Harvard Law School : Ranking, Fees, Courses, Requirements

Harvard Law School is under the Umbrella of Harvard University which holds an Ivy League status. This Law School is famous for the Return on investment which is significant, and the status a student receives after the completion of their educational journey. The HLS placement rate stands at 97.6% with an average annual package of USD 215,000 in top Law firms of the US.

Moreover, Harvard Law School is located near Boston City making it accessible for the HLS students to build professional connections and take up internships and clerkships. According to the US world and news ranking body, the Harvard University Law courses are ranked #4 among the best 196 Law schools around the world.

The Law courses at Harvard University are ranked at #4 by the US World and News. The students from all over the world apply to these courses due to the state-of-the-art curriculum, high employability, and internships & clerkships provided by the school. The Harvard Law School acceptance rate stands at 11% for its JD program. The low acceptance rate suggests that out of every 100 applicants, only 11 students are rolled out an offer letter. It is hard to get Harvard Law School.

Although with right preparation, the students can bag their offer letter. Below are some basic requirements as an Indian student:

·         A four years Bachelor's Degree from Accredited university

·         Scanned copies of all the Academic Records

·         An online application done through Law School Admissions Council (LSAC)

·         Letters of recommendation (Submit at least 1

·         Essay

·         Standardized entrance test scores (LSAT/GRE)

Yes, Harvard Law School can be perceived as an expensive school because the tuition can range between USD 73,400 (INR 61 L) to USD 77,100 (INR 65 L). The HLS JD program can cost a student USD 77,100 (INR 65 L) for the first year without including the other expenses such as accommodation, living expenses etc. The School provides some financial relief to the students by providing them with scholarships.

Below is the table mentioning a standard students budget for most of the Harvard Law courses:

(USD 1 = INR 84.30)

Step 1-Choose a program: International students have to choose a programme among various Under graduate, and certificate programs and the eligibility criteria.

Step 2- Fill out the application form: Now go to the official website, and navigate through the common app to apply for the programme and fill out the required details like academic history, essay, standardized test score, English language score, and more.

Step 3-Pay application fee: Students must pay the application fee of USD 85 (INR 7,164) for the JD and LLM programs.

Step 4-Wait for a response: Harvard Law School will review the application and within a few weeks they will provide an offer letter to join the program.

Step 5-Attend Interview: Harvard Law School conducts interviews for a very small percentage of students so it's only on invitation basis.

(USD 1 = INR 84.30)

Students from all over the world apply to HLS. The Harvard Law School applications are open for Indian students, although there are certain requirements that an Indian student has to meet.

Below mentioned are the documents and exam requirements an Indian student has to meet to apply to HLS Law programs:

Harvard Law School JD Requirements as an International student:

·         A four years Bachelor's Degree from Accredited university

·         Scanned copies of all the Academic Records

·         An online application done through Law School Admissions Council (LSAC)

·         Letters of recommendation (Submit at least 1

·         Essay

·         Standardized entrance test scores (LSAT/GRE)

Harvard Law School follows a strict approach in selecting the best candidates out of a large pool of applications. To stay competitive and relevant till the end of the HLS application process can be tough for many. The students are required to show great academic scores and extra-curricular activities and such. The JD Class 2027, 50% of the students had a GPA of 3.95.

Other than the GPA, the table below shows the average scores for other requirements:

Out of a large amount of applications, Harvard Law School tries to select the best candidates for their Law programs. To apply for Harvard Law School, international students have to take an entrance exam. The students can either take GRE or the Law schools admissions test (LSAT).

Both the previously mentioned exams are valid, and the school says, that it does make it an advantage if the students take both the exams.

The table below shows the average scores for other requirements:

More than 1/3 of the HLS students live on-campus making the on-house campus a popular choice. The students can apply for the on-campus housing at Harvard via the official portal.

The HLS has residential building of different styles with variation in the cost:

·         Dormitory-Style Residential Rooms: Academic year cost for Dormitory Standard Single room is USD 8,361 (INR 7.06 L).

·         Apartment-Style Rooms: Academic year cost for Single Large Studio Apartment is USD 23,148 (INR 19.5 L).

There are other kinds of room and apartment types too, the students are suggested to keep their budget in mind while selecting these on-campus accommodation options.

A few details:

·         67% of the HLS student body lives off campus

·         86% of HLS students living off campus live in private off campus housing

·         14% of HLS students living off campus live in Harvard University Housing

The average monthly rent paid by an HLS student in 2015 was USD 1,500 (INR 1.26 L). 

(USD 1 = INR 84.30)

Harvard University is known for its quality of life, and the students say that they live a great life at this university. There are more than 200 student led organisations available, 17 student journals, unparalleled libraries, acclaimed museums and theatres, communities, enriching extracurricular activities.

There are on-campus and off-campus housing options available for the Harvard Law students.

·         67% of the HLS student body lives off campus

·         86% of HLS students living off campus live in private off campus housing

·         14% of HLS students living off campus live in Harvard University Housing

·         The average monthly rent paid by an HLS student in 2015 was USD 1,500 (INR 1.26 L)

Yes, the Law schools are considered tough as the currilculum is generally rigorous and the schedules are quite hectic, but the students of Harvard Law School say that it is less stressful than others. 

The students are provided with all kinds of resources such as accommodation, city guides, students' organisations, supportive communities on the HLS website. 

One-third of the students live on-campus, although off-campus housing is also available within walking distance to Harvard Law School.

Yes, the main Harvard Law School campus has 19 buildings and it is located northwest corner of Harvard Yard, bordered by Massachusetts Avenue and Everett Street in Cambridge. This school is located at Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. The nearest landmarks to HLS are Harvard Yard, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Divinity School. 

The main buildings include Wasserstein Hall, Langdell Hall (main library), Austin Hall, and Pound Hall.