Just Keep Holding On

Here's the situation.  You've applied, you've received a decision and you are now wondering what on earth "Hold" means.  Trust me, you are not alone.

In the realm of rational thought, Hold and Waitlist appear to be the exact same thing.  For instance, when on a phone call, someone puts you on hold and you wait.  Holding IS waiting.  Unfortunately in the world of law school admissions, rational thought it not always practiced.  It appears we are, at times, here only to confuse our applicants.  Thus a helpful guide to decoding our madness:

What Hold means

Instead of using the widely known term of Waitlist, we decided to put a complicated spin on our in between status.  Hold, as it relates to your application at Northwestern Law, means that we like you, but aren't ready to commit just yet.  Think of it in terms of dating.  There was something about you that struck us upon our initial meeting and we'd like to see you again.  During our next meeting, I'm sorry to say, that we judge you.  We then either part ways, ask you to wait a little longer or tell you that you need to invest in as much purple clothing as possible.

Getting to the next "date"

You like Northwestern and we think we like you too, but we've put you on hold for a while until we figure it all out.  What can you do?  How can you make us notice you?  How can you help yourself get to the purple clothes buying level?  Though stalking is NOT the answer, you can let us know that you are interested.  In particular, we are curious to know why you want to go to law school and why at Northwestern Law.  Did you answer these questions in your initial application?  If not, take this chance to tell us -- in no more than a page or so.

Your next option, may be slightly more expensive than the first, but is infinitely better for your application -- participating in an On-Campus Interview.  If you've already taken this step or have met with one of our fabulous Alumni, then you are good to go.  However, if you have not, then it is highly recommended.  We'd like to meet you, in person, and find out what we missed on paper.  Are you an extremely gifted conversationalist? Or did you wear jeans to the interview and barely present yourself at all?  Spending thirty minutes closed in a small office with someone can tell us a lot about you and how you would or would not fit in here.  It also has great possibilities as a reality television show.  Just a thought.

The last option, is to send in an additional letter of recommendation, which must be submitted through our CPE form.  Though you, as an applicant, have no control over what the recommender says about you, it is helpful for us to hear from someone who knows you.  Let's clarify that, someone who knows you professionally.  It would not be helpful, if say, your grandma filled out the CPE.  Unless grandma is the CEO of the company you are working for -- and in all honesty that could very well be possible -- then choose a recommender who can best tell us about you and what makes you a good candidate for law school. 

Oh, one more tiny detail.  The response form: turn it in via fax or email.  We mail out confirmations every 1-2 weeks and if you have not heard from us -- and you've checked your spam box -- then it is likely we don't have it.  If this is the case you may fax or email it again, or call us to confirm that we have not received it.

Now what?

So, you've turned in your response form, completed one, or all, of the options above and ... um ... what the heck happens now?  Well, we will look over the hold applications again in April and decide your fate.  Everyone on hold receives a new decision -- Deny, Waitlist, or Admit -- which you will be notified of via email.  Your decision letter, as it has been before, will be located on the status check for security reasons.  We will also update Twitter and Facebook and announce when we are intending to send notifications out.

Until then, stay in that holding pattern -- don't get dizzy -- and let us know if you have any questions! 

Comments

[AJD candidate]

When you say that those of us on hold will be notified in April, do you mean to include the AJD candidates on hold? I ask because it was initially communicated to us that we would be informed of a decision by March 15th (the due date of the seat deposit). Will AJD candidates on hold hear back before April?

[Law Admissions]

Hello! Excellent question! We did not, by any means, mean to exclude the AJD population. The word in the office is that we'll be sending something out to you all at the beginning of next week.

[Sean]

As a held candidate hoping to load up on purple clothing, thank you for this useful information! Will candidates be notified of their status electronically?

[Law Admissions]

Hello Sean! Yes, you will be notified via the status check, as was the case with your initial decision. Good luck!

[Damien Kieran]

Well I am not even on hold yet but the advice is more then welcome. I am waiting for some international 2 year JD love!!! Hmmm....I wonder if a second on campus interview would help things.... I could even wear a purple suit! :-)

[Helen Gorman]

I must say that the response form confirmation has me a bit nervous. I sent my form in early Feb. If it turns out that my form was not received, will I be penalized for informing the admissions office of my decision now (which is past the notification deadline)?

[Law Admissions]

Hello Helen! No, you will not be penalized. However, there is a point at which we will withdraw those who have not turned in a form. This is usually prefaced by an email, to catch those, like yourself, who intended to stay under consideration. We are definitely looking into alternative ways to accept notifications in future cycles. Any suggestions are welcome!

[Helen Gorman]

whew! what a relief! thank you.

[AJD Candidate]

Is there any concensus on when the remainder of AJD candidates on hold will be notified? I know at least a few of us did not receive word this week and we become increasingly anxious as the first day of classes approaches.

[Law Admissions]

Hello AJD Candidate! It looks like we will be sending out more notifications for those AJDs who are on Hold, this week. Thanks for your patience, I know this is a nerve wrecking process!

[Bob]

Do you have any idea when regular JD Hold applicants will hear--early, middle, or end of April?

Thanks so much!

[Nate]

This is probably not the best post to ask this question on, but when is the office going to start mailing financial aid information to those who were admitted and set the required forms before March 1?

[Law Admissions]

Hello Bob! Three Year JD Applicants should hear something mid to late April. Later this week will be sending out emails to verify that those who have not returned their forms, do not wish to remain on Hold.

[Law Admissions]

Hello Nate! Since we don't have a Financial Aid post yet, this is as good of a place as any. We've sent our Financial Aid information to those who sent in their forms by the deadline. If you have not yet heard from us -- as I am assuming -- then please send an email to admissions@law.northwestern.edu with your name, etc and a rep will get back to you ASAP.

[Gillian W.]

Thank you so much for this information. Some schools encourage candidates to send repeated emails expressing their continued interest. I have sent in everything discussed/had an on campus interview. I've always considered purple to be an awesome color and would love to be able to wear it for good reason. Should I email staff reiterating my interest, or should I just let things stand? THANKS!

[LLM/Kellogg Candidate]

Thank you for this post. I would like to know about the updates for the LL.M./Kellogg waiting list?

[Applicant]

Thank you for this very informative post.
Would it be acceptable for a recommender who previously submitted a standard letter of recommendation through LSAC to fill out the CPE form? Or must it be from an employer who has not yet submitted any form of recommendation?

Thanks again.

[KB]

I read in a previous blog post that Northwestern Law had converted to a paperless admissions process. Does the school prefer to receive Letters of Continued Interest via e-mail or snail mail? If e-mail, to what address should they be sent.

[JD-PhD Candidate]

My question is similar to the question that started this thread: I am currently a PhD student at Northwestern. I'm on hold for the joint JD-PhD program. I submitted my CPE form and LOCI back in February. Will JD-PhD candidates find out in April as well?
Thanks in advance.

[Law Admissions]

Hello!

So sorry about the delay in getting to your questions!

LLM/Kellogg Waitlisters should be receiving a definite answer soon, due to Visa processing times.

The CPE can be from someone who has already submitted a letter of rec; however I believe we would prefer it be from a new source.

Thanks for being conscious of our paperless process! We do prefer that any continuing interest materials come to us electronically. You can send them to: admissions@law.northwestern.edu.

JD-PhD applicants will find out at approximately the same time as the remainder of the pool.

These are all great questions, thank you again for reading and asking!

[Rachel Stigler]

I logged into status checker a couple of days ago to access my hold letter and form, but have not been able to log in since. Is the site experiencing a glitch? I would like to return the hold form as soon as possible and would like to know if I can I access the form anywhere else. Please help.