Congratulations! It's a hard choice. But I think that Harvard Law School's exquisite prestige and education is more worth than everything else.

reputation is not everything. I say go where you have a tuition waiver. You might want to do public interest and not have the rest of your life to pay back your loans. And Harvard does not have the best research centers in everything - depending on what you want to do. For example, in inter-american law, AU and Notre Dame have the best research centers - better than Harvard.
Anyway - I would also look into the number of LLM students admitted at both schools. Good luck and congrats!

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Thanks everyone. I'm not sure if CLS communicated about their admission decisions this week since I'm not in touch with them directly. Thus far, I'm still inclined towards HLS unless NYU offers me a Hauser...which is highly unlikely!! Do you think anyone who hasn't heard from NYU still has a chance of being admitted or even granted a Hauser? To me, I think the chances are against me :(

Go to Berkeley buddy! you're not going to a 2nd tier school, and 45,000+ dollars really worth that little difference in reputation between Harvard and Berkeley...

I didn't get into Harvard, but had I got in I would have picked it over any other university, even if I had to go into debt to pay for it. Maybe it wouldn't have been the wisest choice (if I couldn't get a job afterwards), but that's what I would've done. What field are you interested in? Pick Harvard, unless you want to do public interest/human rights.

I think getting in to HLS makes people forget just how hard it is to get a spot there. I know several people with amazing credentials (I am not including myself here), who got rejected.

Has HLS not provided you with any financial aid?

If confirmed negative, then you may still go with it - Harvard is Harvard - unless you are, and will be, in deep debt beyond your comfort/confidence zone as a result. Congrats!

Harvard said they will inform us of their financial aid decisions by 1st Apr. But I don't have much time...so i asked them to expedite....but nothing so far.

Go to HARVARD!
and don't think twice -it's a dream of ANYONE here to go there! and it's really worthy - all of my friends from HLS got great jobs and amazing opportunities in US and outside it!

I'm in the situation in choosing between Berkeley and Gtown - but if I had Harvard or Stanford I would never think twice!
And also is it ok that Berkeley is public and super liberal?
Does it makes difficult to find a job afterwards?

Hmm, I beg to differ. No doubt that Harvard is the dream of most of applicants and its reputation is on the same level as oxbridge. But, Berkeley has a worldwide reputation that is great too. In fact there are many great law professors in my country that earned their LL.M. at Berkeley although they also got into Harvard. As well as associates in magic circle law firms. Berkley for sure is not a problem in your CV and at the moment it is also not easy to find a job in the U.S. even if you're a HLS graduate (it is much easier in e.g. in Europe and therefore not that important if you graduate from Harvard or Berkley as long as the school has a great reputation).

Last, full tuition means that you gain about 50kUSD, which is a large amount of money. 50k is something you can't save that easy and fas again, even if you work in a major law firm (as I do). I don't think that HLS is worth 50k more, unless you are into prestige only and money is no issue at all...but you do the math...

Given this, I'd understand if you decided to go to HLS but not if it's just because you think that you get a better job for sure...

And btw laiguana: thanks for implying that ANYONE here wants to go to HLS...My dreams are quite different...but maybe I'm not ANYONE;-))))

Thanks guys for your insights. However, I have already accepted Harvard's offer because they also offered me a moderate amount of grant (obviously not as generous as other schools). I honestly believe that Berkeley is a fine school but I also trust that Harvard's degree will open more doors for me. I don't really care much about getting a job in the US though.

U did the right thing!!! and ur not going to regret it ... i mean HARVARD!!!!! its a dream come true! and they offered u some money, and believe me , that after Harvard, people are going to look for u and ask u to join their companies! and ull pay back every penny borrowed ( if that is what ur planning to do in order to pay ur LLM year )

U did the right thing!!! and ur not going to regret it ... i mean HARVARD!!!!! its a dream come true! and they offered u some money, and believe me , that after Harvard, people are going to look for u and ask u to join their companies! and ull pay back every penny borrowed ( if that is what ur planning to do in order to pay ur LLM year )

I was going to ask what were your plans after the LlM ( specially because Fulbright = must go back home) but it now seems irrelevant. Good luck!

Hi!
I'm a 2011-2012 applicant. I've applied to HLS, SLS, NYU and Berkely (both traditional LLM and summer LLM).
I'm still waiting tor HLS, SLS, NYU and Berkeley traditional LLM, but I've been admitted to Berkeley summer LLM, which is a nice option for me because I wouldn't be obliged to quit my job.
My big concern is money. I've red that at least in a case Berkeley offered a full tuition waiver. Could you tell me if the tuition waiver has to be asked for and, in that case, when you have to ask for it? Do you know if tuition waivers can also be asked for the Summer LLm option?
Thank you

I am sure if you read on Berkeley's website, they do not offer any kind of financial assistance to students on the Summer LLM.

Full tuition waivers would be targeting the academic year course.

Therefore there is no hope... Thank you anyway!

I think the Summer LLM is a good option. It certainly allows you to pay in two instalments. So if you enrol in one summer you just pay half of the course for that term.

After that you have another year to pay the second part.

I think it works out just nicely.!!!

Good luck!

my question is that Harvard offers need-based grant........so in such case unless a candidate is able to support him/herself for full tuition, Harvard will eventually offer something if admitted......

So......it sounds like a false question.....and the real question should be"Berkeley+full tuition v. Harvard + part grant, which one?"

Then the answer is obvious............HARVARD.............