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Harvard e-mail

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Jammin

Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Posts: 165
Harvard e-mail
Tue Jan 29, 2008 02:24 PM
Maybe they have stacked the files in reverse order, which entails that since you applied so early your file is at the bottom of the stack and it will be one of last to be reviewed.
;-)
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amstel

Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Posts: 9
Harvard e-mail
Thu Jan 31, 2008 06:43 PM
Damn !!! still no second e-mail !!!! Are many applicants in the same case?????????

[Edited 31 Jan 2008 by amstel]
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The Counsel

Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 148
Harvard e-mail
Thu Jan 31, 2008 06:54 PM
I am still in the same position you are!

Don’t worry; surely it will come soon!
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D_D

Joined: 28 Nov 2007
Posts: 26
Harvard e-mail
Thu Jan 31, 2008 07:23 PM
I'm also in the same position :(
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The Counsel

Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 148
Harvard e-mail
Fri Feb 01, 2008 04:00 PM
still no second e-mail !!!!

What about you guys?
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gppinheiro

Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 100
Harvard e-mail
Fri Feb 01, 2008 04:57 PM
I got my second e-mail back in December. Good luck to you guys.
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jw

Joined: 01 Feb 2006
Posts: 192
Harvard e-mail
Fri Feb 01, 2008 05:17 PM
Wow.. guys you all have to relax. These are all simply administrative emails sent out automatically as they sort through piles and piles and more piles of applications.

The real fun begins in March. :)
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pratibha


Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Posts: 39
Harvard e-mail
Fri Feb 08, 2008 07:41 AM
Even I haven't recieved the secound one!!
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specialK

Joined: 13 Nov 2007
Posts: 9
Harvard e-mail
Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:17 AM
Hi guys,

I'm at Harvard right now. I just thought I'd second JW's post: nothing that happens right now (1st email, 2nd email, or lack of either) says anything about the liklihood of your success or failure. At this stage no decisions will have been made. And it will be mid to late March before you hear anything.

You have my sympathies - its such an unpleasant process. I thought that posting this message might at least settle your nerves.

Best of luck to everybody!

[Edited 08 Feb 2008 by specialK]
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The Counsel

Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 148
Harvard e-mail
Sun Feb 10, 2008 01:08 AM
specialK

Thanks for your help.

Hope you are right because there is no way to know what’s happening in HLS.

No e-mails, no sign of any kind.

Does HLS send e-mails of admission, or we have to wait for an official letter?
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specialK

Joined: 13 Nov 2007
Posts: 9
Harvard e-mail
Sun Feb 10, 2008 07:26 AM
In the last few years they have first sent an e-mail to all those who have been accepted, and this is then followed up with a FedEx package. Those who are not accepted are sent a letter informing them of this (but they don't receive any e-mail).

I believe they send the e-mail because they release the decisions as soon as the process is complete and they realise the FedEx will take a while to arrive.

It really is just a waiting game I'm afraid. Let me know if you have any more questions though.
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lawadd08

Joined: 22 Dec 2007
Posts: 44
Harvard e-mail
Sun Feb 10, 2008 06:09 PM
Hey specialK,

I understand that your at Harvard right now.. Although this may be a very subjective and vague question with possibly no concrete answer to it.. However since the persistent wait is quite unbearable, I thought I'd pop it anyway...

1. How can one evaluate his/her chances of getting into HLS? and
2. Would cracking through about 4-5 top 14 law schools so far speak of the strength of ones application and thus attaching a significant chance at cracking HLS?
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specialK

Joined: 13 Nov 2007
Posts: 9
Harvard e-mail
Mon Feb 11, 2008 05:17 AM
The first to say is that I in no way speak for Harvard, so any thoughts I have to offer are purely my own, based on my experience.

And I'm afraid that it is rather difficult to respond constructively to (1). I suppose anything I say will repeat what you probably already know - your chances are higher with stronger academics; strong references; broad extra-curricular experience (American schools place a lot of emphasis on this), a undegraduate/graduate degree from a strong school in your home country (understandably Harvard looks more favourably on degrees from higher ranked schools); an insightful and clear personal statement (i.e. a sense of where the LLM fits into your career plans and a clear indication of what you want to get it from it, intellectually); a cogent and articulate essay (applications are reviewed by faculty in addition to admissions staff, so they will be looking for interesting ideas and strong writing ability).

From my own informal observations (i.e. gauging inductively from my yeargroup) it seems the following things also really help: a supreme court clerkship in your own country (in the welcome address Dean Kagan boasted about the number of LLM's who had completed clerkships); participation (and ideally success) in a prestigious competition (e.g. Jessup); and strong non-academic dimension to your resume (whether sport, music, drama or something else which shows that you are likely to be an interesting person to have around).

Bear in mind that there are people here who have all and none of these things. And once again these are just my thoughts.

As regards (2), of course that is a good sign, but likewise not determinative. For my part thats how it worked - I was accepted by everwhere else and then by HLS. But I was still quite shocked when the news came in.

I'm sorry the process is so long. I hope this information helped a little. Let me know if you have any more questions.

[Edited 11 Feb 2008 by specialK]
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lawadd08

Joined: 22 Dec 2007
Posts: 44
Harvard e-mail
Mon Feb 11, 2008 07:02 AM
thnx specialk.. appreciate it
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aishisha78

Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 9
Harvard e-mail
Mon Feb 11, 2008 07:29 AM
The first to say is that I in no way speak for Harvard, so any thoughts I have to offer are purely my own, based on my experience.

And I'm afraid that it is rather difficult to respond constructively to (1). I suppose anything I say will repeat what you probably already know - your chances are higher with stronger academics; strong references; broad extra-curricular experience (American schools place a lot of emphasis on this), a undegraduate/graduate degree from a strong school in your home country (understandably Harvard looks more favourably on degrees from higher ranked schools); an insightful and clear personal statement (i.e. a sense of where the LLM fits into your career plans and a clear indication of what you want to get it from it, intellectually); a cogent and articulate essay (applications are reviewed by faculty in addition to admissions staff, so they will be looking for interesting ideas and strong writing ability).

From my own informal observations (i.e. gauging inductively from my yeargroup) it seems the following things also really help: a supreme court clerkship in your own country (in the welcome address Dean Kagan boasted about the number of LLM's who had completed clerkships); participation (and ideally success) in a prestigious competition (e.g. Jessup); and strong non-academic dimension to your resume (whether sport, music, drama or something else which shows that you are likely to be an interesting person to have around).

Bear in mind that there are people here who have all and none of these things. And once again these are just my thoughts.

As regards (2), of course that is a good sign, but likewise not determinative. For my part thats how it worked - I was accepted by everwhere else and then by HLS. But I was still quite shocked when the news came in.

I'm sorry the process is so long. I hope this information helped a little. Let me know if you have any more questions.


Thanks a lot for having shared your own experience with us...I am also still wiating for a reply from HLS. What I really would like to know is how much TOEFL actually inflenced the choice? Since u did not mention it I was wondering whether a student with strong academics, letters of references and work experiences (even abroad) but with a low TOEFL has a change to be admitted or not? As a matter of fact, I personally believe to have all the things you mentined in your post but the TOEFL (which is lower than requested)...Do u think that I still have a chance?
Thanks a lot?
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specialK

Joined: 13 Nov 2007
Posts: 9
Harvard e-mail
Mon Feb 11, 2008 07:34 AM
Apologies for not mentioning TOEFL, which I know is a factor. Unfortunately I can't offer any advice on that for the reason that I am a native English speaker. I really don't know the first thing aout TOEFL - sorry :-(

You reminded me about work experience too - lots of the LLMs have a few (and in some cases 8 or 9) years of work experience. That can only count in your favour. But it certainly is not a prerequisite - I have none (other than internships).

One final thing I forgot to mention, which is widely known I'm sure, is that it matters to some degree which country you are from. Whilst, as I understand it, there is no formal system allocating certain numbers of places to certain countries, it will help if there are fewer applicants from you country. This is for the obvious reason that the program is meant to be international (there are around 60 countries represented in the current LLM yeargroup). They therefore will not admit too many people from one country. So essentially you need first of all to be in the top few of the applicants from your country, and then hope that they like you enough to include you in the 150.

[Edited 11 Feb 2008 by specialK]
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aishisha78

Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 9
Harvard e-mail
Mon Feb 11, 2008 05:21 PM
Thanks a lot specialK for your promt answer...
Unfortunately I guess that many people coming from my country apply to HLS every year...and my TOEFL still remain my major problem...So the only thing I can do now is to take again the test...
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The Counsel

Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 148
Harvard e-mail
Mon Feb 18, 2008 08:19 PM
No second e-mail yet.

Anyone else in the same position?
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D_D

Joined: 28 Nov 2007
Posts: 26
Harvard e-mail
Mon Feb 18, 2008 08:26 PM
Me too... :(
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Tomer(Israel)

Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 3
Harvard e-mail
Mon Feb 18, 2008 08:26 PM
Nothing Yet for me too.
FYI, I received to Application Complete mail on the 23/12.

Best of luck.
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amstel

Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Posts: 9
Harvard e-mail
Tue Feb 19, 2008 02:14 PM
Nothing Yet for me too.
FYI, I received to Application Complete mail on the 23/12.

Best of luck.



So you received the 2nd e_mail. It is the one stating your application is complete... :)

DD and the Counsel, may be should you contact the admissions office to check that nothing is wrong with your application...
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The Counsel

Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 148
Harvard e-mail
Fri Feb 22, 2008 07:12 PM
Since I didn’t received the 2nd e-mail, two days a go I called the admission office at HLS, and they told me that my application is considered complete.

So don’t worry if you didn’t received the 2nd e-mail, no news means good news.

They also told me that decisions will be made late March.
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The Counsel

Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 148
Harvard e-mail
Tue Feb 26, 2008 02:32 PM
no news of any kind,

anyone have something?
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Jammin

Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Posts: 165
Harvard e-mail
Tue Feb 26, 2008 03:00 PM
Nope...apparently they will start sending out decisions around March 20th...I really hope to hear from HLS sooner than that!
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The Counsel

Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 148
Harvard e-mail
Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:03 AM
Apparently someone already received an admission letter from HLS. I read it in other blog, but I believe this person is bluffing!

Has someone received news yet from HLS?

Thanks so much
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