I applied online in early August and first contact was made 3 weeks later. A recruiter's assistant contacted me to setup time for a phone screen with the h/r recruiter. The phone screen lasted about 30 minutes and all the standard questions were covered. I thought the screen went well and the recruiter told me that while she could not make any promises, as ultimately the hiring manager would decide who to invite in for an in person interview, I definitely had the background and skills they were looking for and she would recommend me for the next stage. She indicated the process was slow and also inquired about any other positions I was considering and my availability to interview. That week, I followed up with a thank you note and a question about the position. No reply. I followed up 3 weeks later as to the status of the position - I indicated that I was still very much interested but had been invited to another interview and asked if I was still a candidate for the position. No reply. The online system indicated that my resume was "under review". I realize the job market is competitive, and I have no problem with not making the second round, they likely had a big pool of qualified candidates. That said, given the context of how things were left and that the recruiter simply ignoring follow up emails left a bad impression of both Harvard the department. How much time does it take to reply to an email? As a result of this experience, I withdrew all of my applications from Harvard and ended up pursuing (and ultimately accepting) a position at another university.