Negotiating scholarships works!!!!! Forum

[paayter]

Can anyone provide some advice on the current situation I'm going through.

I have 2 schools both regional competitors I'd say. I asked school A for an increase, but said their scholarship offer was superior which it was, about 2000 dollars, but then School B all of a sudden sent me an increase (probably due to the recent drop in rankings, both schools dropped, School B more than school A but within a close range of each other still). School B has also dropped their tuition renewal stip to top 75 percent which gives my stomach a lot more breathing room, and if i can't make that I don't deserve to be in law school. How would I go about approaching School A with this new offer?

[baloneydanza]

That Law School Advice article is pretty useful, but how do we actually ask for more aid? Do I say something like "is there anyway you can make my decision easier?" or "is it possible you could increase the amount of aid I will receive" or "hey I got more money from a peer school...*nudge nudge*"?

I gave my reasons first (col, etc.), then said something like "because tuition and living expenses will have a profound financial impact on my family, I must consider scholarship offers from other schools. I have received several offers, including an offer of $X from [peer law school]." Then in the last paragraph I wrote something like "i am grateful for the scholarship I received last month. I respectfully request that the admissions committee consider a more generous financial aid package which will make Law SchoolX more affordable for me." The first paragraph was about how excited I was to be admitted, with details about parts of the program that interested me. I kept it brief, 1/2 to 2/3 of a page.

Thanks.



One last question: the school I'm trying to negotiate says on its website I should send my scholarship info to its generic scholarship office email, but I also have the email address of the dean who informed me of my scholarship. Which address should I send it to?

[PattyCake]

Can anyone provide some advice on the current situation I'm going through.

I have 2 schools both regional competitors I'd say. I asked school A for an increase, but said their scholarship offer was superior which it was, about 2000 dollars, but then School B all of a sudden sent me an increase (probably due to the recent drop in rankings, both schools dropped, School B more than school A but within a close range of each other still). School B has also dropped their tuition renewal stip to top 75 percent which gives my stomach a lot more breathing room, and if i can't make that I don't deserve to be in law school. How would I go about approaching School A with this new offer?

Did school A respond? Were you thinking you'd go back and forth, or did you just want an increase to make your decision easier? I would wait to hear what A offers and then think about whether you want to continue trying to negotiate. I would personally not email A again to follow up and inform them of B's increase before hearing back, unless it gets REALLY close to the deadline and you haven't had a reply.

[PattyCake]

That Law School Advice article is pretty useful, but how do we actually ask for more aid? Do I say something like "is there anyway you can make my decision easier?" or "is it possible you could increase the amount of aid I will receive" or "hey I got more money from a peer school...*nudge nudge*"?

I gave my reasons first (col, etc.), then said something like "because tuition and living expenses will have a profound financial impact on my family, I must consider scholarship offers from other schools. I have received several offers, including an offer of $X from [peer law school]." Then in the last paragraph I wrote something like "i am grateful for the scholarship I received last month. I respectfully request that the admissions committee consider a more generous financial aid package which will make Law SchoolX more affordable for me." The first paragraph was about how excited I was to be admitted, with details about parts of the program that interested me. I kept it brief, 1/2 to 2/3 of a page.

Thanks.



One last question: the school I'm trying to negotiate says on its website I should send my scholarship info to its generic scholarship office email, but I also have the email address of the dean who informed me of my scholarship. Which address should I send it to?

I sent one directly to the dean who informed me of my award, and I received an email back from an admissions counselor asking me to email the inquiry to the main admissions desk. Since then I have emailed admissions (or, if applicable, the admitted students email) but began with "Dear Dean X and members of the Admissions Committee."

[PattyCake]

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[paayter]

Can anyone provide some advice on the current situation I'm going through.

I have 2 schools both regional competitors I'd say. I asked school A for an increase, but said their scholarship offer was superior which it was, about 2000 dollars, but then School B all of a sudden sent me an increase (probably due to the recent drop in rankings, both schools dropped, School B more than school A but within a close range of each other still). School B has also dropped their tuition renewal stip to top 75 percent which gives my stomach a lot more breathing room, and if i can't make that I don't deserve to be in law school. How would I go about approaching School A with this new offer?

Did school A respond? Were you thinking you'd go back and forth, or did you just want an increase to make your decision easier? I would wait to hear what A offers and then think about whether you want to continue trying to negotiate. I would personally not email A again to follow up and inform them of B's increase before hearing back, unless it gets REALLY close to the deadline and you haven't had a reply.

School A was the first school I talked to, basically gave me the highest amount. I tried to leverage other offers by saying cost of living was cheaper at school B and some other schools. They said no already. Just this past week School B sent me an increase out of nowhere. Now i want to take this and hit School A with it, because their reasoning for not increasing my award was because there award was superior, apparently not anymore. I want to do it asap because I got an extension on my deposit deadline. I am fine with going to School B though. Also school B offers a nicer top 75 percent stip and school A is top 50.

[Yawkey]

About a week ago one of the schools I have been considering matched a scholarship offer from a competing school. The other school hasn't budged and said they will not be able to consider any increases until they get a better feel for what the class will look like after the deposit deadline. That being said, I have also found out within the past few days that I will be living closer to this less generous school, which would practically eliminate transportation costs and be a hell of a lot more convenient if I went there.

Is it a bad idea to go back to the school that has already given me an increase and request a subsequent increase considering this cost of living issue? Also curious how schools react to a request for an increase to a specific dollar amount- "if you could increase my aid to $__/yr, I would deposit today."

[PattyCake]

Can anyone provide some advice on the current situation I'm going through.

I have 2 schools both regional competitors I'd say. I asked school A for an increase, but said their scholarship offer was superior which it was, about 2000 dollars, but then School B all of a sudden sent me an increase (probably due to the recent drop in rankings, both schools dropped, School B more than school A but within a close range of each other still). School B has also dropped their tuition renewal stip to top 75 percent which gives my stomach a lot more breathing room, and if i can't make that I don't deserve to be in law school. How would I go about approaching School A with this new offer?

Did school A respond? Were you thinking you'd go back and forth, or did you just want an increase to make your decision easier? I would wait to hear what A offers and then think about whether you want to continue trying to negotiate. I would personally not email A again to follow up and inform them of B's increase before hearing back, unless it gets REALLY close to the deadline and you haven't had a reply.

School A was the first school I talked to, basically gave me the highest amount. I tried to leverage other offers by saying cost of living was cheaper at school B and some other schools. They said no already. Just this past week School B sent me an increase out of nowhere. Now i want to take this and hit School A with it, because their reasoning for not increasing my award was because there award was superior, apparently not anymore. I want to do it asap because I got an extension on my deposit deadline. I am fine with going to School B though. Also school B offers a nicer top 75 percent stip and school A is top 50.

If you really are happy going to school B then you can either ask A to reconsider or, if you're ready to deposit at B, you can call/email to withdraw and tell them why. If you email: "School B has offered me an unsolicited increase of $XK for a total award of $YK, and I have decided to accept their offer." or something like that. Some people say something like "Before I accept their offer I would like to be sure I have your school's final offer." That allows them to drag it out, though. I might call if I was certain I was willing to withdraw without another increase. I know people who were set to attend one school but when they called to withdraw they were offered more money. My sister had two schools declare war over her for about 6 hours the day she decided to withdraw from one. After about a dozen calls she ended up with full tuition plus a $15K/year stipend.

[paayter]

Can anyone provide some advice on the current situation I'm going through.

I have 2 schools both regional competitors I'd say. I asked school A for an increase, but said their scholarship offer was superior which it was, about 2000 dollars, but then School B all of a sudden sent me an increase (probably due to the recent drop in rankings, both schools dropped, School B more than school A but within a close range of each other still). School B has also dropped their tuition renewal stip to top 75 percent which gives my stomach a lot more breathing room, and if i can't make that I don't deserve to be in law school. How would I go about approaching School A with this new offer?

Did school A respond? Were you thinking you'd go back and forth, or did you just want an increase to make your decision easier? I would wait to hear what A offers and then think about whether you want to continue trying to negotiate. I would personally not email A again to follow up and inform them of B's increase before hearing back, unless it gets REALLY close to the deadline and you haven't had a reply.

School A was the first school I talked to, basically gave me the highest amount. I tried to leverage other offers by saying cost of living was cheaper at school B and some other schools. They said no already. Just this past week School B sent me an increase out of nowhere. Now i want to take this and hit School A with it, because their reasoning for not increasing my award was because there award was superior, apparently not anymore. I want to do it asap because I got an extension on my deposit deadline. I am fine with going to School B though. Also school B offers a nicer top 75 percent stip and school A is top 50.

If you really are happy going to school B then you can either ask A to reconsider or, if you're ready to deposit at B, you can call/email to withdraw and tell them why. If you email: "School B has offered me an unsolicited increase of $XK for a total award of $YK, and I have decided to accept their offer." or something like that. Some people say something like "Before I accept their offer I would like to be sure I have your school's final offer." That allows them to drag it out, though. I might call if I was certain I was willing to withdraw without another increase. I know people who were set to attend one school but when they called to withdraw they were offered more money. My sister had two schools declare war over her for about 6 hours the day she decided to withdraw from one. After about a dozen calls she ended up with full tuition plus a $15K/year stipend.

Thanks, this really helps! i don't think either school is ready to provide me full tuition scholarship, BUT I want to get the most money I can, and school B offers their scholarships in tiers. The one tier above mine is a good academic standing stipulation, and this one little stip is the difference between me accepting and withdrawing. The call feature seems a bit scary to me, I will first try the email and when push comes to shove I will call a couple of days before the seat deposit deadline. There is no way im throwing a couple bones at a school that dosen't want me.

[Sheriff McLaw Dog]

How long does it typically take to hear back after you send a message asking for more money?

I'm fast approaching the deposit deadlines, and I'm really stuck between two schools that I really like. If the school I'm trying to negotiate with doesn't get back to me fairly soon, I'm going to have to put down my deposit at the other school.

[altoline115]

Just an encouragement to all of you...I sent several schools a negotiation request, and my top choice, University of Alabama, responded by upping my offer to a full ride! It can be done!

[rodmanhust]

Impossible to get school B to offer $ with just admission from school A (if A is ranked 10+ higher than B and has lower cost of living)?

I tried this with a couple of schools around the same region, and they said you may be considered if additional money is available (a polite no).

[samoby]

Just an encouragement to all of you...I sent several schools a negotiation request, and my top choice, University of Alabama, responded by upping my offer to a full ride! It can be done!

That's awesome! Congratulations!

[Stubbazubba]

Question: I'm accepted at Duke + $, and now I'm accepted at Columbia, as well. Do you think Duke will negotiate for more $ on just an acceptance?

[samoby]

Question: I'm accepted at Duke + $, and now I'm accepted at Columbia, as well. Do you think Duke will negotiate for more $ on just an acceptance?

I know someone who did that last cycle in the summer. She was committed to Duke but got off of Columbia's waitlist and Duke increased her scholarship. It also coincided with an LSAT increase, but the scholarship increase was a direct result of a lot of back and forth between her and the dean at Duke about her Columbia acceptance.

[gta]

Is it good or bad to send a negotiation with a ton of other offers, or just with a couple/few of the top ones? I am planning to negotiate with my top choice school, and will be expressing that in the letter, but there 6 others offers that I could include in my negotiation letter. Too many, or OK?

[PattyCake]

Is it good or bad to send a negotiation with a ton of other offers, or just with a couple/few of the top ones? I am planning to negotiate with my top choice school, and will be expressing that in the letter, but there 6 others offers that I could include in my negotiation letter. Too many, or OK?

I wouldn't include that many. I wrote something like "I have received an offer of $X from Law School A, and several comparable or higher offers from other Region X schools including $Y at School B." Give them a range of the schools you're considering, and IMO it's best to include one slightly lower ranked school with a much better offer as School B, so that they know $ will actually sway you toward a lower ranked school. This got me an increase - it wasn't huge, but I specifically stated in my letter that I was only asking for a small increase.

[jdapplicant]

Do you think it is reasonable to ask your top choice school for money if none has been offered?

Yes of course. Always try and negotiate. If you don't have any leverage yet but think you'll get some soon, wait and attempt to negotiate when you have other offers to work with.

[PattyCake]

Did school A respond? Were you thinking you'd go back and forth, or did you just want an increase to make your decision easier? I would wait to hear what A offers and then think about whether you want to continue trying to negotiate. I would personally not email A again to follow up and inform them of B's increase before hearing back, unless it gets REALLY close to the deadline and you haven't had a reply.

School A was the first school I talked to, basically gave me the highest amount. I tried to leverage other offers by saying cost of living was cheaper at school B and some other schools. They said no already. Just this past week School B sent me an increase out of nowhere. Now i want to take this and hit School A with it, because their reasoning for not increasing my award was because there award was superior, apparently not anymore. I want to do it asap because I got an extension on my deposit deadline. I am fine with going to School B though. Also school B offers a nicer top 75 percent stip and school A is top 50.

If you really are happy going to school B then you can either ask A to reconsider or, if you're ready to deposit at B, you can call/email to withdraw and tell them why. If you email: "School B has offered me an unsolicited increase of $XK for a total award of $YK, and I have decided to accept their offer." or something like that. Some people say something like "Before I accept their offer I would like to be sure I have your school's final offer." That allows them to drag it out, though. I might call if I was certain I was willing to withdraw without another increase. I know people who were set to attend one school but when they called to withdraw they were offered more money. My sister had two schools declare war over her for about 6 hours the day she decided to withdraw from one. After about a dozen calls she ended up with full tuition plus a $15K/year stipend.

Thanks, this really helps! i don't think either school is ready to provide me full tuition scholarship, BUT I want to get the most money I can, and school B offers their scholarships in tiers. The one tier above mine is a good academic standing stipulation, and this one little stip is the difference between me accepting and withdrawing. The call feature seems a bit scary to me, I will first try the email and when push comes to shove I will call a couple of days before the seat deposit deadline. There is no way im throwing a couple bones at a school that dosen't want me.

If what you need to accept at B is remotely reasonable (and a good standing stip is certainly a good reason to negotiate further), then by all means ASK for it - SPECIFICALLY. Why are people afraid to say what they want? If there is definite difference between what will allow you to attend and what will not, then why on earth would you make them guess? Of course they'll lowball you otherwise, they don't know what you're after! And telling them "this is what I need to say yes" at this stage means they won't meet you halfway and still end up seeing you withdraw in a week - which would suck for both of you because you wasted all that time negotiating for no reason. Whatever your last ditch effort with B ends up being, I would make sure to include something along the lines of "Alternatively, if the stipulation for renewing my scholarship was to remain in good academic standing, I would likely be persuaded to commit to attending School B." or "...I would likely withdraw my other acceptances immediately."

It's April 5, not Feb 26. If you need it to commit to making a deposit, tell 'em.

[bowwow]

it is not working out well for me with the negotiation process. All have offered same amount of schollies and their ranks are not that different. I am living abroad so I cannot communicate with them via phone calls. Is it better to call than to email?

[052220151]

it is not working out well for me with the negotiation process. All have offered same amount of schollies and their ranks are not that different. I am living abroad so I cannot communicate with them via phone calls. Is it better to call than to email?

email is best

[NoDayButToday]

.

[DerekZoolander]

This has been probably covered a billion times...

What's the best practice regarding multiple deposits? Am I kosher to make two or three "first" deposits then make the second deposit at the school I eventually want to attend?

Has anyone had success at negotiating after depositing at several schools?

[PattyCake]

This has been probably covered a billion times...

What's the best practice regarding multiple deposits? Am I kosher to make two or three "first" deposits then make the second deposit at the school I eventually want to attend?

Has anyone had success at negotiating after depositing at several schools?

You can make multiple deposits, a lot of people do that. More money opens up after the first deposit deadline, so it is definitely possible to negotiate for more depending on the school. Some a schools are telling people outright they won't negotiate until after the first deposit date so they can see what kind of funding is still available.

[jonny09x1]

Quick question: who would Northwestern negotiate with?

I have good $ at UCLA, Vandy (50%), USC (90%), Minnesota (full) and GW...Michigan offered me about 2/3 of Northwestern and I have 0 from Uchicago. Also still waiting on anything from Cornell..I sent in their scholly form a couple weeks back.

How should I go about this?

Thanks!