Harvard Law to open deferral program to other colleges and universities nationwide
Courtesy Harvard Law School
Corrected: A Harvard Law School deferral program that accepts applications from juniors at the college will be offered to students at other colleges and universities nationwide starting this fall.
The program, which began in 2014, is conditional on applicants putting off law school enrollment for at least two years if accepted, the Harvard Crimson reports.
“By offering admission to the most promising college juniors, we can encourage them to pursue important and fulfilling experiences without concerns about effects on a later application to law school,” Martha L. Minow, Harvard Law’s dean, wrote in a press release.
Over the last five years, ABA Standard 509 reports show, applications have yo-yoed, recording a drop of more than 12 percent between the highest and lowest totals, but in 2016, applications rose by 5 percent over the previous year. In March the school announced it would be accepting the Graduate Record Examination as an entrance test in lieu of the Law School Admissions Test. It’s been suggested that the move was meant to draw more foreign students, who took the GRE because they plan to study science or math.
The deferral program appears to be interested in attracting students from outside the United States, as well.
“We will be engaging in active outreach both to the pre-law advisers and to college campuses, not just in the U.S. but in universities around the world, to explain how to think about this program and how to decide whether this is right for you as an applicant,” Jessica L. Soban, the law school’s chief admissions officer, told the Crimson.
Updated May 5 to correct reference to Harvard Law School application rates.
Correction
This story originally gave an incorrect figure for Harvard Law School applications over the last 5 years. Application totals have risen and fallen during the period.
The Journal regrets the error.
