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Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?

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shahana

Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 8
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Tue Jul 11, 2006 09:20 PM
hi! I am going to be applying for my llm for the session starting 2007 and I am amazed at how many of you guys have turned Harvard down. What I want to know is how much of a genius do you have to be to get an offer to begin with?
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tmalmine

Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 242
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:28 AM
You certainly don't need to be genius. What you need is good grades, good recommendations, good reasons for applying to HLS, and some good luck. It's much easier if you're applying from a country from which there are fewer applicants (Finland, for instance). Competition between, say, Indian, or Brazilian applicants is fierce, or so I've heard.
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shahana

Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 8
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Thu Jul 13, 2006 08:32 AM
Between India and Brazil?! That's bizarre! and really helpful since I am Indian. And there are scores of people who apply from here and get through so yey for me!
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tmalmine

Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 242
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:00 AM
Not between India and Brazil, but between Indian applicants, for instance, or between Brazilian. Basically you will compete with other Indians, and there will be many. But you don't who will be admitted, so you just have to apply and see. Try to see it from Harvard's viewpoint (or Yale's). They receive possibly 90 applications from India. Will they admit all of them, and have an LL.M. program consisting mostly of Indian students. They want regional diversity. But why would you be any worse than any other applicant?
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gar33

Joined: 02 Mar 2006
Posts: 123
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Fri Jul 14, 2006 12:37 PM
That's right. From another standpoint, however, the case may be worse for the Finnish lawyer than the Indian or the Brazilian. They want regional diversity, right, but there are clearly "standard" and "peripherical" regions. They may admitt one Finish this year and another one a couple (or even several) years later. If the goal is to have the strongest global network - and believe me: it is! -, one Finnish or one Austrian or one Potuguese each three or four years is more than enough. But you need tons of Indians, Chinese and Brazilians. I am not sure that, as Toni says, they look for diversity on a single year basis, nor do I think that beign Finnish is a natural advantage. (BTW, Toni has outstanding credentials!). I also think that they decide within a broad and fluid set of standards - there are no "formal realizable rules". They try to build a sort of an "academic welfare function" from very different variables like grades, merit, background, region, etc. The result is obviously a bit "artistic", not to say arbitrary (and I guess also a bit bureaucratic-driven: admission offices have a LOT OF POWER). For instance, I'm from Portugal (a really small country - tiny, in fact!) and I know that another Portuguese was admitted to Harvard this year. Why is that? Is it rational to have two individuals from such a small country? Look, there are only three or four Brazilians, so it makes no sense (Brazil is at least 20 times bigger than Portugal). And it can't be a love for Portugal, since there were only three Portuguese in Harvard Law School in the last 30 years...

[Edited by gar33 on 14 Jul 2006]
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tmalmine

Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 242
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Fri Jul 14, 2006 12:53 PM
My analysis was obviously simplistic, so thanks to Gar for his deeper one. His point about "diversity-in-the-long-run-and-in-many-areas" admissions seems correct. Additionally, I think we all agree that admission process for American law schools is somewhat mysterious. Only thing you can do is to get as many credentials as possible, write as good an application as you can, and hope for the best. You should also apply to variety of law schools: some of the top 6 schools, some of the top 14 schools, and possibly some top 25 schools. I'm sure you will be admitted to one of them. Bear in mind that there are many excellent law schools in the US, so approach the application process with an open mind. Cheers and good luck! -Toni-
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StanfordLLM

Joined: 02 Jul 2006
Posts: 6
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Fri Jul 14, 2006 04:41 PM
And please remember to customize your application to the particular school. You cannot send the exact same application (personal statement, letters) to Stanford CGP LLM and NYU International Law LLM. It doesn’t work. My 0,02 cents if I may: think about this whole project well in advance. Identify the weak points of your application and deal with it.

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gar33

Joined: 02 Mar 2006
Posts: 123
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Fri Jul 14, 2006 04:49 PM
T. and S. are right, I think. You can see the whole entreprise from this perspective: part of it is controlled by you and part of it is arbitrary. Your are responsible for the first part and that means a lot. So, do your best and pray for luck. Regards.
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pra608

Joined: 02 Aug 2005
Posts: 157
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Mon Jul 17, 2006 04:21 PM
What about connection?

Will it be easier to get admitted if u know somebody in the admission office, or, know some one who is quite influential to their decisions?
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llmwannerbe

Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 1
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Wed Jul 19, 2006 05:55 PM

I TURNED DOWN STANFORD AND YALE FOR THE ALMIGHTY
HARVARD LAW. FRIENDS AND EXPERTS TOLD ME IT WAS THE BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE -
THE BEST LAW SCHOOL AND THE BEST UNIVERSITY IN THE GLOBE - AND GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.

JEANE TAI IS wonderful - looking forward to meeting her THIS FALL.

ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2004/top500(1-100).htm

I LOVE HARVARD
ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2004/top500(1-100).htm
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Queen4law

Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 1
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Wed Jul 19, 2006 06:33 PM

I agree with llmwannerbe - you made a good decision.

I was rejected this year - hope to apply next year.
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Londonkid

Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 1
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Wed Jul 19, 2006 08:29 PM


I agree harvard law - No.1 cambridge no. 2
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anna81

Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Thu Jul 20, 2006 08:31 AM
"llmwannerbe", "Queen4law" and "Londonkid"...

3 different profils, 3 messages... but only one student behind that I'm afraid !

Are you paid by Harvard Law School to post these messages ?
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tmalmine

Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 242
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Fri Jul 21, 2006 02:15 PM
I believe Anna is right. The first message is the giveaway: shouting and that childish Harvard worshipping sound like a flame. I doubt any real H-students would post this kind of stuff. I don't think anyone here really disputes the fact that Harvard is the best university in the world, and the most prestigious. Harvard Law, however, has couple of drawbacks. It's rather huge, and the LL.M program, too, is big. And from what I've heard, its atmosphere is not to everyone's liking. In the US News rankings, or Leiter's, HLS has never been the number one. I think there are plenty of good reasons to choose HLS over Yale and Stanford, but you guys have yet to mention any of them. My list would be: international prestige (in Asia, for instance), number of courses offered (huge), strenght in international law and critical studies, to name but a few.
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gar33

Joined: 02 Mar 2006
Posts: 123
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Fri Jul 21, 2006 04:26 PM
Academic resources, interdisciplinary horizons, critical theory, professional network and reputation. These are serious reasons to choose HLS. Also, Harvard is clearly the best in the world in Critical theory, while for instance though Yale is very good in Conventional Legal Theory, it is not as good as Oxford. Harvard is number one not only in particular fields, but in some "schools of thought". Having said this, NO DOUBT Yale law School is the best law school in the US and probably the world. (Not sure Stanford is better than Harvard - I really don't think so, but I would't be surprised with other views). Few individuals with academic ambitions would rightfully choose Harvard over Yale. (But it may be intelligent just to do that: for instance, if your dream is to work with Duncan Kennedy or Larry Tribe).

For the record, I'm going to Harvard but Yale was my top choice. Still I am tremendously happy!
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StanfordLLM

Joined: 02 Jul 2006
Posts: 6
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:53 PM
I agree with you. Yale is the undisputed number 1 in the US (whatever that means...). Harvard/Stanford...I don't know...can go either way, but since Stanford is in California... :-) !!! They are all great schools.
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Senator

Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 80
Harvard, Yale and Cornell Law Schools: HELP!!
Sun Jul 23, 2006 01:36 PM
I am a Zambian student in the UK, planning to apply to Harvard, Yale and Cornell this year this year and I was wondering if those of you that were accepted for the LLM at any of these Law Schools could share some of your infinite wisdom on a couple of points:

1) What are the entry requirements. Do I have to get a First class pass or will a 2:1 suffice?

2) How difficult is it to get a fellowship at any of these?

3) What sorts of things do you put in your personal statement? ie what classifies as a good reason for wanting to study at Harvard, Yale or Cornell? I know that announcing that you've wanted to do Law since you were three years old wont quite cut the ice.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. (First one to respond gets free cookies: LOL)
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nina_2007

Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Posts: 4
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Sun Aug 13, 2006 09:45 AM
Hi there,

JW, loved your response! I turned down Harvard (and Yale btw) for Chicago.

Jess

hey jess !
i'm new to the board
u seem to know a lot abt LLM, i'm 4m india and would like to do an LLM in env. law in 2007..cud you plz give me a few pointers for LLM courses in and around chicago
thanks
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Anderson

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 26
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Mon Aug 21, 2006 09:59 PM
Nice ads. I turned down an offer from Havard so I can be at peace with my gf who was annoyed as she was offered admission in the lowest ranked Law School. She is better education than that offer at Havard, for Havard is one year, she is, ....................
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york


Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 113
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:06 PM
:-)

So which school did you go for?
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Busingye
Joined: 07 Sep 2006
Posts: 140
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Mon Oct 16, 2006 02:44 PM
hi guys. am from uganda. graduated with a first from the national university in my country and am country doing the BCL at Oxford. Am also in the process of applying to harvard for the 2007/8 programme. Regds to all in the same process, good luck to us all(but especially myself)! JW, i have never read a funnier post!
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Busingye
Joined: 07 Sep 2006
Posts: 140
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Mon Oct 16, 2006 02:45 PM
currently* doing (not country)
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hamish2000

Joined: 01 Mar 2006
Posts: 22
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Wed Oct 18, 2006 01:41 PM
Jess is awesome. I loved the (btw) Yale thing as well. Just in case we wondering.
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Etzmolch


Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 26
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Thu Feb 22, 2007 01:37 PM
I sent a letter to Harvard stating as follows:

"To whom it may concern,

Thank you for your letter of February 16. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me graduate admission. This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.

Despite Harvard's outstanding qualifications and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at this time. Therefore, I will assume the place at law school this September. I look forward to seeing you then.

Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.

Sincerely,"

[Edited by Etzmolch on 22 Feb 2007]
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realmcoy

Joined: 27 Dec 2006
Posts: 23
Did anyone turn down Harvard's offer ?
Thu Feb 22, 2007 03:50 PM
with that level of creativity (though influenced by jw from last year i fear) i suppose they will let u into class
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