Announcing Dates for the 2024 Junior Deferral Program (JDP) Application Cycle

This year, the Junior Deferral Program (JDP) application will open on May 1, 2024. The application will be available on the Junior Deferral Program website.

We invite you to get started on your application components before the application officially opens. In particular, we encourage you to reach out to your recommenders early so they are prepared to write you detailed and positive letters. We also recommend drafting your resume and written statements early so your school’s career/advising center can review them and give you feedback several times before you submit. And, don’t forget to sign up for either the LSAT or the GRE and give yourself plenty of time to study for the test. Many undergraduate institutions offer support for standardized tests, so be sure to contact your school’s career/advising center to see how they can help.

Looking for advice on where to start? Review our application toolkit, which includes resources, information, and advice from across our website to help you put together an application that best reflects your abilities and readiness for Harvard Law School. In particular, our resume and written statement workshops are excellent tools for those who are just getting started.

In addition, we hope you will join one of our JDP Information Sessions on April 18, May 16, May 30, or June 13. In these 45-minute webinars, participants will hear from members of the J.D. Admissions team as well as a current student admitted through the Junior Deferral Program. We will provide a brief overview of the program, answer pre-submitted questions, and address live questions submitted through the Q&A box. For a broad overview of HLS and the admissions process, we encourage participants to view our recorded J.D. Admissions Information Session and browse our JDP FAQs before joining a session.

Below is our expected timeline for the 2024 JDP cycle:

May 1: JDP Application Opens

July 1: JDP Application Closes

Mid-July: Interview Invites Released

Late July: All Decisions Released

Mid-August: Deadline to Respond to Offer of Admission

Use this to plan ahead and to get started on your application soon. We look forward to reviewing applications in just a few short months. Until then, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions at jdadmiss@law.harvard.edu.