UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall) Law Class of 2018 Forum

[sheishkabob]

Hey guys, finally got in touch from financial aid via email, this is what they said:

"Financial aid award offers were made available to admitted students yesterday. You will need your CalNet ID and password to access your financial aid offer. To view your current offer, please click here.

Admitted students and the Financial Aid Office are notified about scholarship awarding from the Office of Admissions. Typically the admitted student is notified before the Financial Aid Office. Once we are notified of scholarship awards, we update the financial aid awards to reflect the scholarship. The financial aid offer is based on all the information we currently have. Admitted students are still be considered for Merit-Based and Matching Scholarships.

Our scholarship awards are made on a rolling basis. We anticipate that the majority of our scholarships will be offered by April 15th. After April 15th we will make additional scholarship offers based on funding availability."

[slurpy]

Hey guys, finally got in touch from financial aid via email, this is what they said:

"Financial aid award offers were made available to admitted students yesterday. You will need your CalNet ID and password to access your financial aid offer. To view your current offer, please click here.

Admitted students and the Financial Aid Office are notified about scholarship awarding from the Office of Admissions. Typically the admitted student is notified before the Financial Aid Office. Once we are notified of scholarship awards, we update the financial aid awards to reflect the scholarship. The financial aid offer is based on all the information we currently have. Admitted students are still be considered for Merit-Based and Matching Scholarships.

Our scholarship awards are made on a rolling basis. We anticipate that the majority of our scholarships will be offered by April 15th. After April 15th we will make additional scholarship offers based on funding availability."

They still haven't responded to my email from yesterday morning... this is all just leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I don't understand why it's so difficult for Berk to do money distribution. I got my offers from other schools ages ago. And they couldn't be more opaque about this whole process. Releasing aid this way is seriously just inviting people to panic.

[AriTheHuman]

Got the same email response to an email I sent them over a week ago.
And I totally agree. Why does their method require so much more time and stress?
Anyway, back to waiting...

[sheishkabob]

Hey guys, finally got in touch from financial aid via email, this is what they said:

"Financial aid award offers were made available to admitted students yesterday. You will need your CalNet ID and password to access your financial aid offer. To view your current offer, please click here.

Admitted students and the Financial Aid Office are notified about scholarship awarding from the Office of Admissions. Typically the admitted student is notified before the Financial Aid Office. Once we are notified of scholarship awards, we update the financial aid awards to reflect the scholarship. The financial aid offer is based on all the information we currently have. Admitted students are still be considered for Merit-Based and Matching Scholarships.

Our scholarship awards are made on a rolling basis. We anticipate that the majority of our scholarships will be offered by April 15th. After April 15th we will make additional scholarship offers based on funding availability."

They still haven't responded to my email from yesterday morning... this is all just leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I don't understand why it's so difficult for Berk to do money distribution. I got my offers from other schools ages ago. And they couldn't be more opaque about this whole process. Releasing aid this way is seriously just inviting people to panic.

I sent this email about a week ago, so I wouldn't worry on the lack of response, they're just behind. But I agree, super frustrating

[Comma.Split]

Got the same email response to an email I sent them over a week ago.
And I totally agree. Why does their method require so much more time and stress?
Anyway, back to waiting...

Come on, guys. I know it is super stressful to wait, and we all want to put this cycle to bed by committing to Berkeley. However, they are really trying hard to divide up the money in the most efficient way. Think about it for a second. If someone decides not to go to Berk after being offered a scholly, the money goes back into the pile and is then offered to someone else. They are really trying to give away everything they got to people who are most committed to Berk. It is way better than sending a mass e-mail blast to everyone accepted based on some formula. What happens when a bunch of people don't accept? I personally never got an e-mail saying "applicant X rejected our offer, so here's more money for you, sir." It is just a different way of distributing financial aid - in my opinion, a better way.

On a separate note, I also got an e-mail confirming the receipt of my matching application. Although I submitted four or five days ago.

[slurpy]

Got the same email response to an email I sent them over a week ago.
And I totally agree. Why does their method require so much more time and stress?
Anyway, back to waiting...

Come on, guys. I know it is super stressful to wait, and we all want to put this cycle to bed by committing to Berkeley. However, they are really trying hard to divide up the money in the most efficient way. Think about it for a second. If someone decides not to go to Berk after being offered a scholly, the money goes back into the pile and is then offered to someone else. They are really trying to give away everything they got to people who are most committed to Berk. It is way better than sending a mass e-mail blast to everyone accepted based on some formula. What happens when a bunch of people don't accept? I personally never got an e-mail saying "applicant X rejected our offer, so here's more money for you, sir." It is just a different way of distributing financial aid - in my opinion, a better way.

On a separate note, I also got an e-mail confirming the receipt of my matching application. Although I submitted four or five days ago.

I get what you're saying. I just don't think it's acceptable to make students wait until June (after all other deposit deadlines) to let them know whether they have to borrow $300k to attend. Aside from that, something as simple as posting a note on BearFacts telling us that we are still being considered for matching would alleviate so much confusion.

[AriTheHuman]

Exactly. It's the communication that is frustrating, not their reasoning and process. Please try to recognize how intensely stressful this process is. Our frustration is warranted.

[indo]

Exactly. It's the communication that is frustrating, not their reasoning and process. Please try to recognize how intensely stressful this process is. Our frustration is warranted.

+1 so true

[taketwo]

I got no money from Berkeley, and no money from an equally-ranked/higher school. Can I just ask them straight up if they can please consider me for scholarships (I did submit a response for the optional merit scholarship form) because I would really love to go but I really can't finance it, and even any small amount of money would help. I've heard they don't give money unless you ask, right?

(yes I'm desperate. I also have no idea how this works.)

[JFO1833]

I got no money from Berkeley, and no money from an equally-ranked/higher school. Can I just ask them straight up if they can please consider me for scholarships (I did submit a response for the optional merit scholarship form) because I would really love to go but I really can't finance it, and even any small amount of money would help. I've heard they don't give money unless you ask, right?

(yes I'm desperate. I also have no idea how this works.)

They may not be done issuing money yet.

There are three pools of money at Berkeley:

Matching - Fill out matching form -- you should do this if you have not yet (and have an offer to give to them)
Merit - Fill out scholarship interest form -- you did this
Need - Fill out FASFA and supplemental -- you should do this if you have not yet

I don't think there is anything else to do.

[trynalaw123]

I got no money from Berkeley, and no money from an equally-ranked/higher school. Can I just ask them straight up if they can please consider me for scholarships (I did submit a response for the optional merit scholarship form) because I would really love to go but I really can't finance it, and even any small amount of money would help. I've heard they don't give money unless you ask, right?

(yes I'm desperate. I also have no idea how this works.)

They may not be done issuing money yet.

There are three pools of money at Berkeley:

Matching - Fill out matching form -- you should do this if you have not yet (and have an offer to give to them)
Merit - Fill out scholarship interest form -- you did this
Need - Fill out FASFA and supplemental -- you should do this if you have not yet

I don't think there is anything else to do.

+1 once you do that you're in the same waiting boat as all of us, they know everyone wants a scholarship

[taketwo]

I got no money from Berkeley, and no money from an equally-ranked/higher school. Can I just ask them straight up if they can please consider me for scholarships (I did submit a response for the optional merit scholarship form) because I would really love to go but I really can't finance it, and even any small amount of money would help. I've heard they don't give money unless you ask, right?

(yes I'm desperate. I also have no idea how this works.)

They may not be done issuing money yet.

There are three pools of money at Berkeley:

Matching - Fill out matching form -- you should do this if you have not yet (and have an offer to give to them)
Merit - Fill out scholarship interest form -- you did this
Need - Fill out FASFA and supplemental -- you should do this if you have not yet

I don't think there is anything else to do.

+1 once you do that you're in the same waiting boat as all of us, they know everyone wants a scholarship

Thank you guys, I guess I've done everything I can!

[Kharbooza]

Hey guys - I wasn't able to go to ASW, and I don't foresee me being able to head out in the near future. What were your thoughts about the facilities? I'm speaking purely aesthetically here. Was it nice?

I know it's kind of a silly question, but I live in NYC and find CLS's facilities to be super dated.

[middlebear]

Hey guys - I wasn't able to go to ASW, and I don't foresee me being able to head out in the near future. What were your thoughts about the facilities? I'm speaking purely aesthetically here. Was it nice?

I know it's kind of a silly question, but I live in NYC and find CLS's facilities to be super dated.

I thought the building was a lot nicer than CLS. Definitely felt like it had been renovated more recently.

[trynalaw123]

Hey guys - I wasn't able to go to ASW, and I don't foresee me being able to head out in the near future. What were your thoughts about the facilities? I'm speaking purely aesthetically here. Was it nice?

I know it's kind of a silly question, but I live in NYC and find CLS's facilities to be super dated.

I thought the building was a lot nicer than CLS. Definitely felt like it had been renovated more recently.

Very modern, huge floor to ceiling windows in many areas, view of the golden gate bridge, seems very new and open but with a great variety of study and work spaces

[middlebear]

Hey guys - I wasn't able to go to ASW, and I don't foresee me being able to head out in the near future. What were your thoughts about the facilities? I'm speaking purely aesthetically here. Was it nice?

I know it's kind of a silly question, but I live in NYC and find CLS's facilities to be super dated.

I thought the building was a lot nicer than CLS. Definitely felt like it had been renovated more recently.

Very modern, huge floor to ceiling windows in many areas, view of the golden gate bridge, seems very new and open but with a great variety of study and work spaces

And a pretty awesome coffee shop/cafe

[goldenbear92]

Any word from Berkeley regarding scholarships? Perhaps we won't hear back until after April 9 since that was the deadline for people to accept their offers during the 1s wave?

[Comma.Split]

Any word from Berkeley regarding scholarships? Perhaps we won't hear back until after April 9 since that was the deadline for people to accept their offers during the 1s wave?

This would make sense. There were a couple of scholarships reported on LSN today, but idk how legit that is. Perhaps, people are just reporting it late. I am sure we will hear something next week.

[LSCHI]

I received an email confirming a scholarship today. PM for details

[savethewhales]

For those that have received merit aid, are those emails coming from a specific person at Berkeley or just a generic financial aid / admits alias?

[Barbaroix2]

Is anyone else starting to get worried about not hearing back before deadlines at other schools? I'm still considering UCLA and their deadline is next week.

[trynalaw123]

Is anyone else starting to get worried about not hearing back before deadlines at other schools? I'm still considering UCLA and their deadline is next week.

+1 yes, probably going to wait until the last minute and then deposit somewhere else but I really don't want to lose all that money

[Barbaroix2]

Is anyone else starting to get worried about not hearing back before deadlines at other schools? I'm still considering UCLA and their deadline is next week.

+1 yes, probably going to wait until the last minute and then deposit somewhere else but I really don't want to lose all that money

If you deposit, don't you have to withdraw at other schools?

[trynalaw123]

Is anyone else starting to get worried about not hearing back before deadlines at other schools? I'm still considering UCLA and their deadline is next week.

+1 yes, probably going to wait until the last minute and then deposit somewhere else but I really don't want to lose all that money

If you deposit, don't you have to withdraw at other schools?

Well Berkeley has the "tentative" yes option until June, and I'm pretty sure most other schools allow double deposits unless they explicitly say they forbid them (as far as I understand, it would be good to know if I'm wrong haha)

[Mack.Hambleton]

you can double deposit unless you're accepting a scholarship with explicit conditions that you have to withdraw from other acceptances (and even then you can remain on waitlists and pending)