Harvard 2010! Forum

[Sogui]

Will probably send an LOCI on Monday if I dont hear anything this week.

My GPA went up .01, but given how close I am to their median, it could make a difference. I don't really have much else to talk about though, just 1-2 things worth mentioning since 2009.

I don't think anyone here "expects" to get into HLS, we are all just eager and some of us disappointed that our relatively strong numbers/applications haven't even yielded a JR1 this late in the game.

[englawyer]

hmm... still probably have a very good chance.. just maybe not guaranteed as I was thinking if you had a median GPA #.. although probably your rest of Application and UG could tilt the balance

UG is a top 5 public in the top 50 USNWR, application has some interesting softs but nothing spectacular. Average majors. What a cycle though, huh? Any other time, if I had posted "Hey I have a 179 and a high 3.8 do you think I can get HLS?" I would have been universally regarded as a flame.

This year you would have too. I've had so many people, including current HLS students, tell me I'm definitely getting in this cycle with my 179/3.77. Bleh.

This may be paranoid, but I hope that HLS isn't trying to make a point about not being an "all about numbers" school. That being said, a pre-law advisor (who actually has seemed knowledgeable) told me that the reason HLS has that rep is because they want to maintain Yale-like numbers with a considerably larger class, which essentially forces them to take a ton of high-GPA high-LSAT applicants. Maybe this year since they're getting so many apps (and likely more qualified applicants), they're enjoying the liberty of not having to do that to the same extent.

they may also be trying to decrease their "straight from undergrad" percentage, which is currently higher than the other elite schools. some work experience and/or a master's does seem to be a significant plus.

[invisiblesun]

they may also be trying to decrease their "straight from undergrad" percentage, which is currently higher than the other elite schools. some work experience and/or a master's does seem to be a significant plus.

We may also be reading into this way too far because we're all eager and impatient.

[legalnoeagle]

I posted this in the Held at Harvard thread, but I figured I'd throw it in here as well, since there seems to be a general lack of JR1/2 activity these days...

A survey for those of you who wrote LOCI(s): how long?

I'm sitting at 500 words right now.

[adameus]

I posted this in the Held at Harvard thread, but I figured I'd throw it in here as well, since there seems to be a general lack of JR1/2 activity these days...

A survey for those of you who wrote LOCI(s): how long?

I'm sitting at 500 words right now.

if that is over a page, which I think it would be, then it's too long.

[Unitas]

I posted this in the Held at Harvard thread, but I figured I'd throw it in here as well, since there seems to be a general lack of JR1/2 activity these days...

A survey for those of you who wrote LOCI(s): how long?

I'm sitting at 500 words right now.

Mine was 271 words.. Double spaced, because they requested the PS to be double spaced.

[gatordude94]

I posted this in the Held at Harvard thread, but I figured I'd throw it in here as well, since there seems to be a general lack of JR1/2 activity these days...

A survey for those of you who wrote LOCI(s): how long?

I'm sitting at 500 words right now.

Mine was 500 single spaced, 1 page. Throw your name/address in the header, letterhead style to cut down on size. Still, it was a tight squeeze.

[adameus]

I posted this in the Held at Harvard thread, but I figured I'd throw it in here as well, since there seems to be a general lack of JR1/2 activity these days...

A survey for those of you who wrote LOCI(s): how long?

I'm sitting at 500 words right now.

Mine was 500 single spaced, 1 page. Throw your name/address in the header, letterhead style to cut down on size. Still, it was a tight squeeze.

This isn't another PS. It's a chance to show your interest and update them on what you have accomplished if anything since you applied. This information is going to get lost amonst all the other garble if it is this long.

[legalnoeagle]

I posted this in the Held at Harvard thread, but I figured I'd throw it in here as well, since there seems to be a general lack of JR1/2 activity these days...

A survey for those of you who wrote LOCI(s): how long?

I'm sitting at 500 words right now.

Mine was 500 single spaced, 1 page. Throw your name/address in the header, letterhead style to cut down on size. Still, it was a tight squeeze.

This isn't another PS. It's a chance to show your interest and update them on what you have accomplished if anything since you applied. This information is going to get lost amonst all the other garble if it is this long.

Meh. Like everything else, it all depends on what you have to say.
(says the person who just trimmed his LOCI down to 425)

[CoaltoNewCastle]

I don't think 500 is that long. If you have something you want them to read, 500 is fine. I don't even think 800 is that long if your LOCI is interesting.

[crackberry]

"I would have written a short letter, but I didn't have the time."

Shorter is always better. Excessive adjectives and long-winded writing are chronic and pervasive problems.

[adameus]

I don't think 500 is that long. If you have something you want them to read, 500 is fine. I don't even think 800 is that long if your LOCI is interesting.

what's interesting to you is probably not going to be intersting to an adcomm who is reading loads of this shit all day every day. Keep it short and get your point across. that's my thoughts.

[Unitas]

I don't think 500 is that long. If you have something you want them to read, 500 is fine. I don't even think 800 is that long if your LOCI is interesting.

what's interesting to you is probably not going to be intersting to an adcomm who is reading loads of this shit all day every day. Keep it short and get your point across. that's my thoughts.

800 words is very long for a LOCI... I guess if you have that much to say you might as well do it.

[Sogui]

HLS doesn't care about LOCIs. Ditto for YLS.

If anything, LOCIs will peak the adcomms' interest, look at your file again - and ding you.

There was a poster a few pages back who got un-held and accepted in early March thanks (in all likelyhood) to a strong LOCI.

I think with my GPA hovering right near their median, moving up even .01 could be a big deal.

[adameus]

I don't think 500 is that long. If you have something you want them to read, 500 is fine. I don't even think 800 is that long if your LOCI is interesting.

what's interesting to you is probably not going to be intersting to an adcomm who is reading loads of this shit all day every day. Keep it short and get your point across. that's my thoughts.

800 words is very long for a LOCI... I guess if you have that much to say you might as well do it.

come on, are you kidding me? unless you have accomplished 10 new things you can say whatever you said in 800 words in 300.

[adameus]

HLS doesn't care about LOCIs. Ditto for YLS.

If anything, LOCIs will peak the adcomms' interest, look at your file again - and ding you.

There was a poster a few pages back who got un-held and accepted in early March thanks (in all likelyhood) to a strong LOCI.

I think with my GPA hovering right near their median, moving up even .01 could be a big deal.

.01? I don't know if I'm in a pissy mood today or what, but some of you guys are over thinking this waaaay too much. Please don't write a LOCI to tell them that your GPA moved from 3.81 to 3.82, I think they would be more inclined to laugh and decline than to change their mind and accept you.

[gatordude94]

HLS doesn't care about LOCIs. Ditto for YLS.

If anything, LOCIs will peak the adcomms' interest, look at your file again - and ding you.

There was a poster a few pages back who got un-held and accepted in early March thanks (in all likelyhood) to a strong LOCI.

I think with my GPA hovering right near their median, moving up even .01 could be a big deal.

.01? I don't know if I'm in a pissy mood today or what, but some of you guys are over thinking this waaaay too much. Please don't write a LOCI to tell them that your GPA moved from 3.81 to 3.82, I think they would be more inclined to laugh and decline than to change their mind and accept you.

A LOCI based solely on a .01 GPA increase seems a little much. Mine was 500 because I had a pertinent career update. Also, I made sure each sentence had at least 7 adjectives.

[adameus]

Like I said a few pages back, I do hope Sogui gets in, as I can tell he wants it really bad, but I think your desperation is showing a little too much if you are informing them of a .01 increase in GPA.

[ConMan345]

HLS doesn't care about LOCIs. Ditto for YLS.

If anything, LOCIs will peak the adcomms' interest, look at your file again - and ding you.

There was a poster a few pages back who got un-held and accepted in early March thanks (in all likelyhood) to a strong LOCI.

I think with my GPA hovering right near their median, moving up even .01 could be a big deal.

.01? I don't know if I'm in a pissy mood today or what, but some of you guys are over thinking this waaaay too much. Please don't write a LOCI to tell them that your GPA moved from 3.81 to 3.82, I think they would be more inclined to laugh and decline than to change their mind and accept you.

A LOCI based solely on a .01 GPA increase seems a little much. Mine was 500 because I had a pertinent career update. Also, I made sure each sentence had at least 7 adjectives.

[Unitas]

I don't think 500 is that long. If you have something you want them to read, 500 is fine. I don't even think 800 is that long if your LOCI is interesting.

what's interesting to you is probably not going to be intersting to an adcomm who is reading loads of this shit all day every day. Keep it short and get your point across. that's my thoughts.

800 words is very long for a LOCI... I guess if you have that much to say you might as well do it.

come on, are you kidding me? unless you have accomplished 10 new things you can say whatever you said in 800 words in 300.

Mine was 271 words... I said I guess if you have that much you might as well do it, but again I have no idea how it could be 800 words, which I believe is longer than my PS...

We really don't know what HLS thinks so I can't tell them DON"T DO IT, when HLS may have loved it if they had. It is a personal choice to make... I do regret that I didn't update them on two things that I consider pretty major and am debating sending another 100 word LOCI in 5 or 6 weeks.

[JohnnyTrojan08]

Hey guys, just wanted to offer some clarification:

I don't have a "hard" 180: I scored a 172 in 9/07, and a 180 in 12/07. Since Harvard averages, I'd say my numbers are actually a 3.85 GPA with 176 LSAT.

My application wasn't UR until 1/22 because of a late LOR. I don't know if my earlier "application date" held my spot in line to be reviewed, but it's possible.

It's safe to assume that I have a lot of softs that applicants applying from UG don't have: master's degree, two-years' work experience, TFA, and some legal internships. The communication I've had from Harvard since has made me feel like I'm part of a fetishistic collection of TFA corps members. One e-mail even went so far as to say, "We've currently got 17 of you in this class, and can't wait for you to meet each other"... [while we watch]. Weird.

For what it's worth, I think TFA plus my solid PS had more effect on any "quick turnaround" than anything mentioned above. It's posted on my blog if you want to read it. During my phone interview, JR was far more interested in my ability to articulate why I wanted to be a lawyer, specifically with a HLS degree, than what I had accomplished.

There were several other acceptances on the same timeline as me, so maybe the others can offer more clarification on why they think their applications were picked out to be reviewed. I think the bottom line is that when reviewing applications at HYS, they have the luxury of requiring some x-factor that can be hard to achieve as an UG.

[Herb Watchfell]

I don't have a "hard" 180: I scored a 172 in 9/07, and a 180 in 12/07.

flaccid 180 FTW

[bballfan]

Hey guys, just wanted to offer some clarification:

I don't have a "hard" 180: I scored a 172 in 9/07, and a 180 in 12/07. Since Harvard averages, I'd say my numbers are actually a 3.85 GPA with 176 LSAT.

My application wasn't UR until 1/22 because of a late LOR. I don't know if my earlier "application date" held my spot in line to be reviewed, but it's possible.

It's safe to assume that I have a lot of softs that applicants applying from UG don't have: master's degree, two-years' work experience, TFA, and some legal internships. The communication I've had from Harvard since has made me feel like I'm part of a fetishistic collection of TFA corps members. One e-mail even went so far as to say, "We've currently got 17 of you in this class, and can't wait for you to meet each other"... [while we watch]. Weird.

For what it's worth, I think TFA plus my solid PS had more effect on any "quick turnaround" than anything mentioned above. It's posted on my blog if you want to read it. During my phone interview, JR was far more interested in my ability to articulate why I wanted to be a lawyer, specifically with a HLS degree, than what I had accomplished.

There were several other acceptances on the same timeline as me, so maybe the others can offer more clarification on why they think their applications were picked out to be reviewed. I think the bottom line is that when reviewing applications at HYS, they have the luxury of requiring some x-factor that can be hard to achieve as an UG.

+1
My softs are nearly identical to Johnny (minus the masters degree) and I had a little over of a month turnaround from submission to acceptance.

[invisiblesun]

Hey guys, just wanted to offer some clarification:

I don't have a "hard" 180: I scored a 172 in 9/07, and a 180 in 12/07. Since Harvard averages, I'd say my numbers are actually a 3.85 GPA with 176 LSAT.

My application wasn't UR until 1/22 because of a late LOR. I don't know if my earlier "application date" held my spot in line to be reviewed, but it's possible.

It's safe to assume that I have a lot of softs that applicants applying from UG don't have: master's degree, two-years' work experience, TFA, and some legal internships. The communication I've had from Harvard since has made me feel like I'm part of a fetishistic collection of TFA corps members. One e-mail even went so far as to say, "We've currently got 17 of you in this class, and can't wait for you to meet each other"... [while we watch]. Weird.

For what it's worth, I think TFA plus my solid PS had more effect on any "quick turnaround" than anything mentioned above. It's posted on my blog if you want to read it. During my phone interview, JR was far more interested in my ability to articulate why I wanted to be a lawyer, specifically with a HLS degree, than what I had accomplished.

There were several other acceptances on the same timeline as me, so maybe the others can offer more clarification on why they think their applications were picked out to be reviewed. I think the bottom line is that when reviewing applications at HYS, they have the luxury of requiring some x-factor that can be hard to achieve as an UG.

I agree with most of this, but I don't think they actually average or else there are a lot of people who likely wouldn't have been accepted (such as a 162->173 /3.9 applicant I know I saw on LSN).

[crackberry]

Since Harvard averages...

Harvard definitely does not average.

Also, Johnny, did you not apply to Yale? I don't remember. And let's say you get into Stanford, and $$ at H/S is the same. Are you leaning one way or the other?

Also, finally, you can't spell "sucks"... (sorry, had to).