HLS in Focus

I had some comments in an earlier blog post asking questions about “under review” and our online status.  I thought I’d give a quick response here.

We review 7,000+ applications over the course of the year and also work with admitted applicants on their plans to visit, connecting them with hundreds of students and dozens of faculty.  And there aren’t many of us in this office.  It is not unusual for applications to be “under review” for months.  They are processed, they are reviewed by several people, and then they are repeatedly compared against other applications that come in over the course of the year.

Someone asked, what are you waiting for?  Why haven’t you told me what is up with my file?  Very simply, I have at least 1,000 applications to look over again in the next couple of weeks in order to sign off on final status.  I know that all of those files will either go into the waitlist group or the deny group.  But I don’t know for each individual file until I see it.  Also, files which I have already looked at again still have to be processed for final decision and this takes time, too, as we want to make sure we’ve crossed all the t’s and dotted all the i’s.  It wouldn’t be a good idea to send out the wrong decision to a person.

As for the online status, it is likely that it will change almost simultaneously with the e-mails that go out.

Hope this helps!

A couple of items:

We’re winding down a bit in the JD admissions office. I expect to do one more major round of admit phone calls (i.e. congratulatory calls) next week and then we’ll probably stop and go to the waitlist (and of course, deny everyone else)–i.e., those under review will either be on the waitlist or denied. Still, like in prior years, I expect to admit a fair number off the waitlist and will try to do much of that in May or early June. Interview calls may well continue. This applies to everyone (!!!!!!–note additional exclamation points in response to additional comments/questions below).

In response to one of the comments, files “under review” are under periodic review throughout the cycle–this status can last for one week or several months (for 2007-08 — we may adjust the process next year). When we make a decision, we tell you.

Also, you may notice that I’ve started allowing comments on this blog, but they will be cleared by a moderator. People become very strident and strange when they are hidden in the cloak of anonymity. Witness some of the sad, sorry displays on the public message boards. We’ll not have that here. I would appreciate constructive criticism and ideas, however.

I was just reading a file and wanted to pass along some thoughts. As I read undergraduate transcripts, I don’t much like to see a significant number of “Ps”. One or two is no big deal, but when I see a bunch of them I wonder, “What is she worried about?” or “What is he hiding?” So keep that in mind when you’re considering a pass/fail option for a class.

Oh and I’ll add this: don’t send the “track changes” version of your personal statement in.  Saw one of those today too.  There were significant changes made…by what appeared to be someone other than the applicant.  Oops.

These days I sometimes make 20 interview calls a day. We’re in the heart of the busy season here at HLS admissions. I like this time of year–reading files, getting to know people who will soon join the Harvard community, planning the admitted applicant events for the spring. We have admitted quite a few applicants already and are a bit ahead of last year, but we have a long way to go.

My thoughts on the interview at this point in the season are as follows:

(1) It is not the case that a person makes the first cut to the interview and then has to “pass” the interview to get admitted — the interview just becomes a part of the application as it’s reviewed by committee members. If you get a call, then don’t get admitted shortly thereafter, you may well get admitted later in the cycle. Of course you may also get waitlisted or denied. But generally speaking, the interview should be viewed as a relatively positive sign.

(2) There are few right or wrong answers in the interview. I’m just trying to get more of a sense for how you interact with a human being…for a few minutes…over the phone. Introverts are as welcome as extroverts.

(3) I get the feeling that there’s a rumor going around that I have an interest in certain local sports teams… Strange. I am not going to say whether I do or do not, but one should keep in mind that I’m not from around here. And it’s a stretch to call me a fanatic about sports…

(4) I can tell when you are asking a question just because you think you NEED to ask a question. I know it’s supposed to be good interview decorum to “show interest” by asking intelligent questions. I’ve always thought that to be a bit silly. When I’ve interviewed for jobs or for other purposes, if someone asked me “Do you have any questions?” I would say “No” if I thought I’d figured things out. Or, if I had one, I’d ask it. Seems simple enough. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to encourage questions–I’m sure many of you out there DO wonder about some things related to HLS and our community. Ask away! But don’t feel like you have to.

(5) I’ll usually ask about your law school-related interests after looking at your “interest checklist” on the application form. Some of you have not checked anything. Some of you have checked 20 things. Both are fine. And when I ask the question, there’s nothing wrong with saying you have no idea what you want to study or pursue at law school or beyond. I’m just curious.

(6) Being nervous is okay.

(7) I typically can’t schedule an interview precisely due to my workflow around here, so just give the times when you may be available and I’ll try my best to call within those times. Sometimes, however, I won’t get a chance to read your e-mail until after your times have passed. If that happens, I’ll just call and if I don’t get you, you can call me back! No worries.

I expect to make somewhere between 1000 and 1100 phone calls this year. We’ll see how that goes.

Reading recommendation letters is normally a rather mundane activity. They are usually positive. They sound much the same. Oh sure, many English professors write for 2 or 3 pages, telling me how the student’s thesis fits into the professor’s own scholarship and stopping to teach me something about Chaucer or Milton, while an average Engineering prof writes for 3 or 4 sentences, explaining also that he eschews stationery, finding it a “waste of space.”

But sometimes I see the standouts. On either extreme. Some letters are so effusive that even if an applicant didn’t seem so competitive, I have to take a second look. Others are less so…

One letter, from an Economics professor who had determined for herself exactly where her student stood wrote “[the applicant] has the maturity, drive, and raw intellectual firepower to succeed at any law school outside of the top-15 in the country. I expect that she would be seriously overmatched in one of the elite law schools, judging from my experience with students in programs at Chicago and Yale.”

Well, it was certainly a useful letter…for us!

Another recommender wrote this: “He does have the tendency to be reasonably arrogant, if this is a skill needed for the court room or law office, he will fit in quite nicely.”

Uh…not so much. The following discusses another type of student we simply don’t want:

“The second thing you must know about [this applicant], however, is that he has absolutely no social skills whatsoever. In all my interactions with him, and I have known him for three years, I have only seen him treat people in one of two categories—useful or annoying.”

Yikes.

Still, they’re not all bad. Sometimes they’re just weird. This came in for someone we ended up admitting:

“Now is a perfect time in her life to take on major career challenges; she is single and without children and healthy. She jogs between three and six miles every day and is very conscientious about her diet.”

Well, being conscientious about one’s diet is, I suppose, a good thing…

Anyway, you can’t entirely control your recommenders, of course, but you should ask one additional question after, “Will you write a letter of recommendation for me?” That additional question is, “Would you be able to give me a GOOD recommendation?”

See this link to look at PDF versions of the application instruction, application, checklist and certification. We prefer you apply using the LSAC’s eApp process.

As you know, I engage in 1,000 or so phone call “chats” with applicants who are strong candidates for admission. I thought I’d pass along some of my favorite quotes, while protecting our applicants’ anonymity of course.

First, I ask applicants to give me some available times for our chats. I would advise you to be liberal in your availability, by the way… This applicant, after giving me a list of times, ended with the following:

“Thank you very much for this opportunity. I will try to anticipate your call with the appropriate degree of anxiety.”

What is the appropriate level of anxiety, I wonder? I’m a pretty nice guy, after all.
Someone else answered that question:

“Dear Dean Stock– I appreciate the opportunity to chat with you next week and look forward to your call. Meanwhile, I will be enjoying a weekend of abject terror!”

Another applicant was a bit worried about conversing from her office:

“Would it be possible to set a day for our conversation? The reason I ask is because I work in an office that is both busy and open-plan, e.g., there are frequently refugee children running around the office…”

I don’t think she was working for an accounting firm.

Another applicant led off with:

“Whew. Sorry I’m out of breath. I just got off my trampoline.”

I always wanted one of those.

I like to find out what people are doing outside of class, such as extracurricular activities, jobs, etc. One applicant, when asked, “So what takes up most of your time these days?” answered with “Well, to tell you the truth, Dean Stock, my girlfriend.”

At the end of my calls I usually ask the applicant if he or she has any questions about Harvard. One applicant after asking several questions about life on campus said,

“Well, if I ask anything else, I’m afraid God might smite me for my hubris!”

I think she figured God might think she was assuming she’d get in…

Now most applicants, I assume, wait patiently by the phone for hours for my call, but every once in awhile, I get a voicemail message. I think some people forget this and have rather odd greetings. This one wasn’t so odd, but I did find it amusing:

“This is [ ]. I’m not here right now. Please leave your name, number…and what you like best about me.”

Not his LSAT score, to be sure…

Finally, I usually make another phone call to applicants when they are admitted. The reactions range from screams to tears to seeming indifference. (Is “blase-ness” a word?) This was my favorite:

“Wow! You must have the best job—you just gave me the second-best news I’ve ever gotten!” What was the first? “[W]hen my mom came in and said ‘We’re going to Disney World!’”

The summer is 2/3 over and very soon the new class will start to arrive on campus. We probably have no more than another handful of offers to make…and then the process starts all over again.

In the next few month we will be posting the newest version of our application to the web (in pdf format), though we much prefer that you apply through LSAC online. My staff and I will also head out on the road and so we will also post our recruiting schedule to the web very soon. If you don’t see your school on the list, feel free to attend events in your area. You could also e-mail our office and suggest that we add your school to our list. If we get enough requests from your school, we just might add you!

If memory serves, last year Boston University provided me with the largest audience — well over 100 students came to hear a presentation on Harvard Law School. Unfortunately, I had no prize to award.

You can also visit campus in the fall and we have regular Friday information sessions for prospective students. These are basically the same as the talks we give on campus.

Also new this year is our improved website — I encourage you to log-in and list a few of your interests; it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and it allows us to personalize the content shown to you on the web. The HLS website is a large animal and it can be hard to find relevant information. By indicating your interests we can point you in the right directions.

I also hope to do a better job of showing you the real life of students on campus this fall through the admissions site. Keep an eye out for new video and audio content. Feel free to make suggestions if there is something you’d like to know about or see. Also feel free to submit questions that you’d like me to answer via the blog. I’ll do what I can.

I have had a few questions come my way from transfer applicants, so here are a few answers for the curious…

Q: Did you have to be waitlisted or admitted in a prior year to be admitted as a transfer?

A: Not necessarily. It is true that applicants who were admitted or waitlisted in prior years are probably stronger applicants, but not always.

Q: Is transfer admission based more on personal factors (i.e., necessity to move to Boston) or on “merit”?

A: Transfer admission is almost entirely based on merit. We will look very closely at your performance at your current law school, as well as at your undergraduate record, activities, etc.

Q: Does Harvard only have a handful of spots for transfer students?

A: In the past couple of years, because of opportunities at HLS to go off campus in the second and third year (e.g., to study abroad), we have felt there was more room for transfer students and thus have admitted more than 20 each year.

Q: Can transfer students write onto the Harvard Law Review?

A: Yes, but that deadline has passed. Still, there are 14 other journals and numerous student activities that transfer students can get involved with.

Q: I feel pretty comfortable at my current law school. Should I consider transferring?

A: If you feel comfortable where you are, you may just want to stay there! Some students believe there are opportunities available to HLS students and graduates that are hard to pursue in other schools, but this may not be the case for you.

Q: I want to be a legal academic. Is it possible for a transfer student to work with faculty members at HLS and prepare for such a career?

A: Absolutely. In fact, an interest in legal academia is a common reason given by our transfer students for choosing to come to Harvard. We regularly produce the largest number of entry-level law teachers of any law school in the country. And faculty members are thrilled to work with highly talented transfer students.

Q: Would I be lost in the shuffle at Harvard without having had the first-year section experience?

A: There is no question that the 1L sections provide students at HLS with a good community from which to branch out, but there are a ton of opportunities to find small communities of interest here. Are you interested in human rights? Join the Human Rights Advocates and go to work. Are you interested in environmental law? The Environmental Law Society is a terrific group of students to get to know. You can find your niche, even without that first year under your belt.

Q: OK — so by when do I need to submit an application?

A: July 15.

More information can be found at the following link:

 http://www.law.harvard.edu/admissions/jd…

Looks like I have been on hiatus from the blog for quite awhile. May was busy this year! I wanted to let everyone know that I’ll be doing some information sessions in DC the week of June 25. I’m planning a talk at the Rayburn House Office Building 2226 on Wednesday, June 27, from 5:30-6:30pm so if you’re a congressional intern, please stop by.

I’ll also be joining my colleagues at the Kennedy School and Harvard Business School to host a joint event at the Carnegie Endowment (1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW), on Thursday, June 28, at 5:30-7:30pm. This event is open to anyone, though seating is limited, so RSVP to  jdadmiss at law.harvard.edu. We’ll have some joint degree alumni and/or current students at this event, too.