Recapping Our Recruitment Travel

The J.D. Admissions team recently wrapped up our fall travel season, and what a journey it has been. We traveled to new cities, returned to past visit locations, and some of us even had time to see friends and family. As we settle into reading files and interviewing applicants, we want to share some of the fun highlights of our travels—from the students we met, the places we visited, and the things we experienced. If you didn’t have a chance to meet us in person this year, we hope our paths cross in a future year!

United Kingdom: Kristi Jobson, Assistant Dean for Admissions

My recruitment travel season culminated with a week-long trip to the United Kingdom to meet prospective students at University College London, Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics. On day one, right after speaking at UCL, I decided to explore a bit and ran into this pub (apparently with the nation’s finest pies, though I didn’t try them). Immediately I thought of fellow J.D. Admissions colleague Lucas and asked a passerby to snap this picture. You can tell from the expression on my face that I was already excited to share it with the full team (and you can tell from the map in my hand that I am a shameless tourist!).

Louisiana: Lucas Harty, Associate Director

I had the chance to travel down to New Orleans, Louisiana for the first time in my life and I was excited to explore a city so steeped in culture and history. As I arrived at my hotel, the receptionist described New Orleans as the “northernmost Caribbean city and the westernmost European city in the United States.” Each evening after a long day of college visits, I walked the cobblestone streets lined with gas-burning streetlamps and was struck by how true that sentiment really is. From the architecture and urban design to music and food, New Orleans has a unique atmosphere, unlike any other place I’ve visited. A big highlight for me was the shrimp po-boy sandwiches, which has quickly risen to one of my all-time favorite meals on the road.

Georgia: Lucy Cui, Admissions Officer

If I had to pick one single highlight? Mine’s a mural. A powerful mural I encountered during the final stop of my Georgia recruitment trip. Following an energetic information session attended by AUCC students, a Morehouse student (who also happens to be a capable campus ambassador) kindly provided me with a tour. This massive, brightly colored mural spanning a considerable distance which depicts Black history over time, truly captured my attention. Showcasing the rich history, pride, pain, and growth of the Black community from Africa to America while seamlessly incorporating Morehouse’s history into the artwork, I found it to be an incredibly iconic and powerful campus sighting.  

Kentucky: Pamela Toscano, Admissions Officer

My mom and cousin made my Kentucky trip truly special for me. My family members passed out brochures to prospective students and snapped photos to share on social media throughout the information session at the University of Kentucky. This was a moment of pride for us all as we reflected on our family’s journey from Ecuador to Kentucky, and how far we had come. I felt grateful for the opportunity to represent Harvard Law School, and I was also reminded of the sacrifices my family made to get to where we are today and how much their support has meant to me along the way. I am thankful to have connected with students from the place that became my family’s second home! 

Texas: Mark Richter, Admissions Officer

The most meaningful element of my work is meeting with current and prospective students. While I love hosting people on campus and in Cambridge, I find that I learn the most when I can meet people where they are—or, in this case, in Texas! While the heat can be a bit hard for this Mainer to manage, I found refuge in between visits at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. This funky mirror reflects (ha! no pun intended) how I felt, physically, after a busy fall recruitment season. Mentally, though, I couldn’t have been happier to meet with so many wonderful students in the Lone Star State. 

Philadelphia/New Jersey: Courtney McMann, Associate Director

My Philadelphia/New Jersey swing gave me a chance to connect with past and future members of the Harvard community our office has already gotten a chance to know. Thanks to our Junior Deferral Program, I had the chance to sit down with seniors already admitted to Harvard Law School, who gave me insights into their last year of undergrad after an experience marked by the pandemic (and then kindly walked me to my session and helped me with some IT challenges). This trip also gave me the chance to share a meal with a former colleague, the same one who gave me a pep talk before my first presentation on a school campus and continues to be a source of inspiration and belly laughs whenever we meet. In a week of new places and new faces, moments of connection go such a long way. (And it didn’t hurt that the coffees and meals shared in Philly were all fantastic – here’s a picture I snapped excitedly waiting for my sandwich at Reading Terminal Market.)

North Carolina: Sam Parker, Associate Director

This year, I had the immense privilege of traveling to North Carolina to speak with prospective applicants at six incredible schools. In many ways, North Carolina is my home away from home because my little sister has lived there since 2015 (she attended UNC Chapel Hill for undergrad and is currently at Duke in the Physician Assistant Program). The first time I visited her in North Carolina, I was blown away by the hospitality I experienced and how comfortable I felt everywhere I went. My visit this fall was no exception. I had a marvelous time. All of the students, faculty, and staff I met welcomed me with open arms and were incredibly generous with their time. I sincerely hope everyone I met applies to HLS either this year or in a future year. This photo is from my visit to NC A&T where the executive board of the Pre-Law Chapter of the National Black Law Students Association helped me coordinate an awesome information session for current students.