Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[despina]

Does anyone know what the odds are for getting in to the Kennedy school as a 1L? I've got a pretty weak resume in terms of work experience, but my LSAT+GPA gives me a good shot at HLS.

Do you mean for a degree or to cross register?

For a big ol' degree.

Bump

Sorry, without more information it's hard to say. What's "weak resume in terms of work experience?" K-JD with a couple summer internships? Five years of post-college work experience with no relationship to public policy? Conventional wisdom seems to be that HKS may require slightly lower grades / LSAT than HLS, but cares more about quality work experience, so without knowing more about where you're at there, it's very hard to say.

Also, why do you want to do a joint JD/MPP? If you want to practice law, in most cases there's not a lot of value added vs opportunity cost / loans required to do the extra year for the MPP. And if you don't want to practice law, why go to law school? Not saying the joint degree is never a good idea, just recommending if you haven't done so already that you think it through and do some research about the types of jobs that interest you.

[LikelyThrowaway]

Does anyone know what the odds are for getting in to the Kennedy school as a 1L? I've got a pretty weak resume in terms of work experience, but my LSAT+GPA gives me a good shot at HLS.

Do you mean for a degree or to cross register?

For a big ol' degree.

Bump

Sorry, without more information it's hard to say. What's "weak resume in terms of work experience?" K-JD with a couple summer internships? Five years of post-college work experience with no relationship to public policy? Conventional wisdom seems to be that HKS may require slightly lower grades / LSAT than GPA, but cares more about quality work experience, so without knowing more about where you're at there, it's very hard to say.

Also, why do you want to do a joint JD/MPP? If you want to practice law, in most cases there's not a lot of value added vs opportunity cost / loans required to do the extra year for the MPP. And if you don't want to practice law, why go to law school? Not saying the joint degree is never a good idea, just recommending if you haven't done so already that you think it through and do some research about the types of jobs that interest you.

Fair enough, I appreciate the answer. I'm just wondering how much of a boost HLS is for getting in to HKS, but if that can't really be known in a vacuum that's okay.

I know people generally don't recommend JD/MPP and I've definitely taken that to heart, and am still quite undecided about whether I would do the JD/MPP given the opportunity. In a nutshell, I'm interested in doing both of them because I'm quite interested in both the law and public policy, and I sometimes dream of a career in law first followed by a transition over to policy. I know that there are good reasons not to pursue the JD/MPP though, so I appreciate your warning.

[tomwatts]

Fair enough, I appreciate the answer. I'm just wondering how much of a boost HLS is for getting in to HKS, but if that can't really be known in a vacuum that's okay.

It's some, but not a huge, boost to be in at HLS already in order to get into HKS. It increases your chances, but not by a large amount.

At least, that's what I was told by admissions people and that's what appeared to happen in my case (applied twice, got in only the second time, main difference was that I was a 1L at HLS the second time).

I know people generally don't recommend JD/MPP and I've definitely taken that to heart, and am still quite undecided about whether I would do the JD/MPP given the opportunity. In a nutshell, I'm interested in doing both of them because I'm quite interested in both the law and public policy, and I sometimes dream of a career in law first followed by a transition over to policy. I know that there are good reasons not to pursue the JD/MPP though, so I appreciate your warning.

On the flipside, I've listed a few of the good reasons to do the JD/MPP in earlier posts in this thread as well. It's not for everyone, but it's also not for no one.

[LikelyThrowaway]

Fair enough, I appreciate the answer. I'm just wondering how much of a boost HLS is for getting in to HKS, but if that can't really be known in a vacuum that's okay.

It's some, but not a huge, boost to be in at HLS already in order to get into HKS. It increases your chances, but not by a large amount.

At least, that's what I was told by admissions people and that's what appeared to happen in my case (applied twice, got in only the second time, main difference was that I was a 1L at HLS the second time).

I know people generally don't recommend JD/MPP and I've definitely taken that to heart, and am still quite undecided about whether I would do the JD/MPP given the opportunity. In a nutshell, I'm interested in doing both of them because I'm quite interested in both the law and public policy, and I sometimes dream of a career in law first followed by a transition over to policy. I know that there are good reasons not to pursue the JD/MPP though, so I appreciate your warning.

On the flipside, I've listed a few of the good reasons to do the JD/MPP in earlier posts in this thread as well. It's not for everyone, but it's also not for no one.

This is gratuitous ass-kissery but I'm scrolling through your posts and yeah, they've been extremely helpful so far.

[m_ross]

Fair enough, I appreciate the answer. I'm just wondering how much of a boost HLS is for getting in to HKS, but if that can't really be known in a vacuum that's okay.

It's some, but not a huge, boost to be in at HLS already in order to get into HKS. It increases your chances, but not by a large amount.

At least, that's what I was told by admissions people and that's what appeared to happen in my case (applied twice, got in only the second time, main difference was that I was a 1L at HLS the second time).

I know people generally don't recommend JD/MPP and I've definitely taken that to heart, and am still quite undecided about whether I would do the JD/MPP given the opportunity. In a nutshell, I'm interested in doing both of them because I'm quite interested in both the law and public policy, and I sometimes dream of a career in law first followed by a transition over to policy. I know that there are good reasons not to pursue the JD/MPP though, so I appreciate your warning.

On the flipside, I've listed a few of the good reasons to do the JD/MPP in earlier posts in this thread as well. It's not for everyone, but it's also not for no one.

Seconding everything tomwatts said. I don't know what a "weak resume" means, but for what it's worth, I'm a JD/MPP and the only person I met at HKS who had no post-undergrad work experience was a State Department Fellow :S

[Oskosh]

Just looked at my schedule for finals, and I had a question about take home exams. Are we able to take these back in our home states, or is it recommended that we take them in Cambridge?

[ph14]

Just looked at my schedule for finals, and I had a question about take home exams. Are we able to take these back in our home states, or is it recommended that we take them in Cambridge?

You can take them wherever you want. As far as what's recommended that's entirely up to you. I took all mine in Cambridge.

[TripTrip]

Personally, I wouldn't take a final in my home state during first semester 1L. Many of the one-day take-home exams require the full eight-hour period, and it's sometimes tough to get away from family/find a quiet space for that amount of time at home.

But if you can, more power to you.

[Oskosh]

Personally, I wouldn't take a final in my home state during first semester 1L. Many of the one-day take-home exams require the full eight-hour period, and it's sometimes tough to get away from family/find a quiet space for that amount of time at home.

But if you can, more power to you.

That's what I was thinking. I will more than likely -- and begrudgingly -- have to do that. I was asking not because I was overly eager to see my family, but because I am just finishing my 3rd year as a teacher, so I wanted to visit my old students on their last day before their winter break. It will have to wait until spring break.

Thanks to the both of you for your advice!

[sgtous]

Not to be terribly annoying, but there's a course by a visiting professor that I am REALLY interested in.

Trouble is, I'll be in my 1L year. Is there any way I could get to audit the class?

Thanks for any advice!

[spammingrobot]

I'm sure the answer to this varies wildly, but I was wondering what the general experience is with visiting professors. Is it significantly harder to study for their exams? Or do they provide practice material sufficient to understand the types of questions they would ask on an exam?

[HLSstudent]

Not to be terribly annoying, but there's a course by a visiting professor that I am REALLY interested in.

Trouble is, I'll be in my 1L year. Is there any way I could get to audit the class?

Thanks for any advice!

Is it in the fall or spring? If the latter, you may have the option to take it as an elective, depending on scheduling.

Otherwise, I would advise not trying anything like this, but instead, reach out to the professor via email if they're someone you want to know.

I'm sure the answer to this varies wildly, but I was wondering what the general experience is with visiting professors. Is it significantly harder to study for their exams? Or do they provide practice material sufficient to understand the types of questions they would ask on an exam?

Visiting professors as teachers are hit or miss. Some are great, some are terrible. As exams go, there will likely be a limited amount of outlines or past exams to use, though they will usually provide one or two sample exams for the class if asked. Still, it can be harder to study, or at least feel like there's less direction. But keep in mind, if you don't have access to such resources, neither does the rest of your classmates. You're all equally disadvantaged and graded on a curve.

[leslieknope]

I'm sure the answer to this varies wildly, but I was wondering what the general experience is with visiting professors. Is it significantly harder to study for their exams? Or do they provide practice material sufficient to understand the types of questions they would ask on an exam?

This will really vary by professor, but all the visiting professors I had my 1L year gave us practice exams and at least one model answer (sometimes way more). Outlines were also available but much less useful, because the professors really changed the way taught the class from year to year (first caveat: HLS professors sometimes also do this. Second caveat: this is all much easier if the professor has visited HLS before). Another helpful thing you can do is post on the TLS thread the professor's home school- people will usually be willing to check outline banks for you.

[tomwatts]

Visiting professors as teachers are hit or miss. Some are great, some are terrible. As exams go, there will likely be a limited amount of outlines or past exams to use, though they will usually provide one or two sample exams for the class if asked. Still, it can be harder to study, or at least feel like there's less direction. But keep in mind, if you don't have access to such resources, neither does the rest of your classmates. You're all equally disadvantaged and graded on a curve.

I kind of liked visiting profs because I always made my own outlines in all classes regardless. If you're in the habit of doing that, it won't be all that different from other profs. (And I knew most people didn't, so I sort of had an advantage.)

But yeah, the shortage of exams and exam answers still slowed me down a bit.

[ValeVale]

Can any 3L or grad comment on DC for EIP? How likely (unlikely, really) is it that I will receive a CB following this weekend from firms I've only heard silence from, though know others have received CBs? Any experience with late invitations to callback from DC firms?

[spammingrobot]

A couple of questions (and I apologize if some form of them have already been asked in this thread):

1 - Do the kitchens in Gropius come equipped with basic things like a pot/pan? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth bringing a whole bunch of kitchen equipment, since I don't think I'll be cooking for myself too often.

2 - What are the general impressions of Donahue for property? It appears he's the fourth lowest professor on HLS Dope, but my undergrad experience taught me to generally take course evals with a grain of salt.

[Indifference]

A couple of questions (and I apologize if some form of them have already been asked in this thread):

1 - Do the kitchens in Gropius come equipped with basic things like a pot/pan? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth bringing a whole bunch of kitchen equipment, since I don't think I'll be cooking for myself too often.

2 - What are the general impressions of Donahue for property? It appears he's the fourth lowest professor on HLS Dope, but my undergrad experience taught me to generally take course evals with a grain of salt.

Can speak to (2). Donahue is nuts! He's a very nice man, but it is questionable how much property you will learn. I would advise using the Gilbert supplement as your primary study tool. I loved his class, but I know I'm going to have to learn property all over for the bar (and not in a refresher kind of way).

[TripTrip]

1 - Do the kitchens in Gropius come equipped with basic things like a pot/pan? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth bringing a whole bunch of kitchen equipment, since I don't think I'll be cooking for myself too often.

Don't buy it in advance. See what's in the kitchen/shared by your dormmates (without stealing their stuff, some people are fine with sharing pots though) and expect to eat out a lot the first week or two anyway.

[tomwatts]

Generally, yes, you'll find basic kitchen equipment in the kitchen. I brought a plate, a bowl, and some silverware — mostly because I wanted to take those things back to my room and eat there — but I didn't bring pots/pans because there were lots already in the kitchens. (Caveat: I was cooking pretty basic things, like pasta.)

[spammingrobot]

This is all good to know -- thank you for the quick and helpful responses!

[despina]

A couple of questions (and I apologize if some form of them have already been asked in this thread):

1 - Do the kitchens in Gropius come equipped with basic things like a pot/pan? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth bringing a whole bunch of kitchen equipment, since I don't think I'll be cooking for myself too often.

2 - What are the general impressions of Donahue for property? It appears he's the fourth lowest professor on HLS Dope, but my undergrad experience taught me to generally take course evals with a grain of salt.

Can speak to (2). Donahue is nuts! He's a very nice man, but it is questionable how much property you will learn. I would advise using the Gilbert supplement as your primary study tool. I loved his class, but I know I'm going to have to learn property all over for the bar (and not in a refresher kind of way).

I second all of this -- although when I did learn property for the bar, I was surprised to find that I actually remembered a lot of the stuff that I didn't think I'd understood as a 1L. I think we covered everything that was on the MBE except mortgages, which no one learns 1L (and some things that weren't... cave rights....)

Donohue's struggle is that he is so brilliant and knowledgeable, he has trouble wrapping his mind around how ignorant 1Ls are. A great example from my 1L fall -- he's talking about estoppel and no one in the room has any clue what he means. Finally a brave soul asks "can you please explain what estoppel is?" A pause... "well, it's when one party is estopped from doing something!"

I enjoyed his class a lot once I learned to relax about the black letter law and just enjoy his wacky stories and sense of humor. I ended up taking a reading group with him later -- highly recommend doing that, too.

[downbeat14]

I'm sure the answer to this varies wildly, but I was wondering what the general experience is with visiting professors. Is it significantly harder to study for their exams? Or do they provide practice material sufficient to understand the types of questions they would ask on an exam?

This will really vary by professor, but all the visiting professors I had my 1L year gave us practice exams and at least one model answer (sometimes way more). Outlines were also available but much less useful, because the professors really changed the way taught the class from year to year (first caveat: HLS professors sometimes also do this. Second caveat: this is all much easier if the professor has visited HLS before). Another helpful thing you can do is post on the TLS thread the professor's home school- people will usually be willing to check outline banks for you.

I had 3 visiting profs. The first was great, the second was very smart but a rambling lecturer without much focus, and the third might have been the best prof I've had--or at least the best class, content-wise. All exams were very highly manageable (both 8 hour take homes, nothing too tricky). I've heard this can vary greatly though.

For the first, someone in our section got an outline from another school--Duke. That was a lifesaver bc the only friend at Duke I knew (2L) refused to help me find an outline or model exam (out of "respect, she claimed...). However, he wouldn't give out model answers, so we convinced him to do a review session at the end of the term where he went over what he wants from an exam answer. Very helpful and paid off.

For the second, he had published a commercial outline that had "exam tips," so I just followed that, which worked well. We got old exams from him, but again he wouldn't give models. Didn't matter bc all in same boat, but was a little harder to properly review practice exams obv.

For the third, I had to make my own outline for this class, but that wasn't a huge deal bc I learned the material well and exam prep was a bit smoother. She had two exams. Again, no models.

So it varies, but the biggest change was that I couldn't get model answers for them. For HLS profs, you can almost always get models from HLS dope--a truly amazing resource. You can also get them from Fed Soc or ACS depending on your persuasion.

LK is right that profs change things up, but at least in my experience, the changes were very minimal and nothing online case brief sites couldn't handle. Some of the HLS dope outlines will even have their jokes in there or what not. Some profs might do more major changes, but I just didn't have any major surprises there.

Pro tip: I got several of my profs to agree to read over my practice exam answers and give me feedback in office hours--including two of the visitors--which was clutch given no models. It's amazing how few students do this--or even go to office hours--yet how much it helps if they agree to do it. Most profs I asked did; tho there were a couple I didn't ask bc I sensed they might be annoyed from being bothered by students for anything "extra".

[Oskosh]

What would you consider an acceptable used textbook? Asking because there are a lot of textbooks that are listed as having substantial highlighting, etc. Would you consider that an impediment? Should I buy the slightly more expensive case books that have only minimal highlighting?

Thanks in advance! Trying to buy these within the next week.

[HLSstudent]

What would you consider an acceptable used textbook? Asking because there are a lot of textbooks that are listed as having substantial highlighting, etc. Would you consider that an impediment? Should I buy the slightly more expensive case books that have only minimal highlighting?

Thanks in advance! Trying to buy these within the next week.

Some may disagree, but for Fall of 1L, it's worth buying less highlighted textbooks. As you work through the Semester, you'll decide if you're the type who highlights in the book, or if you study some other way. But until you know, it's worth leaving your options open and spending a few extra dollars.

[Indifference]

What would you consider an acceptable used textbook? Asking because there are a lot of textbooks that are listed as having substantial highlighting, etc. Would you consider that an impediment? Should I buy the slightly more expensive case books that have only minimal highlighting?

Thanks in advance! Trying to buy these within the next week.

Some may disagree, but for Fall of 1L, it's worth buying less highlighted textbooks. As you work through the Semester, you'll decide if you're the type who highlights in the book, or if you study some other way. But until you know, it's worth leaving your options open and spending a few extra dollars.

Cross posting my answer to the question in the C/O 2019 thread just to have it answered in one place.

This is totally a personal thing. I tend to not even "see" the preexisting highlights as I read and I knew that going in. But I don't highlight myself. I could see how existing highlighting could be a bother to someone who did, and I know others who can't stand it. No one here is going to be able to tell you if highlighting will bother you, though...

That said, I'm usually more concerned about structural integrity (the spine, for example) and whether there is damage (water//coffee, etc.). I'd rather save the money and use it for a few nights out.