In at Harvard Forum

Share Your Experiences, Read About Other Experiences. Please keep posts organized by school and expected year of graduation.
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Which ASW are you going to attend?

March 3-5
37
31%
April 14-16
36
30%
None, I hate fun
30
25%
Both (is this even possible?)
8
7%
The obligatory other
9
8%
 
Total votes: 120

MumofCad

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by MumofCad » Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:28 am

splbagel wrote:
Harvard14 wrote:selling a car can hurt you
...well, crap. That's how I was planning to finance leaving my job in July and travelling for a month before school.

As a related question, I know it depends on each individual situation, but is there a basic guideline for what "poor enough to be a candidate for a grant" means? I'm pretty much living paycheck-to-paycheck, but my parents have a decent income (a good chunk of which is funding a sibling's college education, and another chunk of which is tied up in their home).

I'm almost ready to take the plunge and decide on Harvard, but the whole "can't apply for financial aid until February" thing combined with tempting offers from other schools is starting to make me anxious.

...I suppose there are worse problems to have! :roll:
Do it! Do it! Do it! The Harvard Class of 2015 thread needs more action.

I have no idea what the standard is, but I haven't heard anyone at Harvard complain that their loan/fin aid package was stingy or they were unable to live on it. Other than that, debt is going to be debt. Whether you come out with 150k or 180k isn't going to make a huge difference on your life given the way LIPP works. Either you're going to be making enough money to pay it back in a few years or so little money that you won't be paying much of anything back (again unless you have that pesky SO problem).

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by splbagel » Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:37 am

MumofCad wrote:
splbagel wrote:
Harvard14 wrote:selling a car can hurt you
...well, crap. That's how I was planning to finance leaving my job in July and travelling for a month before school.

As a related question, I know it depends on each individual situation, but is there a basic guideline for what "poor enough to be a candidate for a grant" means? I'm pretty much living paycheck-to-paycheck, but my parents have a decent income (a good chunk of which is funding a sibling's college education, and another chunk of which is tied up in their home).

I'm almost ready to take the plunge and decide on Harvard, but the whole "can't apply for financial aid until February" thing combined with tempting offers from other schools is starting to make me anxious.

...I suppose there are worse problems to have! :roll:
Do it! Do it! Do it! The Harvard Class of 2015 thread needs more action.

I have no idea what the standard is, but I haven't heard anyone at Harvard complain that their loan/fin aid package was stingy or they were unable to live on it. Other than that, debt is going to be debt. Whether you come out with 150k or 180k isn't going to make a huge difference on your life given the way LIPP works. Either you're going to be making enough money to pay it back in a few years or so little money that you won't be paying much of anything back (again unless you have that pesky SO problem).
Yes, the LIPP combined with the "waive your third-year tuition entirely if you commit to five years of public service" thing is looking pretty attractive to me right now. The LIPP seems a lot more flexible and generous than other schools, but I'm not sure that I fully understand how to compare them. I like the idea that you can apply at any point in your career and don't have to commit to a certain number of years of public service.

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igelchen

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by igelchen » Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:01 pm

splbagel wrote:
Yes, the LIPP combined with the "waive your third-year tuition entirely if you commit to five years of public service" thing is looking pretty attractive to me right now. The LIPP seems a lot more flexible and generous than other schools, but I'm not sure that I fully understand how to compare them. I like the idea that you can apply at any point in your career and don't have to commit to a certain number of years of public service.
Splbagel-- have you found information on the waiving of third-year tuition other than this news post? http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2010/02 ... .fund.html

I know that Public Service Initiative paid the third year tuition, but that was for students who enrolled during the 2009 cycle or earlier. Can any current HLS students comment on how the Public Service Venture Fund (which replaced PSI) compares?

MumofCad

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by MumofCad » Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:04 pm

splbagel wrote:

Yes, the LIPP combined with the "waive your third-year tuition entirely if you commit to five years of public service" thing is looking pretty attractive to me right now. The LIPP seems a lot more flexible and generous than other schools, but I'm not sure that I fully understand how to compare them. I like the idea that you can apply at any point in your career and don't have to commit to a certain number of years of public service.
That I cannot figure out either. It is why I can't withdraw from any of HYS. I need to see the fin aid packages and figure the repayment loans out to see what would be the wisest move, based on the salary of the job I want and projecting out the husband's salary to the best of my abilities. That's really all I can do. Who knows if it will play out as I believe it will. Most likely not.

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by splbagel » Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:11 pm

MumofCad wrote:
splbagel wrote:
Yes, the LIPP combined with the "waive your third-year tuition entirely if you commit to five years of public service" thing is looking pretty attractive to me right now. The LIPP seems a lot more flexible and generous than other schools, but I'm not sure that I fully understand how to compare them. I like the idea that you can apply at any point in your career and don't have to commit to a certain number of years of public service.
That I cannot figure out either. It is why I can't withdraw from any of HYS. I need to see the fin aid packages and figure the repayment loans out to see what would be the wisest move, based on the salary of the job I want and projecting out the husband's salary to the best of my abilities. That's really all I can do. Who knows if it will play out as I believe it will. Most likely not.
Oops, looks like my reading comprehension has taken a turn for the worse since June. I was looking here: --LinkRemoved--

Saw the September 2011 date on the cover and apparently glossed over the fact that those who enroll post-2009 are not eligible. Has anyone asked what happened to this program and if anything similar might be available for us?

I now see the article you linked to... unclear what will be available to us.

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Harvard14

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by Harvard14 » Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:43 pm

splbagel wrote:
As a related question, I know it depends on each individual situation, but is there a basic guideline for what "poor enough to be a candidate for a grant" means? I'm pretty much living paycheck-to-paycheck, but my parents have a decent income (a good chunk of which is funding a sibling's college education, and another chunk of which is tied up in their home).

I'm almost ready to take the plunge and decide on Harvard, but the whole "can't apply for financial aid until February" thing combined with tempting offers from other schools is starting to make me anxious.
Sorry, but yeah, it depends on each situation. They use a complex algorithm. The easiest way to be "poor" is to have dependents. Otherwise, your assessed budget is around $72,000. They subtract $40,000 that you'll have to take in loans. Then they subtract $2,500 for what they expect you can make this summer (they don't care what you actually make). So you're left with $30,000 as your maximum grant. From that, they'll subtract 90% of your (supplemental) summer income and assets (except for a small "emergency funds" allowance), and whatever they assess your parents can provide. Parents' contribution is of course the biggest wild card since that comes down to an undisclosed algorithm; but based on experience, I'd roughly estimate that with a sibling in college and a big mortgage, a $100,000 parents' income will translate into $10,000 contribution, and $150,000 will translate into a $40,000 contribution.

Of course, if you have dependents, your assessed budget could increase dramatically. I know several students who are married with child(ren) who have full-tuition grants.

One last thing: once you apply for finaid, they respond very quickly with a preliminary award.

I hope this is helpful!

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by kilgoretrout66 » Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:54 pm

Harvard14 wrote:
splbagel wrote:
As a related question, I know it depends on each individual situation, but is there a basic guideline for what "poor enough to be a candidate for a grant" means? I'm pretty much living paycheck-to-paycheck, but my parents have a decent income (a good chunk of which is funding a sibling's college education, and another chunk of which is tied up in their home).

I'm almost ready to take the plunge and decide on Harvard, but the whole "can't apply for financial aid until February" thing combined with tempting offers from other schools is starting to make me anxious.
Sorry, but yeah, it depends on each situation. They use a complex algorithm. The easiest way to be "poor" is to have dependents. Otherwise, your assessed budget is around $72,000. They subtract $40,000 that you'll have to take in loans. Then they subtract $2,500 for what they expect you can make this summer (they don't care what you actually make). So you're left with $30,000 as your maximum grant. From that, they'll subtract 90% of your (supplemental) summer income and assets (except for a small "emergency funds" allowance), and whatever they assess your parents can provide. Parents' contribution is of course the biggest wild card since that comes down to an undisclosed algorithm; but based on experience, I'd roughly estimate that with a sibling in college and a big mortgage, a $100,000 parents' income will translate into $10,000 contribution, and $150,000 will translate into a $40,000 contribution.

Of course, if you have dependents, your assessed budget could increase dramatically. I know several students who are married with child(ren) who have full-tuition grants.

One last thing: once you apply for finaid, they respond very quickly with a preliminary award.

I hope this is helpful!
Thanks, Harvard 14. I know that info's almost all there on the finaid website, but it's helpful to see it all summarized in one place.

I think I'm essentially in the same boat as you, splbagel - almost ready to take the plunge with HLS, but just a little apprehensive about doing it before I see a financial aid award. I'm definitely not asking my parents to pay anything towards their son's elite grad school tuition, which means that any parent contribution= more loans for me. But like Mum said, debt's pretty much a minor inconvenience in the long run (for us single folk, anyways), given LIPP and the starting salaries at Big Law firms.

There's certainly no harm in waiting a few months till you see a real number and can compare offers. Personally, though, I'm inclined to put an end to my dithering just mail in the deposit. Getting in to HLS was a dream come true, and I can't think of any realistic scenarios that would lure me away from Cambridge :)

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by splbagel » Tue Dec 20, 2011 12:33 pm

Thanks for the reassuring and helpful info, Harvard14.

I understand that if I choose Harvard, I'll be able to comfortably pay off my loans - as long as I stay in the legal field. Significantly smaller loans for, say, Michigan would also set me up nicely for a career in law, but would allow me more flexibility if 5 or 15 years down the road I decide law isn't for me. I'm out of luck with LIPP if I switch to a job that they don't consider "law-related," which means that choosing Harvard is making a huge bet for my long-term future. Obviously I'm serious about a career in law, but the prospect of being six figures in debt and having no help to pay it back if I want out is truly terrifying.

Ok, enough feelings. Back to your regular programming of adorable penguins: http://cuteoverload.com/2011/12/17/i-wo ... ront-page/

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by huck2012 » Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:27 pm

Officially joining the group! KB2 just a little while ago!

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annyong

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by annyong » Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:32 pm

splbagel wrote:Thanks for the reassuring and helpful info, Harvard14.

I understand that if I choose Harvard, I'll be able to comfortably pay off my loans - as long as I stay in the legal field. Significantly smaller loans for, say, Michigan would also set me up nicely for a career in law, but would allow me more flexibility if 5 or 15 years down the road I decide law isn't for me. I'm out of luck with LIPP if I switch to a job that they don't consider "law-related," which means that choosing Harvard is making a huge bet for my long-term future. Obviously I'm serious about a career in law, but the prospect of being six figures in debt and having no help to pay it back if I want out is truly terrifying.

Ok, enough feelings. Back to your regular programming of adorable penguins: http://cuteoverload.com/2011/12/17/i-wo ... ront-page/
You're also investing 3 years of time and a lot of stress into a legal education as well, probably not something to jump into it without knowing you want to stick in it for the long run. Have you had any kind of legal internship or experience to know if you like the kind of work or environment? (Not trying to give you life advice, just asking!). Obviously if the debt is that big of a concern then it's perfectly acceptable to choose a lower school at a lower cost, and money is the main reason I'm not withdrawing other apps right now.

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by splbagel » Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:40 pm

annyong wrote:
splbagel wrote:Thanks for the reassuring and helpful info, Harvard14.

I understand that if I choose Harvard, I'll be able to comfortably pay off my loans - as long as I stay in the legal field. Significantly smaller loans for, say, Michigan would also set me up nicely for a career in law, but would allow me more flexibility if 5 or 15 years down the road I decide law isn't for me. I'm out of luck with LIPP if I switch to a job that they don't consider "law-related," which means that choosing Harvard is making a huge bet for my long-term future. Obviously I'm serious about a career in law, but the prospect of being six figures in debt and having no help to pay it back if I want out is truly terrifying.

Ok, enough feelings. Back to your regular programming of adorable penguins: http://cuteoverload.com/2011/12/17/i-wo ... ront-page/
You're also investing 3 years of time and a lot of stress into a legal education as well, probably not something to jump into it without knowing you want to stick in it for the long run. Have you had any kind of legal internship or experience to know if you like the kind of work or environment? (Not trying to give you life advice, just asking!). Obviously if the debt is that big of a concern then it's perfectly acceptable to choose a lower school at a lower cost, and money is the main reason I'm not withdrawing other apps right now.
I understand that law school is no picnic and has a high opportunity cost.

I have several years of work experience in the legal field, and several more years of related experience with the specific population / policy area that I'm interested in. I've spoken to people with careers I'm interested in; I've spoken to people who went to law school for the wrong reasons and hated it. At this point I'm about 98% sure that this is what I want for my life, but of course, I'm in my early/mid-twenties, and actually being admitted and looking at the price tag has my stomach turning. Also, it has me filled with fantasies of selling all my worldly possessions and running around the globe until I get dizzy.

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annyong

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by annyong » Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:45 pm

splbagel wrote:
annyong wrote:
splbagel wrote:Thanks for the reassuring and helpful info, Harvard14.

I understand that if I choose Harvard, I'll be able to comfortably pay off my loans - as long as I stay in the legal field. Significantly smaller loans for, say, Michigan would also set me up nicely for a career in law, but would allow me more flexibility if 5 or 15 years down the road I decide law isn't for me. I'm out of luck with LIPP if I switch to a job that they don't consider "law-related," which means that choosing Harvard is making a huge bet for my long-term future. Obviously I'm serious about a career in law, but the prospect of being six figures in debt and having no help to pay it back if I want out is truly terrifying.

Ok, enough feelings. Back to your regular programming of adorable penguins: http://cuteoverload.com/2011/12/17/i-wo ... ront-page/
You're also investing 3 years of time and a lot of stress into a legal education as well, probably not something to jump into it without knowing you want to stick in it for the long run. Have you had any kind of legal internship or experience to know if you like the kind of work or environment? (Not trying to give you life advice, just asking!). Obviously if the debt is that big of a concern then it's perfectly acceptable to choose a lower school at a lower cost, and money is the main reason I'm not withdrawing other apps right now.
I understand that law school is no picnic and has a high opportunity cost.

I have several years of work experience in the legal field, and several more years of related experience with the specific population / policy area that I'm interested in. I've spoken to people with careers I'm interested in; I've spoken to people who went to law school for the wrong reasons and hated it. At this point I'm about 98% sure that this is what I want for my life, but of course, I'm in my early/mid-twenties, and actually being admitted and looking at the price tag has my stomach turning. Also, it has me filled with fantasies of selling all my worldly possessions and running around the globe until I get dizzy.
Haha I definitely understand about the stomach turning thing. I actually had a dream a few nights ago where I was arguing with one of my parents about the debt I would be taking on when they said it wouldn't be a big deal (Don't know why I had this dream, it is a really improbable conversation, guess my subconcious was trying to tell me something though...)

When I've talked to people who don't enjoy the career of law they've chosen, I also found almost all of them went into it for the wrong reason. Not saying knowing why and what you want to do is a 100% guarantee of happiness, but the opposite may be a good probability of not being happy with the career you get.

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by freestallion » Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:54 pm

Checking in. Cannot believe it but so thrilled to be here!!!!!!!

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by Curious1 » Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:58 pm

AHHHH!!!

Hello :)

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soj

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by soj » Tue Dec 20, 2011 6:03 pm

Congrats! So happy to see familiar faces itt today. Almost makes up for my having been passed over yet again at YS today. :P

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by freestallion » Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:27 pm

edit: double post
Last edited by freestallion on Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by freestallion » Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:27 pm

splbagel wrote:Thanks for the reassuring and helpful info, Harvard14.

I understand that if I choose Harvard, I'll be able to comfortably pay off my loans - as long as I stay in the legal field. Significantly smaller loans for, say, Michigan would also set me up nicely for a career in law, but would allow me more flexibility if 5 or 15 years down the road I decide law isn't for me. I'm out of luck with LIPP if I switch to a job that they don't consider "law-related," which means that choosing Harvard is making a huge bet for my long-term future. Obviously I'm serious about a career in law, but the prospect of being six figures in debt and having no help to pay it back if I want out is truly terrifying.

Ok, enough feelings. Back to your regular programming of adorable penguins: http://cuteoverload.com/2011/12/17/i-wo ... ront-page/

The LIPP website reads: "LIPP is available for Harvard Law School JD Program graduates who work in any full-time job for a government, nonprofit [501(c)(3)] or academic organization in the USA, or in an overseas equivalent." (http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/sfs/ ... index.html). It says that only if you are in the private sector it has to be law related. "Jobs in the private sector can also qualify for LIPP, but must be full-time and law related."

So, if you work for a non-profit or government and even if it's not exactly a "JD required" job it seems you can still be part of the LIPP plan. At least, that's how I read it. Harvard is definitely my top choice because the LIPP seems so flexible! But I hope I'm not interpreting it wrong.

Edit: I also found this presentation, from September 2011, on public interest initiatives. Since it's quite recent, thought it was helpful! --LinkRemoved--

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splbagel

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by splbagel » Tue Dec 20, 2011 10:01 pm

freestallion wrote: I also found this presentation, from September 2011, on public interest initiatives. Since it's quite recent, thought it was helpful! --LinkRemoved--
This presentation fooled me too, with its "September 2011" date. But as igelchen points out above, it says only students who enrolled in '09 and before are eligible, and none of us can find anything pointing to whether this program exists now, and in what form.

Has anyone asked Harvard directly about this?
The LIPP website reads: "LIPP is available for Harvard Law School JD Program graduates who work in any full-time job for a government, nonprofit [501(c)(3)] or academic organization in the USA, or in an overseas equivalent." (http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/sfs/ ... index.html). It says that only if you are in the private sector it has to be law related. "Jobs in the private sector can also qualify for LIPP, but must be full-time and law related."
Nice, I hadn't noticed that language. freestallion, it's so good to have you aboard!

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by ladybug89 » Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:14 pm

Yay new faces!! It's cool to know so many people ITT are into public interest - hopefully we can share info and other stuff we learn!

MoC, since you made the OP, what do you think about making a poll for which ASW people are going to? They're equally convenient for me so I'm kinda curious when TLSers are heading to Cambridge...

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by Curious1 » Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:50 pm

ladybug89 wrote:Yay new faces!! It's cool to know so many people ITT are into public interest - hopefully we can share info and other stuff we learn!

MoC, since you made the OP, what do you think about making a poll for which ASW people are going to? They're equally convenient for me so I'm kinda curious when TLSers are heading to Cambridge...
I'll probs go to all of them! Although it's unnecessary since I'm ready to pay the deposit today.

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by fishywishy » Wed Dec 21, 2011 12:05 am

Got KB2 via voicemail today!! Long time lurker on TLS.

^^^ Which days are the ASWs?

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by phl516 » Wed Dec 21, 2011 12:37 am

I got my packet in the mail today - very exciting! The admitted student weekends are March 3-5 and April 14-16.

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by MumofCad » Wed Dec 21, 2011 7:24 am

ladybug89 wrote:Yay new faces!! It's cool to know so many people ITT are into public interest - hopefully we can share info and other stuff we learn!

MoC, since you made the OP, what do you think about making a poll for which ASW people are going to? They're equally convenient for me so I'm kinda curious when TLSers are heading to Cambridge...
Done! First attempt so hopefully I did it right! After 10 months of pregnancy, I'm ready to subject myself to scorpion bowls asap and I need to make a decision asap so March is lookin good.

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by heavy » Wed Dec 21, 2011 12:33 pm

Hey everybody,

Congratulations on your acceptance, and I look forward to seeing many of you this fall.

I have a quick question, if it would be alright to deviate from the discussion. I received a KB2 yesterday, and my status date and description have changed, but there is no indication that an admissions packet has been sent, and it does not seem, as I thought I saw happened with some, that I have received an email address.

Any thoughts on whether I should call into the office about it?

Thanks in advance for the advice

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Re: In at Harvard

Post by kulshan » Wed Dec 21, 2011 12:33 pm

March for me, most likely.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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