how miserable is life at harvard? :)

[Resident CLS Troll]

I didn't get into Harvard, but I chose Boalt over some of those other East Coast schools (Columbia et al.) for a lot of the reasons you mentioned (family, friends, significant other all in the Bay Area, already lived here and liked it, etc.), so that's where I'm coming from. The opportunities at Harvard certainly outweigh those at Boalt, perhaps significantly if you're shooting for ultra-competitive things. No question about that. That said, it depends on what you want out of your career. You will have stellar opportunities coming out of both, especially if you figure out what you want and push to make it happen.

[dashrashi]

I don't think you'd be crazy to choose Boalt, but I don't think it should be because you worry about your classmates at HLS being lame.

Cosigned 100%.

(also agree re your tangent. also agree re always something on the totem pole. If I could just be fine with my chosen career path then I wouldn't have to study at all for any class ever. I'm all set. But of course now it kinda sounds like clerking might be fun, blah blah blah. Argh. I hate this aspect of myself. So easily swayed to never get off the treadmill!)