Apparently I'm too dumb to even complete the online application, so why bother - but still:

Harvard's new online application system seems to be a bit of a mess. The "online" Application Form available through LSAC is the same Application Form one previously had to print out and send via snail mail. You can fill it out nicely until it suddenly asks for your signature (page 4 of 5) OR - in case of online application -it refres to some mysterious "Certification Letter" one has to print out and mail.
Where would that "Certification Letter" be? The "Supplementary Materials" section only includes the recommendation letters, transcript and financial help forms.

Thanks in advance,

tm

Certification Letter will be available to print out once you successfully submitted your online application and made the payment. You need to submit this Letter along with your materials :)

That was quick and a great help!
Is this part depending also on the online attachements (CV; Personal Statement), or will i be able to mail it once I finish the application form?

The Certification Letter is to inform the Committee that we have submitted our online application and we certify that everything we write on the application is true.

So..
You will have to submit your complete application and make the payment first. After this process, the Certification Letter will show up and you will be asked to print it out to submit with your paper documents.

If I remember it correctly, you can either submit CV and PS online or in paper format. So if you choose to attach the documents with your online application and haven't completely done so yet, your online application is not complete and therefore you can't make the payment and view Certification Letter. If you choose to submit your online application alone and make the payment, then you can also see the Certification Letter that you have to print out and sign, and submit it with your CV, PS..etc.

I am very bad at explaining things but I try my best. I'm glad I can help you with this.

Good luck!

Thanks again, i think it is very well understood!

hey Nokina...u have explained pretty well dear......i'm happy to be part of this networking site where competitors are helping each other out so well.....thats like playing the game with good spirits......

Hi TwelfthMonkey and Brightest,

Thank you for your kind words. This website is really good and yes.. it is like playing game with good spirits. I think if we don't have good spirits, we shouldn't be in legal profession.

Good luck to both of you :)

@Nokina....Well said.......u r a smart girl (Ur name sounds feminine)...........which country are u from?????????? and wat r u doing right now (I mean studying or working)......

I was also wondering about this Certification Letter thing. Thank you for all answers. Do you know they need to receive the hard copy of the letter before December 1? If so, it is so meaningless that the deadline is December 1 for online application. I need an urgent reply because I risk missing the deadline:(

I'm in the same boat. Anyone know the answer to as_llm's question?

Many thanks!

I was also wondering about this Certification Letter thing. Thank you for all answers. Do you know they need to receive the hard copy of the letter before December 1? If so, it is so meaningless that the deadline is December 1 for online application. I need an urgent reply because I risk missing the deadline:(

I already contacted Harvard and Berkeley about this issue (deadline is December 1 for both of them). I received a reply from Berkeley saying that Certification Letter may arrive until 15 December which means that the deadline of 1 December does not apply to Certification Letter. I don't know this is also valid for Harvard. I am looking forward to hearing from Harvard and will let you know if I know more.

dear all.....i dnt know if my answer would be of any help but 'Certification Letter' was also asked in the columbia online application......and as far as i know u will get the letter generated wen u'll submit ur online application.....atleast this was wat happened in CLS' application......once i submitted the online application, a certification letter was generated and i took the print out and filled it up and mailed it along with the recommendation letters and transcript............but plz clarify from others as well......all d best to all.......

Hi,

I submitted the application to HLS today (for tax LLM). I initially tried the online application, but I suddenly changed my mind to paper. One trivial concern is I simply printed out and signed the online application form (which I have worked on), not the PDF file posted on the HLS website. It should be fine, right? The contents are exactly the same...

By the way, after finishing the HLS, it feels much easier to prepare others. Especially the 1,500 word PS was hard to elaborate... But, it seems positive that HLS gives the applicants a chance to show who they are, what they look for from the LLM, etc. as much as they want.

Anyways, wish you guys the best and let's keep our fingers crossed... but late March is too far!!!

p.s. One more thing that I have always wondered... What does their "strong encouragement of application by 11/15" really mean? Do you think it really increase the possibility of acceptance? If so, why don't they just say it? Like Georgetown saying that "the early action receives the most favorable consideration."

Hey guys, anyone with a clue on whether the Certification letter should be sent to HLS by December 1st?

I received a reply from HLS. My interpretation is they accept certification letter after December 1, but they want it as soon as possible after December 1. Please let me know if you inteprete the reply differently. Good luck!

"We cannot accept the following documents via email, fax, or as an attachment through the LSAC E-App. Please arrange to have the following documents sent via mail in signed/sealed envelopes to our office directly. (TOEFL scores must be reported through ETS):

Letters of recommendation
Official transcripts from all universities attended
Official TOEFL scores
Certification Letter (must be printed and mailed with the rest of your supporting documents)
Financial Aid application

If you have decided to use LSAC for the E-App and to submit your transcripts and TOEFL scores, then you need to only send the signed copy of your certification letter, sealed recommendation letters, and your financial aid application.

All supporting documents need to be submitted as soon as possible or as close to the December 1 deadline as possible. It is difficult for our staff to make informed decisions about an applicant if critical parts of the application are missing. Documents sent separate of a completed application will be added to the relevant applicants file."

I would like your interpretation to be correct but i don't think so... I have sent my certification letter the 24th of November with courrier, which should deliver in 3 days and instead it delivered in 7 days!!! the 2nd of December!!! so I suppose i am out of time for the deadline.. They want all the materials to be receive by them before the 1st, so, without any miracle, i am basically out! I have sent them an email asking about these concerns but i didn't receive a reply yet... I hope you all have been luckier... See you not in Harvard!

Then I have good news for you: after having seen your message, I called the HLS Graduate Admissions Office and asked the same question directly to the person who picked the phone. I told them that I submitted my application on December 1 through LSAC and it is virtually impossible to send the hard copy of the certification letter before December 1. They told me that my application is complete, I just need to send the certification letter as soon as possible. This means that the deadline does not apply to the certification letter.

Thank you very much as_llm!!! I have been in pain for 2 days for this reason!!! Good luck with your application and hope to see you at Harvard next year!!