Harvard Law School Class of 2018 Forum

(housing, friendships, future exams, all things 2018)
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Where are you in the decision process?

I'll be at HLS next fall!
93
65%
Still waiting to hear from another school....
4
3%
Still waiting to hear about financial aid :(
8
6%
Absolutely unsure
9
6%
Already withdrew from HLS
29
20%
 
Total votes: 143

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HorseThief

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Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by HorseThief » Mon Dec 22, 2014 1:37 am

Image

(The following is stuff I pulled together for last year's thread. I've updated some of the information though.)

Important Links
HLS Admitted Students Page: https://www.law.harvard.edu/prospective ... index.html (Requires Login)
Housing Info: http://www3.law.harvard.edu/dos/hlshousing/
Ask a HLS student (2010-present): http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 4&t=141188
Custom background for your Harvard e-mail (I can make more if folks want): http://imgur.com/jiU6zNf
HLS Admin Updates (Mostly course and RA related stuff, but mildly interesting): http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/adup/


ASW Info
  • HLS’s recommendations for local accommodations: https://www.law.harvard.edu/prospective ... tions.html (May not be live yet)
  • Hotels in the area tend to be $200-$250. The Sheraton Commander has some sort of special deal for pre-paid rooms. Hotel Veritas had rooms around $200. There may also be b&b’s in Cambridge for ~$125-175/night.
  • Some posters recommend airbnb instead, as that tends to be much cheaper. Close to campus runs $80-$100. Further out will find $60/night.
  • HLS will provide reimbursement up to $300, but seems to be tied to need-based aid.
Should I Bring a Car?
There is a mixed impression. Most people say don’t bring a car because parking is a nightmare. However, if you really do want a car, the process of getting a Cambridge parking permit is rather easy. You can usually get an uncovered parking spot near your off-campus residence for ~$150/month. Everett Street Garage (right next to campus) will cost you $2200/year (2011).

Housing Options

There are 3 types of options around HLS: dorms, Harvard apartments (HUH), and off-campus apartments.

Dorms
Note: All dorms come fully furnished. They are available for 9-month leases, no extra fees, all utilities included.

Gropius (~$770-$1,260) all singles, shared bathroom and kitchens. No AC, twin beds. Was recently renovated, so may be nicer than the photos suggest. In-depth TLS analysis of the buildings and rooms.
Hastings (~$1,185-$15,30) studios, 1BR and 2BR suites, shared bathroom and kitchens. No AC, twin beds. Older rooms, but comfortable.
North (~$1,230-$1,600) hotel-style singles and 2BR suites, private baths, shared kitchens. AC included. Recently renovated, I haven't heard about too many complaints.


Harvard University Housing
Note: These rooms do not come furnished. They are available for 1-year leases, then 9-months when you’re a 3L. Subletting tends to be easy over the summer. No extra fees, all utilities included. More info here.

Terry Terrace (~$1,200-$2,100) Right across from the WCC, studios, 1BR and 2BR, private bathroom and kitchen.
29 Garden Street (~$1,000-$2,200) A few blocks west of the law campus, studios, 1BR, 2BR, and 3BR, private bathroom and kitchen. 5 min. walk to campus.
Botanical Garden (~$1,000-$2,000) 1BR, 2BR, 3BR with private baths and kitchen. Larger and nicer than 29 Garden. About 9 min. walk to camus

There are many other options around the campus, but the above three are the closest and most popular among law students. More HUH apartments can be found here.

Off-Campus
Here’s HLS’s summary of the neighborhoods around Cambridge.
  • Directly around campus: "Apartments around Harvard Square will be VERY expensive- $1600+ for a 1BR, $2400+ for a 2BR.” -jimbeam21
  • Porter Square: North of campus (13min by foot, 8min by train)
  • Davis Square: North of campus (24min by foot, 16min by train). "You can probably find a 1BR in Davis 5-10 min from the train around $1100; 2BR are even cheaper per room. Both areas are very student-dense, but very young-professional friendly.”-jimbeam21
  • Inman Square: East of campus (10-15min by foot, 20 by train).
  • Brighton: " while its cheap, you'll be stuck on the B train of the Green line- which is a nightmare. That area is also very student-dense, but in a trashy kind of way. The housing options are very run-down and it will be constantly loud.” -jimbeam21
  • Allston- SW of campus, across the river (30min by foot, 60 by train). “A cheaper option that is bus-accessible to Harvard, but prepare to be surrounded by undergrads and bars. If you're not bus-adverse and you have a family or a spouse that commutes outside the city, you might consider some parts of Arlington. It's a suburb just north of Somerville/North Cambridge but has a few major bus lines.”-delilah88

Note that in Boston, you will often have to pay the first and last month’s rent as a deposit, plus a broker fee equal to month’s rent. Leases are 1yr, tend to start 9/1, and not all landlords will allow you to sublet over the summer.

When to look: Late May, June, or July. If you want to live off-campus, you will probably want to get a broker whose fees will usually be equal to the first month of rent. Some of the best apartments seem to get signed during ASW, so if you find something you like, jump on it quickly.

What price is right: You probably won’t be able to find anything for less than $1000/month unless you want to live underground or get a roommate. However, the further from campus you go, the cheaper it will be.

Renter’s Insurance: Policies were around $150 in 2011 for a 1 BR apartment.

From what I’ve gathered, there are three ways to look for apartments:
  1. Walk around, try to get lucky. Is difficult, but often nets the best results.
  2. HLS List: Current students are posting their flats here.
  3. Craigslist: Lots of postings, just watch out for scams.

HOW TO FIND A ROOMMATE
Harvard has a multitude of ways to find roommates, so I’ll list a few here.
  • Post on TLS. Duh.
  • HRES Roommate Click: Extremely cumbersome, but has the widest reach of any roommate service. Run by Harvard, this is available to all university students. Law students have used it in the past to find roommates, and this option is especially good if you would prefer to live with a non-HLS students.
Things to do over the summer Books to read (if you really want something slightly productive to do)
  • Getting to Maybe by Richard Fischl and Jeremy Paul Don't read this over the summer. You can if you really have nothing else to do, but you'll be better off reading it after you've settled into classes.
  • Impeccable Research, A Concise Guide to Mastering Legal Research Skills by Mark Osbeck
  • One L by Scott Turrow
  • The Five Types of Legal Argument by Wilson Huhn
  • DON'T READ BLUEBOOKS OR CASE STUDIES. Nobody recommends doing this.


Note: I compiled this information from the HLS website, the advice given in this thread, and in the 'Ask a HLS Student' thread. I did my best to be accurate, but shoot me a pm if anything seems wrong.

Past Polls
Which ASW are you planning to attend?
March 69% [ 27 ]
April 30% [ 12 ]

Total votes : 39
Yale 25% [ 27 ]
Stanford 18% [ 19 ]
Columbia 13% [ 14 ]
Chicago 14% [ 15 ]
NYU 11% [ 12 ]
U Penn 4% [ 5 ]
UVA 0% [ 1 ]
UC Berkeley 2% [ 3 ]
Duke 1% [ 2 ]
Other 5% [ 6 ]
Last edited by HorseThief on Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:28 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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malleus discentium

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by malleus discentium » Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:46 am

Congratulations everyone! So excited for you all and I hope to see you next fall :D
Seoulless in the application thread wrote:Any 1Ls in here etc who can shed some light on ASW? It's listed as Saturday March 7- Monday March 9. Should I fly in on the 6th and out on the 10th or what?
I would plan to get there the night before. You can fly out on 3/9 at any point during the day. Monday events are mostly class visits and I don't think you'll get much out of them.

BillsFan9907

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by BillsFan9907 » Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:43 pm

Congrats all!
Last edited by BillsFan9907 on Fri Jan 09, 2015 2:44 am, edited 2 times in total.

LoganCouture

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by LoganCouture » Mon Dec 22, 2014 3:54 pm

Do we know if there is a stipend available? I'm on the opposite coast and have limited funds...

Also no packet yet but I'm away from my mailing address for the next week so if it arrives before then I won't see it.

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HorseThief

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by HorseThief » Mon Dec 22, 2014 4:10 pm

Congrats everyone!
Last edited by HorseThief on Sun Dec 28, 2014 6:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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HorseThief

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by HorseThief » Mon Dec 22, 2014 4:11 pm

lc39 wrote:Do we know if there is a stipend available? I'm on the opposite coast and have limited funds...

Also no packet yet but I'm away from my mailing address for the next week so if it arrives before then I won't see it.
If I remember correctly, they do stipends with LSAC proof of need. So if you got a need-based waiver, they can throw some money at you.

lashley

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by lashley » Mon Dec 22, 2014 4:18 pm

Woo checking in! Will most likely attend unless NYU throws a bunch of money my way.

sneakyleo

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by sneakyleo » Mon Dec 22, 2014 7:02 pm

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Last edited by sneakyleo on Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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t-14orbust

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by t-14orbust » Mon Dec 22, 2014 7:05 pm

lc39 wrote:Do we know if there is a stipend available? I'm on the opposite coast and have limited funds...

Also no packet yet but I'm away from my mailing address for the next week so if it arrives before then I won't see it.
There is a stipend that you can apply for. I got around 300 reimbursed coming from CA.

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BillsFan9907

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by BillsFan9907 » Mon Dec 22, 2014 7:47 pm

need based though? Not yet admitted. Just curious.
Last edited by BillsFan9907 on Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.

LoganCouture

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by LoganCouture » Mon Dec 22, 2014 8:21 pm

t-14orbust wrote:
lc39 wrote:Do we know if there is a stipend available? I'm on the opposite coast and have limited funds...

Also no packet yet but I'm away from my mailing address for the next week so if it arrives before then I won't see it.
There is a stipend that you can apply for. I got around 300 reimbursed coming from CA.
Great, thanks for the info!

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Pneumonia

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by Pneumonia » Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:23 pm

Yeah stipend is need based only

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Nonconsecutive

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by Nonconsecutive » Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:51 pm

Pneumonia wrote:Yeah stipend is need based only
Yep, and you apply for it using forms similar to (if not the same as) the application fee waiver forms. [I received a waiver without an LSAC Fee Waiver, FYI]

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dirkgently

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by dirkgently » Sun Dec 28, 2014 1:49 am

Checking in. I deferred a year. Can't wait to do all the paper work again

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ChemEng1642

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by ChemEng1642 » Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:50 pm

Checking in!! Super excited!!

omegaweapon

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by omegaweapon » Tue Jan 20, 2015 3:05 pm

Checking in/weeping with uncontrollable happiness.

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ChemEng1642

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by ChemEng1642 » Tue Jan 20, 2015 3:07 pm

omegaweapon wrote:Checking in/weeping with uncontrollable happiness.
+1000

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psychmusic

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by psychmusic » Tue Jan 20, 2015 4:27 pm

.
Last edited by psychmusic on Thu Apr 30, 2015 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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littlepuff

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by littlepuff » Tue Jan 20, 2015 4:31 pm

.
Last edited by littlepuff on Sun Apr 05, 2015 7:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

LoganCouture

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by LoganCouture » Tue Jan 20, 2015 4:32 pm

littlepuff wrote:
ChemEng1642 wrote:
omegaweapon wrote:Checking in/weeping with uncontrollable happiness.
+1000
Checking in! Can anyone who got in today access the admitted students website yet?
You need your @harvard email to log in I think, which comes later via email. Came Jan 8 for the 12/15 crowd.

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littlepuff

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by littlepuff » Tue Jan 20, 2015 4:34 pm

.
Last edited by littlepuff on Sun Apr 05, 2015 7:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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blueberrycrumble

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by blueberrycrumble » Tue Jan 20, 2015 5:00 pm

omegaweapon wrote:Checking in/weeping with uncontrollable happiness.
Exactly this. So happy to be checking in!

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RSN

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by RSN » Tue Jan 20, 2015 5:59 pm

Wasn't really emotional until I just got the official email. Now getting a bit verklempt.

Interesting that they give out Harvard email addresses that the 40% of admits who don't end up going won't use after June or so. Are those just temp ones, and you get your real ones after matriculating? I have to think they don't want people running around with working @law.harvard.edu email addresses who don't end up going, but maybe they deactivate them once they withdraw. Seems easier to just issue them once people deposit rather than deactivate 400 though.

omegaweapon

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by omegaweapon » Tue Jan 20, 2015 6:11 pm

LetsGoMets wrote:Wasn't really emotional until I just got the official email. Now getting a bit verklempt.

Interesting that they give out Harvard email addresses that the 40% of admits who don't end up going won't use after June or so. Are those just temp ones, and you get your real ones after matriculating? I have to think they don't want people running around with working @law.harvard.edu email addresses who don't end up going, but maybe they deactivate them once they withdraw. Seems easier to just issue them once people deposit rather than deactivate 400 though.
I think it's actually a tool to increase yield. It's really cool, and people get attached to it. Think of it like the cool stuff in admissions packages.

That's worth the hassle of them needing to deactivate a bunch.

m_ross

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Re: Harvard Law School Class of 2018

Post by m_ross » Tue Jan 20, 2015 6:14 pm

LetsGoMets wrote:Wasn't really emotional until I just got the official email. Now getting a bit verklempt.

Interesting that they give out Harvard email addresses that the 40% of admits who don't end up going won't use after June or so. Are those just temp ones, and you get your real ones after matriculating? I have to think they don't want people running around with working @law.harvard.edu email addresses who don't end up going, but maybe they deactivate them once they withdraw. Seems easier to just issue them once people deposit rather than deactivate 400 though.
They're the real ones :)
Your theory on deactivating the people that don't matriculate makes total sense. My guess on why they do it (because it happened to me) is that the jd17.law.harvard.edu email address is the best kind of swag... super hard to turn down, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. On the more practical side, there's a ton of stuff here that's coded to the year in your email address.. career services and registrar's emails etc. It's easier for them to just issue everyone a jd18 (in your cases) email address than to keep the list of admits' personal email addresses updated.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
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