Boalt/NYU(sticker) or retake for $$$?? Forum

[lexi01]

It's coming down to the wire and I really need help deciding what to do. I was admitted to NYU and Berkeley, two schools that really fit my goals, but I am looking at paying sticker (financed with loans). I would love to attend either of these schools, but I simply cannot take on that kind of debt. I was set on going this cycle and taking a full ride at a T25 regional if I needed to, but the right answer increasingly seems to be to retake.

EDIT: Taking advice to remove specific stats until Boalt offer comes in. Will repost then. Please don't quote.

Specifically, I have the following questions:

1) If you were previously admitted to a school, how does a withdraw/reapply affect your chances of admission the second time around? i.e. will I screw myself out of an acceptance to Berkeley/NYU if I deny their first offer of admission just to try to get money the second time around?
2) I have really strong softs (lots of WE, interesting personal story & reason to go to law school, etc), and I'm afraid of the year "off." I don't have a fabulous job lined up (was really planning on going this cycle!), so I would mostly be doing volunteer work in my area of interest. I am afraid that given my substantial/interesting WE up to this point, this year "off" would really hurt me. Thoughts here?
3) Given my low GPA, am I crazy in thinking I could get significant amount of money at Boalt/NYU with a 170+?

I'd appreciate any/all comments.

I really appreciate the help! Thank you!

[lexi01]

Bump

[metroidbum]

Retake for $$$

[lexi01]

Retake for $$$

Hey thanks, I think I'm heading that way. Just wanted to hear from people who retook and got $$$ at the same schools. Was this the case for you?

[francesfarmer]

1. No effect, especially if you have a new score
2. Schools won't care. 165 with awesome work experience <<<<<<<< 170+ with absolutely no work experience
3. You are a URM, I would figure you could get money with a 3.6. Check LSN!

[francesfarmer]

Retake for $$$

Hey thanks, I think I'm heading that way. Just wanted to hear from people who retook and got $$$ at the same schools. Was this the case for you?

I reapplied to only three of the same schools with a new score and I got $$$ from two of them and admitted to the other. My previous cycle I got $$$ and waitlisted, respectively. Reapplying does not hurt you.

[francesfarmer]

You have super specific goals and you shouldn't settle for less than HYS as a URM

Edit for grammar because half asleep

[lexi01]

Thanks for your input, francesfarmer!

[francesfarmer]

You're welcome. You should absolutely retake. It was the best decision I ever made.

[jbagelboy]

You have super specific goals and you shouldn't settle for less than HYS as a URM

Edit for grammar because half asleep

I guess I disagree with the recommendation re: "settling." NYU matches OP's goals pretty well, actually. Best case scenario would probably be RTK, at least over sticker at HS. Berkeley is also strong for refugee stuff, and past Cal grads on TLS are working in IHR right now. It would be more about cozying up with profs and having demonstrable experience and interest in the field then which top school one attended. Going to HYS won't help with the debt issue, which is OP's primary concern, it would just exacerbate it. That being said, obviously going to Yale opens up the most doors in this arena and OP should attend if they get in, but NYU is no lightweight.

[lexi01]

You have super specific goals and you shouldn't settle for less than HYS as a URM

Edit for grammar because half asleep

I guess I disagree with the recommendation re: "settling." NYU matches OP's goals pretty well, actually. Best case scenario would probably be RTK, at least over sticker at HS. Berkeley is also strong for refugee stuff, and past Cal grads on TLS are working in IHR right now. It would be more about cozying up with profs and having demonstrable experience and interest in the field then which top school one attended. Going to HYS won't help with the debt issue, which is OP's primary concern, it would just exacerbate it. That being said, obviously going to Yale opens up the most doors in this arena and OP should attend if they get in, but NYU is no lightweight.

I agree that RTK would be the absolute best case scenario for me, and I feel that I would probably take that over HS. Both NYU and Cal are super strong in my interest area... but, again, the debt. The proposed changes to loan forgiveness are certainly playing a part in my decision-making, and I find that it would be pretty financially irresponsible for me to attend at sticker when I didn't max out my LSAT score. As my original post states, my fear is "losing" those acceptances, since I feel pretty lucky to have gotten them in the first place.

[barrelofmonkeys]

OP--do you know for sure you have no aid at either NYU or Cal? I hadn't even thought Cal $$ came out yet.

Have you received a $0 letter from NYU?

[lexi01]

OP--do you know for sure you have no aid at either NYU or Cal? I hadn't even thought Cal $$ came out yet.

Have you received a $0 letter from NYU?

BOM, I got $0 from NYU.
Cal hasn't sent out financial aid, but I don't think that I'm jumping the gun too much in assuming zero $$...

[jbagelboy]

You have super specific goals and you shouldn't settle for less than HYS as a URM

Edit for grammar because half asleep

I guess I disagree with the recommendation re: "settling." NYU matches OP's goals pretty well, actually. Best case scenario would probably be RTK, at least over sticker at HS. Berkeley is also strong for refugee stuff, and past Cal grads on TLS are working in IHR right now. It would be more about cozying up with profs and having demonstrable experience and interest in the field then which top school one attended. Going to HYS won't help with the debt issue, which is OP's primary concern, it would just exacerbate it. That being said, obviously going to Yale opens up the most doors in this arena and OP should attend if they get in, but NYU is no lightweight.

I agree that RTK would be the absolute best case scenario for me, and I feel that I would probably take that over HS. Both NYU and Cal are super strong in my interest area... but, again, the debt. The proposed changes to loan forgiveness are certainly playing a part in my decision-making, and I find that it would be pretty financially irresponsible for me to attend at sticker when I didn't max out my LSAT score. As my original post states, my fear is "losing" those acceptances, since I feel pretty lucky to have gotten them in the first place.

Yea, just retake and work. Seriously.

[Ambi-Turner]

OP if you retake in June, you may be able to use your score to negotiate money from NYU/Boalt and still be able to attend in the fall.

[lecsa]

.

[francesfarmer]

I mostly agree that RTK would be an ideal scenario for OP but isn't HYS generally recommended for people who want to break into international human rights work?

[scoobysnax]

OP if you retake in June, you may be able to use your score to negotiate money from NYU/Boalt and still be able to attend in the fall.

I was thinking this. If none of these schools forbid multiple deposits, you could submit deposits & wait on your June retake. You would be paying $1200 for potentially more $$$ in return

[cotiger]

OP if you retake in June, you may be able to use your score to negotiate money from NYU/Boalt and still be able to attend in the fall.

I was thinking this. If none of these schools forbid multiple deposits, you could submit deposits & wait on your June retake. You would be paying $1200 for potentially more $$$ in return

I don't think Berkeley negotiates like that.

[lexi01]

OP if you retake in June, you may be able to use your score to negotiate money from NYU/Boalt and still be able to attend in the fall.

I was thinking this. If none of these schools forbid multiple deposits, you could submit deposits & wait on your June retake. You would be paying $1200 for potentially more $$$ in return

NYU forbids multiple deposits. My biggest problem with June is having enough time to significantly increase my score. I feel like I need to be pretty comfortably above 170 in order to get money given my GPA. I know I can't do that for June. IMO, it will take pretty dedicated studying to even achieve that for Sept/Oct. I took the Dec. '13 LSAT and haven't touched an LSAT book since then.

[worldtraveler]

I mostly agree that RTK would be an ideal scenario for OP but isn't HYS generally recommended for people who want to break into international human rights work?

By people who don't know what they're talking about, yes. NYU or Berkeley with less debt would be a much better call.

[lecsa]

.

[buffalo_]

OP if you retake in June, you may be able to use your score to negotiate money from NYU/Boalt and still be able to attend in the fall.

I was thinking this. If none of these schools forbid multiple deposits, you could submit deposits & wait on your June retake. You would be paying $1200 for potentially more $$$ in return

NYU forbids multiple deposits. My biggest problem with June is having enough time to significantly increase my score. I feel like I need to be pretty comfortably above 170 in order to get money given my GPA. I know I can't do that for June. IMO, it will take pretty dedicated studying to even achieve that for Sept/Oct. I took the Dec. '13 LSAT and haven't touched an LSAT book since then.

TCR here is to retake.

Are you KJD and won't have time to study for finals and the LSAT in June? It isn't that going to NYU this year at sticker is a bad life decision (I hope not because I may do it), it's that you probably have better alternatives to this option. You are URM and have a solid GPA, a retake with an increase will make you an extremely attractive candidate. It will not only increase the likelihood that you receive money to NYU next cycle, but also that you could be accepted to higher ranked schools (HLS or CLS in particular). And if you are willing to pay sticker, you might prefer to consider those choices.

If you started studying now, you have all of April and May to prepare. That should be plenty of time, but it depends on what else you are doing with your life. If you are employed full time, it might be more difficult to study 2-3 hours a day for 2 months. If you are a student, you may have finals to study for. Regardless though, you probably should retake if you are willing to wait one more year. A 170+ (and I say + because going 165-175 is absolutely possible) will net you very attractive scholarship opportunities at many T14.

I do not know what effect reapplying will have on your chances to NYU or Boalt next year, but you could always write an addendum explaining your exact situation. They you were accepted to great school A and would have loved to attend but it was too expensive and you felt that you could have done better on the LSAT. You retook to provide a score that more accurately reflects your ability and hope that it now qualifies you for merit aid. I do not think a school would hold that against you in admissions. I would find it very surprising if they accepted you this year and then did not accept you next year. Only something like a surge in applicants could cause that. If anything, applying twice shows clear interest in their school and might even be favorable. Who knows?

Good luck, let us know what you decide to do.

[francesfarmer]

I mostly agree that RTK would be an ideal scenario for OP but isn't HYS generally recommended for people who want to break into international human rights work?

By people who don't know what they're talking about, yes. NYU or Berkeley with less debt would be a much better call.

Is that because of the greater flexibility that comes with lower debt + the fact that OP isn't going to find work in international human rights law anyway?

[worldtraveler]

I mostly agree that RTK would be an ideal scenario for OP but isn't HYS generally recommended for people who want to break into international human rights work?

By people who don't know what they're talking about, yes. NYU or Berkeley with less debt would be a much better call.

Is that because of the greater flexibility that comes with lower debt + the fact that OP isn't going to find work in international human rights law anyway?

Because of the proposed changes to PSLF, for PI people taking on big debt is a bad idea, and NYU/Berkeley are almost as good with elite PI placement as HYS, so the extra money is not worth it.

And what makes you think OP can't get a job in international human rights? Because people on TLS say so? OP is the exact kind of person who has a shot at it.