<p>I have a peculiar situation on my hands. I'm a graduating senior at USC, with a 3.8 LSAC GPA, planning to go to law school soon. Last semester, however, a professor of mine convinced me to pursue a Masters in Islamic Studies at Harvard, and surely enough, after applying to the Divinity School at Harvard, I received an acceptance letter. I'm very excited at the opportunity, but my situation is this:</p>
<p>The Harvard Masters in Islamic Studies is a 2 year program. This means I wouldn't enter Law school until Fall 2009 (hence I would be class of 2012) after I complete the program at Harvard. I am young (21), but I've always wanted to set on my career at around 25. Besides this, I couldn't really find any negatives.</p>
<p>The positive side to this is that HALF of my Masters degree at Harvard can be fulfilled through classes taken at ANY Harvard graduate school. Of course, this means I can take classes at Harvard Law School, which means I can obtain a letter of recommendation from a Harvard Law faculty member, and then possibly apply for a Joint Degree program (Masters + J.D.), or even if I was to complete my full 2 years, I could still apply to HLS or any other law school for that matter (my preference is to come back to California and go to either UCLA or Boalt Hall). </p>
<p>What do you all think? Harvard for 2 years and then law school, or take a year and go to LSE (spend LOTS of money) and obtain a Masters in Political Theory, after which I enter law school in 2008? Any help is appreciated!</p>
<p>haha, useful reply. no actually, i went to cal state fullerton (a state school) for my first two years before transferring to USC, where I received a scholarship. At Harvard, its the same deal, that is why LSE isn't so attractive. Thanks anyways.</p>
<p>Well, you want to start your career around 25. Go to LSE and then law school, then a career at 25, it is. Go to Harvard, then to law, start at 26. Doesn't seem like a big difference.</p>
<p>If time is your only negative, I'd say that a scholarship to pursue an interesting course of study at an amazing institution is definitely worth the one year setback. </p>
<p>LSE would certainly be an excellent opportunity, as well, but if you're interested in both programs, then hey, go for the one that doesn't entail "LOTS of money" (law school will put enough of a dent in your pockets).</p>
<p>I have no real basis to say, but I'm not sure that your "plus side" is actually workable. It might be a stretch to take HLS classes on top of your Islamic Studies work, since I don't see how the former could count much toward the latter. </p>
<p>On a you-don't-actually-need-to-consider-this-it's-just-cool-in-my-head note, USC + Harvard = best alum support EVER ;-)</p>
<p>Congrats on your situation...you definitely have solid options. I think that if both programs really interest you, you may as well save money. If you feel more strongly toward LSE than your post indicates, then perhaps it's a different story.</p>
<p>the average age of 1Ls at my (top 14) law school is 25, and I assume that it's similar at most other places. You won't be too old for law school or to start your career.</p>
<p>When I was deciding whether to do a joint degree with law school, my sister made a good point: "would you rather be a student for 4 more years and an attorney for 40, or be a student for three more years and be an attorney for 41 years?" I think being a student is great (no boss, long vacations, student organizations, etc.) and four decades is plenty of time for a career.</p>
<p>Don't tie yourself down to some idea you had about the "right" time to start working full-time. A cool and affordalbe opportunity came up at Harvard, and it's ok to change your plans in response to it.</p>
<p>Thanks a bunch for the replies Student615 and stacy.</p>
<p>In response to Student615, actually, law could very well tie in with a Masters in Islamic Studies. UCLA and Yale law school have incredible Islamic Legal Studies programs, and many top institutions with law schools also have great PhD programs in Islamic Studies. As a Muslim, I'm interested in combining my legal education with a more in depth understanding of my faith, particularly when it comes to public service, so I feel this Masters is more of a platform for that sort of work (whether it be in Academia or anywhere else).</p>
<p>Stacy, yes, thats right, I love school and I'm not too worried about the age aspect, I guess its more the pressure I'm facing from the parents. I feel like a Masters at Harvard could definitely lead me to a top law program such as UCLA/Berkeley, two law schools I dream of going to.</p>
<p>The huge plus is the opportunity to take classes at Harvard law, but here's the biggest question I have now: will it affect my law school application if I take classes at HLS? Moreover, would the classes I take at HLS count towards the elective units at the law school I am admitted to once I complete the Masters (For instance, would it cut off, say, 1 or 2 semesters of law school if I had already taken the equivalent amount at HLS as a Masters student?) </p>
<p>Thanks for all the help guys, and I think Harvard for Islamic Studies it is. Now just gotta work hard on the LSAT.</p>
<p>I have no idea how schools would consider your HLS credits. my guess is that the classes you'd be taking at other Harvard schools would have to be tied in some way to Islamic studies (ie, why would they let you count Torts or something towards your masters?), and there are probably only a few (upper-level) law courses like that at HLS. So, at best, you might be able to shave a couple of elective credits off what you need for law school and take a lighter courseload in your 2L or 3L year. </p>
<p>But even that's not terribly likely, since the ABA has pretty strict rules about how many credits students have to take and how many semesters you have to be "in residence" in order to graduate. </p>
<p>Your best bet is first to find out exactly how many HLS courses you could take and in what subjects, and then get in touch with the admissions offices at a few law schools you might apply to.</p>