HELD @ HARVARD 2012 style Forum

[MobyDick]

I thought it might be nice to gather some data about held applicants, so I made a a Google Doc:

Form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/vie ... NU5meEE6MQ

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... kRqNU5meEE

[planeride]

When sending in a new LOR, would there be any benefit to sending in one from someone who already wrote a solid LOR, but a new one that is school specific? The individual is not affiliated with H in any way, but knows me as a subordinate and can probably speak to my potential better than anyone. Within the military, he is an incredibly well established individual, with tons of experience in the special operations community and in conducting high intensity, covert operations of strategic impact.

It would be hard to trump the last LOR as far as how well it made my case, but I just wonder if I getting him to hone in on why Harvard would benefit from my attendance would be of any help at all. He would have me preview it first, and I would definitely not use it if it is more of the same. I just have a feeling that his first LOR said some great things that probable gave the adcomm enough of a reason to hold me in the first place; that same LOR was also mentioned in every other personal correspondence I received from ther schools as being exceptionally helpful in them choosing me.

I am sure like most others on here, we are all type-a people grasping for any straw we can find to help our case, and this is just one of the courses of action I am considering.

you really shouldn't send in another one. " Please note that your application was complete with the letters of recommendation that you already submitted. Additional letters of recommendation, therefore, are unnecessary at this time."

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/admissions ... %E2%80%9D/

I don't think it's as clear-cut as that. Compare to the hold email: "A hold decision provides you with the opportunity to update and supplement your file. ... Any new information that you feel might be helpful is appropriate."

Then there's the mini-interview with an admissions person someone posted in the Harvard applicants thread, which says something different from the blog and the email. It's all very mysterious.

Yeah, I guess LOR would be helpful. I'm just afraid of angering them haha.

I feel the same way. Still haven't sent mine. I wish they would clarify!

[thelawschoolproject]

Hi friends! Thought I'd join the fun over here in the held pile.

[thelawschoolproject]

I thought it might be nice to gather some data about held applicants, so I made a a Google Doc:

Form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/vie ... NU5meEE6MQ

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... kRqNU5meEE

You are a man among men. Thanks for this.

[seanPtheB]

Checking in, was held this morning. I filled out the google doc, thanks a lot MobyDick for starting that! People who haven't filled it out, please do!

edit: Also, what do you guys think in terms of notifying them of additions to my resume? I've had a couple of updates to my resume since I sent in my application that I think are fairly significant compared to what I had on it before at least (I'm still in UG, so to H they're prolly weak sauce). I'm leaning towards sending in an LOCI detailing these new things, because I could talk about them in more detail rather than just sending in an updated resume. Or, I could do both... thoughts?

[FEE]

Thanks mobydick!

[fingerscrossedxx]

Checking in, was held this morning. I filled out the google doc, thanks a lot MobyDick for starting that! People who haven't filled it out, please do!

edit: Also, what do you guys think in terms of notifying them of additions to my resume? I've had a couple of updates to my resume since I sent in my application that I think are fairly significant compared to what I had on it before at least (I'm still in UG, so to H they're prolly weak sauce). I'm leaning towards sending in an LOCI detailing these new things, because I could talk about them in more detail rather than just sending in an updated resume. Or, I could do both... thoughts?

I think you lose nothing by sending in both! You can talk about them in detail and then say I have attached an updated resume in case you want to look at that as well, and have them have the option to look at it Let me know if you'd like anyone to look at that LOCI, popping mine in the mail today!

[seanPtheB]

That does make perfect sense, so I might as well just send both to be as complete as possible. Thanks a lot! Oh, and I might PM ya if I remember to take you up on that offer of looking it over

[Nelson]

edit: Also, what do you guys think in terms of notifying them of additions to my resume? I've had a couple of updates to my resume since I sent in my application that I think are fairly significant compared to what I had on it before at least (I'm still in UG, so to H they're prolly weak sauce). I'm leaning towards sending in an LOCI detailing these new things, because I could talk about them in more detail rather than just sending in an updated resume. Or, I could do both... thoughts?

I think given the way folks out of undergrad are getting hammered by H this cycle, you're one of the few groups of people that actually should send LOCIs/updates as anything you can do to differentiate yourself from the pack can only help.

[Champion]

What should be like the latest we get this updated stuff in (LOCI, LOR possibly, and transcript update)

[seanPtheB]

edit: Also, what do you guys think in terms of notifying them of additions to my resume? I've had a couple of updates to my resume since I sent in my application that I think are fairly significant compared to what I had on it before at least (I'm still in UG, so to H they're prolly weak sauce). I'm leaning towards sending in an LOCI detailing these new things, because I could talk about them in more detail rather than just sending in an updated resume. Or, I could do both... thoughts?

I think given the way folks out of undergrad are getting hammered by H this cycle, you're one of the few groups of people that actually should send LOCIs/updates as anything you can do to differentiate yourself from the pack can only help.

Yeah, I definitely agree. Do you think sending both an LOCI detailing updates and then an updated resume with these new things on it is the best way to go?

[seanPtheB]

What should be like the latest we get this updated stuff in (LOCI, LOR possibly, and transcript update)

I'd say there's no real "latest date." Asap is the best way to go, but of course a lot of the people who will wind up getting in won't have sent anything.

[Nelson]

Do you think sending both an LOCI detailing updates and then an updated resume with these new things on it is the best way to go?

Yeah, I think sending the resume and using the LOCI as a kind of brief cover letter would be what I would do. That way you can use the LOCI to elaborate briefly and try to make your resume stand out a little.

I think for everyone else it makes sense to just follow their instructions and not send anything unless you change jobs or something. For my situation, I don't think there's much percentage in a LOCI because nothing about my resume has changed. Harvard either likes my WE/numbers or they don't.

[Lovely Ludwig Van]

I thought it might be nice to gather some data about held applicants, so I made a a Google Doc:

Form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/vie ... NU5meEE6MQ

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... kRqNU5meEE

^ There are some major ballers, numbers-wise at least, who are in this spreadsheet.

[seanPtheB]

Do you think sending both an LOCI detailing updates and then an updated resume with these new things on it is the best way to go?

Yeah, I think sending the resume and using the LOCI as a kind of brief cover letter would be what I would do. That way you can use the LOCI to elaborate briefly and try to make your resume stand out a little.

I think for everyone else it makes sense to just follow their instructions and not send anything unless you change jobs or something. For my situation, I don't think there's much percentage in a LOCI because nothing about my resume has changed. Harvard either likes my WE/numbers or they don't.

Thanks a lot, that sounds like the best option to me.

[MobyDick]

I thought it might be nice to gather some data about held applicants, so I made a a Google Doc:

Form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/vie ... NU5meEE6MQ

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... kRqNU5meEE

You are a man among men. Thanks for this.

I added some color coding and a way to measure the strength of the applicatn. Hopefully it is helpful. If anyone can think of a better way to do it, go for it! I'm worried the strength system is misleading. Do you think the value for 'above 75th' should be 2 instead of 3?

[crooked]

Oh why not? Checking in. Thought I was an auto-reject, so I'm pleased to be in this pile. Very few substantial updates in my life since I applied, so I will probably not be sending any additional materials. Good luck to everyone holding out hope!

[Killingly]

Pretty sure I'm the only double zero non-urm applicant on the sheet.

Gotta love it.

[Elendil]

Just wanted to bump this up from last year's hold thread...

A lot of your questions were about our “hold” status:

“Are held applicants’ files going to be completely re-reviewed at some point or have you made a preliminary decision on each file, but are unsure whether you might change your mind after seeing how the entire applicant pool stacks up? Either way, when can held applicants reasonably expect to start hearing back?” – Nate

“When can held applicants expect to start receiving application updates? Will all “holds” be evaluated simultaneously, or can individuals held earlier in the process expect to hear something sooner than those held later? – Ranwa

“Will there be new interview invitations extended to “hold” applicants? If yes, do you have an estimate of the timing?” – Mae

It seems like there are quite a few of you agonizing over being on hold, and many of you seem to have a lot of time to spend on TLS. Relax – there are still places open in the class, and these will be filled by people on hold or whose applications have not been reviewed yet

Hold is a good place to be. You didn’t do anything wrong. If I interviewed you, you’re not on hold because you had a horrible interview (if that were the case, you’d probably just have gotten denied). There’s nothing horrendous about your application. The fact of the matter is that we’re fortunate to get more qualified applicants than we have slots for in the class. We have the luxury of building not only a talented class, but a diverse one. We want to make sure that not everyone is from the same high school, or wants to work for the same Congressional Committee. And the only way to make that happen is to look at the whole applicant pool before making all of our decisions – thus, the hold category.

At this point, your application has been thoroughly reviewed. We’ve got a crack team here, and at least two of us have read your application. So we have a pretty good sense of who you are at this point. You’re more than welcome to send additional information – updated transcripts and resumes are particularly helpful. But don’t feel the need to send something just to send it. Remember, what you send reflects on your judgment – is that seventh letter of recommendation from your grandmother’s next door neighbor who always thought you should be a lawyer really going to reflect well on you?

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve started to go back through the holds. Some of you, we’ve already admitted; others have been asked to interview. Don’t freak out if that’s not you. This is a fairly long process, and it will take 6-8 weeks to go through all the applications, at which point some of the remaining holds be shifted to a wait-list.

Finally, I wouldn’t read too much into whether you’ve been held after an interview or without receiving one. In many cases, that’s more a function of when in the cycle your application was reviewed than it is an assessment of your chances.

EDIT: Adding link... http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7&t=143852

[lblelalr]

has a concensus been reached on whether snail mail or email is the way to go for LOCI?

[FryBreadPower]

has a concensus been reached on whether snail mail or email is the way to go for LOCI?

I thought Harvard had explicitly stated that all correspondence should not be through e-mail. Did I imagine this?

[FryBreadPower]

I thought it might be nice to gather some data about held applicants, so I made a a Google Doc:

Form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/vie ... NU5meEE6MQ

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... kRqNU5meEE

You are a man among men. Thanks for this.

I added some color coding and a way to measure the strength of the applicatn. Hopefully it is helpful. If anyone can think of a better way to do it, go for it! I'm worried the strength system is misleading. Do you think the value for 'above 75th' should be 2 instead of 3?

Man I felt good about getting off the hold; the grading system makes me feel otherwise :/. Man there are some dynamite numbers on this spreadsheet.

[chucklesmcgee]

has a concensus been reached on whether snail mail or email is the way to go for LOCI?

I thought Harvard had explicitly stated that all correspondence should not be through e-mail. Did I imagine this?

From my hold email:
"All correspondence to our office should include your LSAC registration number and be signed by you.

We will be unable to confirm with you over the phone if we have received any of the above information. If you would like to confirm receipt, please include a self-addressed stamped postcard with any correspondence and we will mail it back to you."

On the HLS FAQ page:

"We do not accept application materials or other application correspondence via e-mail."

Seems that snail mail is the way to go.

[Lovely Ludwig Van]

I thought it might be nice to gather some data about held applicants, so I made a a Google Doc:

Form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/vie ... NU5meEE6MQ

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... kRqNU5meEE

You are a man among men. Thanks for this.

I added some color coding and a way to measure the strength of the applicatn. Hopefully it is helpful. If anyone can think of a better way to do it, go for it! I'm worried the strength system is misleading. Do you think the value for 'above 75th' should be 2 instead of 3?

Dude, that is some sexy stuff there w/ the color code, it really puts things into perspective.

(and it makes my stats look like a stud)

[curiouscat]

1+
Nice work on that spreadsheet!

I'm currently sitting at ~4.0/173. Would it help at this point if I retook the LSAT in February and scored in the high 170s? I have some good reasons to believe that I'd be fairly likely to score in that range (going into detail might out me, so humour me for a minute on this one ). I'm just trying to get a sense of whether it would make a difference (especially if I'm WLed) or whether I just completely blew $200 on my impulsive decision to register.