Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013) Forum

Share Your Experiences, Read About Other Experiences. Please keep posts organized by school and expected year of graduation.
Post Reply
User avatar
edgeofthenight

Bronze
Posts: 140
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2012 5:39 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by edgeofthenight » Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:09 pm

BalanceCare wrote: All the questions are covered elsewhere in the thread, but I think the general is more important than the specific:

- Make sure you know why you want to go to law school: self-explanatory.

- Make sure you know why you want to go to Harvard: the interviewers will know if your main reason is "because it's Harvard," and they'll expect better. One of the nice things about the interview for me was having an excuse to really get to know the school, and I was more and more excited about the program the more I learned. So research the heck out of its many offerings and figure out what interests you.

- Take it easy before the interview: get a good night's sleep, don't drink any alcohol, eat a good breakfast, etc.

- Take it easy during the interview: My interviewer was friendly and agreeable even as she asked me probing questions. It's not a cross-examination; just be yourself.

- Take it easy after the interview: I felt that my interview went well, and yet somehow, within a few hours, I convinced myself that I had blown it. I got in, so obviously that perception wasn't entirely correct. Point being, save yourself the unnecessary post-mortem stress. Go do something fun, or set a goal for accomplishing something you care about and work toward that.



Good luck yall!
Small addition: If you're a K-JD, know why you want to go to law school now as opposed to taking some time off. I had a really solid answer for that prepared, and I think it definitely helped.

Good luck :)

JedBartlett

Bronze
Posts: 272
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:13 am

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by JedBartlett » Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:45 pm

My advice about the interview, and about life in general, is just this: Chillax.

User avatar
venus

Bronze
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2012 3:48 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by venus » Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:47 pm

JedBartlett wrote:My advice about the interview, and about life in general, is just this: Chillax.
HAHA Because that's what you always do, right... :D

JedBartlett

Bronze
Posts: 272
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:13 am

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by JedBartlett » Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:48 pm

venus wrote:
JedBartlett wrote:My advice about the interview, and about life in general, is just this: Chillax.
HAHA Because that's what you always do, right... :D
LOL :oops:

mommalee

Bronze
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:05 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by mommalee » Sat Dec 29, 2012 4:49 pm

Another JS1 question -

Did everyone use an external mic for their interview? If so, did you just use a headset with a mic attached?

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


User avatar
kingsfield69

Bronze
Posts: 344
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 2:52 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by kingsfield69 » Sat Dec 29, 2012 5:55 pm

mommalee wrote:Another JS1 question -

Did everyone use an external mic for their interview? If so, did you just use a headset with a mic attached?
I used an external mic that sat on my desk out of sight. It enhanced the audio quality without forcing me to wear a headset. I don't think wearing a headset is a big deal ... just a matter of comfort. I got the thing at Radio Shack for $15.

shntn

Platinum
Posts: 5319
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:45 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by shntn » Sat Dec 29, 2012 6:01 pm

I used internal everything on my Air. Worked like a charm.

User avatar
Mr. Elshal

Silver
Posts: 611
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:30 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by Mr. Elshal » Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:35 pm

edgeofthenight wrote: Small addition: If you're a K-JD, know why you want to go to law school now as opposed to taking some time off. I had a really solid answer for that prepared, and I think it definitely helped.
Yeah, same here. I hadn't prepared for this question but I had spent so much time on this decision that I think my answer came across pretty well and I guess they were happy with it.

User avatar
Mr. Elshal

Silver
Posts: 611
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:30 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by Mr. Elshal » Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:36 pm

kingsfield69 wrote:
mommalee wrote:Another JS1 question -

Did everyone use an external mic for their interview? If so, did you just use a headset with a mic attached?
I used an external mic that sat on my desk out of sight. It enhanced the audio quality without forcing me to wear a headset. I don't think wearing a headset is a big deal ... just a matter of comfort. I got the thing at Radio Shack for $15.
+1

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


User avatar
Mr. Elshal

Silver
Posts: 611
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:30 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by Mr. Elshal » Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:53 pm

Hey all, I apologize in advance for the length of this post but I've sent out the same info to 5 or 6 people already and figured I should put it here and make it available to everyone in the thread. This is a bunch of stuff you should know about JS1s, and a rundown of my interview. Everyone's situation is different and I imagine that few people will have the same questions as me, but maybe just seeing the kind of questions will help.

First, some general information, in case you don't want to read the whole thread:
The interviewers are Jessica Soban (JS) and Karen Buttenbaum (KB).
Based on previous posts, it seems that KB's interviews are very structured and generally involve the same questions almost every single time, with a little variation here and there. Basically all of her questions were posted by Lavitz on page 25 of this thread.

Lavitz wrote:Also just finished my interview but it was with KB--who is pretty awesome herself.

Questions I remember her asking:

"Tell me about your job."

"How have your experiences at that job informed your decision to go to law school?"

"What are you looking forward to at Harvard?"

"Is there a particular area of study you find most attractive?"

"What do you think your greatest challenge would be at Harvard?"

"What accomplishment are you most proud of?"

"What do you envision a successful career for yourself would look like?"

"Is there anything you were hoping I would ask? In other words, is there anything not in your app that you'd like us to know about you?" (I was caught off guard by this, completely blanked out, and then punted the question by saying "nope, it's all in my app." :roll: )

"Do you have any questions for me?" (Asked her like 4 questions)

Interview lasted about 14:30.


JS (who interviewed me) is significantly less structured and tailors her questions to the applicant. Whereas KB asks many general questions, JS asks only a few questions and they are very specific.

Interviews generally run from 13 to 25 minutes, but people with short and long ones have all gotten in, so this is not indicative of success or failure.

In terms of preparation, I would try to prepare a handful of stories (4-6) that can apply to many different questions that both KB and JS might ask. Also, don't feel pressured for time. If you have something to say, then say it, but try not to spend more than a few minutes on each answer.

Here's a summary of how my interview went:

As for what JS asked me (so you can try to figure out what she might ask you):
• Asked about a company I started last year
• Asked me some questions about my diversity statement (Hispanic Egyptian)
• Why law if I'm so well-positioned for business (went to business school, started a company, and have had significant work experience despite still being in UG)
• Why not take time off to get more experience in business
• Do I have any questions

The whole interview was 20 minutes and 35 seconds.

We spent the first 10 minutes discussing the competitors and the business plan of a company I recently started with my brother.

We then spoke for a little while about my diversity statement and whether I identify more with the culture of my Middle Eastern or Latin relatives.

After that, she asked me why I want to go to law school, given that I’m so well-positioned for a career in business.

Finally, she asked why I chose not to take some time off and work more in the business world before coming to law school.

Then she asked if I had any questions for her.

She definitely read through my application before the interview, because she was asking questions that were pretty specific to me. She also had the whole thing planned out from the beginning, and told me from the beginning that we would basically be talking about 4 topics throughout the interview.

All in all, it was actually a fun interview. We laughed a bit and spoke very casually. It was definitely more conversational than interview-ish.


Good luck to all of you, and I hope to see you all (or most) at ASW and in Cambridge next year

User avatar
Lavitz

Gold
Posts: 3402
Joined: Mon May 31, 2010 1:39 am

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by Lavitz » Sat Dec 29, 2012 9:57 pm

Mr. Elshal wrote:Hey all, I apologize in advance for the length of this post but I've sent out the same info to 5 or 6 people already and figured I should put it here and make it available to everyone in the thread. This is a bunch of stuff you should know about JS1s, and a rundown of my interview. Everyone's situation is different and I imagine that few people will have the same questions as me, but maybe just seeing the kind of questions will help.

First, some general information, in case you don't want to read the whole thread:
The interviewers are Jessica Soban (JS) and Karen Buttenbaum (KB).
Based on previous posts, it seems that KB's interviews are very structured and generally involve the same questions almost every single time, with a little variation here and there. Basically all of her questions were posted by Lavitz on page 25 of this thread.

Lavitz wrote:Also just finished my interview but it was with KB--who is pretty awesome herself.

Questions I remember her asking:

"Tell me about your job."

"How have your experiences at that job informed your decision to go to law school?"

"What are you looking forward to at Harvard?"

"Is there a particular area of study you find most attractive?"

"What do you think your greatest challenge would be at Harvard?"

"What accomplishment are you most proud of?"

"What do you envision a successful career for yourself would look like?"

"Is there anything you were hoping I would ask? In other words, is there anything not in your app that you'd like us to know about you?" (I was caught off guard by this, completely blanked out, and then punted the question by saying "nope, it's all in my app." :roll: )

"Do you have any questions for me?" (Asked her like 4 questions)

Interview lasted about 14:30.


JS (who interviewed me) is significantly less structured and tailors her questions to the applicant. Whereas KB asks many general questions, JS asks only a few questions and they are very specific.

Interviews generally run from 13 to 25 minutes, but people with short and long ones have all gotten in, so this is not indicative of success or failure.

In terms of preparation, I would try to prepare a handful of stories (4-6) that can apply to many different questions that both KB and JS might ask. Also, don't feel pressured for time. If you have something to say, then say it, but try not to spend more than a few minutes on each answer.

Here's a summary of how my interview went:

As for what JS asked me (so you can try to figure out what she might ask you):
• Asked about a company I started last year
• Asked me some questions about my diversity statement (Hispanic Egyptian)
• Why law if I'm so well-positioned for business (went to business school, started a company, and have had significant work experience despite still being in UG)
• Why not take time off to get more experience in business
• Do I have any questions

The whole interview was 20 minutes and 35 seconds.

We spent the first 10 minutes discussing the competitors and the business plan of a company I recently started with my brother.

We then spoke for a little while about my diversity statement and whether I identify more with the culture of my Middle Eastern or Latin relatives.

After that, she asked me why I want to go to law school, given that I’m so well-positioned for a career in business.

Finally, she asked why I chose not to take some time off and work more in the business world before coming to law school.

Then she asked if I had any questions for her.

She definitely read through my application before the interview, because she was asking questions that were pretty specific to me. She also had the whole thing planned out from the beginning, and told me from the beginning that we would basically be talking about 4 topics throughout the interview.

All in all, it was actually a fun interview. We laughed a bit and spoke very casually. It was definitely more conversational than interview-ish.


Good luck to all of you, and I hope to see you all (or most) at ASW and in Cambridge next year
Great post.

User avatar
Mr. Elshal

Silver
Posts: 611
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:30 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by Mr. Elshal » Sat Dec 29, 2012 9:59 pm

Lavitz wrote:
Mr. Elshal wrote:Hey all, I apologize in advance for the length of this post but I've sent out the same info to 5 or 6 people already and figured I should put it here and make it available to everyone in the thread. This is a bunch of stuff you should know about JS1s, and a rundown of my interview. Everyone's situation is different and I imagine that few people will have the same questions as me, but maybe just seeing the kind of questions will help. [...]
Great post.
Thanks, I figured I would take a page from your book. Learning from the best.

20141023

Gold
Posts: 3070
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:17 am

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by 20141023 » Sat Dec 29, 2012 10:29 pm

.
Last edited by 20141023 on Sun Feb 15, 2015 12:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


User avatar
Lavitz

Gold
Posts: 3402
Joined: Mon May 31, 2010 1:39 am

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by Lavitz » Sat Dec 29, 2012 10:45 pm

Regulus wrote:Wow... You guys have a goldmine of information here. In order to keep people from having to go back and read this entire thread or send PMs asking for info, would you mind copying this information over to this thread so that upcoming interviewees / next year's applicants can more easily access the information? (I wish I had gotten the opportunity to do a JS1 so that I could speak on the topic, but because I didn't I need to borrow your all's eliteness to take on this task. :mrgreen: )
I'm in the middle of constructing a post in that thread, lol. I was going to just link to that post; do you want me to quote it instead?

20141023

Gold
Posts: 3070
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:17 am

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by 20141023 » Sat Dec 29, 2012 10:53 pm

.
Last edited by 20141023 on Sun Feb 15, 2015 12:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
tekumamba

New
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:53 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by tekumamba » Sun Dec 30, 2012 2:23 am

sinfiery wrote:
phelps84 wrote:No JS1, complete in early December; safe to say my chances are all but 0, or do they continue to extend JS1s to people like me in later batches?
There is plenty of hope.

We must keep waiting, sir. Our time will come.

somebody confirm please: is this blind optimism or is it plausible that complete 12/5-12/10ish can still get a JS1 in January? thanks all... mad nervous :(

User avatar
Lavitz

Gold
Posts: 3402
Joined: Mon May 31, 2010 1:39 am

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by Lavitz » Sun Dec 30, 2012 2:33 am

tekumamba wrote:somebody confirm please: is this blind optimism or is it plausible that complete 12/5-12/10ish can still get a JS1 in January? thanks all... mad nervous :(
Plausible. Some people who went complete on 10/10 didn't get JS1s until 11/28. One month of waiting wouldn't be strange. After all, how many waves of JS1s have gone out since you went complete? One? Maybe two? I'm sure they'll get around to more December completes after the New Year.

Get unlimited access to all forums and topics

Register now!

I'm pretty sure I told you it's FREE...


User avatar
sinfiery

Gold
Posts: 3310
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:55 am

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by sinfiery » Sun Dec 30, 2012 5:37 am

tekumamba wrote:
sinfiery wrote:
phelps84 wrote:No JS1, complete in early December; safe to say my chances are all but 0, or do they continue to extend JS1s to people like me in later batches?
There is plenty of hope.

We must keep waiting, sir. Our time will come.

somebody confirm please: is this blind optimism or is it plausible that complete 12/5-12/10ish can still get a JS1 in January? thanks all... mad nervous :(
.......

I don't want to look at LSN again but yes, yes it is possible and is not blind optimism.


Edit:
From 2010-11
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/noob
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/whatisatort
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/alphagamma
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/infohelper23
Just wanted to create this , even though I'm already in law school, because I remember thinking there was no hope when it took so long after going complete to getting a JR1. I saw very few people who had gotten calls more than 2 weeks after going complete (at least not without hitting the wait list first). Once I got my JR 1 around Jan. 10, it was pretty smooth as I got in the next round of calls.
Anyway, the point of this is that you can go complete and not get a JR1 for over a month and still end up okay!
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/lucke

Plenty more if you want to look at acceptances later than ~January.

Not sure how more/longer interviews are going to effect the cycle timeline so we shall see.

User avatar
tekumamba

New
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:53 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by tekumamba » Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:03 pm

Thanks all, it all looks thoroughly reasonable. My anxiety has been clouding my judgement of late :P. much appreciated!

User avatar
LSATSCORES2012

Silver
Posts: 770
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 2:12 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by LSATSCORES2012 » Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:59 am

Still hoping for a JS1 here... decided to do a bit of research on LSN and made the graphs below. Hope you all find them useful!

Sent date vs JS1 Date:

--ImageRemoved--

As can be seen, there is a clear trend, but there are also some deviations from that trend. Just because you're passed over doesn't mean you won't be invited down the line, for whatever reason. Here's to hoping! :roll:

JS1 date vs JS2 Date:

--ImageRemoved--

Unfortunately, this graph is less promising for those of you who have received JS1's but not JS2's. Still, there are some outliers, so there is some hope.

User avatar
trojandave

Bronze
Posts: 389
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:25 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by trojandave » Mon Dec 31, 2012 3:02 am

Really really cool. Thanks!

Communicate now with those who not only know what a legal education is, but can offer you worthy advice and commentary as you complete the three most educational, yet challenging years of your law related post graduate life.

Register now, it's still FREE!


User avatar
facile princeps

Bronze
Posts: 420
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 8:51 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by facile princeps » Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:39 pm

Image

I know these are exceptions but they give me hope. Thank you for this!

User avatar
helix23

Gold
Posts: 1807
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2012 3:18 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by helix23 » Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:52 pm

facile princeps wrote:Image

I know these are exceptions but they give me hope. Thank you for this!
Double-edged sword. Nice to know that JS1s are still out there and will be for a while. Crappy to know that they'll keep you hanging on until late June.

User avatar
twinkletoes16

Silver
Posts: 1317
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2012 11:14 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by twinkletoes16 » Mon Dec 31, 2012 3:07 pm

____
Last edited by twinkletoes16 on Mon Dec 31, 2012 9:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
helix23

Gold
Posts: 1807
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2012 3:18 pm

Re: Harvard c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013)

Post by helix23 » Mon Dec 31, 2012 3:13 pm

What's the net $ you'll save by moving back home? Is the 3 or 4 months income from the nanny gig enough money to make it worth it?

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Law School Acceptances, Denials, and Waitlists”