Thoughts on McGeorge? Forum

[Aqualibrium]

you can choose entirely based on cost and quality of life

Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you're deciding outside the t14 anyway?

[Aggiegrad2011]

you can choose entirely based on cost and quality of life

Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you're deciding outside the t14 anyway?

Not necessarily QoL. I mean, if I got into somewhere that I absolutely hated to live (Virginia or Texas for instance) because it was less expensive and made more fiscal sense, I'd be sacrificing quality of life instead of going to the nicer, more expensive school (like Pepperdine, for instance).

By having wealthy benefactors and/or a job waiting for him regardless of what name is on his J.D., this guy can go to whatever law school he wants to, even choosing Pepperdine @ sticker over a crappier location with $$.

[20160810]

you can choose entirely based on cost and quality of life

Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you're deciding outside the t14 anyway?

Pretty sure if you're choosing between UW and University of Seattle there are objective bases for the comparison besides cost.

[General Tso]

you can choose entirely based on cost and quality of life

Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you're deciding outside the t14 anyway?

Pretty sure if you're choosing between UW and University of Seattle there are objective bases for the comparison besides cost.

yeah, but truth be told, once you are outside top 1/3 at UW you are in the same boat as most SU people. I know top 1/3 people from UW that had to go solo. Legal work is hard to come by in places like Seattle and Denver.

[NorCalBruin]

Dad's firm is small (less than ten attorneys), work is varied, but specializes in government fee litigation. Not the most interesting type of law, but it pays well... and I would start at a Big Law type salary (without the pwnage of a big law life).

As a UCLA grad, I DO like los angeles more, so I did apply to USC and UCLA. Expecting to get into USC, wait-listed at UCLA. I also applied to Loyola, Pepperdine, and Chapman for shots at monies, although I don't love the location of any of those, although they all place OK in the LA / Orange County area.

[NorCalBruin]

Also gonna call McGeorge tomorrow.

Any thoughts on how to approach that phone call?

I don't want to sound like a stuck-up pretentious dick. So how do I say, "Hey, this top 1/3rd thing isn't working out for me, can we make a deal?"

[XxSpyKEx]

Also gonna call McGeorge tomorrow.

Any thoughts on how to approach that phone call?

I don't want to sound like a stuck-up pretentious dick. So how do I say, "Hey, this top 1/3rd thing isn't working out for me, can we make a deal?"

Email the following link to the dean of admissions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1skaCKoWJA and tell him you predict a similar set of events might or might not occur in the near future, unless he pulls the stipulation from your scholarship.

[Aqualibrium]

Also gonna call McGeorge tomorrow.

Any thoughts on how to approach that phone call?

I don't want to sound like a stuck-up pretentious dick. So how do I say, "Hey, this top 1/3rd thing isn't working out for me, can we make a deal?"

I personally think this is a conversation that is easier to handle via email. You have the opportunity to review what you've written multiple times before you send it, and you are far less likely to botch it by saying something stupid/douchey.

Just send an email saying generally:

I am thankful for the admission and generous scholarship, excited about the opportunity. School holds a special place in my mind and that of my family because dad is alum and really loved his time there. Still waiting for other decisions, numbers give me a fair chance at quite a few great schools, want to evaluate all potential opportunities, would be able to remove a lot of uncertainty and place McGeorge high on the list if the school is willing to negotiate the scholarship stipulation at all.

[NorCalBruin]

Edited.

[sitara1]

.

[Aggiegrad2011]

I would never refer to myself as a "Nor Cal girl" in any professional e-mail, so I strongly suggest you do not refer to yourself as a "Nor Cal boy" in yours.

[NorCalBruin]

Good point. Thanks. I'll remove it.

[Aggiegrad2011]

Also, IMO, "meeting the demands of this stipulation" feels better than "achieving" it. I don't believe one achieves a stipulation so much as one meets it.

[20160810]

First of all, you're going to want to make sure that email gets deleted pretty quickly. You never know if they peruse TLS.

Secondly, I would be less wishy-washy. You going to McGeorge benefits them enough that they're willing to forego $30,000 a year to let you do so - they need your numbers to ramp up their rankings so they don't slide from T2 to TTT, which they're perpetually in danger of doing (or to climb from TTT back to T2 - I'm too lazy to check the current rankings). Keep this in mind.

Obviously you don't want to write "Listen jackoff, guarantee my scholly or I'm walking" but you actually do want to write the nicer version of that. If I was an admissions dean reading that, I'd get the impression that you weren't playing hardball, that you didn't know how badly McGeorge section stacks, and I'd probably give you some BS reply about how those are just the terms of the Fellowship and nothing can be done.

But the terms are ALWAYS negotiable. Know that going in.

I'd honestly say something along the lines of "Although I have every intention of succeeding in law school, I am intimately familiar with the harsh unpredictability of a law school grading curve, and I simply cannot afford to pass up the opportunity to attend UCLA if there's a possibility that my fellowship could be revoked. If you are willing to remove the class rank requirement and guarantee the presence of the fellowship for the duration of my time at McGeorge, I will gladly and graciously accept."

This does two things. (1.) It establishes an anchor point for your negotiations. You know you're willing to accept a cutoff of top-50%, but they don't. Best case scenario, they ditch the cutoff altogether. Worst-case, you're no worse off than you are now. But this allows you to arrive at 50% over the course of your negotiations. If you start out asking for a top-50% cutoff, you're likelier to get butkus. (2.) It implies that you got into UCLA (feel free to sub Georgetown or Cornell or another highly-ranked school to which admission is plausible with your numbers), which will give them a fiercer sense of urgency. And it's not necessarily a lie - after all, it's true you can't afford to pass up that kind of OPPORTUNITY for a disposable scholarship...

good luck.

PS, if they say no, as a final ploy, be prepared to walk. Say "I'm sorry we couldn't work something out, let me know if the situation changes" and go. Remember - the deal as-is is not worth accepting anyway, and you never know if that is what it would take to make them do the right thing.

[Aggiegrad2011]

Damn SBL, and they say they don't teach you how to think like a lawyer in law school.

Making me proud to be an Ag!

[20160810]

Damn SBL, and they say they don't teach you how to think like a lawyer in law school.

Making me proud to be an Ag!

Chest bump, broski.

[NorCalBruin]

Mmmmmm Good thoughts SBL.

Hardball. I like it.

[20160810]

Mmmmmm Good thoughts SBL.

Hardball. I like it.

Amen, brotha. Just remember - you can't afford to lose, so you gotta try to win. And they started out playing hardball when they curved the shit out of their classes and gave you a top-third requirement.

And by all means post ITT or PM me to let me know how it goes, I'm really rooting for you.

[20160810]

Also, incidentally, are you from Sac? When did you graduate HS?

[drdolittle]

Damn SBL, and they say they don't teach you how to think like a lawyer in law school.

Making me proud to be an Ag!

Indeed, SBL's earning his keep on TLS with that. Good stuff. That's exactly what OP should do. The idea of potentially ever having to pay full price for McG after passing up the opportunity of going to a UCLA is insane.

[NorCalBruin]

I'm from Redding actually, but Aunt and Uncle are from Sac so I've been there a lot.

And Dr. Doolittle, I haven't gotten in UCLA yet, that's just where I went to undergrad. Only school ranked near it that i've gotten into so far is Texas. One can dream though.

Alright kids, I'm out for the night.

[20160810]

I'm from Redding actually, but Aunt and Uncle are from Sac so I've been there a lot.

And Dr. Doolittle, I haven't gotten in UCLA yet, that's just where I went to undergrad. Only school ranked near it that i've gotten into so far is Texas. One can dream though.

Alright kids, I'm out for the night.

But we won't be sharing that with McGeorge.

[Dman]

I'd honestly say something along the lines of "Although I have every intention of succeeding in law school, I am intimately familiar with the harsh unpredictability of a law school grading curve, and I simply cannot afford to pass up the opportunity to attend UCLA if there's a possibility that my fellowship could be revoked. If you are willing to remove the class rank requirement and guarantee the presence of the fellowship for the duration of my time at McGeorge, I will gladly and graciously accept."

I would not put the bolded in unless you really are willing to accept. If you are just fielding options, I agree you should play hardball, but I would use different language. Also, I suggest negotiating earlier rather than later since there is more money available and they will be more eager to line up solid candidates. Again, this is premised on actually wanting to attend.

[NorCalBruin]

Yea I sent them an email last night. And I didn't say I would accept, I said I would "put them towards the top of my list."

[20160810]

Yea I sent them an email last night. And I didn't say I would accept, I said I would "put them towards the top of my list."

I still like my version better, because I don't think the courts would interpret your law school applicant puffery as a binding contract, so you'd have nothing to worry about. But I think you'll be fine either way.