“Harvard Law School’s Junior Deferral Program will expand to accept applications from undergraduate juniors at colleges and universities nationwide in the fall of 2017, the Law School announced Wednesday.
The program, previously only open to Harvard College students since its inception in 2014, allows students to apply to the Law School during their junior year of college on the condition that they defer enrollment for at least two years if accepted. Students who are rejected from the JDP program may speak with a Law School admissions officer about their application.” …
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/5/3/junior-deferral-program-expanded/
Good move by HLS. I know people who have been admitted (and later enrolled) under that program. They had near-perfect grades and LSAT scores from Harvard College.
Seems like another reaction to concerns that they are going to slip further down the rankings v. Yale and Stanford. Accepting GRE in lieu of the LSAT and trying to pre-admit top level candidates seems to hint at growing reputational fear and trembling among the administration at HLS.
That’s because fewer people want to go to law school anymore. It is a foolish choice with a lot of debt and dismal employment prospects. It’s for people who live in a fantasy world.
@wilsonphillips This forum has definitely knocked me out of my “fantasy world”.
Does anyone know that if a student is accepted they have to attend? In other words, is it binding? Can the student then not apply anywhere else later?
If you do ED then it’s binding to the extent you go. Otherwise no, you can apply anywhere you want.
^ that’s my question. Is it binding?
Never mind. Got my answer at their website.
Anyone have projected stats for the new JDP app route at HLS? Seems like it might offer some of the same advantages of applying ED to Undergrad - i.e. less competition, proof of demonstrated interest/commitment, etc. What do y’all think?
@hoosierguy, it looks like this is the first year that the program opens up to students from other undergraduate universities so Stats would be hard to assess. Their website basically says that the applicants to JDP will be assessed using the same criteria as the regular pool. My recommendation is not to apply to any program that functions on an ED type system as you would not be able to compare scholarships. Unless the ED option comes with some type of automatic scholarship offer. An ED type program is great for those that need no financial help at all as it disincentives the law school to offer anything. But if you are a good candidate and need no financial help, apply and see what happens.