In at Harvard! Forum

[Zara]

how much time do you generally have to procrastinate? I'm an addict and not sure I can quit completely!

also which dorm do you think is best?

thanks for taking questions...sorry mine are boring.

[scubagirl]

i didn't want to live in the dorms but went for gropius and think its been great. Its the cheapest which is nice for 1 year and its really social. People like Hastings for the living room, but when I was picking a dorm that option didn't make sense to me because you could be in an apartment for that price. North isn't as convenient as Gropius.

I just make sure Im really productive when I sit down to actually get my work done and that usually leaves plenty of time in the evenings to relax, and to take breaks during subjects which I find less interesting. Don't worry, you don't have to cut out procrastinating completely before exam time.

[englawyer]

anything lined up for 1L summer? how does your class feel about job prospects ?

[Zara]

i didn't want to live in the dorms but went for gropius and think its been great. Its the cheapest which is nice for 1 year and its really social. People like Hastings for the living room, but when I was picking a dorm that option didn't make sense to me because you could be in an apartment for that price. North isn't as convenient as Gropius.

I just make sure Im really productive when I sit down to actually get my work done and that usually leaves plenty of time in the evenings to relax, and to take breaks during subjects which I find less interesting. Don't worry, you don't have to cut out procrastinating completely before exam time.

thanks! yeah i was thinking about Gropius too because of the price, but I dont know about the shared bathroom. I've never lived in a dorm like that (always worked and lived in an apartment with my own bathroom) is it as bad as I'm imagining? I like that it's social but it is quiet enough to study?

Yeah I'm really interested in hearing about 1L summer work too if you have any input on that. thanks again!

[scubagirl]

I do not have anything lined up yet. And I was really stressed about it 2 weeks ago, but last week received interview requests for 4 places (including 2 of my top choices) and responses to follow ups from 3 places saying hiring hasn't begun. I think the timelines are very different based on the location and whether it is a public/private position (I mainly applied for rather competitive government stuff).

I know a lot of people who have jobs, and a lot of people who do not. There are definitely not as many firm jobs as it seems there used to be (most I know with firm jobs are not in the major markets), and some government jobs seem to have taken 2ls who had to go into government work instead of a firm.

That being said, at least in my circle, while people are stressed because they don't think they can get an ideal job in an ideal market, the general sentiment is that we will all get something. And while OCS and OPIA can sometimes catch slack, I think that my advisor in OPIA (public interest advising) has been extremely supportive and helpful in suggesting positions to apply for and people to apply with.

[scubagirl]

I had never lived with a floor bathroom either. It does get gross sometimes (i think I just have someone gross on my floor though b/c other floors aren't gross when Im visiting them)

I am on a floor that does not have a lounge and it does not get so loud that I cannot study. I am not a library studier either so Im often in my room to be productive.

[Zara]

I had never lived with a floor bathroom either. It does get gross sometimes (i think I just have someone gross on my floor though b/c other floors aren't gross when Im visiting them)

I am on a floor that does not have a lounge and it does not get so loud that I cannot study. I am not a library studier either so Im often in my room to be productive.

well i guess it cant be worse than some of the hostels I've stayed at. I heard that you arent allowed to have appliances in the rooms. Is there a shared kitchen with a microwave on each floor? I have an instant coffee addiction which is probably tied to my procrastination addiction. Again sorry my questions are stupid. I'm pretty much decided on harvard and am focusing on finding a place to live which is my main obsession right now.

for a more serious set of questions...how have your classes been? Have the lecturers been really strict and difficult with the socratic method? Are there are lot of gunners in your section?

i have a ton of time to kill right now since it is day time here in japan and i am stuck at a desk with nothing to do since my job is boring and mindless....so forgive me for being annoying and thank you for the distraction!

[scubagirl]

no problem with the questions. I learned a lot from reading posts on here pre law school and am happy to pay it forward.

there are kitchens on some floors, a lot of people have instant coffee makers in their rooms

there are not many gunners in my section, but the sections differ greatly in their overall dynamic from what I can tell. Also, I had great professors last semester who did do socratic but were not mean about it and it was not that bad. Im actually in a class now that doesnt do socratic much and it makes me appreciate socratic because it makes class more interesting and involved.

[citydweller09]

It's been a long, winding journey from the Harvard 2010 thread, to the JR1/No J2 thread, to the Held at Harvard thread, to this, the promised land.

First, I'd like to thank the Academy ... Okay, just kidding. I do have a few questions though:

How soon can I expect an acceptance package in the mail in NJ/NYC? Having it in my hands will go a long way toward the whole "believing this is real" thing. Or is there some email correspondence that comes first? Also does the status checker change at some point post-acceptance?

Basically I'm just seeking confirmation that I didn't hallucinate my JR2 before I move on to other concerns. Glad to be joining you all in here!

[bballfan]

The package is sent via Priority Mail so you should get it fairly quickly. You won't hear anything else from them until you activate your Harvard email address.

[adameus]

to add something to englawyer's take on the ASW:

1) I went to Elizabeth Warren's mock class. To say the least, it was incredible. By far the biggest selling point of the weekend. She did pure socratic method and did cold call people, although you had the option to not put your name card out if you didn't want to be called on. There are definetely some people who like to hear their own voice but it was a fantastic learning experience and Warren was great.

2) Dean Minnow did a short speach and then did a question and answer period. She was also very impressive. She seemed to have a good vision for the school.

3) Harvard has a special course in problem solving that sounds cool. They also have a first year negotiations course that I believe is mandatory and also sounds neat. There are tons of different journals and clinics so you will be bound to find something that interests you.

4) Everyone seems really smart so that's both very good and a bit intimidating. Some people are very down to earth and some people seem nerdy/obnoxious, its a mix bag. There was one douche bag who was out for dinner with me last night who was trying to correct one of the 2L's on some aspect of the law. The kid was still an undergrad. I'd agree with englawyer's take on the attractiveness of people. I don't know if there were any girls who were better than an 8, with the exception of my wife who is not an admit and is off the market. The whole harvard campus seemed like this, but I didn't spend a lot of time outside of the school.

5) Today myself, and englawyer had lunch with a very nice and interesting prof from the Berkman centre who specializes in Cyberlaw. I can't remember his name and I'm too lazy to look it up.

6) Went to a panel today with the career services office. They admitted the job market is hurting and Harvard has been affected, but they seemed confident that everyone will get a job. It just might not be in NYC and it might pay a little less than 160K to start.

6) The last thing I did was attend an actual class. It was on the "History of the Legal Profession in regards to Economics" or something of that nature. It was incredibly dull and I think the professor was so old that he knew must of the material through first hand experience, but I think that probably was just the nature of the topic.

Overall a very good time!

[sayan]

Awesome post, adameus. Thanks for the insight to both you and englawyer!

Do you think you'll be attending? Would be nice to have a fellow Vancouverite at the school

Was the cyberlaw prof Nesson by any chance? How did you score lunch with a prof? Or is that part of ASW?

[englawyer]

part of ASW.

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/pmalone

[DoubleChecks]

1) I went to Elizabeth Warren's mock class. To say the least, it was incredible. By far the biggest selling point of the weekend. She did pure socratic method and did cold call people, although you had the option to not put your name card out if you didn't want to be called on. There are definetely some people who like to hear their own voice but it was a fantastic learning experience and Warren was great.

3) Harvard has a special course in problem solving that sounds cool. They also have a first year negotiations course that I believe is mandatory and also sounds neat. There are tons of different journals and clinics so you will be bound to find something that interests you.

seriously, your post (also englawyer's) is making me really regret not being able to make the ASWs

4) Everyone seems really smart so that's both very good and a bit intimidating. Some people are very down to earth and some people seem nerdy/obnoxious, its a mix bag. There was one douche bag who was out for dinner with me last night who was trying to correct one of the 2L's on some aspect of the law. The kid was still an undergrad. I'd agree with englawyer's take on the attractiveness of people. I don't know if there were any girls who were better than an 8, with the exception of my wife who is not an admit and is off the market. The whole harvard campus seemed like this, but I didn't spend a lot of time outside of the school.

same here, except not married guess we'll just have to bring'em along

5) Today myself, and englawyer had lunch with a very nice and interesting prof from the Berkman centre who specializes in Cyberlaw. I can't remember his name and I'm too lazy to look it up.

wah, wont lie, im pretty jealous. im actually hoping to meet some ppl from TLS irl...though some seem to want to hide their identities (i guess i can understand why)

6) Went to a panel today with the career services office. They admitted the job market is hurting and Harvard has been affected, but they seemed confident that everyone will get a job. It just might not be in NYC and it might pay a little less than 160K to start.

Kind of what I heard as well. Depending on the secondary market, it can even be really good for grads too.

[englawyer]

regarding the faculty lunch, it was kind of chaotic first come first serve. each faculty member had a table at the lunch and you asked the admissions staff which faculty are at each table. then you get your food and try to sit down at the table before it fills with other students. so tip: show up to that event a few minutes early to get your top pick

[bluedolphins]

1) I went to Elizabeth Warren's mock class. To say the least, it was incredible. By far the biggest selling point of the weekend. She did pure socratic method and did cold call people, although you had the option to not put your name card out if you didn't want to be called on. There are definetely some people who like to hear their own voice but it was a fantastic learning experience and Warren was great.

3) Harvard has a special course in problem solving that sounds cool. They also have a first year negotiations course that I believe is mandatory and also sounds neat. There are tons of different journals and clinics so you will be bound to find something that interests you.

seriously, your post (also englawyer's) is making me really regret not being able to make the ASWs

+1000

[psychomohel]

In today after being held in January. Will they have another ASW?

[DoubleChecks]

In today after being held in January. Will they have another ASW?

yes in early april

and grats psycho! i heard in the other thread...much deserved

[bluedolphins]

In today after being held in January. Will they have another ASW?

Congratulations! I think there is another one in April.

[psychomohel]

Thanks! I had actually just given one of my students detention for taking a call during class when JR called.

[englawyer]

Thanks! I had actually just given one of my students detention for taking a call during class when JR called.

lol go figure. welcome to the thread!

[gasja_tearo]

Going to be here until Tuesday because I booked the wrong date for my flight, but here are my impressions so far:

Pre-negotiation workshop:
- nice mix of people, I found the down to earth nerdy people with glasses right away - was happy about that. Somehow the first two people I met were also from Texas.

Negotiation workshop:
- felt like I re-lived Henry Fonda's character in 12 Angry Men, except I was less as cool for "caving in" last minute to majoritarian decision. Had to choose between factory worker and physician. My group was hell-bent on the cost-benefit analysis and thought that the physician would go on to save more people if we saved him, which I thought was not exactly applicable here. But due to group pressure, I gave in. At the end of the class, was called on to be the only "hold-out/caver" person...

Reception:
- interesting at first, a little awkward toward the end because I was so tired. The noise in the room was way too loud to actually hear the person you're talking to. Met some really nice people. It later turned out that my favorite people in the Negotiation group were also accepted by Yale whereas my least fav people were rejected. So...

Sunday
- Tour: went on the campus tour first. There was only one other girl with me because we showed up super early. Campus was pretty small and tight-packed and the campus housing looks like prison yards. Pound Hall was kind of ugly too. The library and Austin, however, have some great architecture.

- Student Life Panel: they got an interesting group of people to talk to us. Didn't really learn much though, everything was pretty much nice, nice, nice. I was intrigued by the Federalist Society guy's reactions when the lesbian girl was talking about falling in love and neglecting school work.

- Brunch: Awesome! Much better than my school serveries. The pricing was very reasonable. I eat salad pretty much all the time, so it's actually cheaper to eat there (they weigh your dishes, 44cents/ounce for the salad and then minus the plate). And it's open until late at night. Only con is I like to eat breakfast at 7AM, but it opens around 8AM. Also the staffs were super nice. I also love the tables area, and the fact that you can hear people talking in foreign languages all the time.

- Panels: Went to the international law one and then left half way to check out the academia one. I didn't feel like either of them were very informative. The international law one was really scattered all over the place. If I had to choose again, I would probably just go to the academia one from the very beginning.

Class: I picked Constitutional Law, which was very stimulating. We learned about the backgrounds of the individual judges for Brown v. Board of Education. I was ready to throw my packet on the ground if the prof didn't tell us how they arrived at the final decision. Fortunately, he did at the very end with an "you'll know the answer if you come to Harvard" gimmick.

- Mock class: did Terry v. Ohio. Absolutely loved it, although I thought the professor could have gone more in-depth. Would have liked to learn more about the difference between frisking and searching. I read the case the night before after I realized everyone else had read it already. I was shocked by the large number of people who thought that "reasonable man" was a subjective standard. I also was a little surprised by the fact that most people seemed to think the police was right in his suspicions. Wanted to crawl under the table when the prof pointed at me at the very end of the class.

- Dean's talk: Most of the answers I already knew. One thing was clear: Dean M is a very capable and smart woman. I was tempted to remind her about the recently canceled public service/free tuition program when she said the public service program was going strong, but didn't want to give her a hard time.

- Club Organization Fair: went an hour late, so was rushing through the whole thing when everyone was tired and worn out. I just talked to a few clubs. The international journal seemed pretty cool. The Canadian Society was kind of pathetic, it only had 1 rep who also left early. The people I went to dinner with were super nice but also seemed a little unhappy with their lives at the same time. Half of them felt like they didn't fit in with their sections. Also sensed some hostility/awkwardness when they found out I got into Yale. From that point onward I decided not to mention Yale unless the person asking has also gotten into Yale as well.

- Red Line: pretty small, just stayed with the person I went to dinner with. Not many people went to the bar, probably because it wasn't listed on the agenda.

Monday:
- breakfast was not as good as before. I asked 2 JDs downstairs for directions and they looked pretty annoyed. At the table, I found another really really nice guy who was also interested in academia. It seemed like the people interested in academia were generally nicer?

- Academia panel: the Dean and 2 profs at the law school talked about their experiences. It was much more informative than the panel hosted by the Fellows the day before. We had a really tiny group there though.

- Clerkship panel: the room was literally packed - there were also people standing in the back.

- Lunch table: didn't get the one I wanted. Note: do get there early. I finished lunch early and sat in a Criminal Law class. It was pretty good. I left at 1:30 to go to the financial aid panel, which was also pretty informative. Then I went to the 3PM Labor Law session, left after half an hour to go to the Real Estate one (the prof was hilarious!). Weirdly enough, the same girl got the first cold call in both my criminal law and labor law classes.

Since the 2 other reviewers both commented on looks, I'd say the people were not bad looking, average for a high-ranking college campus in fact.

As for diversity, I wasn't too impressed. Didn't see as many minorities as I thought I would. I'm Asian, but I only saw 4 other asians?

[tomhobbes]

As for diversity, I wasn't too impressed. Didn't see as many minorities as I thought I would. I'm Asian, but I only saw 4 other asians?

If you count me, four and a half. Are you going to the April 22 Yale ASW?

[DoubleChecks]

Pre-negotiation workshop:
- nice mix of people, I found the down to earth nerdy people with glasses right away - was happy about that. Somehow the first two people I met were also from Texas.

As for diversity, I wasn't too impressed. Didn't see as many minorities as I thought I would. I'm Asian, but I only saw 4 other asians?

huh, go figure. so there werent many asians there (HLS is like what, 10%? i mean thats much higher than ~4% but i guess the ivies have always been [relatively] low on %asians)...were there many texans? and everyone's mentioned "looks" -- what about age? or rather how old people looked? i can easily pass as a 16 yr old... and im trying to figure out which of my features will stick out the most lol.

ps - very informative ASW posts so far; it makes me really want to go but feel like ive gone already at the same time sure would be nice if someone could tell it from a first-person potv in a narrative form so i can really feel like i went haha jp

[psychomohel]

How long did it take after being admitted before you received your Harvard email and the admissions package?