In the News: Two Harvard Announcements and NYU Goes to Washi

Schools are too busy with new students and on-campus recruiting to do much of anything right now, so this week's Education In the News is short and sweet. Two announcements from Harvard (who seems to be the only school announcing anything this week), NYU goes to Washington, and some fun from The Onion.

Harvard Business School announces modifications to the round one admissions procedure

The HBS admissions team will be making decisions about acceptances and denials much faster this year than ever before. Here's the scoop: if you apply first round (the deadline is October 1st), you will hear back concerning whether you've been granted an interview, no matter what, between October 15th and November 3rd. If you're not invited to interview, you will either be told that you've been denied admission or asked if you'd like to join the waitlist. "While no one applies hoping for a 'deny' decision," Dean of Admissions Dee Leopold wrote, "we have heard you say that the worst case is the uncertainty which can extend from October through mid-December." This way, denied applicants will have more time to focus on their next round of applications.

Harvard Law School changed its grading practices...again

A year ago, HLS switched to a pass-fail grading system to mimic Yale and Stanford's grading. Now, some say they're doing the moral equivalent of changing it back again. The new system allows for four grades: high pass, pass, low pass, and fail. Now each of those grades will be assigned a number (4, 3, 2, and 0, respectively), which are then averaged and made available to employers. Sounds a whole lot like GPA to me. Not that employers couldn't have worked this out on their own as a way to compare HLS students, but I doubt they would take the time to do it for each transcript.

New York University will open a campus center in Washington, D.C.

Studying at NYU's new Constance Milstein and Family Academic Center will not be "study abroad" so much as "study away". The center "will hold classrooms and housing for students wishing to spend a semester or more studying in Washington," starting with undergraduates and then opening up to law school and MBA students.

The Onion reports that "Law schools now require applicants to honestly state whether they want to go to law school"

The Onion reports on "an application that asks students to check boxes marked 'Really?' and 'Seriously? You're really that into this?'" Law schools just want to check and make sure you're applying based on an actual interest in the law, not because you're scared you won't be able to find a position as a graphic designer.

--Written by Madison Priest