Chicago Class of 2012 Forum

[etwake]

Same situation for me. I never thought I'd make it into Chicago, even after I got my LSAT back, and this whole experience has been amazing for me. I can't really see walking away from Chicago for anything else (except Harvard, which isn't happening). I can't see myself living in NY city on a student budget, so I think Columbia and NYU are out, but that will likely change if I get accepted to either of those schools. Also, while I'm expecting a waitlist from Penn, I will likely end up riding it out for a while. Penn seems pretty cool, and Philly intrigues me. However, my ties to Chicago will likely keep me in the Midwest, and the only realistic options I have include Chicago, NU, and UofM, and Chicago is clearly the best school out of those 3 options. I can't wait for the ASW to check it out.

[gannak]

etwake i got the same scholarship as you at umich. do you have any qualms about turning it down? i'm still jubilant over uchicago, but full tuition scares me a little bit.

[jaen78]

You don't know if you'll have to pay sticker price. Aid offers don't go out until March.

[gannak]

the only person i could find on lsn with my numbers that got a scholarship wrote a letter asking for one... i will try that, but i feel like i'm lucky just to get in; i don't know if they will toss me any dinero.

[jaen78]

Maybe you'll qualify for need-based aid?

[etwake]

I'm having no qualms at all. However, I think the $45k will end up being more like $70-80k when all is said and done. Also, COL is a bit higher in Chi than AA. However, BigLaw is pretty much a guarantee from UChi, not from UofM. If things pick up in a year, I think a lot of 1L's have the opportunity to work at firms making a little bit of money in the summer, although I'm not sure if 1L summer associates get paid the same as 2L summer associates in most cases. Also, if I got $25k from Chicago, that would just be icing on the cake. Although that's not entirely too likely, but it would make my decision a lot easier.

[cakewalker]

I'm heavily leaning towards Chicago, but I'd like to visit to confirm first. I'm also waiting to hear back from CLS, NYU and UMich. UMich would probably require a scholly for me to take over UChi. CLS would come down to impressions from UChi and CLS ASWs. NYU would require more research, but I'm pretty sure I would take UChi over it.

I feel that I'm in a very similar situation. Chicago's my #1 right now, but I've also got UVA and NYU as promising leads as well. CLS reserved me, and I'm pretty much giving up on Harvard and Stanford. I'm going to all 3 ASWs (don't want to go anywhere sight unseen), but unless those visits significantly change my views on the schools, I think Chicago will be my final choice.

[Belle]

You don't know if you'll have to pay sticker price. Aid offers don't go out until March.

Looks like a bunch of offers just went out. I got one today.

[Belle]

How many people here are 100% sure on attending Chicago? Which other schools are people considering?

I'm leaning very heavily towards Chicago, with U of M and NU in a close second.

Any other thoughts out there?? I'm trying to get a few more people active on this thread.

Chicago is looking really good to me. I've heard zilch from NYU or CLS, so if I happen to get into one of those I'll probably go given that I already live in NYC and don't really want to move. I love that Chicago has a smaller class and really cool professors. I'm an urban girl, and it seems like a city I could live in and enjoy.

[LGK]

After the aid offer I just received from them, I'm about 50/50 on Chicago. The competition is Penn. Columbia is a distant third.

[etwake]

Looking at the numbers of people already admitted, it seems like there's a lot of smart people attending Chicago next fall. I'm thinking I'll be lucky to get in the top half of my class. I don't really like being small fish in the pond

[etwake]

the only person i could find on lsn with my numbers that got a scholarship wrote a letter asking for one... i will try that, but i feel like i'm lucky just to get in; i don't know if they will toss me any dinero.

There's another 128/2.6 person out there? Cooley might have given some $$, but I don't know about Chicago.

[gannak]

i'm worried about that a little bit too. :\

no $$$ today as expected. i think i should call the financial aid office but i don't know if i'm aggressive enough to do that... maybe i'll send them an email.

[gannak]

HA! those are not my stats.

my gpa is way above chicago's 75%, but my lsat is at their 25%.

[etwake]

Hrm... PM me your numbers?? I'm curious.

[deadbeat]

etwake - 1L summers get paid the same as 2L summers. woo money!
cakewalker - I'll be at the ASW as well. Hopefully I'll have other options by then, but if not, I'll really be pulling for an awesome experience in Chicago.

I hope UChi decides to throw me some money. If they do, I'm pretty sure I would commit during the ASW, barring any unforeseen "irreconciliable differences" that might pop up.

[uclabruins]

Is anybody doing both NU and Chicago's ASW's that weekend?? I think I'm spending Thurs night and Friday at Chicago and Sat at NU.

Oh and for those of you guys who got the Dean's at Michigan, you think we'll have any leverage from that for aid at Chicago? Looks like it's between NYU and Chicago for me, but Michigan is hard to pass up too =/

[etwake]

Is anybody doing both NU and Chicago's ASW's that weekend?? I think I'm spending Thurs night and Friday at Chicago and Sat at NU.

Oh and for those of you guys who got the Dean's at Michigan, you think we'll have any leverage from that for aid at Chicago? Looks like it's between NYU and Chicago for me, but Michigan is hard to pass up too =/

I'm not freaking about money right now. I'm feeling the difference between $1400 and $1100 per month is going to be negligible, and that's what my rough math makes the $45k from UM to be.

[gannak]

ucla-- i already signed up for Michigan's ASW that's happening of course at the exact same time. i didn't buy a plane ticket yet, so i'm either going to do what you're doing, chicago then NU, or just come down to chicago the week after.

the building i want in ann arbor costs $1000+ a month. chicago has cheaper apartments than this, plus i don't plan on moving in and out of my apartment during the summer, or subletting. i'll pay double rent if i get a 1L job in a different city, and i won't have to at chicago (because there are plenty of firms in chicago). also, michigan's tuition is about $3300 more per year than chicago's, which adds up to almost 10k in three years. there's no guarantee the difference will stay that big...but there's also no guarantee it won't.

this is how i'm rationalizing to myself. maybe uchicago will take pity on me and toss me a scholarship.

[takingmytime]

Anyone know anything about asking for more money from UofC? I got a scholly but would probably need more for it to sway my decision. Has anyone told them something similar and gotten positive results?

[doyleoil]

Anyone know anything about asking for more money from UofC? I got a scholly but would probably need more for it to sway my decision. Has anyone told them something similar and gotten positive results?

haven't yet but i'm considering the most tactful way (and the best offers to show them)

[deadbeat]

ucla- I'm trying to figure out how I want to split time b/n UChicago and NU's ASW's as well. I'm highly tempted to simply stay in Chicago a bit longer as I have friends who will host me and a job that will let me get away with being out for a few more days.

[takingmytime]

Anyone know anything about asking for more money from UofC? I got a scholly but would probably need more for it to sway my decision. Has anyone told them something similar and gotten positive results?

haven't yet but i'm considering the most tactful way (and the best offers to show them)

That's my biggest problem... leverage. I only applied to T6 and UVa. I should have thrown in Penn, Michigan, Berkeley or maybe even Duke just to see if I could get money to leverage schools I actually want to go to.

[doyleoil]

ucla- I'm trying to figure out how I want to split time b/n UChicago and NU's ASW's as well. I'm highly tempted to simply stay in Chicago a bit longer as I have friends who will host me and a job that will let me get away with being out for a few more days.

i'm sure they're counting on people splitting with northwestern - probably not a bad idea to get an extra few days in tho - i just hope the panel thing with nussbaum and leiter isn't on saturday, because that was the day i was planning on being at northwestern

[Raz14]

Does anyone know how need-based scholarships work when you have a merit based scholarship? Are they just added on in addition independently of the amount of your merit based scholarship or are they only added if merit doesn't cover need, etc.?