Congratulations to all applicants admitted by HLS!

For a JD absolutely yes, but for an LLM I would not agree with you... Harvard is ranked 5th - and has been for the past 3 years in a row.

If you want to work in the US without a JD you're better served going to a NY based law school (unless you are looking for a teaching position).

It won't be wrong to choose HLS.

JDI:

Harvard's LLM has ranked 5th? What ranks above?

JDI:

Harvard's LLM has ranked 5th? What ranks above?

JDI:

Harvard's LLM has ranked 5th? What ranks above?

JW: it's based on the following ranking

http://www.thelawjournal.co.uk/Ranking%20LLM%20U.S.%20Programmes%202006.htm

It is true that Harvard is not the best place to train attorneys. Actually, it focuses on something else. It might be better for those who would like to serve law firms to take admission of CLS or NYU.

For a JD absolutely yes, but for an LLM I would not agree with you... Harvard is ranked 5th - and has been for the past 3 years in a row.

The auap ranking is not credible at all!

I think I'll accept the HLS offer although I had been admitted at NYU as a Hauser.

You are right, you can't go wrong with Harvard if you look at the big picture, but is it worth giving up a full scholarship for? Winning a merit scholarship adds a lot of weight to your professional and academic profile, not to mention the cash savings.

I am glad I am not the only idiot on this board who rejected the NYU scholarship (Grotius in my case)/ RA deal...

But I am really glad that I'll be at HLS next year! See you guys there!

I am glad I am not the only idiot on this board who rejected the NYU scholarship (Grotius in my case)/ RA deal...

I am goingt o be quite blunt here - I think you are letting yourself down if you make a choice on name alone. Surely its important to weigh up all factors in the decision making process? I can certainly understand name being a large part, but not all. What about academic interests, teaching style, desired post-LLM goals, finances? I will be turning down Harvard (and yes this was a hard choice), even though I have a full scholarship there (including living allowance). Another school was better suited to me based on all relevant considerations.

Could you describe those considerations in greater detail? Also, how do you have a full scholarship; isn't HLS supposed to be just beginning their evaluations for financial assistance?

Of course I am well aware of the 'incredible honor' of a prestigious merit based scholarship. That is why I called myself an idiot you see. But I feel, as Jess rightly said, that other considerations should be more important. For instance, Harvard has got a pretty large SJD program, whereas NYU admits only 7 people a year and these 7 people can be LL.M's from all over the country (including Harvard). Also, there are many scholars at Harvard I strongly admire. Moreover, I am only graduating this year and I am not really sure about my specialization. My interests are still pretty broad (I won't bore you with all the details). And I feel that all of these interests are well-served at Harvard, whereas NYU seems to have it's specific strengts (e.g in international law). Also, and this might sound boring, plus it is not a decisive factor, I am not so attracted to New York as a city. It might be great, if one has got the money.
Finally, I arranged some funding in my home country to which I will no longer be eligible in case of receiving a full tuition waver. So I was lucky enough to be able to make this decision without thinking too much about the tuition money.

Grad schools do not attract trust fund babies, undergraduate programs do.

Law is for the middle and upper middle classes, The upperclass is not bothered with law school(or any other grad/proffesional school).

It might be my different cultural background, but I really don't get this trust fund baby, middle class, upper class thing!!
In my country we don't even have this distinction, so it would be nice if someone could fill me in...
Are you saying that only the 'rich kids' go to Harvard?!?!

I fail to see how my recent posting can be hard to comprehend..

Law degree is an graduate degree in the US.

I'm saying the exact opposite darling,members of the upper class(bona fides rich) do not go to law school. They only get their BA(at an ivy league college usually) and live the life of a leisured gentleman.

Hi!

I will also turn down NYU with vanderbilt (and Chicago, BTW) for Harvard.

Oh... and I'm not an idiot or a "trust-fund baby" (if I understand what you mean...).

Nobody here is fool and decided on basis of pure reputation. I endorse Mila's arguments (I'm also very young, still in college and have broad research interests) and sum up a few more of my own.

Now the other thing is to say that reputation is irrelevant: especially if you're not an american and people back at home don't know much about the relative merits of different law schools, reputation counts a lot! Moreover, Harvard is an amazing school, has an amazing faculty and amazing resources.

Quite happy with my decision so far.

Guys with full scholarships, I believe that you re right in going for HLS and not choose another school based on financial considerations. 40-60K is a lot but not so much for lawyers who will obviously be successful (in particular those who plan to work for a big law firm). I have a friend who turned down HLS 2 years ago, because of a full scholarship offered in another school, and now regrets cos' the money would have been reimbursed pretty quickly (2-3 years if not less). So she lost the big name of Harvard. If other considerations (specialization, location, etc) are part of the decision, then the debate is different.