Harvard Law 2014 Forum

[ebeth]

im actually really excited to meet some of you TLSers who are part of the incoming HLS class. mostly because by the time i meet you, it means my 1L year and finals will be over lol

We look forward to meeting you, too! (Apparently I just gave myself the authority to speak for everyone). Good luck with finals!

[sarahh]

I am going out in early June to look. Probably shooting for Somerville. It won't be hard to find a 1-bedroom that is near the T, allows cats, has laundry in the building, comes with a parking spot, and has hardwood floors for under $1,400, right?

[094320]

..

[DoubleChecks]

$1580/month for studio, across the street from the law school.

oh i envy those close to the law school...a lot of social stuff happens in the areas north of the law school campus or the law school campus itself since that's where 1Ls all tend to live...

nothing like showing up for Dec. finals in shorts because you took the tunnel system and got out of bed 5min ago lol

[094320]

..

[hulahoop]

my roommate and I (she is a rising 2l) have a room available in our 3 bedroom flat for the coming year. $1000 a month plus utilities, AMAZING LOCATION (literally a few blocks from pound, about 5 min walk if that). If anyone is interested please PM for more details/pics.

sorry guys, its an all girls apt.

[sarahh]

$1580/month for studio, across the street from the law school.

oh i envy those close to the law school...a lot of social stuff happens in the areas north of the law school campus or the law school campus itself since that's where 1Ls all tend to live...

nothing like showing up for Dec. finals in shorts because you took the tunnel system and got out of bed 5min ago lol

yeah, exactly, which is why I'm biting the bullet and paying high prices for 1L. Figured the convenience of living closeby, but with a decent-sized room and my own kitchen and bathroom would be worth it since 1L is stressful. Aiming to go for cheaper options for 2L & 3L with more roommates.

Does your lease start in August or September?

[rundoxierun]

Ive tried to look at this from a bunch of angles, talked to every law student I know at schools all over the spectrum, talked to professors, etc. and I still dont understand why people swear that 1L is this incredible stress monster that destroys all relationships and social lives in its path.

Anyone care to share a description that might enlighten me?

[DoubleChecks]

Ive tried to look at this from a bunch of angles, talked to every law student I know at schools all over the spectrum, talked to professors, etc. and I still dont understand why people swear that 1L is this incredible stress monster that destroys all relationships and social lives in its path.

Anyone care to share a description that might enlighten me?

honestly, depends on the person going into law school. if ugrad was stressful for you before, if you worked really hard before, etc., expect it to be UPPED in law school. just a lot of ppl going to law schools tend to be extremely hard workers so it being upped = stress monster.

my own personal experience, and that of some of my friends...is that it is not that bad -- hardly a stress monster that destroyed all relationships haha. is it more work and time than ugrad? certainly. more than a full time job? not necessarily, and if so, not by much more. is it more STRESS than ugrad and a job? varies from person to person on how they deal with stress.

i dont mean to imply i was never a hard worker in ugrad or that i am not one now! but we all deal with stress and workload differently.

[gatorgirl4life]

I'm not in yet (I just had my 2nd JR1 today), but if I were to be accepted next week, would it be too late to apply for on-campus housing?

[saito816]

I'm not in yet (I just had my 2nd JR1 today), but if I were to be accepted next week, would it be too late to apply for on-campus housing?

+1

[DoubleChecks]

I'm not in yet (I just had my 2nd JR1 today), but if I were to be accepted next week, would it be too late to apply for on-campus housing?

Wait, what do you mean 2nd JR1?

[gatorgirl4life]

I'm not in yet (I just had my 2nd JR1 today), but if I were to be accepted next week, would it be too late to apply for on-campus housing?

Wait, what do you mean 2nd JR1?

2nd phone interview...but I still haven't received an acceptance call. He just asked if I'm still interested in attending HLS and if I'd go if accepted. But does anyone know (if we do get in) if we'll be able to secure on-campus housing this late in the game? Thanks in advance!

[DoubleChecks]

I'm not in yet (I just had my 2nd JR1 today), but if I were to be accepted next week, would it be too late to apply for on-campus housing?

Wait, what do you mean 2nd JR1?

2nd phone interview...but I still haven't received an acceptance call. He just asked if I'm still interested in attending HLS and if I'd go if accepted. But does anyone know (if we do get in) if we'll be able to secure on-campus housing this late in the game? Thanks in advance!

Oh I hadn't heard of 2nd JR1s before today lol sorry for my ignorance

[gatorgirl4life]

Oh I hadn't heard of 2nd JR1s before today lol sorry for my ignorance

yeah a few of us had them today and a few more are scheduled to have their JR1bs (I think that's what we're calling them?) tomorrow...I guess it's a new trend?

[Calla Lily]

Hmm, it says on the website that on-campus housing applications were due April 24th and that HRES housing applications were due May 1st to be assigned a View and Select window. At the same time, I must imagine that they make some accommodation for those people who get in after the deadline. You should certainly ask about that if/when you get admitted; they may either reserve some spots for late admits or allow you to get on the waiting list for a spot after people decide whether or not they actually want their spot in on-campus housing. I think for HRES housing you can still apply and select from available apartments, but you will not get a View and Select window, so you will be picking from what is left after everyone else has picked I believe.

[pix]

I applied on time and got a horrible lottery number which stuck me on the waitlist to begin with. I think you'd just get added to the waitlist if you were to apply late. I've pretty much given up on getting the kind of room I wanted, and have begun looking for off-campus options. However, it seems like you have a decent shot at getting something if you're determined to live in a dorm.

Taken from the housing application: "During the past three years, an offer of on-campus housing has been made to every student who has applied by the end of the summer, though past results are not a guarantee that this will repeat for 2011-2012."

[gatorgirl4life]

ok thanks Calla Lily and pix!

[tikiman6]

Anybody know anything about the dorms? Is Hastings really worth the extra $5000? How bad is Gropius? Does anybody else think Gropius sounds like the name of some Roman pervert?

Thanks in advance!

[pix]

I got to see a hastings room, it was pretty terrible. The one I saw was a suite type so the bedroom was miniscule (think prison cell). The common room was a decent size, but the furniture in there was awful. I saw one wooden chair and an old, tattered sofa - definitely not like the picture on the housing website. The closets were pretty bad too. The one in the bedroom was one of those half-height ones that seem like they had a little room left over in the corner of the roofing so they put a door on it. The one in the common room was still pretty small, cannot imagine sharing that with another person. I would not live there for that price. I think you can find much better accomodations off campus for comparable prices, within a 15 minute walk.

Didn't get to see Gropius, but I did see North Hall, and that wasn't bad at all. The room I saw had a sitting area, it's own bathroom and a bigger closet. Reminded me of a smallish hotel room, however, my host mentioned that the year she lived there (probably ~ 2 years ago), she had a problem with centipedes, ladybugs, and water getting into the room.

[tikiman6]

Wow, sounds terrible. I don't think I'm going to live off-campus this year, I'd rather slum it for a year and be closer to campus and live with other slummers like me. But, where to slum it? It sounded like Hastings was better than Gropius, but sounds like that isn't saying much. Stinks that they make us sign up so early. North or Hastings? Bugs or space issues?

[Keeper1125]

Wow, sounds terrible. I don't think I'm going to live off-campus this year, I'd rather slum it for a year and be closer to campus and live with other slummers like me. But, where to slum it? It sounded like Hastings was better than Gropius, but sounds like that isn't saying much. Stinks that they make us sign up so early. North or Hastings? Bugs or space issues?

I wouldn't rely solely on that review of Hastings. I think the common space gives it a significant advantage over Gropius and I talked to several current residents who seemed very happy with it.

Currently perusing the room selection tool and can't decide on a floor/room in Hastings, am seriously considering flipping coins starting with a Round of 16 and working my way down.

[Calla Lily]

From my limited experience at ASW, it seems like Hastings may have somewhat more of a social/party environment than the other dorms. Plus, it is right next to the gym if that matters at all to you. The people I met that lived there all liked it. In terms of whether the dorms are worth it for the quality vs. the price, I think people have to determine that individually. I personally don't think they are worth it, but if you value being on campus and don't really care about a kitchen or your own bathroom, then they definitely can be good options. I don't think you really have a step up in quality going from Hastings to Gropius, so it just really depends on whether you want a living room and if you possibly want a roommate.

[sarahh]

Has anyone's final transcripts been processed yet? I am not sure if the admissions office is slow or if they were lost in the mail.

[Keeper1125]

Has anyone's final transcripts been processed yet? I am not sure if the admissions office is slow or if they were lost in the mail.

FOR ALL INCOMING STUDENTS: In addition, we would like to remind you to submit all official transcripts by June 15, 2011 to the J.D. Admissions Office. All official transcripts are required for registration. For more details regarding this requirement, please refer to you admissions binder or feel free to contact us at [redacted]@law.harvard.edu. The J.D. Admissions Office will begin acknowledging receipt of official transcripts in early June. At that time you may expect to receive an email from our office if we have received all required transcripts.