't have to manage expectations when it comes to H.

Okay, anyone who's taking admission to Harvard Law as a given is either arrogant or delusional. No one is a shoe-in for Harvard, I'm sorry.

[drawstring]

I wonder what will happen this year given that there apparently won't be holds. At least with holds you got some news back and a vague sense of where you stand; I'd rather have that than another several months of silence (though I'd much rather have silence than a quick rejection!).

[Balthy]

Harvard is the most predictable of HYS so really some here on TLS don't have to manage expectations when it comes to H.

Okay, anyone who's taking admission to Harvard Law as a given is either arrogant or delusional. No one is a shoe-in for Harvard, I'm sorry.

This is just wrong. H is very numbers drive . For someone with very high numbers, H is one of the most predictable of the t14.

[OVOXO]

checking in! 4.03/171, just finishing up that PS

[lawschool22]

Harvard is the most predictable of HYS so really some here on TLS don't have to manage expectations when it comes to H.

Okay, anyone who's taking admission to Harvard Law as a given is either arrogant or delusional. No one is a shoe-in for Harvard, I'm sorry.

This is just wrong. H is very numbers drive . For someone with very high numbers, H is one of the most predictable of the t14.

This is definitely true, but there are some notable exceptions.

It's foolish to think numbers alone will get you in, as there have been people with past cycles that show HLS is looking for more than just numbers. We can make educated guesses, but a) myLSN is not perfect and b) you better be more than just numbers. Harvard seems to be moving slightly more towards caring a bit about certain softs, as evidenced by the interview questions they are asking this year.

[wowhio]

Harvard is the most predictable of HYS so really some here on TLS don't have to manage expectations when it comes to H.

Okay, anyone who's taking admission to Harvard Law as a given is either arrogant or delusional. No one is a shoe-in for Harvard, I'm sorry.

This is just wrong. H is very numbers drive . For someone with very high numbers, H is one of the most predictable of the t14.

Okay, fine. Maybe some people are shoe-ins. You'll notice, however, that in the four year range you put into mylsn, only 52 people had that special distinction. At about 7,000 applicants a year...that's 52 out of 28,000 applicants, or 0.2%. Hats off to those people, but the other 99.8% of applicants should probably manage their expectations.

[Babum]

Harvard is the most predictable of HYS so really some here on TLS don't have to manage expectations when it comes to H.

Okay, anyone who's taking admission to Harvard Law as a given is either arrogant or delusional. No one is a shoe-in for Harvard, I'm sorry.

This is just wrong. H is very numbers drive . For someone with very high numbers, H is one of the most predictable of the t14.

Okay, fine. Maybe some people are shoe-ins. You'll notice, however, that in the four year range you put into mylsn, only 52 people had that special distinction. At about 7,000 applicants a year...that's 52 out of 28,000 applicants, or 0.2%. Hats off to those people, but the other 99.8% of applicants should probably manage their expectations.

That is mistake one of the LSAT. You cannot state anything about the population outside of the sample. At most you could say that 52 people out of the small sample that is LSN had that property, anything else would be based on an assumption likely to be mistaken given the self selecting nature of LSN.

EDIT: That's not to say that you shouldn't manage your expectations, I actually agree with you on that point.

[Nonconsecutive]

Harvard seems to be moving slightly more towards caring a bit about certain softs, as evidenced by the interview questions they are asking this year.

Based on the kinds questions I had in my interview, I would definitely agree with this.

[drawstring]

It's certainly not just a numbers game..

Softs were a big part of my interview and if it were just a numbers game I'd be in already. When I put my numbers into mylsn and got the results, I was very confident that I'd get a JS2 without issues, but I shouldn't have been so confident. I'm still a bit surprised because my softs aren't that bad and I know of several people who got in with comparable softs and lower numbers, but it's definitely been a chastening experience.

[nothingtosee]

Harvard seems to be moving slightly more towards caring a bit about certain softs, as evidenced by the interview questions they are asking this year.

Based on the kinds questions I had in my interview, I would definitely agree with this.

For example... (?)

[drawstring]

Also, if anyone with strong numbers (at/above both medians, barely below GPA median/significantly above LSAT median) who interviewed before December and hasn't gotten a JS2 wants to PM me to discuss possible similarities in our applications, please do so!

[jttoplawschools93]

checking in with december lsat

3.69 173 so its a reach but figure with declining apps and all it's worth a shot

good luck everybody!

[Balthy]

This is definitely true, but there are some notable exceptions.

It's foolish to think numbers alone will get you in, as there have been people with past cycles that show HLS is looking for more than just numbers. We can make educated guesses, but a) myLSN is not perfect and b) you better be more than just numbers. Harvard seems to be moving slightly more towards caring a bit about certain softs, as evidenced by the interview questions they are asking this year.

Agreed, i don't think any of the t14 is just a numbers game. I was trying to say that, to the extent that one can "expect" to get into a t14 with above median numbers, H certainly isn't an exception (like Y and S are). My point was just that it's not really arrogant for some fortunate TLSers to expect it, as wowhio was saying. But really wowhio and I are just quibbling over semantics; arrogant, not arrogant, whatevs..

[Balthy]

Harvard is the most predictable of HYS so really some here on TLS don't have to manage expectations when it comes to H.

Okay, anyone who's taking admission to Harvard Law as a given is either arrogant or delusional. No one is a shoe-in for Harvard, I'm sorry.

This is just wrong. H is very numbers drive . For someone with very high numbers, H is one of the most predictable of the t14.

Okay, fine. Maybe some people are shoe-ins. You'll notice, however, that in the four year range you put into mylsn, only 52 people had that special distinction. At about 7,000 applicants a year...that's 52 out of 28,000 applicants, or 0.2%. Hats off to those people, but the other 99.8% of applicants should probably manage their expectations.

It's not 52/28,000 bc a pretty small proportion of applicants have lsn accounts. I think last yr there were less than 600 HLS applicants on lsn.

[wowhio]

It's not 52/28,000 bc a pretty small proportion of applicants have lsn accounts. I think last yr there were less than 600 HLS applicants on lsn.

You're right. I agree that MyLSN is a completely flawed source of data, which can really tell us nothing but that we should all wait and see how everything turns out while managing our expectations and hoping for the best.

[LSATSCORES2012]

It's not 52/28,000 bc a pretty small proportion of applicants have lsn accounts. I think last yr there were less than 600 HLS applicants on lsn.

You're right. I agree that MyLSN is a completely flawed source of data, which can really tell us nothing but that we should all wait and see how everything turns out while managing our expectations and hoping for the best.

Do you mean it is nothing but one giant flaw, or that it is just a bunch of minor flaws, but with nothing done properly? Or do you mean that it is flawed, and that flaw is one that is complete it its flawtitude? Or, perhaps, that there is one flaw that imbues the whole thing completely, but there might, nonetheless, be upsides? Maybe you even mean that the parts of the website that are flawed are complete, but the parts that aren't flawed may or may not be under construction. Does the completeness refer to the breadth of the flaw - how much it pervades the website - or its depth - how extensive and damaging the flaw is? Or both?

[patfeeney]

Anybody know about Harvard's ranges for LSAT and GPA? With my 3.58 and 174, my chances of getting in are, I believe, 1 in 6 (enough for me to apply, though... better chances than the lottery), BUT thinking about that stresses me out. I would rather know the minimum LSAT and GPA the school's let in so I don't feel like I'm trying to outrun an F1.

At least Yale lets me know they've admitted a 3.13 and a 152 just this past year, so I feel like I have a chance