Harvard Law 2014 Forum

[mcweanis]

soo i mailed my acceptance form and deposit to harvard on the 23rd, but i haven't heard anything and the check hasn't been cashed.. should i be worried?

[Keeper1125]

They were a little slow in confirming mine, which I handed to them in person. I would just call/e-mail to make sure.

[slee]

I just got off the waitlist and fedexed my deposit (arrived today). Do I need to wait until after they confirm receipt of deposit and another 2 weeks for UID/PIN to be able to complete the housing application? I understand the longer I wait, the crappier my lottery number will be.

[adameus]

Ditto off the wait list!
Ecstatic, but now to figure out financial aid, housing, visas...

Congrats! visas? where are you coming from?

Ontario, Canada
Any other Canucks out there?

Vancouver here. At the ASW everyone kept telling me how many Canadians were at HLS... but I never actually met any!

A Rising 2L Canadian here! If anyone has any questions about HLS, ask away.

[ebeth]

I just got off the waitlist and fedexed my deposit (arrived today). Do I need to wait until after they confirm receipt of deposit and another 2 weeks for UID/PIN to be able to complete the housing application? I understand the longer I wait, the crappier my lottery number will be.

I filled out the application before I even sent in my deposit. I'm not sure if the procedure would be different for people accepted off the waitlist.

[nikita]

A Rising 2L Canadian here! If anyone has any questions about HLS, ask away.

How difficult was the financial aid process and what order did you do it in? Here in Ontario, OSAP is maxed out at around $200/wk for international schools because we get only the federal section, so I'm wondering how you made it work - did you apply for Canadian bank loans as well, or just the one Harvard suggested? (Sorry if some of this is available - my package got sent to a different address and is getting redirected.)

Thanks!

ps. nice dp pic

[adameus]

A Rising 2L Canadian here! If anyone has any questions about HLS, ask away.

How difficult was the financial aid process and what order did you do it in? Here in Ontario, OSAP is maxed out at around $200/wk for international schools because we get only the federal section, so I'm wondering how you made it work - did you apply for Canadian bank loans as well, or just the one Harvard suggested? (Sorry if some of this is available - my package got sent to a different address and is getting redirected.)

Thanks!

ps. nice dp pic

Hey, I'm not too sure about OSAP, or any Canadian gov't loans, as I didn't take any of those. As an International Student, I believe Harvard will guarantee you all the loans you need (around 71K). Assuming you get a similar financial aid package as I was offered last year, Harvard will give you 20K of loans directly from the school and then be your guarantee for ~50K of private loans. For the ~50K you might be better off just getting a loan within Canada or whereever you can find the best interest rates.

[saito816]

Got a really shitty lottery number for the waitlist room selection . Hopefully I can get something, or I'm going to have to look for other off campus options

[The Gentleman]

Got a really shitty lottery number for the waitlist room selection . Hopefully I can get something, or I'm going to have to look for other off campus options

Likewise. I'm not even close to 257.

[saito816]

Got a really shitty lottery number for the waitlist room selection . Hopefully I can get something, or I'm going to have to look for other off campus options

Likewise. I'm not even close to 257.

Yeah, I'm thinking those are probably the people held over from the regular lottery because the email said they retain their number... hopefully a lot of them have found something in the meantime

[sarahlawg]

it really sucks being so far away from Boston looking for housing...can't wait to visit next month! I'm sure it will be an incredibly deflating trip given the move-in costs in Boston, but I am excited nonetheless. I'm going to visit the school too... will be kind of weird with no students, but I just want to have been there before day one of orientation. Can't believe this is all coming so fast!

[amangeorge]

Hey guys-

Haven't been super active on TLS at any point, but looking forward to meeting you guys this fall. If any of you are still looking for roommates, let me know - my two preferred housing options look like they have fallen through - I'm a 25 year old guy from the DC area excited for the move up to Cambridge.

[mcweanis]

hey ya'all! i just put a deposit down on an awesome apartment on beacon and washington, about 3/4 mile walk to hls. 2 bed, 2 bathroom, comes with a parking space and is pet friendly. its not that hard to find! kind of expensive at $1100 each but i just wanted to get it over with once i found a good spot.

[tuxedosquare]

hey ya'all! i just put a deposit down on an awesome apartment on beacon and washington, about 3/4 mile walk to hls. 2 bed, 2 bathroom, comes with a parking space and is pet friendly. its not that hard to find! kind of expensive at $1100 each but i just wanted to get it over with once i found a good spot.

were you able to find a place with an august move-in date?

i'm still looking for something good that starts in august...

[HNSA15]

hey everyone...I have a really bad # for the housing lottery but am set on living on campus, so I guess I'll have to deal with it. I'm deciding between Holmes, Ames, Hastings, and Shaw. Other than the construction noise I might have to deal with at Shaw, are there any pros/cons anyone can offer about the different buildings? Any of them nicer/newer than the others? Any of them have a better location? Thanks!

[mcweanis]

apparently, 90% of apartments in boston/cambridge have leases than end august 31, so youre best bet might be to sublet for the summer then sign the lease for the year.

[hulahoop]

apparently, 90% of apartments in boston/cambridge have leases than end august 31, so youre best bet might be to sublet for the summer then sign the lease for the year.

this seems to be the way to go. I signed a June 1st lease and am subletting until Aug 1. It is really not hard to find people to sublet to, as long as your landlord is ok with it.

[bikepilot]

Congrats all (I'm a year out of HLS now). For housing I wouldn't stress too much over on vs off campus. I would avoid Gropius as I dislike the aesthetics and tiny rooms. I found that most off campus students tended to live just to the north, west or north west of the law school. Apartments are often a little less expensive in the somewhat less trendy south-south east areas (like between harvard and central square). I lived near Harvard St and Dana all three years. It was relatively inexpensive and quieter than most areas more popular with students. 12-15 min walk or 3-4 min bike ride to campus so the commute wasn't bad (I walk and bike moderately quickly). Hastings is quite nice - probably the best for on-campus.

[sarahh]

apparently, 90% of apartments in boston/cambridge have leases than end august 31, so youre best bet might be to sublet for the summer then sign the lease for the year.

Yeah, I was told it is mostly September or June. I just signed a lease starting Sept 1, so I am going to stay in a hotel the last week in August and move in after school has started. Fun! Boy are the pickings slim if you are on a budget. The broker only had three places to show us - two above our price range.

[The Gentleman]

So how did people fare in the housing lottery last week? I ended up getting a room in Gropius despite an awful lottery number.

[fruittree57]

Has anyone heard anything about their transcripts arriving? I got an e-mail about the certification form, but it didn't say anything about the transcript and it supposedly shipped two weeks ago.

[delusional]

Has anyone heard anything about their transcripts arriving? I got an e-mail about the certification form, but it didn't say anything about the transcript and it supposedly shipped two weeks ago.

Admissions office says they will begin acknowledging transcripts June 15. Indeed, I got an email about the certification that was sent on Friday, but nothing about the transcript that was in the same envelope. Also, I got the distinct sense that you will not be denied admission if your transcript is a little late. (But no promises...)

[sarahh]

Has anyone heard anything about their transcripts arriving? I got an e-mail about the certification form, but it didn't say anything about the transcript and it supposedly shipped two weeks ago.

Admissions office says they will begin acknowledging transcripts June 15. Indeed, I got an email about the certification that was sent on Friday, but nothing about the transcript that was in the same envelope. Also, I got the distinct sense that you will not be denied admission if your transcript is a little late. (But no promises...)

Check the admissions status checker. My transcripts are showing up as received there.

[ebeth]

Has anyone heard anything about their transcripts arriving? I got an e-mail about the certification form, but it didn't say anything about the transcript and it supposedly shipped two weeks ago.

Admissions office says they will begin acknowledging transcripts June 15. Indeed, I got an email about the certification that was sent on Friday, but nothing about the transcript that was in the same envelope. Also, I got the distinct sense that you will not be denied admission if your transcript is a little late. (But no promises...)

Yep, I emailed and they said it was no problem.

[nikita]

There's actually quite a few August first leases, or at least you can choose Aug or Sept. 1st. I've just been browsing craigslist, narrowing search options by "aug' or "august" and there is some selection (though many sept. leases also show up.) From there it's just finding cambridge/somerville locations (for me anyway.)