In at Harvard! Forum

[Zara]

I don't know if any of you already know about this, but I found it in a older thread. It's a blog kept by two friends--one at Harvard and one at Yale. I found it pretty interesting and spent most of my free time at work today reading it. I do not have to make a choice between Yale and Harvard (pretty sure my rejection from Yale will arrive any day now) but I thought it might be particularly interesting for those of you who do. http://similarlysituated.blogspot.com/

[englawyer]

I don't know if any of you already know about this, but I found it in a older thread. It's a blog kept by two friends--one at Harvard and one at Yale. I found it pretty interesting and spent most of my free time at work today reading it. I do not have to make a choice between Yale and Harvard (pretty sure my rejection from Yale will arrive any day now) but I thought it might be particularly interesting for those of you who do. http://similarlysituated.blogspot.com/

were they both accepted into both?

[adameus]

can someone please post the general format for the username for the admitted students site? I am at work and have forgotten my login name.

[nixxers]

can someone please post the general format for the username for the admitted students site? I am at work and have forgotten my login name.

For Joe Schmoe:

jschmoe.jd13

[adameus]

can someone please post the general format for the username for the admitted students site? I am at work and have forgotten my login name.

For Joe Schmoe:

jschmoe.jd13

Thanks! What about the email addy?

[nixxers]

can someone please post the general format for the username for the admitted students site? I am at work and have forgotten my login name.

For Joe Schmoe:

jschmoe.jd13

Thanks! What about the email addy?

jschmoe@jd13.law.harvard.edu, but I think you use the jschmoe.jd13 to log in to the email

[adameus]

can someone please post the general format for the username for the admitted students site? I am at work and have forgotten my login name.

For Joe Schmoe:

jschmoe.jd13

Thanks! What about the email addy?

jschmoe@jd13.law.harvard.edu, but I think you use the jschmoe.jd13 to log in to the email

Thanks again! I just signed up for the March ASW. For my dietary restrictions I put I will only eat steak and/or lobster. I wonder how they will react.

[adameus]

Ok, as an update for those looking to book a hotel, I was able to get the Holiday Inn Downtown for $64/night in downtwon Boston using priceline name your price.

[dutchstriker]

Did ya'll not request to stay with a current student? I'm all set for an empty bed and room (roommate is doing semester abroad).

[adameus]

Did ya'll not request to stay with a current student? I'm all set for an empty bed and room (roommate is doing semester abroad).

My wife is coming with me, so we needed a hotel.

[Lysis]

Did ya'll not request to stay with a current student? I'm all set for an empty bed and room (roommate is doing semester abroad).

Apparently there was too much demand--got an email today that they couldn't place me with a student.

Has anyone found a cheap hotel?

[nixxers]

Did ya'll not request to stay with a current student? I'm all set for an empty bed and room (roommate is doing semester abroad).

I requested, but when I emailed to confirm, they said:

Hi Nixxers,

We will notify you as soon as possible regarding a student host. Since we cannot guarantee student host availability, our office would highly suggest that you have alternate housing plans in place for the weekend in case we are unable to pair you with someone.

Please let our office know if you have any questions.

Best,

J.D. Admissions

[nixxers]

Also, I know this was discussed before, but several weeks later, has anyone made any decisions about deferring? I still have to visit and make sure I don't hate Harvard (or vastly prefer somewhere else) but I'm probably going and definitely deferring (if they let me).

class of 2014 ftw!!!

[bluedolphins]

I'm not going to the ASW since it would cost at least $1000 for me to get there from Japan. I lived in Boston for two years so I'm already familiar with the area and the campus, but it would be nice to meet everyone and get some more information. Oh well, I'm sure this thread will explode with descriptions of it after you all get back.

people abroad, how long did it take you to get the acceptance letter in the mail?

It took around 16 days for me and I am in Asia.

[adameus]

Did ya'll not request to stay with a current student? I'm all set for an empty bed and room (roommate is doing semester abroad).

Apparently there was too much demand--got an email today that they couldn't place me with a student.

Has anyone found a cheap hotel?

Per my above post and on the suggestion of some others, I used priceline name your price and was able to get a room for 2 in the Holiday in Downtown Boston for $64 per night. If you go on their website its $126/night so that's a pretty good deal. It looks like its about 2 blocks from a Red Line station so a quick walk and a train ride to Harvard.

[coollegemex]

My best friend just got into Harvard for his phd... An irrelevant? point for hls over sls/cls

[Zara]

for those of you who are pretty much sure you are going to HLS, what do you plan to do for housing?

[englawyer]

for those of you who are pretty much sure you are going to HLS, what do you plan to do for housing?

off-campus apt w/ girlfriend. I have been in a Cambridge for a while, although we live in a somewhat sketchy studio. I might be upgrading a bit for law school to a 1BR, which will be around $1300 in Cambridge. Not cheap but not too bad for 2 people to share.

[Zara]

for those of you who are pretty much sure you are going to HLS, what do you plan to do for housing?

off-campus apt w/ girlfriend. I have been in a Cambridge for a while, although we live in a somewhat sketchy studio. I might be upgrading a bit for law school to a 1BR, which will be around $1300 in Cambridge. Not cheap but not too bad for 2 people to share.

i lived 4 miles outside of boston for two years so I know the prices are pretty steep. I never lived in cambridge though and didnt really spend too much time there so can you recommend some good cheap places? I'm not against taking taking the T as long as it is not ridiculously far. any advice would be great! I have to find an apartment from Japan (won't be back in the states until August 1st) so i want to get as much information about it as possible since i can't visit.

[DoubleChecks]

for those of you who are pretty much sure you are going to HLS, what do you plan to do for housing?

off-campus apt w/ girlfriend. I have been in a Cambridge for a while, although we live in a somewhat sketchy studio. I might be upgrading a bit for law school to a 1BR, which will be around $1300 in Cambridge. Not cheap but not too bad for 2 people to share.

i lived 4 miles outside of boston for two years so I know the prices are pretty steep. I never lived in cambridge though and didnt really spend too much time there so can you recommend some good cheap places? I'm not against taking taking the T as long as it is not ridiculously far. any advice would be great! I have to find an apartment from Japan (won't be back in the states until August 1st) so i want to get as much information about it as possible since i can't visit.

i want that englawyer! same scenario almost haha. btw, if i want a decently nice 1 BR close to campus (or close to the red line) for rent, how late is too late to start looking? i dont know when i can drop down (or rather go up) to boston to look around and sign a lease...might take till summer :S

[Nom Sawyer]

for those of you who are pretty much sure you are going to HLS, what do you plan to do for housing?

off-campus apt w/ girlfriend. I have been in a Cambridge for a while, although we live in a somewhat sketchy studio. I might be upgrading a bit for law school to a 1BR, which will be around $1300 in Cambridge. Not cheap but not too bad for 2 people to share.

i lived 4 miles outside of boston for two years so I know the prices are pretty steep. I never lived in cambridge though and didnt really spend too much time there so can you recommend some good cheap places? I'm not against taking taking the T as long as it is not ridiculously far. any advice would be great! I have to find an apartment from Japan (won't be back in the states until August 1st) so i want to get as much information about it as possible since i can't visit.

Are prices a lot cheaper if you live say 10 miles away from Harvard instead of on/ very near campus?

[englawyer]

Yes; there are quite a few cheaper neighborhoods/cities around Boston (for example Malden, Everett, Chelsea, Medford). The problem is that these cities lose the "college-y" scene that Boston is known for. They are mostly families in those cities, so it would be hard to develop a network of friends/keep up in the social scene. With a car it is certainly do-able though for someone that wants really cheap rent.

An intermediary between those places and Cambridge itself would be Somerville. Somerville borders Cambridge and there is reasonable public transit access to Cambridge. The neighborhoods in Somerville are generally cheaper, particularly if you live away from Davis Square/Union Square (the two most popular places in Somerville).

Here is an example of a cheaper neighborhood in Somerville:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 15&iwloc=A

[englawyer]

i want that englawyer! same scenario almost haha. btw, if i want a decently nice 1 BR close to campus (or close to the red line) for rent, how late is too late to start looking? i dont know when i can drop down (or rather go up) to boston to look around and sign a lease...might take till summer :S

the summer should be fine. I believe May/June are the most popular months to switch apartments, so you might want to keep an eye out then. But you should be OK any time over the summer. I actually got my current place in February so go figure.

[skynet]

I noticed that Boston/Cambridge craigslist is littered with spammy apt. listings and ads for agents. Is using an agent considered the normal way to find an apt there or should I just exclude all of those ads when searching?

[englawyer]

for those of you who are pretty much sure you are going to HLS, what do you plan to do for housing?

off-campus apt w/ girlfriend. I have been in a Cambridge for a while, although we live in a somewhat sketchy studio. I might be upgrading a bit for law school to a 1BR, which will be around $1300 in Cambridge. Not cheap but not too bad for 2 people to share.

i lived 4 miles outside of boston for two years so I know the prices are pretty steep. I never lived in cambridge though and didnt really spend too much time there so can you recommend some good cheap places? I'm not against taking taking the T as long as it is not ridiculously far. any advice would be great! I have to find an apartment from Japan (won't be back in the states until August 1st) so i want to get as much information about it as possible since i can't visit.

Sure. I will assume you are living by yourself, so I will focus on roommates/studio in addition to "cool" neighborhoods that are convenient to HLS. Specifically, I will mention those that are on the "red line" for super-convenient living.

Alewife is the last stop on the red-line. There are a number of apt/condo complexes here, but not much else. It is a little cheaper than Davis/Porter I believe. 3 stops to Harvard which is still a nice commute if you find a good place.

Davis Square is on the red-line, and thus very convenient to Harvard (2 stops). It had a renaissance of sorts in the 90's after the station was put in, and is know a solidly yuppie neighborhood. It is kind of funky though because it has a weird blend with its working class roots. Prices will generally be 600-700 to share an apartment with roommates or 1300 for a 1-BR. Davis has a clean-cut even suburban feel which can be a plus/minus for you (there are a ton of strollers going around).

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Porter Square is also on the red-line, and is even closer to Harvard (1 stop away). It is a more "generic/shopping center" neighborhood than Davis (seems to revolve around Shaw's) but still has some stuff to do and it is easy to get to better entertainment due to the train. Similar prices to Davis:

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Harvard Square is obviously the most convenient, but tends to be a bit more pricey than the other places (say more like 700-800 for sharing an apartment, or 1500 for 1BR). It also has the most stuff "to do" around the area. It is a more uppity neighborhood in general. The big plus would be that participating in the social scene would be very convenient.

Central Square is the most "city-ish" neighborhood of Cambridge. To me it feels like a watered-down Manhattan, complete with the dirtier streets and increased number of homeless people. It seems the most "real" of the Cambridge neighborhoods though, as the others I have mentioned are kind of fantasy-landish. One stop to Harvard (in the other direction). It is a little more pricey than Davis/Porter but not quite Harvard level:

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Kendall is the MIT neighborhood. It seems a bit more dry than the other places and is very industrial (lots of businesses and whatnot). Price-wise it is comparable to Central Square, and is 2 stops in the other direction (towards Boston). A big plus of this neighborhood would be closer proximity to Boston proper, as it would be a hop, skip, and a jump to downtown Boston.


Other neighborhoods (off the Redline):

"Area 4" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_4,_Cambridge

this place is the cheapest of all Cambridge, and is where I live in a studio for ~ $1000 total. There is a bus route to Harvard, and it is generally a 5-10 minute walk to Central or Kendall square. The downside is that it is dominated by low-income housing projects so it is nearly the opposite of Davis Square (socio-economically diverse, etc) and far from a "fantasy land" type place. Plenty of triple deckers, etc. There are quite a few students/grad students in the area but mostly poor/lower-income folks other than that.

Inman Square is a cute neighborhood with lots of restaurants etc and popular for young people. The downside is the lack of proximity to a train, so your commute would most likely be bus + train everyday, which could be a pain. Not sure if there is a bus right to Harvard (maybe though)

Lechmere Area would probably be inconvenient for HLS, and is not as cheap as the places above.


Final words of advice:

--> Stay near the red line if you can to avoid using a car but still have a great commute
--> if you want as cheap as possible, focus on Somerville, perhaps a place with a bus route to the T
--> if I had to recommend one place over all others, it would be Davis. I lived there for a bit and it was fun.

pricewise, you did good if:

Studio ~ 1000
Shared room ~ 600
1BR ~ 1200
2BR ~ 1400

something like that!