Different graduate programs, medical school, business school, and law school were all feasible possibilities for me. Eventually, I determined that law school is my best pursuit because I know it would teach me applicable skills that will be useful in any future career. It would provide me with the most opportunities and options than any of the other program in my academic career.
I submitted my application to the majority of the top-tier law schools such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Berkeley. These schools required a standard application fee. Through the LSAC, I was able to obtain a fee waiver for other law schools such as Michigan, Virginia, Georgetown, Chicago, NYU, Columbia, and Duke.
I was accepted by all but 3 of these schools - I withdrew after being wait-listed at Yale. Berkeley and UVA rejected me. My final decision was among Harvard, Stanford, and Penn, which offered me a scholarship that was close to a full ride.
The US News and World Report states that there is a clear top-tier among law schools: Yale, Harvard, and Stanford. The general sense is that, if you are admitted to one of these programs, you attend unless there's a compelling reason not to. Qualities of these schools that justify this include: the lack of a grading system to rate student performances, the national hiring reach, and the high placement rates in clerkships and academia from these programs. I removed all other schools that did not have these qualities from my list of consideration with the exception of Penn. I reserved this option because of the scholarship offer that was provided by Penn.
Three points helped determine my decision among Penn, Harvard, and Stanford:
Grades: Penn uses the standard grading system that is familiar in undergraduate schools (e.g., A+/A/A- and so on). Yale, Harvard, and Stanford, on the other hand, operate without 'grades' in the traditional sense. Students are instead subject to categorization in an "Honors/Pass/Fail" system. From the information I have gathered, this change promotes a culture that is less focused on competition and grades but individual learning. Personally, I feel less stressed and enjoy my studies much more. I believe the change has been resoundingly positive for me because I can focus on the material I am learning without being distracted by the pressure of grades.
Opportunities after Graduation: A non-legal career upon graduation from law school is still a significant possibility for me. Employers, whose focuses are non-legal, generally consider only the "Top 3" law schools. Likewise, legal opportunities are also available to top students across the top schools. This holds less true for middle and lower tier law schools. The higher chances of finding future opportunities became a significant attraction of Harvard and Stanford for me.
Financial Costs: Paying for law school is expensive. However, there are numerous options that can help cover the cost. Loan repayment programs at each school are designed to help alleviate the financial burden.
In the end, the choice was between Harvard and Stanford. I sought out friends and graduates from each program for their advice. This was obviously a "high-class problem" to have as each person emphasized that I could not go wrong either way.
Pros and cons on key differences between Harvard and Stanford:
Class Size: Harvard has around 550 students per incoming class, while Stanford is closer to 170. Both schools divide their classes into "Sections" for the first year (Harvard: 7 sections of 75-80; Stanford: 6 sections of 25-30). At both schools, students spend their first year almost exclusively with their Section. For me, attending a larger program was a priority. The advantages of this include having the scale to run more programs at the law school and to having a larger and broader alumni network to connect with. Especially since I entered law school planning to pursue a non-legal path afterwards, being able to find an adequate number of other law students with similar intentions who could help support me was crucial.
Locality: Having grown up in the Midwest and working in the West Coast, my aim was to try life out east in order to help determine where I would want to settle after graduation. There was one specific advantage for me in Palo Alto, which is access to the venture capital and startup community, but this was negated since Boston is also rich with opportunity in that field. While the weather in Palo Alto far surpasses Cambridge and my experiences so far have me planning to return to the West Coast, my experience in the East Coast has served the purpose I hoped it would.
International and non-legal opportunities: Working across Europe and Asia during the months when I was applying to law schools was gratifying. The people I interacted with respected the Harvard name and I was able to find Harvard Law graduates in unexpected places (thanks to the large classes and alumni network). Because I hoped to find work abroad and outside the legal profession, I finalized my decision and chose to attend Harvard. pushed me toward choosing the Harvard brand name in the end.
Programs offered: Upon entering law school, three qualifications were of concern to me: (1) Access to classes at a top business school; (2) Courses in venture capital and entrepreneurship law; and (3) Courses on negotiation. Both Stanford and Harvard satisfied the first criteria, with Stanford being favored slightly. Stanford specialized more in the second criteria but Harvard's size helped offer comparable courses and specialized seminars in this area as well. Finally, the Program on Negotiation at Harvard was the main difference between the two schools. This was the determining factor assuring me that Harvard is the best school for me.
While there have been times during the Boston winter when I checked the Palo Alto weather and wished I can be at Stanford instead, making my choice based on clear and overall assessment keeps me convinced that I have made the right choice.
Alex Fennick is a graduate of Harvard Law School and now practicing corporate law at a presitigious firm. He is a top contributor at "Get Into Harvard Law School", a leading resource for insights and advice on how to get into Harvard Law School. Hear advice directly from admitted students and alumni of the best law school in the US! We cover everything from the LSAT to recommendations to personal statements to interviews and much more...
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
