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

[blckwsl]

For example almost everyone I have read about, myself included, that has gotten a JS2 has talked in their interview about a professor that they wish to study under. In addition they probably talked about some of their work which interested them and why. This reoccurring theme is helpful for future applicants to know. I'm sure there are many others that will appear if people started focusing their energy on other variables rather than just numbers.

Oh hai new post. I didn't talk about professors at all, and thank goodness because I don't know any of the professors by name. In my PS, I mentioned clinics that I wanted to work with, so we talked about that for a bit.

I also did not talk about professors at my js1. We actually didn't discuss Harvard all that much, just the basic it's a good school kind of thing.

I'm actually below median for GPA and at median for LSAT, but I have 1 year WE in banking/finance (I think that helped). I also had a pretty good personal statement. Hope this helps future applicants!

[controo]

Hey guys,

Since I got my JS2 last week, I thought I would post my stats.

LSAT over median, GPA over 75. Non-URM. Weak softs.

I also didn't talk about professors in my interview. I wanted to, but professors were pretty irrelevant to the questions I was asked (no "Why Harvard?" or anything like that), so I didn't. I did mention specific clinics though, and my interviewer seemed pleased at that.

[Quest4Knowledge]

For those JS2's that DID talk about a specific professor, how did you bring him/her up?

The only question I can think of where it might fit would be Why Harvard, but even then it sounds a bit forced or disingenuous. Maybe in a question you ask the interviewer 'Is it possible to be a RA for Professor X?' or something similar, but again I'm not sure.

[TripTrip]

'Is it possible to be a RA for Professor X?'

I can answer that for anyone who wants: "it depends."

[xmbeckham]

PM if interested in JS1 details.

[hwannabe1234]

Does anyone know when the acceptance packet comes in mail?

got js 2 last thursday but still waiting for the packet

[selden]

PM if interested in the details.

Just so you know, you still gave enough info for Harvard to identify you. Since you made a comment about hiding details, maybe you want to edit that post? Unless you don't care, in which case, sorry!

[rseaney]

Just had an interview with Lauren Gold. I don't know how should I feel about it. It only lasted for 13 mins and she spoke quickly (or hastily), which is the polar opposite of my slow speaking. She also gave pretty short answers (sometimes a word or two) to my questions. Is this normal?

PM if interested in the details.

Hmm that does seem to be outside the norm -- its decidedly different from my interview at least. That said, I wouldn't interpret it as necessarily bad. As said above^ you impressed them already with your app haha perhaps they already know they're going to take you

[lawschool22]

Does anyone know when the acceptance packet comes in mail?

got js 2 last thursday but still waiting for the packet

Wrong thread.

[barrelofmonkeys]

Does anyone know when the acceptance packet comes in mail?

got js 2 last thursday but still waiting for the packet

Wrong thread.

[IrishJew]

Does anyone know when the acceptance packet comes in mail?

got js 2 last thursday but still waiting for the packet

Wrong thread.

Well he IS an applicant...

[xmbeckham]

PM if interested in the details.

Just so you know, you still gave enough info for Harvard to identify you. Since you made a comment about hiding details, maybe you want to edit that post? Unless you don't care, in which case, sorry!

Sorry, kind of new here. Could you explain? What are the bad outcomes if they identify me?

[hwannabe1234]

Does anyone know when the acceptance packet comes in mail?

got js 2 last thursday but still waiting for the packet

Wrong thread.

??

[SplitMyPants]

Does anyone know when the acceptance packet comes in mail?

got js 2 last thursday but still waiting for the packet

Wrong thread.

??

Try here.

[lawschool22]

Does anyone know when the acceptance packet comes in mail?

got js 2 last thursday but still waiting for the packet

Wrong thread.

??

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 8&t=220470

[alllaweverything]

For those JS2's that DID talk about a specific professor, how did you bring him/her up?

The only question I can think of where it might fit would be Why Harvard, but even then it sounds a bit forced or disingenuous. Maybe in a question you ask the interviewer 'Is it possible to be a RA for Professor X?' or something similar, but again I'm not sure.

yeah, i weaved in prof names when i asked about RA opportunities, but i don't know if i have much room to discuss that sort of approach's success (i'm still at js1.5).

[IrishJew]

PM if interested in the details.

Just so you know, you still gave enough info for Harvard to identify you. Since you made a comment about hiding details, maybe you want to edit that post? Unless you don't care, in which case, sorry!

Sorry, kind of new here. Could you explain? What are the bad outcomes if they identify me?

This is an excellent question. Common wisdom is that at least some AdCom people read TLS at least occasionally (wouldn't you?). The concern is that they might see a less flattering side of you here. As an obvious example, if you go on a Mel Gibson meets Alec Baldwin style rant about the Jews, N-words, and fa**ots at Harvard and they can identify you, that will not bode well for your app. Obviously you're not going to say something like that, but something more innocuous might rub them the wrong way. What if you say "I interviewed with John Smith and I feel like we didn't really click and he missed a few things I said." Who knows how John Smith would take that if he comes on here?

Will posting your stats or how your interview went jeopardize your app? Maybe, maybe not. People have reported being "outed" by an AdCom in the past (IIR someone got scolded by a school for posting information about their aid package or something and the school tried to rescind their offer). I suspect most TLSers don't want to take that kind of chance even if it's remote. After all, when you submit an app it's a carefully constructed view of you in the best possible light; why give them the chance to see you "at ease" on TLS?

As for your specific post, each interviewer one person at a time, so if you post "I just interviewed with John Smith" at 5:30 PM it makes you easy to identify. I don't think anyone is saying your post was particularly dumb or anything, just giving you a friendly heads-up that if you care about your TLS anonymity your post may have been a bit too specific.

HTH, and other TLSers feel free to chime in if you think I'm off base.

ETA thought I should clarify. Even if your one post is perfectly fine but identifies you, they can use that to ferret out your identity for a post they don't like. E.g. if you post "May name is Bob Dole, my social is 345-21-0098 and I love Harvard more than anything" today and then tomorrow you post something they don't like tomorrow, it's easy to put the two posts together.

[xmbeckham]

PM if interested in the details.

Just so you know, you still gave enough info for Harvard to identify you. Since you made a comment about hiding details, maybe you want to edit that post? Unless you don't care, in which case, sorry!

Sorry, kind of new here. Could you explain? What are the bad outcomes if they identify me?

This is an excellent question. Common wisdom is that at least some AdCom people read TLS at least occasionally (wouldn't you?). The concern is that they might see a less flattering side of you here. As an obvious example, if you go on a Mel Gibson meets Alec Baldwin style rant about the Jews, N-words, and fa**ots at Harvard and they can identify you, that will not bode well for your app. Obviously you're not going to say something like that, but something more innocuous might rub them the wrong way. What if you say "I interviewed with John Smith and I feel like we didn't really click and he missed a few things I said." Who knows how John Smith would take that if he comes on here?

Will posting your stats or how your interview went jeopardize your app? Maybe, maybe not. People have reported being "outed" by an AdCom in the past (IIR someone got scolded by a school for posting information about their aid package or something and the school tried to rescind their offer). I suspect most TLSers don't want to take that kind of chance even if it's remote. After all, when you submit an app it's a carefully constructed view of you in the best possible light; why give them the chance to see you "at ease" on TLS?

As for your specific post, each interviewer one person at a time, so if you post "I just interviewed with John Smith" at 5:30 PM it makes you easy to identify. I don't think anyone is saying your post was particularly dumb or anything, just giving you a friendly heads-up that if you care about your TLS anonymity your post may have been a bit too specific.

HTH, and other TLSers feel free to chime in if you think I'm off base.

ETA thought I should clarify. Even if your one post is perfectly fine but identifies you, they can use that to ferret out your identity for a post they don't like. E.g. if you post "May name is Bob Dole, my social is 345-21-0098 and I love Harvard more than anything" today and then tomorrow you post something they don't like tomorrow, it's easy to put the two posts together.

Really appreciate such a thorough explanation!

[IrishJew]

For those JS2's that DID talk about a specific professor, how did you bring him/her up?

The only question I can think of where it might fit would be Why Harvard, but even then it sounds a bit forced or disingenuous. Maybe in a question you ask the interviewer 'Is it possible to be a RA for Professor X?' or something similar, but again I'm not sure.

yeah, i weaved in prof names when i asked about RA opportunities, but i don't know if i have much room to discuss that sort of approach's success (i'm still at js1.5).

I think you can legitimately mention profs in "Why Harvard" (which I didn't get asked) or when you ask about the school if you're using it to make a relevant point without sounding stupid. Here are three examples from my app:
1. When talking about Why Harvard (they didn't ask but I threw it onto "why law school") I said something like "one reason I'm especially interested in Harvard is because you have people like professor X who are awesome academics as well as people like Professor Y who have real world experience" (and that's true, IMO Chicago and Harvard are head-and-shoulders above the rest for that, so not disingenuous at all).
2. When they asked about my interests or goals I said "I'd really love to combine A and B, like what Professor Z does but with more of a focus on Professor Q's area of research."
3. When asking a question I said something like "Harvard has world-famous professors like Professor Z, who is amazing, but he always seems to be meeting with the president, heading an international task force, or whatever. So how accessible is someone like that to students?"

I doubt I'm the first person to come up with these kinds of things, and they are probably more detailed than necessary But as Asha (Yale's admission dean) mentioned somewhere else, you don't need to "Stand out," you just need to be "solid." I think if you show you've done some homework, you're legitimately interested in Harvard, and you have some sense of the kind of thing you may want to study and who at Harvard does it then you'll have that base covered.

[dreamerchic19]

is it rare that you're accepted without having to interview?

[drawstring]

is it rare that you're accepted without having to interview?

Doesn't happen anymore.

eta: by that I mean an interview is a requirement for admission

[ShrimpToastMasters]

JS PLEEZ CALL!!

[tlsapp2017]

JS PLEEZ CALL!!

+1

[LawSchoolOrNah]

Quick question for anyone that can answer this.

Does how fast you go from complete -> interview have any sort of positive relationship?

[cesium]

Quick question for anyone that can answer this.

Does how fast you go from complete -> interview have any sort of positive relationship?

Yes. Sometime last week on this thread, someone posted the average wait times from complete to interview request, and it was definitely correlated with GPA and LSAT score (better numbers = earlier). Here's the post from Tuesday, Feb 18:

Okay friends, even more useless stats!

Here is just a general breakdown of the TLS applicant pool:

• GPA<3.88 / LSAT<173 = 26%
  GPA<3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 33%
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT<173 = 18%
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 23%

As you can see, pretty even distribution.

For each group, here is the percentage that have received JS1s so far (eg, 34% of the applicants represented on TLS who are below both medians have received JS1s):

• GPA<3.88 / LSAT<173 = 34%
  GPA<3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 62%
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT<173 = 55%
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 77%

The average wait time, in days from complete, for those JS1s by group is as follows:

• GPA<3.88 / LSAT<173 = 30.2
  GPA<3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 17.1
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT<173 = 15.1
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 11.0

As expected, those with better stats are receiving their JS1 requests much earlier.

Here is the percentage of those who had JS1s that have been accepted (eg, of the 22 applicants who are below both medians and had JS1s, 7 (32%) have been accepted):

• GPA<3.88 / LSAT<173 = 32%
  GPA<3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 52%
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT<173 = 50%
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 73%

The average wait time, in days after JS1, for those acceptances by group is as follows:

• GPA<3.88 / LSAT<173 = 30.0
  GPA<3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 23.8
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT<173 = 25.2
  GPA>=3.88 / LSAT>=173 = 24.1

Enjoy!