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I'm in the very lucky position of deciding between SLS and HLS for the upcoming school year (despite being somewhat of a reverse splitter, whoo). I went to Berkeley undergrad, am working in the Bay Area now, live in San Francisco, and have family etc. in the area. However, the same unfamiliarity that scares me about moving to Boston pulls me towards it.

Part of what I'm thinking about, however, is my goal of ending up in California when I graduate.

If I did end up choosing HLS, I'm wondering how much of a disadvantage I'd have relative to SLS graduates when finding a job in this area (and I know the SF market is tough to crack, but I would love to come back to Northern California). I would also welcome a change in scenery for a few years. My ideal scenario is: go to HLS, work summers in California, and come back here when I graduate.

As a result, I'd love to hear your thoughts about whether I'm crazy to be entertaining HLS over SLS in this case-- purely from a getting-a-job-in-CA-standpoint. Do California firms actively recruit at HLS? If so, are these positions highly sought after in the East Coast? Are they difficult to get relative to what I'd be dealing with if I went to SLS?

Thank you so much for any insight!

yes there will be plenty of CA firms at hls. but why Harvard over Stanford. just for change of scenery?

fats provolone wrote:yes there will be plenty of CA firms at hls. but why Harvard over Stanford. just for change of scenery?

Nice, thanks for your input. Do you happen to know how competitive these are? Would most people at HLS be gunning for places in New York/DC?

Yeah, I do think that factors quite a bit to be honest. I love moving and have moved a lot in my childhood, so the idea of going somewhere new is super exciting to me. I also know that if I don't go to law school, I'll probably stay in California forever and ever and ever. I'm also interested in HLS bc of its exchange program with England (also related to my desire to go live in diff places), and its stronger antitrust program (at least according to this: http://professorgeradin.blogs.com/profe ... ools_.html). I actually work in an economic firm right now that specializes in antitrust cases, and my impression is that there aren't that many antitrust jobs in the West Coast-- so for the few that ARE remaining, I think it would help to have gone to a place with a more rigorous antitrust program. Still going to have to ask around a bit though.

Congratulations on your acceptances! I am in a similar situation and would be interested in hearing what students at HLS and SLS have to say about finding a job/internship on the West coast post graduation.

SLS has a stronger pipeline to CA, although I am sure you'll do fine at HLS.

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My assumption is that a Harvard student aiming for California is going to have a similar experience to SLS students who aim for the east coast. That is: you can absolutely do it, and you're still going to have some contacts/support, but it is swimming upstream a little bit compared to how easy it is to just land where you are. I'm only a 1L but my understanding is that SLS students have zero problems landing in California. Career services and the public interest center are both wildly well-connected to California firms and orgs. Networking events, speakers, firm receptions... It's just way easier. Again, 1L speaking so no fall OCI experience, but this is something I'm already seeing play out with 1L summer jobs. It's just kind of assumed that people here want to be in CA and are going to be in CA unless they expressly aren't.

I probably wouldn't go to HLS over SLS in your sitution unless I had more fin aid there.

princi wrote:Congratulations on your acceptances! I am in a similar situation and would be interested in hearing what students at HLS and SLS have to say about finding a job/internship on the West coast post graduation.

+1

And if anyone can comment on YLS v SLS for SF/SV that would be great too. I went to Stanford UG so I love it but am also drawn to going somewhere new (lived in NorCal my whole life).

how quickly does change of scenery wear off? that seems like such a small thing. if someone offered me the chance to move to houston from the bay area i wouldn't do it...sure, i might find it exciting for the first week i'm there, but then i'd have to live there. i mean, the primary thing u're gonna be doing is going to school, not having adventures. it'd be nice to be in a setting that's more enjoyable, not less. the question of yls against sls doesn't really work in the other direction, does it? people don't say man i'd like to go to stanford but it's hard to pass up living in new haven.

eta: i realize that's different than the point u're making, that u'd like something new. but still, u gotta look at what the new thing is.

flomotion wrote:

fats provolone wrote:yes there will be plenty of CA firms at hls. but why Harvard over Stanford. just for change of scenery?

Nice, thanks for your input. Do you happen to know how competitive these are? Would most people at HLS be gunning for places in New York/DC?

Yeah, I do think that factors quite a bit to be honest. I love moving and have moved a lot in my childhood, so the idea of going somewhere new is super exciting to me. I also know that if I don't go to law school, I'll probably stay in California forever and ever and ever. I'm also interested in HLS bc of its exchange program with England (also related to my desire to go live in diff places), and its stronger antitrust program (at least according to this: http://professorgeradin.blogs.com/profe ... ools_.html). I actually work in an economic firm right now that specializes in antitrust cases, and my impression is that there aren't that many antitrust jobs in the West Coast-- so for the few that ARE remaining, I think it would help to have gone to a place with a more rigorous antitrust program. Still going to have to ask around a bit though.

None of those are real reasons to pick HLS if you want to go back to CA after graduation. Go to SLS and enjoy not having six-foot piles of snow for two months.

foamborn wrote:how quickly does change of scenery wear off? that seems like such a small thing. if someone offered me the chance to move to houston from the bay area i wouldn't do it...sure, i might find it exciting for the first week i'm there, but then i'd have to live there. i mean, the primary thing u're gonna be doing is going to school, not having adventures. it'd be nice to be in a setting that's more enjoyable, not less. the question of yls against sls doesn't really work in the other direction, does it? people don't say man i'd like to go to stanford but it's hard to pass up living in new haven.

eta: i realize that's different than the point u're making, that u'd like something new. but still, u gotta look at what the new thing is.

I guess I can't really understand how unexciting the new thing is though. I've never lived anywhere but here so idk how other places compare. To me, Palo Alto is not a great area (pretty much generic suburbia with insanely high COL) except for the fantastic weather.

You're right that I'm waffling for insignificant reasons though and the novelty of being on the east coast will probably wear off quickly.

i mean living among assholes for three years would be an interesting experience i guess but seems like a weird study abroad choice

lc39 wrote:
I guess I can't really understand the new thing is though. I've never lived anywhere but here. Also Palo Alto is not a great area (pretty much generic suburbia with insanely high COL) except for the fantastic weather.

You're right that I'm waffling for insignificant reasons though and the novelty of being on the east coast will probably wear off quickly.

yeah, that's a good point. it's hard to understand what u're getting unless u're there. but i still think as far as living conditions go it's pretty clear which is preferable. i wish i had lived in norcal all my life. i guess part of why i'm posting these things is cuz i'd like to shift the conversation in the other direction. i'm similarly choosing between y & s and basically wanna hear the arguments for taking s over y.

foamborn wrote:

lc39 wrote:
I guess I can't really understand the new thing is though. I've never lived anywhere but here. Also Palo Alto is not a great area (pretty much generic suburbia with insanely high COL) except for the fantastic weather.

You're right that I'm waffling for insignificant reasons though and the novelty of being on the east coast will probably wear off quickly.

yeah, that's a good point. it's hard to understand what u're getting unless u're there. but i still think as far as living conditions go it's pretty clear which is preferable. i wish i had lived in norcal all my life. i guess part of why i'm posting these things is cuz i'd like to shift the conversation in the other direction. i'm similarly choosing between y & s and basically wanna hear the arguments for taking s over y.

I know a lot of people IRL who have made that choice (s over y) so I'll PM you some of their responses in a bit.

awesome thank u!

since you are extremely solid in Calif ties, getting back from HLS would be no problem whatsoever (assuming plenty of good grades). That being said, I'd opt for the smaller class on The Farm.

Thanks everyone for all your valuable input! To be honest I keep wavering between the two schools, but I had always thought of law school of my way of getting out somewhere else (with lower risk than, say, moving to the east coast for a job). It's more a question of: assuming I go to Harvard, would it be really difficult for me to come back to California?

That said, I am considering other reasons when choosing b/t the two schools. Both are great and offer amazing opportunities, but I was mostly wondering about this specific aspect.

Based on what I've read, my impression is Stanford = pipeline; Harvard = need a bit more proof that you want to work in California. It'd still be nice to know whether California spots are difficult/competitive among HLS students though.

it depends on the firm and your grades and a lot of other factors. i wouldn't worry about it too much.

fats provolone wrote:it depends on the firm and your grades and a lot of other factors. i wouldn't worry about it too much.

Getting a job in CA doesn't depend on grades if you're at SLS. Getting your dream job in CA, maybe, sure, but not getting a job in CA.

lc39 wrote:

foamborn wrote:how quickly does change of scenery wear off? that seems like such a small thing. if someone offered me the chance to move to houston from the bay area i wouldn't do it...sure, i might find it exciting for the first week i'm there, but then i'd have to live there. i mean, the primary thing u're gonna be doing is going to school, not having adventures. it'd be nice to be in a setting that's more enjoyable, not less. the question of yls against sls doesn't really work in the other direction, does it? people don't say man i'd like to go to stanford but it's hard to pass up living in new haven.

eta: i realize that's different than the point u're making, that u'd like something new. but still, u gotta look at what the new thing is.

I guess I can't really understand how unexciting the new thing is though. I've never lived anywhere but here so idk how other places compare. To me, Palo Alto is not a great area (pretty much generic suburbia with insanely high COL) except for the fantastic weather.

You're right that I'm waffling for insignificant reasons though and the novelty of being on the east coast will probably wear off quickly.

Look at the Harvard students on this site. Now imagine yourself among them for three years.



Enjoy Stanford.

bjsesq wrote:

lc39 wrote:

foamborn wrote:how quickly does change of scenery wear off? that seems like such a small thing. if someone offered me the chance to move to houston from the bay area i wouldn't do it...sure, i might find it exciting for the first week i'm there, but then i'd have to live there. i mean, the primary thing u're gonna be doing is going to school, not having adventures. it'd be nice to be in a setting that's more enjoyable, not less. the question of yls against sls doesn't really work in the other direction, does it? people don't say man i'd like to go to stanford but it's hard to pass up living in new haven.

eta: i realize that's different than the point u're making, that u'd like something new. but still, u gotta look at what the new thing is.

I guess I can't really understand how unexciting the new thing is though. I've never lived anywhere but here so idk how other places compare. To me, Palo Alto is not a great area (pretty much generic suburbia with insanely high COL) except for the fantastic weather.

You're right that I'm waffling for insignificant reasons though and the novelty of being on the east coast will probably wear off quickly.

Look at the Harvard students on this site. Now imagine yourself among them for three years.



Enjoy Stanford.

To clarify, I'm not OP and I'm primarily considering Y vs. S rather than H vs. S.

Sls17 wrote:

fats provolone wrote:it depends on the firm and your grades and a lot of other factors. i wouldn't worry about it too much.

Getting a job in CA doesn't depend on grades if you're at SLS. Getting your dream job in CA, maybe, sure, but not getting a job in CA.

ok?

lc39 wrote:

bjsesq wrote:

lc39 wrote:

foamborn wrote:how quickly does change of scenery wear off? that seems like such a small thing. if someone offered me the chance to move to houston from the bay area i wouldn't do it...sure, i might find it exciting for the first week i'm there, but then i'd have to live there. i mean, the primary thing u're gonna be doing is going to school, not having adventures. it'd be nice to be in a setting that's more enjoyable, not less. the question of yls against sls doesn't really work in the other direction, does it? people don't say man i'd like to go to stanford but it's hard to pass up living in new haven.

eta: i realize that's different than the point u're making, that u'd like something new. but still, u gotta look at what the new thing is.

I guess I can't really understand how unexciting the new thing is though. I've never lived anywhere but here so idk how other places compare. To me, Palo Alto is not a great area (pretty much generic suburbia with insanely high COL) except for the fantastic weather.

You're right that I'm waffling for insignificant reasons though and the novelty of being on the east coast will probably wear off quickly.

Look at the Harvard students on this site. Now imagine yourself among them for three years.



Enjoy Stanford.

To clarify, I'm not OP and I'm primarily considering Y vs. S rather than H vs. S.

I'd still enjoy Stanford because New Haven is a SHIT HOLE. If your idea of escaping the doldrums of suburbia is bathing yourself in urban decay, hey, more power to ya.

bjsesq wrote:I'd still enjoy Stanford because New Haven is a SHIT HOLE. If your idea of escaping the doldrums of suburbia is bathing yourself in urban decay, hey, more power to ya.

Lol, I appreciate your input. I feel pretty certain I will end up choosing S over Y but wanted to see if anyone ITT wanted to go to bat for Y because I only know people who have chosen SLS.

u prolly can't go wrong with y vs s. I would just visit both and see what you think