Where can I get a full ride? Forum

[kickincane21]

So I applied this last cycle with my 164/3.48 and got into some pretty decent T1 and high T2 schools (40-60 range) most all giving 50% scholarship. Unfortunately due to some financial issues I might not qualify for GradPlus loans since I have delinquencies and collections on my credit this last year. If that turns out to be true (i'll find out in July) I can't go to Law School this year and have to wait til next year when these issues are resolved. I was thinking of doing my next cycle differently and applying to some schools where I might have a shot at a full ride....do you think there are any T2 schools I could get into with that? I mean as people always say if I'm not going to a TOP school everything else is semi regional so I'd rather graduate debt free since I don't know what my future holds.

[Thane Messinger]

So I applied this last cycle with my 164/3.48 and got into some pretty decent T1 and high T2 schools (40-60 range) most all giving 50% scholarship. Unfortunately due to some financial issues I might not qualify for GradPlus loans since I have delinquencies and collections on my credit this last year. If that turns out to be true (i'll find out in July) I can't go to Law School this year and have to wait til next year when these issues are resolved. I was thinking of doing my next cycle differently and applying to some schools where I might have a shot at a full ride....do you think there are any T2 schools I could get into with that? I mean as people always say if I'm not going to a TOP school everything else is semi regional so I'd rather graduate debt free since I don't know what my future holds.

This can be a dilemma, because as a general rule, the more of a free ride one is getting, the less it is worth.

Also, it is not exactly true that everything below the top is semi-regional. We tend to think of rankings as linear. They are not. Each law school has its own "clientele," and it can make a BIG difference to a specific law student--you--whether that clientele (the firms, judges, and agencies) are a good fit and will get you what you want.

One possibility to consider, if finances are tight, is a good part-time program. There aren't many, but those that are well-regarded can be a good way to pay-as-you-go, offering both an inside track to agencies and firms (albeit not usually the big law ones) and a reasonable financial cost.

Hope this helps,

Thane.

Thane Messinger
Author of:
Law School: Getting In, Getting Good, Getting the Gold
The Young Lawyer's Jungle Book: A Survival Guide

[D. H2Oman]

So I applied this last cycle with my 164/3.48 and got into some pretty decent T1 and high T2 schools (40-60 range) most all giving 50% scholarship. Unfortunately due to some financial issues I might not qualify for GradPlus loans since I have delinquencies and collections on my credit this last year. If that turns out to be true (i'll find out in July) I can't go to Law School this year and have to wait til next year when these issues are resolved. I was thinking of doing my next cycle differently and applying to some schools where I might have a shot at a full ride....do you think there are any T2 schools I could get into with that? I mean as people always say if I'm not going to a TOP school everything else is semi regional so I'd rather graduate debt free since I don't know what my future holds.

If you're going to take time off, you'd be an idiot to not retake the LSAT.

[nycmba]

Clean up your credit before going to Law School. It's better than taking out private loans, which, based on what you've written, you will need a co-signer for anyway.

There are many advantages to Federal Loans (Stafford, Plus, etc), They can be consolidated, or even forgiven based on your income or whether you practice public interest law.

You won't ever be able to do that with private loans.

Do whatever it takes to clear up your debt. Borrow from family, sell your baseball card collection, auction off your designer duds.

You may have to postpone law school for a while. However, your LSAT score is good for a few years and ironically, postponing may increase your chances of admission in the future as this is one the most competitive admissions cycles ever.

Best of luck with your journey.

[kickincane21]

Thank you all for the input. If I do reapply I might consider re-taking the LSAT, but that is typically what I was getting on practice tests, so what if I do worse?

I agree the lower I go down the lower the job options, but I was more thinking if I have to pay 50% at a school in the 50's or possibly get a full ride or 75% to a school in the 70-80's, I think it would be worth it.

So has anyone out there with my type of numbers gotten a full ride? If so where to? I applied to 10 schools this cycle and spent a fortune, plus two seat deposits, which are all wasted now if I can't get loans, so not looking to do it again.

I was also thinking of PT as an option but too late for this term I think. Is there anyway I could get into Georgetown PT with my numbers? Thats probably the only school I would pay sticker at if I could get in, cause since its part time I could work and have family in DC.

[MSUPHL]

just my experience with a 163/3.6 - only schools that i got a free ride to that I applied to were not in the top 100 - Michigan State and Wayne State. The schools I applied to ranked 60-100 were Pitt, DePaul, and georgia state. At Pitt I think I got 12k/yr, Depaul I got 20k or 25k/yr (forgot) and i got wait listed at Ga. state (WTF - yes, serious).

[1ferret!]

might try georgia state. Since tuition is so low anyway, if you got even a reasonable amount of $ then you may be able to do the rest without going to the Grad Plus. Otherwise, if you are concerned about staying in the T2, the new kid Chapman might throw a full ride your way.