Harvard Waitlist 2010 Forum

[democrattotheend]

Got the waitlist e-mail yesterday. Happy to not be rejected, but not too optimistic. 3.82/173/non-URM. A few years work experience but no spectacular softs.

[bloodonthetracks]

I already sent an LOCI, another LOR, and an updated resume and transcripts when I was held. I'm not so sure I have anything new to say. Are you guys in similar boats?

I'm just wondering if there's a point to sending another LOCI if I don't have anything to add to my file.

same boat. i was held just a couple of weeks ago and immediately sent a LOCI and an additional LOR. waitlisted a couple days ago. i don't have much left to say other than "please accept me."

[swampthang]

I already sent an LOCI, another LOR, and an updated resume and transcripts when I was held. I'm not so sure I have anything new to say. Are you guys in similar boats?

I'm just wondering if there's a point to sending another LOCI if I don't have anything to add to my file.

same boat. i was held just a couple of weeks ago and immediately sent a LOCI and an additional LOR. waitlisted a couple days ago. i don't have much left to say other than "please accept me."

Exactly. I almost think at this point writing another LOCI makes me look desperate and uninteresting. Besides, to paraphrase what's been posted elsewhere on this board, what do I have to update them about? Dear Harvard, I continue to sit at my desk and contemplate gouging out my eyeballs all my day. Please please please let me in.

[blue5385]

Dear Harvard, I continue to sit at my desk and contemplate gouging out my eyeballs all my day. Please please please let me in.

don't plagiarize my LOCI!

I think as long as they know you would accept an offer from HLS if they made you one, there isn't much else they really need to know about you in addition to what they already do (and if you wouldn't, withdraw from the WL!). My impression was that since they don't rank the waitlist, other updates don't matter as much since you're not really trying to compete with other applicants anymore.

[ny1111]

I got the waitlist e-mail Saturday - the first word I'd gotten since going complete. I was sure I'd be flat-out rejected at 3.9x/170. Does this mean I might actually have a chance?

[chw]

Sent an email declining yesterday - I hope one of you gets my spot

[blue5385]

Sent an email declining yesterday - I hope one of you gets my spot

Thanks chw! Where are you headed?
edit: nvm, saw your information box, grats on YLS!

[ShibaDan]

Sent an email declining yesterday - I hope one of you gets my spot

Excellent. Now if another 400 or so people do this I may have a shot.

[blue5385]

I don't want this to be true, since it means all of us would have a very small shot at getting in off the WL, but I feel like it's going to be enormous this year. The fact that they waitlisted someone like me, with a GPA so far below their 25th it's laughable, suggests to me that they're waitlisting people who would have been auto-rejects in previous years (why they'd do that, I'm not sure).

[swampthang]

I don't want this to be true, since it means all of us would have a very small shot at getting in off the WL, but I feel like it's going to be enormous this year. The fact that they waitlisted someone like me, with a GPA so far below their 25th it's laughable, suggests to me that they're waitlisting people who would have been auto-rejects in previous years (why they'd do that, I'm not sure).

I think/hope they're just being conservative with admits and keeping a large WL which they intend to pull deeply from. Think about all the factors at play. First off, JR is a new dean, so it would seem logical that he would under-admit, see how things shake out, and then make a big pull from the WL. Also, the state of the economy means there could be a "flight to value" (or in my mind, a flight to cheapness) as risk-averse 0L's balk at the prospect of $200k in loans and minimal employment opportunities by flocking to $$$ from lower ranked schools. Third, hope springs eternal and it's convenient for me to think so! Besides, remember what JR said (LinkRemoved) about how 25% of the incoming class comes in with numbers below the median range (duh, but it's a nice reminder). I would speculate that the top 75% of the class is filled, with a good number of the below-median admits in as well. However, again, conservatism is the order of the day, and the new dean is playing it cautious to see how many deposits and how many deferrals they get.

I really think this cycle is going to be somewhat unique due to the economy and its effect on employment prospects across the board. But then again, it's convenient for me to think that so I don't really question it too much.

[neimanmarxist]

.

[Core]

Is it common for URMs with JR1s to get WLed or am I a leper?

[swampthang]

JR is a new dean, so it would seem logical that he would under-admit, see how things shake out, and then make a big pull from the WL.

I admire your optimism.

Excellent. Now if another [strike]400[/strike] 800 or so people do this I may have a shot.

Fixed to reflect my own chances. I have no idea why I am on this list.

I still don't know why people think the WL is 800 deep. I would be incredibly surprised if it were >500.

[of Benito Cereno]

,.,

[blue5385]

I don't want this to be true, since it means all of us would have a very small shot at getting in off the WL, but I feel like it's going to be enormous this year. The fact that they waitlisted someone like me, with a GPA so far below their 25th it's laughable, suggests to me that they're waitlisting people who would have been auto-rejects in previous years (why they'd do that, I'm not sure).

I think/hope they're just being conservative with admits and keeping a large WL which they intend to pull deeply from. Think about all the factors at play. First off, JR is a new dean, so it would seem logical that he would under-admit, see how things shake out, and then make a big pull from the WL. Also, the state of the economy means there could be a "flight to value" (or in my mind, a flight to cheapness) as risk-averse 0L's balk at the prospect of $200k in loans and minimal employment opportunities by flocking to $$$ from lower ranked schools. Third, hope springs eternal and it's convenient for me to think so! Besides, remember what JR said about 25% of the incoming class comes in with numbers below the median range (duh, but it's a nice reminder). I would speculate that the top 75% of the class is filled, with a good number of the below-median admits in as well. However, again, conservatism is the order of the day, and the new dean is playing it cautious to see how many deposits and how many deferrals they get.

I really think this cycle is going to be somewhat unique due to the economy and its effect on employment prospects across the board. But then again, it's convenient for me to think that so I don't really question it too much.

Good point on admits who would prefer to take money at lower-ranked schools rather than attend Harvard at sticker. (I just hope the reverse doesn't hold true and people don't flock to the most solid names instead of taking money at less prestigious schools.) Also, it seems like the people who have been admitted so far have had ridiculously high GPAs, so I hope they've gotten their GPA quartiles to where they need to be and will focus on LSAT if they pull from the WL.

Also, this is totally random, but I don't think Harvard really ever gets a lower-than-expected yield from their admits. Based on the H/Y admits I personally know, several of them have opted to defer law school for a couple years because they received prestigious scholarships like Rhodes, Fulbright, Marshall, etc. IIRC, they didn't find out about those until spring, so there will likely be some deferrals based on that (hopefully quite a few, since people are always looking to get an edge over other job seekers ITE, and a Fulbright would be a great way to do that).

[blue5385]

Excellent. Now if another [strike]400[/strike]800 or so people do this I may have a shot.

Fixed to reflect my own chances. I have no idea why I am on this list.

lol, I think it was def2104 who said that and not me...but I definitely agree with him/her.

[neimanmarxist]

sorry for misquoting you blue. I'm a techno- peasant and I can never figure out how these things work.

[blue5385]

sorry for misquoting you blue. I'm a techno- peasant and I can never figure out how these things work.

no prob- I'm always going back and editing my posts because I messed them up somehow the first time.

[eattrucks]

Waitlist Saturday Morning 11:28 AM.
LSAT: 175
GPA: 3.4
Complete: 1/8
Held: 3/12

[cincinnatus]

On Saturday morning at 5 AM I was having a lucid dream, and while floating through the space between sleep and consciousness saw the waitlist e-mail on the screen next to me. I tried to believe that it was a dream, but unfortunately I already realized that I was wide awake.

172 - 3.99 - "interesting" softs and work experience, but not directly relevant to law.

I'd literally lost sleep over this. I live in EST + 12 hours time zone, so I would wonder, "Is he going to call when I'm asleep?" Every night since my interview, I kept waking up in the middle of the night, and would check my phone and inbox. Now that I think about it, it was presumptuous of me to be anxious.

I'll wait it out for as long as I can 14 out of 175? Those aren't great odds, but they're only slightly worse than what we faced when we first put in our applications.

[of Benito Cereno]

Anyone on the waitlist who updated their file at HLS (LOCI, rec, transcript) in march?


just trying to see if waitlist order is tied to when files were last updated (as it seems that remaining files may be result of recent updates).

[Unitas]

Anyone on the waitlist who updated their file at HLS (LOCI, rec, transcript) in march?


just trying to see if waitlist order is tied to when files were last updated (as it seems that remaining files may be result of recent updates).

Me, I updated in March and April.

[Havaianas]

joining the club from the held at harvard club

[swimbrad]

hello there... WL this morning - 173/4.x

[of Benito Cereno]

I know I've mentioned here how many were waitlisted on lsn last year; however, I just checked and it seems that HLS waitlisted a higher % of applicants on lsn last year than other years. last year like 185 but usually closer to 100. right now we are at like 90.