In at Harvard Forum

[splbagel]

So is anybody else having a little bit of panic about cost of living?

I'm currently living in a city with very low cost of living - I split a small two-bedroom, two-bath house with a private yard and off-street parking for $800 (total). Looks like we're going to have to pay at least twice this for a small one-bedroom anywhere near campus, and probably get rid of at least one or both our cars.

The Harvard student budget estimates about $2000 per month just for room and board - that's more or less my entire post-tax monthly income right now.

[jetissent]

So is anybody else having a little bit of panic about cost of living?

I'm currently living in a city with very low cost of living - I split a small two-bedroom, two-bath house with a private yard and off-street parking for $800 (total). Looks like we're going to have to pay at least twice this for a small one-bedroom anywhere near campus, and probably get rid of at least one or both our cars.

The Harvard student budget estimates about $2000 per month just for room and board - that's more or less my entire post-tax monthly income right now.

You can definitely find more affordable options just outside of Cambridge--within 15-20mins if you have a car. I lived in Waltham last year in a 4 bedroom and we paid 450 each and had 4 parking spaces.

[sea15]

So is anybody else having a little bit of panic about cost of living?

I'm currently living in a city with very low cost of living - I split a small two-bedroom, two-bath house with a private yard and off-street parking for $800 (total). Looks like we're going to have to pay at least twice this for a small one-bedroom anywhere near campus, and probably get rid of at least one or both our cars.

The Harvard student budget estimates about $2000 per month just for room and board - that's more or less my entire post-tax monthly income right now.

I am having a really hard time justifying all the costs associated with Harvard. Tuition, cost of living, etc. I just absolutely don't know if I can stomach that much debt!

[splbagel]

So is anybody else having a little bit of panic about cost of living?

I'm currently living in a city with very low cost of living - I split a small two-bedroom, two-bath house with a private yard and off-street parking for $800 (total). Looks like we're going to have to pay at least twice this for a small one-bedroom anywhere near campus, and probably get rid of at least one or both our cars.

The Harvard student budget estimates about $2000 per month just for room and board - that's more or less my entire post-tax monthly income right now.

You can definitely find more affordable options just outside of Cambridge--within 15-20mins if you have a car. I lived in Waltham last year in a 4 bedroom and we paid 450 each and had 4 parking spaces.

Good to know. The cost of car insurance, maintenance, gas would likely add at least $250 to my monthly costs without even considering the cost of on-campus parking, though, so at that point I might prefer to just have a more expensive apartment and walk to class.

[cjmiller122]

Edited

[MumofCad]

You can definitely find more affordable options just outside of Cambridge--within 15-20mins if you have a car. I lived in Waltham last year in a 4 bedroom and we paid 450 each and had 4 parking spaces.

This makes me happy to see! Where in Waltham did you live and did you drive in our catch the commuter rail or bus? It seems like the drive is super short, but the MA transport site gives me 75 minutes by bus from some of the houses....

[jetissent]

You can definitely find more affordable options just outside of Cambridge--within 15-20mins if you have a car. I lived in Waltham last year in a 4 bedroom and we paid 450 each and had 4 parking spaces.

This makes me happy to see! Where in Waltham did you live and did you drive in our catch the commuter rail or bus? It seems like the drive is super short, but the MA transport site gives me 75 minutes by bus from some of the houses....

Well it's definitely much more doable if you have a car. If not your options are the buses, which can take anywhere from 25 mins to over an hour as rush hour gets bad, or the commuter rail to Porter Square (there is a semi-discounted monthly pass) to the red line and up one stop to Harvard, which would take about 20-30 mins total. The downside there is that the CR only runs about once every hour.

I lived right on Moody St so I was just a few steps away from the commuter rail. I didn't attend Harvard but when I ventured to the Cambridge area I generally took the rail line. If you have anything specific you'd like to ask about the area feel free to pm! I'm still waiting for a KB1 so all distractions are welcome.

[spek]

Hey guys, congrats on getting in. I just had my KB1 and was nervous beyond belief. I could hear my words quivering and I was cutting sentences short because I was struggling for breath-- all the nightmarish nervous things you could think of. I was wondering whether any of you had bad KB1 experiences and still got in?

I was really nervous during mine as well. I spoke too quickly as I tend to do when I'm nervous and I didn't think it went very well. Try not to worry about it, you've done all you can do at this point and I'm fairly certain they made their decision before the interview. Doubt the interview is ever make or break (unless you really really mess up--which you didn't because everyone gets nervous).

ETA: Really mess up = didn't have answers to the basic questions she asked.

[cjmiller122]

Thanks, spek

[thederangedwang]

Thanks, spek

she called me 4 times before i managed to pick up....i accidently plugged in my ipod earphones into my phone so i could hear her, but since my earphones didnt have a mic, she couldnt hear me...so i could hear her saying "heloo...helloooo...hello?" and then she hung up..........this occured 3 more times before i finally realized wtf was going on...i got in.....lol

[freestallion]

Hey guys, congrats on getting in. I just had my KB1 and was nervous beyond belief. I could hear my words quivering and I was cutting sentences short because I was struggling for breath-- all the nightmarish nervous things you could think of. I was wondering whether any of you had bad KB1 experiences and still got in?

I was really nervous during mine as well. I spoke too quickly as I tend to do when I'm nervous and I didn't think it went very well. Try not to worry about it, you've done all you can do at this point and I'm fairly certain they made their decision before the interview. Doubt the interview is ever make or break (unless you really really mess up--which you didn't because everyone gets nervous).

ETA: Really mess up = didn't have answers to the basic questions she asked.

The bolded above is what I'm worried about... Do you think they would be interviewing people now who they have in mind to possibly hold or WL? And if they don't think of admitting you, why would they interview you in the 1st place- what would be the point? I guess being a borderline person, I'm just trying not to get my hopes up if I'm just going to be crushed in a couple of weeks...

[soj]

If they wanted to hold or WL you, they'll just do it rather than give you a KB1. People often get held/wl, and then get KB1/KB2 in a matter of days in March-June.

[freestallion]

If they wanted to hold or WL you, they'll just do it rather than give you a KB1. People often get held/wl, and then get KB1/KB2 in a matter of days in March-June.

I guess I wonder why those 300-400 people who get KB1s and then don't get KB2s are rejected. There might be a few people who COMPLETELY mess up - say something truly stupid, offensive, etc. But that's probably not common. So for those ~300 people without KB2s, I'm just wondering what went wrong. If they have borderline stats and were going to be hold or WL, why does Harvard give them a KB1 anyway?

Anyway, sorry for my random questions (in the wrong thread too)...I'm just trying too soothe my nerves!

[euskadi]

If they wanted to hold or WL you, they'll just do it rather than give you a KB1. People often get held/wl, and then get KB1/KB2 in a matter of days in March-June.

I guess I wonder why those 300-400 people who get KB1s and then don't get KB2s are rejected. There might be a few people who COMPLETELY mess up - say something truly stupid, offensive, etc. But that's probably not common. So for those ~300 people without KB2s, I'm just wondering what went wrong. If they have borderline stats and were going to be hold or WL, why does Harvard give them a KB1 anyway?

Anyway, sorry for my random questions (in the wrong thread too)...I'm just trying too soothe my nerves!

I wouldn't say anything necessarily went wrong for them. It would be silly to think that KB goes into every interview thinking she'll admit the candidate. She has a feeling as to what she'd like to do with your application, I'm sure, and if you're a potential hold/waitlist, she's looking for you (perhaps) to give her a reason to accept you. If you're borderline, an interview in which you come across as articulate and precise in your language/reasons for studying law could push you towards an acceptance.

Certainly they're not keen to have a near 100 percent acceptance rate for those interviewed, so they doubtless approach each call uniquely. In any case, most KB1s will go to people whom they plan on admitting, which is quite clearly evinced in the data.

For your own good, you really ought to stop being so neurotic about this. No matter how your interview went, things are entirely out of your hands at this point. A week ago you thought you wouldn't even get a KB1. As with everything in life, be cautiously optimistic and keep your expectations low. Your cycle is going well, and you've got some great acceptances. Feel fortunate for that, and relax just a bit.

[BlakcMajikc]

No offense to those who are still waiting on KBs and waiting painfully through that process, but it would be great if we could try to keep this catered towards "In at Harvard" so we can answer each others questions before or during this decision process. There is the general Harvard 2012 applicants thread as well.

If you do decide Harvard is for you (or Harvard decides that you are for Harvard ) then venture over the Harvard 2015 board. In case you are still deciding between HLS and some other great choices, just wait for ASW and you'll find out the answer is HLS.

[annyong]

So is anybody else having a little bit of panic about cost of living?

I'm currently living in a city with very low cost of living - I split a small two-bedroom, two-bath house with a private yard and off-street parking for $800 (total). Looks like we're going to have to pay at least twice this for a small one-bedroom anywhere near campus, and probably get rid of at least one or both our cars.

The Harvard student budget estimates about $2000 per month just for room and board - that's more or less my entire post-tax monthly income right now.

I'm also enjoying incredibly low rent and CoL right now - but, honestly, I've known that I was enjoying it on a limited time span. I think it's pretty fair to say almost any school in the Top 6 will have high CoL, especially in New York City, and I've heard Palo Alto is fairly expensive as well. Mum posted a little while back about visiting and finding everything but rent to be reasonable, though I'm sure some current Harvard students would also have insight on this.

[sdwhodat]

Is there anyone else who hasn't gotten their acceptance packet yet? I KNOW I didn't hallucinate my KB2... My mail has been kinda wacky lately though... Maybe I should contact admissions?

[thederangedwang]

Is there anyone else who hasn't gotten their acceptance packet yet? I KNOW I didn't hallucinate my KB2... My mail has been kinda wacky lately though... Maybe I should contact admissions?

does ur status checker say admissions packet mailed?

[Schola]

So is anybody else having a little bit of panic about cost of living?

I'm currently living in a city with very low cost of living - I split a small two-bedroom, two-bath house with a private yard and off-street parking for $800 (total). Looks like we're going to have to pay at least twice this for a small one-bedroom anywhere near campus, and probably get rid of at least one or both our cars.

The Harvard student budget estimates about $2000 per month just for room and board - that's more or less my entire post-tax monthly income right now.

I'm also enjoying incredibly low rent and CoL right now - but, honestly, I've known that I was enjoying it on a limited time span. I think it's pretty fair to say almost any school in the Top 6 will have high CoL, especially in New York City, and I've heard Palo Alto is fairly expensive as well. Mum posted a little while back about visiting and finding everything but rent to be reasonable, though I'm sure some current Harvard students would also have insight on this.

Cambridge, Manhattan, and Palo Alto all have ridiculous costs of living. I haven't done a comprehensive Craigslist search, but I would venture a guess that Cambridge might actually be the cheapest of the three, assuming you want to live fairly close to campus. I don't know Palo Alto at all, and of course you could live in Queens or Brookline instead of Manhattan and Cambridge, but in each case you then have the hassle of commuting in a large city.

New Haven, and those areas just outside of it, which are much more accessible than the areas just outside of Cambridge and Manhattan, are much, much more affordable than NYC, Cambridge, or PA. The South Side of Chicago, from my experience, is also quite affordable, perhaps comparable to New Haven

I, like all of you, am intimidated by the COL in Cambridge/Boston. Bracketing Yale, which unless you have a Rhodes or were a Super Bowl winning quarterback with a 3.95 undergrad GPA is really a crapshoot, I think it will be a very difficult choice for me if I happen to get a Rubenstein at UofC. It would be incredibly difficult to turn down Harvard, but the allure of the the significantly lower COL on the South Side of Chicago and having no tuition to pay might be enough to seduce me.

[sdwhodat]

Is there anyone else who hasn't gotten their acceptance packet yet? I KNOW I didn't hallucinate my KB2... My mail has been kinda wacky lately though... Maybe I should contact admissions?

does ur status checker say admissions packet mailed?

Yeah, it says sent 11/21/11

[thederangedwang]

Is there anyone else who hasn't gotten their acceptance packet yet? I KNOW I didn't hallucinate my KB2... My mail has been kinda wacky lately though... Maybe I should contact admissions?

does ur status checker say admissions packet mailed?

Yeah, it says sent 11/21/11

give em a call tmr

[sdwhodat]

Is there anyone else who hasn't gotten their acceptance packet yet? I KNOW I didn't hallucinate my KB2... My mail has been kinda wacky lately though... Maybe I should contact admissions?

does ur status checker say admissions packet mailed?

Yeah, it says sent 11/21/11

give em a call tmr

I think that's a good idea. Thanks.

[annyong]

So is anybody else having a little bit of panic about cost of living?

I'm currently living in a city with very low cost of living - I split a small two-bedroom, two-bath house with a private yard and off-street parking for $800 (total). Looks like we're going to have to pay at least twice this for a small one-bedroom anywhere near campus, and probably get rid of at least one or both our cars.

The Harvard student budget estimates about $2000 per month just for room and board - that's more or less my entire post-tax monthly income right now.

I'm also enjoying incredibly low rent and CoL right now - but, honestly, I've known that I was enjoying it on a limited time span. I think it's pretty fair to say almost any school in the Top 6 will have high CoL, especially in New York City, and I've heard Palo Alto is fairly expensive as well. Mum posted a little while back about visiting and finding everything but rent to be reasonable, though I'm sure some current Harvard students would also have insight on this.

Cambridge, Manhattan, and Palo Alto all have ridiculous costs of living. I haven't done a comprehensive Craigslist search, but I would venture a guess that Cambridge might actually be the cheapest of the three, assuming you want to live fairly close to campus. I don't know Palo Alto at all, and of course you could live in Queens or Brookline instead of Manhattan and Cambridge, but in each case you then have the hassle of commuting in a large city.

New Haven, and those areas just outside of it, which are much more accessible than the areas just outside of Cambridge and Manhattan, are much, much more affordable than NYC, Cambridge, or PA. The South Side of Chicago, from my experience, is also quite affordable, perhaps comparable to New Haven

I, like all of you, am intimidated by the COL in Cambridge/Boston. Bracketing Yale, which unless you have a Rhodes or were a Super Bowl winning quarterback with a 3.95 undergrad GPA is really a crapshoot, I think it will be a very difficult choice for me if I happen to get a Rubenstein at UofC. It would be incredibly difficult to turn down Harvard, but the allure of the the significantly lower COL on the South Side of Chicago and having no tuition to pay might be enough to seduce me.

Yeah I've heard good things concerning the CoL in Hyde Park, but I'm not sure if you're also trading safety, I think there's some anecdotal debate and jokes thrown around about that on this forum. I try not to think so much about New Haven, because, well, I'm short on Rhodes scholarships and Super Bowl rings.

[094320]

..

[annyong]

Correction to previous post: The dorms are not connected to the tunnels. I had heard this from other people, but a friend in Hastings just said that it wasn't.

Thanks for the info! I'm asking Santa Claus for a down jacket for my first "real" winter (Maybe I should ask for a tuition check instead?)