Students often ask what we’re looking for in an applicant, beyond a history of strong academic performance. While there are many other factors, one that often gets overlooked or minimized in the minds of applicants is a demonstrated history of leadership and impact. Intellectual ability is obviously a key factor in admissions here, but we’re very fortunate to receive applications from more talented students than we can possibly fit in an entering class. One thing that really sets applicants apart is what they’ve done with their time outside the classroom or how they’ve built upon their academic work.
Now this isn’t something that you can start to think about around the time you’re starting to fill out your law school applications. It’s more about how you’ve spent the last few years. Have you dedicated yourself to an extracurricular or cause? Have you taken on a leadership role in a group or job that has allowed you to create significant change or have a meaningful impact? There’s no one right answer here – the key is to use your application to let us know about situations where you’ve come in and changed things for the better.
A big part of being at HLS is immersing yourself in a community of people who are dedicated to change and impact across a variety of fields. A great way to convince us that you’ll be a positive addition to this community is to explain how you’re already doing this – I can’t wait to read about it.
- Josh
