Of course. I'll let you know as soon as I hear. In fact, I'll text her now! It's 1:23pm in Boston. That means that they have 3hrs and 37mins (and then also all day tomorrow lol) to let her know! Stay tuned for details!

DISCLAIMER: The following message's contents rest entirely on my interpretation of facts and I'm not known for being optimistic. Perhaps what I will write will be wrong and perhaps it will be just baselessly pessimistic on top of being wrong.

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but I suspect that HLS is adopting an across-the-board policy. I could, of course, be incorrect.

She still hasn't heard! They have until tomorrow! Otherwise I think it's safe to assume that the "common" message is not indicative of a cross the board policy!

She still hasn't heard! They have until tomorrow! Otherwise I think it's safe to assume that the "common" message is not indicative of a cross the board policy!

I received Harvard's reply re my request for expediting my decision on 3rd March. Again, their response is negative ( they replied after 4 working days).

Before posting on their reply, I need to explain my situation as my scenario is kind of different: I only applied for one LL.M. program that is Harvard and has been granted the admission to the Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at Fletcher School (very close to Harvard Law School historically and geographically) for fall 2010 enrolment a few months ago. I planed to do the MALD studies at Fletcher and wish to attend the summer school this May. However, if I have been admitted into HLS, I will defer my MALD studies to next year. In any case, I need to enter into U.S this May to enhance my English. I am a Chinese applicant with 4.5 years experiences at international law firms China offices and one year volunteer experience with the post-Sichuan earthquake rehabilitaion project. I do not have any other deadlines to accept offer, I just need to speed up my visa and financial planning before this May and see whether Harvard would finish the uncertain situation earlier for me.

Their reply are as follows: Thank you for your email and for your explanation of the situation. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to give you an expedited admissions decision. Harvard Law School has a very rigorous admissions process requiring that each successful application be approved only after a careful evaluation process by a committee of experienced staff and faculty. Our admission decisions are generally made by late March.



If you are offered admission to the 2010-11 LL.M. Program, you may request a one-year deferral from Harvard Law School in order to complete the first year of your MALD studies.



Also, we would like to mention that if you plan to come to Boston in May to attend a summer program, you will need to make arrangements for a separate visa from the institution where you will be studying in the summer.



In other words, even if you are accepted to the Harvard Law School LL.M. Program, you will not be able to enter the U.S. in May on a Harvard visa. Therefore, there is no contingency between our admissions decision and your visa application for the summer program.



We hope this will help you make an informed decision. Whatever you decide, we wish you the best for the coming year.



Kind regards,



Graduate Admissions Committee


Harvard Law School Graduate Program
1557 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
tel: (617) 496-8214
fax: (617) 496-9179
email: gpquery@law.harvard.edu

Do you guys think that I should end up my imagination re acceptance to Harvard and start to plan my next steps for future MALD studies at Fletcher?

Longbright,

I think they gave you much more information than was necessary, but they ensured that the status of your applicant remains uncertain to you. I would not recommend deferring for a year if you are admitted to HLS. My understanding, and it may only be with respect to American JDs, is that you basically have to reapply, there is no guaranteed admission. I could be wrong in that regard. Perhaps you should inquire once a decision is made.

Their refusal to expedite, though, also stems from the fact that you really have no deadline. Their explanation makes clear that the visa status for summer study is unrelated, so a refusal to expedite is consistent with the fact that you really have no competing offer. If you do, in fact, have a deadline from Tufts that expires before "late March," then I suggest you accept it and withdraw from HLS. But if you can wait, I would wait. See what happens. Good luck.