Thanks for those who try to cheer me up with their lovely words.
Im sorry if my post disturbs you, but Im hurt deeply.
I know Harvard is not the end of the world and there are many important things to do rather than crying over it.

Its truly hurts me. I dont want to involve my personal life, but after series of failures this letter came just like add insult to injury.

Ive contacted the admission office, but they have kept saying it is very confidential try next year!!!!

At least I want to know from where I would restart?

What's your background NoonA. I'm curious.

HLS like many others do not express reasons not admitting candidates due to fear of litigation. But the reason is somewhat predictible. Truth be told, your probably a good candidate. It just that there are so many top shelf mofos that want to go the HLS. I personally didn't even bother applying, because I knew i wouldn't get in.

I would look to what you might think your deficiencies are and improving it over the next year. ie publish a few articles, work for a judge, get the president of your country to write a recommendation letter etc. I read a good blog from avonlady on this site regarding profiling candidates. I think it's very insightful the way she looks at it, because HLS like most top 10 schools want future leaders, so they look at everything in your application to try to profile you as a potential leader. Check out her blog.

At the end of the day HLS is not the only school. Any of the top ten will open doors for you. A grad from Berkly can do just as well as HLS if he/she is a winner. Hell, you might not even need a LLM. Cowboy up Pilgrim!!!

If I were you, I'd accept another offer and tell HLS to kiss the fattest part of your ass!!! (Please tell me you actually applied to other schools.......)

Maybe we should all agree not to feed this particular troll?

I call phooey on NoonA, for a number of reasons. I'm open to anyone who might disagree, but I propose:

1: It's hard to feel sorry for anyone, fictitious or not, who could afford a year at Harvard upon acceptance. If you're realistically depressed upon not being accepted, you're in any event still sitting on a mound of resources at least twice the global average income (guessing), which makes your depression unconvincing - absent an acute psychological disorder. (Or complete lack of perspective).

2: The internet is an amusingly suspect place to voice your tender, heart-felt concerns about being rejected from a graduate program, unannounced and rather melodramatically. Complete and anonymous strangers (cue Bender) are rarely the first resort of the genuinely broken-hearted. Or at least, maybe they shouldn't be.

3: When you're rejected from the absolute worst school anyone can think of - a really "last chance" kind of place - (Stanford?) then questions like "where do I go from here" make sense. When an obviously branded name like Harvard rejects you, all you can really say is "fair enough - guess I'm going to Chicago". I imagine you chose Harvard for your trolling because it's topical (largest current thread) and conventional wisdom (dulled by ranking-addiction).

It seems like we like to apply the same brand of tough love Bender.

I actually posted a even meaner and funnier advice in the original post to NoonA as a joke (labelled as a joke anyway), but the administrator took it off and proceeded to cut the post.

Personaly I think blogs are there for people to voice their thoughts and tell is like it is and be as mean and un-pc as possible. But that's just me.....

Bender: Stanford worst law school? Can you explain a bit further on that? Thanks.

Actually, I did all of that even more, that why I cried! What they want more?!

I would look to what you might think your deficiencies are and improving it over the next year. ie publish a few articles, work for a judge, get the president of your country to write a recommendation letter etc. I read a good blog from avonlady on this site regarding profiling candidates. I think it's very insightful the way she looks at it, because HLS like most top 10 schools want future leaders, so they look at everything in your application to try to profile you as a potential leader. Check out her blog....)

Any way, I'm considering now another Law school. I want to stand on my feet and move on. But Im going to apply for the next year; I will never give up with Harvard dream.

Unfortunately, I find The LLM Guide after Ive received the rejection letter. Ive been reading many valuable posts. I think it could help me with the LLM programs

NoonA

I've read this and the original post that was cut. The impression I got is that you might want to go to HLS for the wrong reasons and HLS picked up on that.

You say that you should be admitted, but that might be a subjective opinion. You need to look at it objectively. HLS, like Yale/Stanford are only interested in people of the highest calibre. By that I mean, top 10%, published, worked in high profile/prestigious jobs, interesting etracurriculars and anything else that shows leadership potential. The HLS/YALE attendees from my country are usually associates of high court, top grads from top 5 law schools, top tier commercial experience, lectured, published, worked for the Prime Minister.... you get the idea.

Honestly, do you think your one of them. And no offence, judging from your emotional stability/character, i kinda doubt it. You may very well be, but you might have put together a really crap application. I'd get an objective independent opinion if I were you. At the end of the day, you might not be Harvard material...period. It's not the end of the world. I'm not, and I don't give a rat's ass. You don't need Harvard to climb to the top of the world.

BTW, it was kinds stupid not to apply to any other school. Even the best candidates still apply to other top 10 schools just to be safe. Your kinda a dumbass buddie.

Hi there!

You seem to have alot of insight with regard to the admission process of top-tier law schools. I didnt apply to HLS this year because I felt I needed to have more experience. Its not that I dont consider myself good enough just that i feel its about being prepared personally as well to take the step. Having said that I want your opinion/advice on what I can do that would be useful for getting into the HLS LLM.

I am a fresh law grad from Bangladesh (heard of it?)..my grades are good and I graduated with Honours...I've won a few awards in international moots etc, have some paper publications and presentations at international conferences (3)..other than that have some extra-curricular activities and some work experience in local firms and the UN CLEP and a research assistantship under a prof. from SOAS...What other skills should i work to acquire for admission into HLS??

Eagerly awaiting your reply...Thanks !!!

At the top schools like HLS/SLS/Yale, it doesn't matter where your from, every application (should) have evidence of excellence (ie rank/school/experience/extracurricular etc). And I do mean top of the line.... being president of the beer drinking society isn't going to impress... while representing your school at an international moot might. I don't think I need to go into the crap you need to have under your belt.

The key is: How are you gonna tie it all up? Your personal statement must tie up all your credentials into a single coherent evidence of a future leader, who has clear career direction and LLM will be needed to achieve career goal. For example: if your profile shows you're a corporate sell out, but in your personal statement, you say you want to save the world, HLS will think your a retard. Your personal statement must be consistent with your profile and your recommendation letters must back up and add value to the picture you paint.

BTW graduate with Honors don't mean shit. Every other HLS applicant graduated with Honors. What makes you so special? What's your X factor? Are you really that great? Every HLS applicant thinks their Gods gift to humanity, but seriously the great majority of them are relatively mediocre. You need to take yourself down a few pegs and think objectively... Will I cut it?

I made these assessments and came to the conclusion I would just be wasting time/$ to apply to HLS/SLS/Yale. I got into shit loads of other top 10s though.

BTW getting recommendation from your President/PM always helps. There are shit loads of underqualified losers that get admitted to HLS/Oxford every year because they know the right people---- after all, Harvard is looking for future leaders, and those underqualified applicants, while undeserving, are very likely to become leaders because of who their daddies know.... Such is life.

.


BTW graduate with Honors don't mean shit. Every other HLS applicant graduated with Honors. What makes you so special? What's your X factor? Are you really that great? Every HLS applicant thinks their Gods gift to humanity, but seriously the great majority of them are relatively mediocre. You need to take yourself down a few pegs and think objectively... Will I cut it?


BTW getting recommendation from your President/PM always helps. There are shit loads of underqualified losers that get admitted to HLS/Oxford every year because they know the right people---- after all, Harvard is looking for future leaders, and those underqualified applicants, while undeserving, are very likely to become leaders because of who their daddies know.... Such is life.

Well, I do know some people who get into HLS without that Honors grades.

I think while the honors grades are definitely a plus, it matters how you give the impression that you are a future leader (including all those about your daddy, etc as mentioned by Avonlady!)

And then it is a lottery, there would be a lot of future leaders, but they have to choose 150, so...

Same (the lottery part) is also probably true for all of the top 5, NYU may give better chances to people just becuse of the sheer size of the group (450?)

Generally I agree with Avonlady, it doesn't matter. If you get into the top5, very good, 5 to 10, good, 10-20.. well, think about what it will get you, and over 20, only if you have a specific need.. like upgrading a really low tier degree, or getting US bar, tax, etc... If you don't get in this year, try next years lottery, and the next year, and the next.. (if you have the patience...)

Heyy Guys!!!

Congrats on all your admits !! thanks for the reply...i get what u mean...leadership potential seems to be the defining factor...i guess thats one facet of my resume that i got to work on ...while am not exactly the corporate sell-out type ..am not mother teresa either...though am not sure about the connections bit...heheh thats something i have to work on too...but honestly if i have to go kiss-assing some big dude just for this entry which is anyways a lottery it would be a piss off considering the situation back home...

i want to have a platform from where i can do something worthwhile and unique...not save the world but at least help towards it...but nonetheless the added perspective helps ...lets see where it lands me ...

Cheers !!