Negotiating scholarships works!!!!! Forum

[gamerish]

So I was accepted to CCN but with no money offered as of yet (must've heard I'm ugly).. do you think I have any chance of negotiating some cash from Columbia/NYU with a 175 LSAT and 25<GPA<50?

You have nothing to lose by trying. I certainly wouldn't email them saying "this is my LSAT and GPA yada yada" because they already know those numbers but you can certainly let them know that sticker COA would be a barrier to attendance or what have you. Just be respectful and courteous, worst thing that can happen is that they say no.

[jg61]

Wondering when I should start negotiating...

Current offers include six figures from GW, USC and WUSTL, as well as 45k from Michigan -- and I'm expecting to hear about merit aid from GULC this week or next.

However, I'm still waiting on UVA and NYU. Not expecting to be admitted to the latter, but I feel like odds are pretty good for UVA as I just had a good interview last Friday.

My question: do I start negotiating once I hear about merit aid from GULC, which will likely be this week or next? Or do I wait until I hear from UVA (which is going to take god knows how long, as my status checker still sits at "UR 10/8")?

I don't want to sit around waiting for UVA throughout all of March (and possibly end up WL'ed) and waste valuable negotiating time... but I also don't want to start negotiating until I have the strongest possible leverage.

Seems like UVA has extended (nearly) all of its merit offers already and has also stated that they don't anticipate being able to match offers down the line. Check the UVA c/o 2019 thread

[tezzeret]

I'm sure this was posted before, but what is the best way to negotiate with a lower ranked school using a higher ranked school that is still cheaper? So say you have Cardozo (40k/yr) and Fordham (20k/yr), even though dozo is cheaper, how would you use Fordham as leverage?

[fliptrip]

So I was accepted to CCN but with no money offered as of yet (must've heard I'm ugly).. do you think I have any chance of negotiating some cash from Columbia/NYU with a 175 LSAT and 25<GPA<50?

Sure you do, but you need their initial offer first. Did you make sure to get your financial aid documents in to them? Outside of the named scholarships, they don't make any offers without your financial information.

[ftge232]

So I was accepted to CCN but with no money offered as of yet (must've heard I'm ugly).. do you think I have any chance of negotiating some cash from Columbia/NYU with a 175 LSAT and 25<GPA<50?

Sure you do, but you need their initial offer first. Did you make sure to get your financial aid documents in to them? Outside of the named scholarships, they don't make any offers without your financial information.

Is that through the needaccess portal?

[fliptrip]

Yes, needaccess and FAFSA for CLS.

[tezzeret]

When you send them a pdf of the scholarship, do you send them the page with the agreement/stipulations or is the acceptance letter w/scholarship amount sufficient enough? Also, how would you negotiate with a school that is giving you more money than any of your other schools, but is the lowest ranked?

[LMD]

When you send them a pdf of the scholarship, do you send them the page with the agreement/stipulations or is the acceptance letter w/scholarship amount sufficient enough? Also, how would you negotiate with a school that is giving you more money than any of your other schools, but is the lowest ranked?

Just be nice, tell them you have other good offers you are considering, and thank them for the generous scholarship offer thus far but ask if it's negotiable. They know what's up, they're not going to be offended.

[Lucyfur]

UCLA is one of my top choices, and supposedly USC is the best bargaining chip for negotiating scholarships at UCLA. Unfortunately, I was waitlisted at USC. So...should I ride out this waitlist in hopes that I will get scholarship money to negotiate with UCLA? Per lsn, people with my numbers got ~75,000 and I have higher offers than that from better ranked schools I could potentially negotiate with. Will UCLA even negotiate with me (assuming I even get $ from USC) that late in the game?
I plan on negotiating with my other offers in the meantime, with Vandy and Texas (TBD) offers probably being the most helpful. Unfortunately I have no T14 offers at the moment, and really don't expect much if anything

[lsb17]

Hey all,

Any tips on how to approach negotions with Cardozo given the below?

I've recieved a full ride offer from both Pace and NYLS. I've also recieved $40K per year offer from Hostra and a $15K per year offer from Seton Hall. Cardozo has offered me a one time grant in the amount of $8K.

I'm still waiting to hear back from 4 more schools but my deadline to deposit is fast approaching ( March 25th) so I feel like I should reach out asap.

Thank you!

[UDtoLawSchool]

Hey all,

Any tips on how to approach negotions with Cardozo given the below?

I've recieved a full ride offer from both Pace and NYLS. I've also recieved $40K per year offer from Hostra and a $15K per year offer from Seton Hall. Cardozo has offered me a one time grant in the amount of $8K.

I'm still waiting to hear back from 4 more schools but my deadline to deposit is fast approaching ( March 25th) so I feel like I should reach out asap.

Thank you!

I'm also negotiating with Cardozo now. They say that they won't start considering until mid-March. They also typically only consider offers from "peer schools" so I'm not sure how much they will weigh a full ride from Pace or NYLS. Usually they take offers from Brooklyn or high offers from St. John's.

[gazorpazorp]

.

[lsb17]

Hey all,

Any tips on how to approach negotions with Cardozo given the below?

I've recieved a full ride offer from both Pace and NYLS. I've also recieved $40K per year offer from Hostra and a $15K per year offer from Seton Hall. Cardozo has offered me a one time grant in the amount of $8K.

I'm still waiting to hear back from 4 more schools but my deadline to deposit is fast approaching ( March 25th) so I feel like I should reach out asap.

Thank you!

I'm also negotiating with Cardozo now. They say that they won't start considering until mid-March. They also typically only consider offers from "peer schools" so I'm not sure how much they will weigh a full ride from Pace or NYLS. Usually they take offers from Brooklyn or high offers from St. John's.

I applied pretty late so I'm still waiting for Brooklyn, St. Johns and Fordham (PT) to respond.

[Nghasem]

Anyone negotiate with Boston U yet? I just received a pretty substantial offer from Emory, but want to go to BU, but have heard nothing on scholarships.

[Loney M. Setnick]

Would those of you who have successfully negotiated scholarship offers be willing to share their e-mails? I'd really appreciate seeing what a sample e-mail looks like.

[shakha]

Would those of you who have successfully negotiated scholarship offers be willing to share their e-mails? I'd really appreciate seeing what a sample e-mail looks like.

+1 same ! thanks so much in advance !

[jobz]

According the USNWR leak, BU and USC will be tied at #20. Those are the 2 schools I'm debating between. They each offered me the same amount of scholarship though. Anyone think I still have leverage to try to negotiate money?

[Draconem]

According the USNWR leak, BU and USC will be tied at #20. Those are the 2 schools I'm debating between. They each offered me the same amount of scholarship though. Anyone think I still have leverage to try to negotiate money?

USC would be #19 and BU #20 according to the Spivey leak.

[bnssweeney]

Anyone have success negotiating with Brooklyn?

[sjp200]

According the USNWR leak, BU and USC will be tied at #20. Those are the 2 schools I'm debating between. They each offered me the same amount of scholarship though. Anyone think I still have leverage to try to negotiate money?

PM'd you

[sfoglia]

Yes, needaccess and FAFSA for CLS.

As well as the form on the admitted students website and you and your parents' tax returns for 2015 (unless you are 29 or older). That all needs to be mailed (or faxed?). That is all listed after you submit the Need Access.

I just received word from Chicago on Friday, so don't stress too much yet, ftge.

[ih8makingscreennames]

So no one has successfully negotiated with Columbia? Bc if that's not an option, I shouldn't even go to ASW.

[sadie T.]

Anyone have success negotiating with Brooklyn?

+1

[jtg21]

So no one has successfully negotiated with Columbia? Bc if that's not an option, I shouldn't even go to ASW.

Other than Butlers/Hamiltons, their initial aid offers don't go out til the beginning of April. So I don't think negotiating is an option before then.

[SlithyTove]

Would those of you who have successfully negotiated scholarship offers be willing to share their e-mails? I'd really appreciate seeing what a sample e-mail looks like.

+1 same ! thanks so much in advance !

Pages 1, 15 and 17 of this thread have some really good advice regarding phrasing of the email. I read through the first 20 pages of this thread before sending my letter and found it really useful. My advice is to do that and use what you find to craft your own letter so it doesn't sound formulaic. From my own experience I would add that you should do your best to send it to the person in charge of making the decision directly (often the Dean of Admissions and usually the person whose name is on your original offer letter).

Note that I am still in the beginning stages of negotiation so take everything I say with a grain of salt. User 'wamanda' from a few years back (whose sample email is on page 17 of this thread) was my inspiration.