Bryce Ervin
Graduate School of Education | Graduating: Spring 2019
Degree: Master's in Higher Education
Employer: Harvard Law School Admissions Office
Bryce Ervin is a student at the Graduate School of Education (GSE), graduating spring 2019 in the higher education program. He is originally from Sun Valley, Idaho and works at the Law School in the Admissions Office where he reads applications for their JD program. He started last fall and works from home reading applications, reading about 65 files per week and has already reviewed nearly 1600 applications
Bryce is one of the first readers of JD applications for the Law School. After he reads and reviews the applications, he writes up an evaluation before sending the file off for additional review from officers. Harvard Law’s admissions process works based on a rolling admissions system, so the files he has reviewed may move through subsequent steps at varying rates due to applicant strength or the current development of the admitted class. 
He was drawn to this role because he worked in admissions for 3 years at Bowdoin College, his alma mater, and wanted to see what it would be like to review admissions at the graduate level. He developed an interest for reading admissions files because he appreciates seeing the unique things that applicants are passionate about. Bryce has found that applicants to the Law School offer a more diverse and complex range of experiences and interests than those applying to undergraduate degrees due in large part to a more developed sense of self, intentional interest in studying law, and typically more extensive life and professional experience. Applicants have a wide range of responses for wanting to go into Law School and how they aspire to apply their legal education is quite varied.
His experience at the office has been aided by the fact that he had previous experience in admissions. Bryce appreciates the incredible life stories of applicants, and the narratives of those who have overcome incredible odds. Many applicants have great visions for the future and ideas for how law can be used to better the world. Reading these impressive admissions files makes him wonder which of these applicants could go on to change the world.
In his spare time, Bryce likes to get outdoors and go biking, hiking, and on runs with his dog. Over academic breaks this year, he has also doubled his reading load. Even though he knows that this is not a typical internship for most graduate students, he appreciates working for the Law School’s JD admissions office, collaborating with their staff, and reading for a new type of applicant. He plans to go back to work in admissions at Bowdoin College where he is part of the entire cycle of admissions, from recruiting to reading applications to committee review and release of decisions.