Announcing Dates for the 2023 Junior Deferral Program (JDP) Application Cycle

The Junior Deferral Program (JDP) application launches in less than a month! Our office looks forward to reviewing applications for the 2023 JDP cycle. We want to provide you with an expected timeline for this year’s cycle to maintain transparency and to help applicants plan ahead as they navigate their summers.

Here is our expected timeline for the 2023 Junior Deferral Program cycle:

April 1: JDP Application Opens

July 1: JDP Application Closes

Mid-July: Interview Invites Released

Late July: Acceptances

Mid-August: Deadline to Respond to Offer of Admission

Please note that the Junior Deferral Program does not operate on a rolling admissions basis, meaning there is no advantage in applying earlier rather than later. We encourage you to take the time necessary to build the most robust application possible and recommend scheduling and studying for the LSAT or GRE test well in advance. Use resources at your institution, such as your career advising office, to help edit and strengthen your resume, personal statement, and optional statement (if you choose to submit one).

We hope you will be able to tune into one of our JDP Information Sessions this spring to have your questions answered by members of the J.D. Admissions Office as well as current students who were admitted through the JDP. In last year’s JDP Cycle Timeline blog post, we recommended several resources to help students begin constructing their applications.

Additional resources include:

• Our Application Toolkit includes resources, information, and advice to help you put together an application that best reflects your abilities and readiness for Harvard Law School.
• The Personal Statement Workshop and Resume Workshop are particularly helpful resources for those who are just getting started.

We look forward to reviewing your application this summer!