Son Admitted From Harvard Waitlist. Need Help Deciding

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was recently admitted from the Harvard waitlist. He was all set to attend Brown. Normally, it would be an instant "yes," but the Harvard cap on A's has him hesitating. While he isn't entirely sure about his career path, he's considering law school and is worried that a lower GPA will hurt his post-grad chances. What does everyone think?

If your son is considering law school, you should pick Harvard because Harvard Law takes a large cohort of Harvard undergrads in each year, about 8 to 12%. So he will have a boost - and, Princeton doesn't have a law school. Of course, he would have to have top LSAT and top grades from undergrad to be one of those selected (classmates of mine went overseas to get a master's degree while studying for the LSAT and then reapplied and got in the second time).
The new policy doesn't start until fall 2027, and probably will be modified as Harvard compares it's grade readjustment plan to Yale's. , so your son have a year in the yard (a good thing) under the regular grading system.

HLS will know, of course, about the new grade system when it is implemented and will take that into consideration when looking at applications, just as any other good law school in the U.S., because everyone knows what is taking place.

To give you an idea of how difficult it is to get into Harvard Law, here are the stats at the 75th percentile: 4.0 GPA and a 176 LSAT. Even the median student has a GPA between 3.89 and 4.00 and an LSAT of 171 to 176. Many, many Harvard College undergrads go on to very fine law schools all over the nation.

Are you saying Harvard undergraduates will be competing with each other for those HLS spots?

DP. Yes. Same at every university that has a law school. The benefit is that, say, UVA, will take in more UVA undergrad students compared to other student applicants (and bear in mind that UVA law is a public school) but, yes you are competing against other UVA grads for those slots. What makes the analysis more tricky is that 70% of undergrads, nationally, take time off before applying to law school. At Harvard it is 80%. So, when, you have taken off time to work for two years as a paralegal or were a Rhodes or Marshall Scholar, you apply competing against 3-4 years or more Harvard applicants for one year of HLS seats. Many of my undergraduate friends at Harvard tried right out of college, but, knowing they would likely be turned down, simultaneously tried for the Rhodes, Marshall, etc. If turned down for HLS, and not getting a Rhodes or Marshall, then they would enroll at LSE or other European schools and pick up a Masters degree, or work as a paralegal or on a political campaign and return to try again. Failing that, they were usually picked up quit fast by other T14 law schools.

Wow. I never thought about it that way. I slid right in from a SLAC so for my DCs, I never consider whether a school has grad programs/law schools/med schools etc. I also know plenty of other law school classmates who came from no name undergrads. Everyone gets there some how - [b]no need to think so deeply about it at 18.

But OP is a mother asking for guidance for their child with this decision to make.

Yes, so pick the school that's the better fit, regardless of what might happen with grad school outcomes. Both Brown and Harvard are good schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The GPA for law school issue is real. A little research will reveal that the top law schools all have median undergraduate GPAs of over 3.9. It’s highly likely that law schools will adjust to the Harvard change, but no one can guarantee it. I wouldn’t reject Harvard on that issue alone. Your son should go where he’s most comfortable and thus most likely to succeed.

The LSAT is important and the law schools know that Harvard isn’t just handing out As to every student just for showing up.

But they were handing out As to the majority and most likely A-s to the rest. Hence the cap on As.

The same is happening at all Ivies. https://fortune.com/2026/04/16/yale-committee-recommends-reform-grade-inflation-admissions-process/. Hence, the Yale report suggesting need to clamp down on the grade inflation. Harvard acknowledged the problem first, then came the Yale report, Harvard announced a grade deflation plan, then Yale did, and it was more stringent than Harvard's. Harvard's is still under consideration and won't take effect until the fall of 2027. It will probably be revised several times to reflect developments at the other Ivies. OP's kid will be just fine in the first year at Harvard under the old system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was recently admitted from the Harvard waitlist. He was all set to attend Brown. Normally, it would be an instant "yes," but the Harvard cap on A's has him hesitating. While he isn't entirely sure about his career path, he's considering law school and is worried that a lower GPA will hurt his post-grad chances. What does everyone think?

If your son is considering law school, you should pick Harvard because Harvard Law takes a large cohort of Harvard undergrads in each year, about 8 to 12%. So he will have a boost - and, Princeton doesn't have a law school. Of course, he would have to have top LSAT and top grades from undergrad to be one of those selected (classmates of mine went overseas to get a master's degree while studying for the LSAT and then reapplied and got in the second time).
The new policy doesn't start until fall 2027, and probably will be modified as Harvard compares it's grade readjustment plan to Yale's. , so your son have a year in the yard (a good thing) under the regular grading system.

HLS will know, of course, about the new grade system when it is implemented and will take that into consideration when looking at applications, just as any other good law school in the U.S., because everyone knows what is taking place.

To give you an idea of how difficult it is to get into Harvard Law, here are the stats at the 75th percentile: 4.0 GPA and a 176 LSAT. Even the median student has a GPA between 3.89 and 4.00 and an LSAT of 171 to 176. Many, many Harvard College undergrads go on to very fine law schools all over the nation.

Are you saying Harvard undergraduates will be competing with each other for those HLS spots?

DP. Yes. Same at every university that has a law school. The benefit is that, say, UVA, will take in more UVA undergrad students compared to other student applicants (and bear in mind that UVA law is a public school) but, yes you are competing against other UVA grads for those slots. What makes the analysis more tricky is that 70% of undergrads, nationally, take time off before applying to law school. At Harvard it is 80%. So, when, you have taken off time to work for two years as a paralegal or were a Rhodes or Marshall Scholar, you apply competing against 3-4 years or more Harvard applicants for one year of HLS seats. Many of my undergraduate friends at Harvard tried right out of college, but, knowing they would likely be turned down, simultaneously tried for the Rhodes, Marshall, etc. If turned down for HLS, and not getting a Rhodes or Marshall, then they would enroll at LSE or other European schools and pick up a Masters degree, or work as a paralegal or on a political campaign and return to try again. Failing that, they were usually picked up quit fast by other T14 law schools.

Wow. I never thought about it that way. I slid right in from a SLAC so for my DCs, I never consider whether a school has grad programs/law schools/med schools etc. I also know plenty of other law school classmates who came from no name undergrads. Everyone gets there some how - [b]no need to think so deeply about it at 18.

But OP is a mother asking for guidance for their child with this decision to make.

Yes, so pick the school that's the better fit, regardless of what might happen with grad school outcomes. Both Brown and Harvard are good schools.

But mother, OP, asked specifically about law school chances and Harvard's proposed change to grading. . Which is what we are trying to answer.

[Anonymous]

Anyone who asks this question is not smart enough, and does not deserve, to go to Harvard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who asks this question is not smart enough, and does not deserve, to go to Harvard.

Well, I went there, appreciate OP's question, and will continue to answer her questions notwithstanding your negativity. If her kid wants law and the choices are Brown (no law school) versus Harvard (a big-time law school that favors its own undergrads), she/her kid should pick Harvard. Easy decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was recently admitted from the Harvard waitlist. He was all set to attend Brown. Normally, it would be an instant "yes," but the Harvard cap on A's has him hesitating. While he isn't entirely sure about his career path, he's considering law school and is worried that a lower GPA will hurt his post-grad chances. What does everyone think?

If your son is considering law school, you should pick Harvard because Harvard Law takes a large cohort of Harvard undergrads in each year, about 8 to 12%. So he will have a boost - and, Princeton doesn't have a law school. Of course, he would have to have top LSAT and top grades from undergrad to be one of those selected (classmates of mine went overseas to get a master's degree while studying for the LSAT and then reapplied and got in the second time).
The new policy doesn't start until fall 2027, and probably will be modified as Harvard compares it's grade readjustment plan to Yale's. , so your son have a year in the yard (a good thing) under the regular grading system.

HLS will know, of course, about the new grade system when it is implemented and will take that into consideration when looking at applications, just as any other good law school in the U.S., because everyone knows what is taking place.

To give you an idea of how difficult it is to get into Harvard Law, here are the stats at the 75th percentile: 4.0 GPA and a 176 LSAT. Even the median student has a GPA between 3.89 and 4.00 and an LSAT of 171 to 176. Many, many Harvard College undergrads go on to very fine law schools all over the nation.

Are you saying Harvard undergraduates will be competing with each other for those HLS spots?

DP. Yes. Same at every university that has a law school. The benefit is that, say, UVA, will take in more UVA undergrad students compared to other student applicants (and bear in mind that UVA law is a public school) but, yes you are competing against other UVA grads for those slots. What makes the analysis more tricky is that 70% of undergrads, nationally, take time off before applying to law school. At Harvard it is 80%. So, when, you have taken off time to work for two years as a paralegal or were a Rhodes or Marshall Scholar, you apply competing against 3-4 years or more Harvard applicants for one year of HLS seats. Many of my undergraduate friends at Harvard tried right out of college, but, knowing they would likely be turned down, simultaneously tried for the Rhodes, Marshall, etc. If turned down for HLS, and not getting a Rhodes or Marshall, then they would enroll at LSE or other European schools and pick up a Masters degree, or work as a paralegal or on a political campaign and return to try again. Failing that, they were usually picked up quit fast by other T14 law schools.

Wow[b]. I never thought about it that way. I slid right in from a SLAC so for my DCs, I never consider whether a school has grad programs/law schools/med schools etc. I also know plenty of other law school classmates who came from no name undergrads. Everyone gets there some how - no need to think so deeply about it at 18.

I, too, slid into HLS as valedictorian of my no-mention SLAC and went straight in. But the statistics for today's applicants are quite interesting. Yes, over 85% (recent class) at HLS take time off, and many do so with Rhodes, Marshall, and other scholarships. Over 200 Rhodes Scholars have gone to HLS. Also, four/five of the SCOTUS justices have Oxford degrees before attending HLS. Kagan/MPhil. Gorsuch/ DPhil. Breyer BA (Marshall scholar): Souter AB (elevated to MPhil, as is normal in the Oxford system)and MPhil (Rhodes), and all of them attending Harvard or Yale for undergrad. So, if you are interested in law school and your choices are Brown or Harvard, I think you pick Harvard (or Yale, if that is an option, which it isn't here).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was recently admitted from the Harvard waitlist. He was all set to attend Brown. Normally, it would be an instant "yes," but the Harvard cap on A's has him hesitating. While he isn't entirely sure about his career path, he's considering law school and is worried that a lower GPA will hurt his post-grad chances. What does everyone think?

If your son is considering law school, you should pick Harvard because Harvard Law takes a large cohort of Harvard undergrads in each year, about 8 to 12%. So he will have a boost - and, Princeton doesn't have a law school. Of course, he would have to have top LSAT and top grades from undergrad to be one of those selected (classmates of mine went overseas to get a master's degree while studying for the LSAT and then reapplied and got in the second time).
The new policy doesn't start until fall 2027, and probably will be modified as Harvard compares it's grade readjustment plan to Yale's. , so your son have a year in the yard (a good thing) under the regular grading system.

HLS will know, of course, about the new grade system when it is implemented and will take that into consideration when looking at applications, just as any other good law school in the U.S., because everyone knows what is taking place.

To give you an idea of how difficult it is to get into Harvard Law, here are the stats at the 75th percentile: 4.0 GPA and a 176 LSAT. Even the median student has a GPA between 3.89 and 4.00 and an LSAT of 171 to 176. Many, many Harvard College undergrads go on to very fine law schools all over the nation.

Are you saying Harvard undergraduates will be competing with each other for those HLS spots?

DP. Yes. Same at every university that has a law school. The benefit is that, say, UVA, will take in more UVA undergrad students compared to other student applicants (and bear in mind that UVA law is a public school) but, yes you are competing against other UVA grads for those slots. What makes the analysis more tricky is that 70% of undergrads, nationally, take time off before applying to law school. At Harvard it is 80%. So, when, you have taken off time to work for two years as a paralegal or were a Rhodes or Marshall Scholar, you apply competing against 3-4 years or more Harvard applicants for one year of HLS seats. Many of my undergraduate friends at Harvard tried right out of college, but, knowing they would likely be turned down, simultaneously tried for the Rhodes, Marshall, etc. If turned down for HLS, and not getting a Rhodes or Marshall, then they would enroll at LSE or other European schools and pick up a Masters degree, or work as a paralegal or on a political campaign and return to try again. Failing that, they were usually picked up quit fast by other T14 law schools.

Wow[b]. I never thought about it that way. I slid right in from a SLAC so for my DCs, I never consider whether a school has grad programs/law schools/med schools etc. I also know plenty of other law school classmates who came from no name undergrads. Everyone gets there some how - no need to think so deeply about it at 18.

I, too, slid into HLS as valedictorian of my no-mention SLAC and went straight in. But the statistics for today's applicants are quite interesting. Yes, over 85% (recent class) at HLS take time off, and many do so with Rhodes, Marshall, and other scholarships. Over 200 Rhodes Scholars have gone to HLS. Also, four/five of the SCOTUS justices have Oxford degrees before attending HLS. Kagan/MPhil. Gorsuch/ DPhil. Breyer BA (Marshall scholar): Souter AB (elevated to MPhil, as is normal in the Oxford system)and MPhil (Rhodes), and all of them attending Harvard or Yale for undergrad. So, if you are interested in law school and your choices are Brown or Harvard, I think you pick Harvard (or Yale, if that is an option, which it isn't here).

If your goal is to be a Supreme Court justice, sure? But most people won’t even have the option to consider that so…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was recently admitted from the Harvard waitlist. He was all set to attend Brown. Normally, it would be an instant "yes," but the Harvard cap on A's has him hesitating. While he isn't entirely sure about his career path, he's considering law school and is worried that a lower GPA will hurt his post-grad chances. What does everyone think?

If your son is considering law school, you should pick Harvard because Harvard Law takes a large cohort of Harvard undergrads in each year, about 8 to 12%. So he will have a boost - and, Princeton doesn't have a law school. Of course, he would have to have top LSAT and top grades from undergrad to be one of those selected (classmates of mine went overseas to get a master's degree while studying for the LSAT and then reapplied and got in the second time).
The new policy doesn't start until fall 2027, and probably will be modified as Harvard compares it's grade readjustment plan to Yale's. , so your son have a year in the yard (a good thing) under the regular grading system.

HLS will know, of course, about the new grade system when it is implemented and will take that into consideration when looking at applications, just as any other good law school in the U.S., because everyone knows what is taking place.

To give you an idea of how difficult it is to get into Harvard Law, here are the stats at the 75th percentile: 4.0 GPA and a 176 LSAT. Even the median student has a GPA between 3.89 and 4.00 and an LSAT of 171 to 176. Many, many Harvard College undergrads go on to very fine law schools all over the nation.

Are you saying Harvard undergraduates will be competing with each other for those HLS spots?

DP. Yes. Same at every university that has a law school. The benefit is that, say, UVA, will take in more UVA undergrad students compared to other student applicants (and bear in mind that UVA law is a public school) but, yes you are competing against other UVA grads for those slots. What makes the analysis more tricky is that 70% of undergrads, nationally, take time off before applying to law school. At Harvard it is 80%. So, when, you have taken off time to work for two years as a paralegal or were a Rhodes or Marshall Scholar, you apply competing against 3-4 years or more Harvard applicants for one year of HLS seats. Many of my undergraduate friends at Harvard tried right out of college, but, knowing they would likely be turned down, simultaneously tried for the Rhodes, Marshall, etc. If turned down for HLS, and not getting a Rhodes or Marshall, then they would enroll at LSE or other European schools and pick up a Masters degree, or work as a paralegal or on a political campaign and return to try again. Failing that, they were usually picked up quit fast by other T14 law schools.

Wow[b]. I never thought about it that way. I slid right in from a SLAC so for my DCs, I never consider whether a school has grad programs/law schools/med schools etc. I also know plenty of other law school classmates who came from no name undergrads. Everyone gets there some how - no need to think so deeply about it at 18.

I, too, slid into HLS as valedictorian of my no-mention SLAC and went straight in. But the statistics for today's applicants are quite interesting. Yes, over 85% (recent class) at HLS take time off, and many do so with Rhodes, Marshall, and other scholarships. Over 200 Rhodes Scholars have gone to HLS. Also, four/five of the SCOTUS justices have Oxford degrees before attending HLS. Kagan/MPhil. Gorsuch/ DPhil. Breyer BA (Marshall scholar): Souter AB (elevated to MPhil, as is normal in the Oxford system)and MPhil (Rhodes), and all of them attending Harvard or Yale for undergrad. So, if you are interested in law school and your choices are Brown or Harvard, I think you pick Harvard (or Yale, if that is an option, which it isn't here).

Or, if you pick Brown, try to get a Rhodes, Marshall, etc., from there to get into a top law school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband had a recent grad from Brown who graduated Summa and was so incompetent he had to fire her after six months. Getting A's isn't always the best thing for a student.

Brown literally doesn’t have summa cum laude or cum laude, just magna

Cool story tho

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My husband had a recent grad from Brown who graduated Summa and was so incompetent he had to fire her after six months.

Nice fairy tale. Brown abolished summa at least 40 years ago.

Agree, this is total BS. My DS just graduated magna cum laude from Brown. Magna cum laude (top 10%) is the only Latin honors Brown awards. 13 Brown students were accepted to Harvard Law School this year, btw.

[Anonymous]

People who don't get Brown..don't get Brown. It is not Harvard. That is a feature, not a bug. It is truly different among the Ivies, and other top schools. Again, feature, not bug. People here are talking about "brand." Harvard may have more name recognition, but few are talking about what the actual student gains there. Brown is like the self-motivated child - comfortable with itself, good at what it does. Harvard is...not. It has super smart and motivated students, but it's competitive and operates under the pressure of its "brand." It can be a negative experience for many.

[Anonymous]

For what it's worth, I think law schools can basically figure out the rank of students applying from Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. I think those kids are all competing against each other and law schools have a certain number of kids they're planning to take from each school. I don't think shifting the median GPA from any of those schools is going to change who gets in.

[Anonymous]

Both can get you where you want to be, but know at both you’re competing against high achievers with no off button. It is not a breeze at either so to think you’re going to swoop in and easily land at the top of the heap no matter how much of a star you were in high school isn’t realistic. That is why I say fit, no guarantee, so go where happy to live and learn for four years.

[Anonymous]

If the kid is chill and wants no stress, go to Brown. There so much competition at Harvard and it's a bad fit for a relaxed, laid back person. You can go for competitive later and just enjoy undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son was recently admitted from the Harvard waitlist. He was all set to attend Brown. Normally, it would be an instant "yes," but the Harvard cap on A's has him hesitating. While he isn't entirely sure about his career path, he's considering law school and is worried that a lower GPA will hurt his post-grad chances. What does everyone think?

Law schools will know how Harvard grades and adjust accordingly. This is not a reason to turn down Harvard. Also who knows if he will actually end up applying to law school at all. Where does he WANT to go?