Chances at Harvard - 175, 3.73, Hispanic, Top Business UG Forum

[Mr. Elshal]

Hi guys,

I've been looking at the law school calculators but they only look at the numbers. I would like a more holistic opinion (and I understand that it is, in fact, just an opinion).

I have a 175 LSAT (taken once), 3.73 GPA (3.72 by LSDAS), I am Hispanic, and I have worked in accounting positions (internships and part-time) for the last 4 or 5 years. I am finishing up a BS in Accounting at NYU Stern School of Business in December 2012, and applying for the Fall 2013 semester.

Can anyone give me some estimate of my chances at Harvard?

Thank you.

[Ti Malice]

What kind of Hispanic? MA/PR? If so, you're a stone-cold lock at Harvard. If not, you still have a pretty decent shot.

[Mr. Elshal]

What kind of Hispanic? MA/PR? If so, you're a stone-cold lock at Harvard. If not, you still have a pretty decent shot.

Argentinean. I'm hoping it gives me a bit of a boost, because I know my GPA is a little low for them

[echamberlin8]

If the OP isn't Puerto Rican or Mexican-American, will he fit into the same category as any other non-URM? Or do Hispanics still get some sort of numbers-advantage even if they aren't one of those two types?

I'm interested, because I'm white, but I have the same GPA as the OP and am curious what LSAT you guys think it will take to get into Harvard these days (I know that the application numbers have dropped, so they will possibly let in people with lower GPAs or other things they might not have let in in the past). My goal is a 175+ with hopes that it will possibly get me a shot at Harvard, that most attainable of the HYS trinity.

[Yukos]

If the OP isn't Puerto Rican or Mexican-American, will he fit into the same category as any other non-URM? Or do Hispanics still get some sort of numbers-advantage even if they aren't one of those two types?

My guess is it would depend on how he "uses" it. If he faced discrimination or grew up in a Spanish ghetto and writes about that in his DS/PS then he probably could get a boost. If he made an effort to connect with his heritage by starting a club or campaigning for Latino rights or something, a lot of law schools would eat that up too. If he just grew up like a white kid in the suburbs, it'll probably difficult for him to leverage his ethnicity.

I'm interested, because I'm white, but I have the same GPA as the OP and am curious what LSAT you guys think it will take to get into Harvard these days (I know that the application numbers have dropped, so they will possibly let in people with lower GPAs or other things they might not have let in in the past). My goal is a 175+ with hopes that it will possibly get me a shot at Harvard, that most attainable of the HYS trinity.

A 175+ will put you in good shape based on last year. A 173 or below will probably be an autoding. Play around with lawschoolnumbers but realize that this year is very unpredictable.

[Doorkeeper]

I'm interested, because I'm white, but I have the same GPA as the OP and am curious what LSAT you guys think it will take to get into Harvard these days (I know that the application numbers have dropped, so they will possibly let in people with lower GPAs or other things they might not have let in in the past). My goal is a 175+ with hopes that it will possibly get me a shot at Harvard, that most attainable of the HYS trinity.

Speaking from personal experience, you have a shot at Harvard if you're 174+ with a 3.7-3.79, and you have something else going for you (good work experience, big name letters of recommendation, hard science major, won a prestigious award/fellowship, etc).

A white 175/3.73 that's K-JD without anything else of significance on the resume will not have a great shot. You need something else on the resume to justify that they're dropping down to the 25% GPA.


OP, you have a very good shot at Harvard. I believe, but I'm not positive, that non-PR/Mex hispanics get a smaller bump, and your numbers put you in contention.

[echamberlin8]

Thank you, Yukos and Doorkeeper. I will be honest, I probably don't have anything that will "set me apart" for getting into Harvard. However, I'm not K-JD. I graduated in '09, and have worked full-time since then at two different jobs. My current job is working as a paralegal at a Vault top 25 BigLaw firm. I realize that's nothing too special, but it is something and hopefully it will give my application a narrative about why I want to work as a lawyer. Also, if this matters at all (it probably doesn't), I come from a school that is currently not represented at Harvard Law School (I looked up the schools on their Web site), so if they're looking for some of that institutional diversity, they can get it right here! (Just trying to be hopeful here, haha.)

By the way, OP, I'm sorry to hijack this thread. In my honest opinion, I think you have a good shot at Harvard if you have a solid application. I would say try to play up the diversity element.

[Mr. Elshal]

Thank you, Yukos and Doorkeeper. I will be honest, I probably don't have anything that will "set me apart" for getting into Harvard. However, I'm not K-JD. I graduated in '09, and have worked full-time since then at two different jobs. My current job is working as a paralegal at a Vault top 25 BigLaw firm. I realize that's nothing too special, but it is something and hopefully it will give my application a narrative about why I want to work as a lawyer. Also, if this matters at all (it probably doesn't), I come from a school that is currently not represented at Harvard Law School (I looked up the schools on their Web site), so if they're looking for some of that institutional diversity, they can get it right here! (Just trying to be hopeful here, haha.)

By the way, OP, I'm sorry to hijack this thread. In my honest opinion, I think you have a good shot at Harvard if you have a solid application. I would say try to play up the diversity element.

No worries about hijacking. It brings more info to the thread and I'm glad for that. I'm going crazy trying to figure out what to write for the diversity statement, but hopefully I'll figure it out soon. Good luck!