Waitlisted at HLS, will they let me defer or drop out after offer, due to work issue

Comments

• inactive Alum Member

  May 2017 12637 karma

  Bumping this to the top
• danielznelson Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  May 2017 4181 karma

  Just so I understand, if you get into Harvard, you cannot leave your work? Or is it that you feel compelled to stay?
• Accounts Playable Live Sage ⭐

  May 2017 3107 karma

  The way I understand waitlists for top schools (currently on Stanford's), is that there is no deferral option; either you go this year or you'd have to decline and reapply.
• lsat2016 Free Trial Member

  May 2017 edited May 2017 488 karma

  I may be in the middle of business critical project at work, leaving which could severely impact both the business and my future relation with them.

  Can one decline if they end up accepting off WL, and then re-apply next year (not defer)?
  Or, would it impact the reapplication?
• dennisgerrard Member

  May 2017 1644 karma

  Congrats btw.
• JustDoIt Alum Member ⭐

  May 2017 3112 karma

  I have heard from several sources that it is more likely than not to negatively affect next years cycle if you turn a school down that you get into. I imagine this is true even more so for waitlists.
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  May 2017 23929 karma

  @"Accounts Playable" said:
  The way I understand waitlists for top schools (currently on Stanford's), is that there is no deferral option; either you go this year or you'd have to decline and reapply.

  Also heard others with experience on HYS waitlist agree.

  In any case, congrats, OP! I'll be sending positive vibes your way and hoping you get off and can find a way to attend.
• danielznelson Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  May 2017 4181 karma

  @JustDoIt said:
  I have heard from several sources that it is more likely than not to negatively affect next years cycle if you turn a school down that you get into. I imagine this is true even more so for waitlists.

  I especially think this would be true for HYS or for schools that give you full-rides. Otherwise, I think you could convince a school not to knock you for next year, since money could be a reasonable reason for turning a school down.
• 1 Like

  dcdcdcdcdc Alum Member

  May 2017 382 karma

  First, I think you have to decide if you want to go to HLS. If you do and you have not signed some binding contract with your employer, then I would argue that those who are angered by or don't understand your decision to attend one of the best and most selective law schools are not worth fretting about. I don't know the details of your situation, e.g. If you work for/with family/friends, but if my place of employment tried to guilt trip me out of going to HLS, I wouldn't lose a moment of sleep telling them to deal with it, and I truly enjoy my work.
• danielznelson Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  May 2017 4181 karma

  @dcdcdcdcdc said:
  First, I think you have to decide if you want to go to HLS. If you do and you have not signed some binding contract with your employer, then I would argue that those who are angered by or don't understand your decision to attend one of the best and most selective law schools are not worth fretting about. I don't know the details of your situation, e.g. If you work for/with family/friends, but if my place of employment tried to guilt trip me out of going to HLS, I wouldn't lose a moment of sleep telling them to deal with it, and I truly enjoy my work.

  Haha, yeah, I'm kind of with you, and with the same caveat that I too don't understand your situation.

  But you're getting admitted into one of the most exclusive schools in the world, should you get off the waitlist. I imagine that's not so much your issue anyway. It seems like you're just hoping you can sort of have the best of both worlds, which isn't a bad question at all.