Reflections from Fall Travel

If you follow @hlsadmissions on Instagram, you may have noticed we spent quite some time this fall on the road (check out #HLSontheroad to see some shots from our travels). After visiting 64 schools and 5 fairs across the country, we are settling back into the office and reflecting on all the prospective students we met and what we learned.

The Time is Always Right

We saw students at all different places in their law school application process: from freshmen just beginning to consider whether law school might be on their path, to seniors and alumni who have already submitted their app for this cycle. There are so many things to learn about law school and ways to prepare before applying – truly, there is no one perfect or preferred approach! Do not let the thought of your law school application limit your decisions on classes, internships, and the other countless opportunities that surround you. Explore your passions and it will strengthen your application to HLS.

Junior Deferral Program

The Junior Deferral Program is on many students’ minds. Is it right for me? What are the benefits of applying now? Should I know how I would spend my time on deferral? These are the questions we hope students are taking the time to ask themselves! JDP is not the right fit for every future HLS student, and it will never be the “only” way to gain admissions to Harvard Law School. The best way to determine if it’s the choice for you is by learning more. You can check out our JDP website for more information (including a video featuring students admitted to HLS through JDP). Additionally, consider attending our upcoming virtual info session about JDP on December 20. For those seniors who are no longer eligible but like the idea of gaining work experience prior to law school, we encourage you to do so (this year, over four out of five of 1Ls worked for at least one year prior to matriculating at HLS). You can apply to our J.D. program whenever you are ready to join us.

Many Campuses, Many Students

The best thing about going on the road is seeing where students are coming from: figuratively and literally. We get to learn about your mindset from your questions, and experience the place you spent some formative years. Whether it’s snapping a selfie at the USC beach volleyball complex, eating ice cream from the University of Wisconsin dairy next to Lake Mendota, or calling out a sibling in an info session, our team loved touring your campuses. A few of us even had the chance to visit our own alma maters (looking at you, Boston College, Harvard College, UVA, and UMass Amherst).

While no two student experiences at any college are exactly alike, it’s informative (and a lot of fun) to see many of your schools up close. It was a great reminder of the diversity our students bring to HLS – just think of the 173 undergraduate schools represented in the 1L class (and 334 in the J.D. student body!). Keep in mind, in order to reach as many students as we can, we switch up some of our schools each year, so please come and meet us when you have the chance.

For the many prospective applicants who we didn’t have the opportunity to meet in person this fall, we encourage you to check out our online events and reach out to us with your questions. Those who did come out to learn more – thank you! We hope to continue to show you what HLS is all about.