Top Law Schools

I live in DC and have been working as a social worker for three years. Before that I was an Americorps volunteer. My GF and I live together and she has been teaching in DCPS for 8 years. My goal is PI work in civil legal services in DC (housing/public benefits/family law) but I want the outside shot at pipedreams like art 3 clerkships/big gov honors that gtown would give me over other DC schools.

How should I proceed with my applications to gtown and other schools to secure the most $ from gtown possible?

Ways To Do It:
1) Submit your app
2) Get in (you likely will with those numbers)
3) ??????
4) $$$$$$

Edit: Seriously, your numbers (esp. your LSAT) will do a good amount of the work. But also consider the optional essays/options. Like if you do the video one, make it really sincere and clear that you will pick Gtown. That way you can get money and leverage for more.

Apply to peer schools like Cornell, Michigan, Northwestern, UVA, etc. so that you can use their scholarship offers to negotiate more money from Georgetown. This may require negotiating several of these schools against each other to get more money and then trying to squeeze more out of Georgetown. For now though, apply to T14 schools like the above. You can probably request and get fee waivers from most or all of them to lower cost. Apply asap because earlier acceptances tend to get more money.

I would blanket the T14 (probably minus Yale and Stanford) and negotiate everyone against everyone and use that to help you negotiate at Georgetown.

GULC also has public interest scholarships/fellowship grants, I believe. But yeah, what Mullens/Zuck said, basically.

Capitol_Idea wrote:GULC also has public interest scholarships/fellowship grants, I believe. But yeah, what Mullens/Zuck said, basically.

While it comes with a decent scholarship, PILS requires you to commit way before the deadline, which severely undercuts your negotiation abilities. If you want to get a large scholarship, apply everywhere from CCN on down, negotiate with everyone, and especially negotiate with GULC for as many rounds as you need. They'll offer you less than most other schools at first, they will tell you they don't give out scholarships that large, and so on, but they will come around in the end if your other offers are good enough and you are persistent. Do not make it too obvious how strong your personal reasons for choosing them over other schools are.

Thanks for the advice guys. This seems like a logical strategy. To summarize:

1. Blanket T-14 (minus Y/S)
2. Negotiate within peer groups (CCN, MVPDBCN - these seem fluid enough to compare)
3. Negotiate with schools between peer groups
4. Bring these to georgetown.

Now, as for this:

Hand wrote:

Capitol_Idea wrote:GULC also has public interest scholarships/fellowship grants, I believe. But yeah, what Mullens/Zuck said, basically.

While it comes with a decent scholarship, PILS requires you to commit way before the deadline, which severely undercuts your negotiation abilities. If you want to get a large scholarship, apply everywhere from CCN on down, negotiate with everyone, and especially negotiate with GULC for as many rounds as you need. They'll offer you less than most other schools at first, they will tell you they don't give out scholarships that large, and so on, but they will come around in the end if your other offers are good enough and you are persistent. Do not make it too obvious how strong your personal reasons for choosing them over other schools are.

I know PILS gives 1/3 scholarship. I am definitely interested but was curious about how that would impact other aid. Do you think the impact of the earlier decision deadline (assuming I was offered PILS, which is no given) would cause enough of a negative impact on my other scholarship negotiations that I should forgo applying to the scholarship? I'm definitely going to try for NYU's RTK scholarships which seem hypercompetitive but would definitely make me seriously consider leaving DC for a few years.

seagan823 wrote:Thanks for the advice guys. This seems like a logical strategy. To summarize:

1. Blanket T-14 (minus Y/S)
2. Negotiate within peer groups (CCN, MVPDBCN - these seem fluid enough to compare)
3. Negotiate with schools between peer groups
4. Bring these to georgetown.

Now, as for this:

Hand wrote:

Capitol_Idea wrote:GULC also has public interest scholarships/fellowship grants, I believe. But yeah, what Mullens/Zuck said, basically.

While it comes with a decent scholarship, PILS requires you to commit way before the deadline, which severely undercuts your negotiation abilities. If you want to get a large scholarship, apply everywhere from CCN on down, negotiate with everyone, and especially negotiate with GULC for as many rounds as you need. They'll offer you less than most other schools at first, they will tell you they don't give out scholarships that large, and so on, but they will come around in the end if your other offers are good enough and you are persistent. Do not make it too obvious how strong your personal reasons for choosing them over other schools are.

I know PILS gives 1/3 scholarship. I am definitely interested but was curious about how that would impact other aid. Do you think the impact of the earlier decision deadline (assuming I was offered PILS, which is no given) would cause enough of a negative impact on my other scholarship negotiations that I should forgo applying to the scholarship? I'm definitely going to try for NYU's RTK scholarships which seem hypercompetitive but would definitely make me seriously consider leaving DC for a few years.

To be honest, I haven't seen the terms of the commitment form they want you to sign when you accept PILS, since I didn't apply; it's worth sending a PM to TLS users accessislife or Dipper who got it last cycle. If the form requires you to withdraw all your other apps etc. (that is, if it's like an ED commitment) , the only thing you can negotiate with is a threat not to go to LS at all, which is not what you want. If it's like the form they have everyone sign who they offer a regular scholarship, which merely says that you intend to attend but doesn't require you to withdraw elsewhere, then you can just keep on bringing other offers to them afterwards, and they'll either care or not, but it doesn't matter. My impression was that it's the former sort of scenario, but I actually am not sure now that I think of it.

Hand wrote:

seagan823 wrote:Thanks for the advice guys. This seems like a logical strategy. To summarize:

1. Blanket T-14 (minus Y/S)
2. Negotiate within peer groups (CCN, MVPDBCN - these seem fluid enough to compare)
3. Negotiate with schools between peer groups
4. Bring these to georgetown.

Now, as for this:

Hand wrote:

Capitol_Idea wrote:GULC also has public interest scholarships/fellowship grants, I believe. But yeah, what Mullens/Zuck said, basically.

While it comes with a decent scholarship, PILS requires you to commit way before the deadline, which severely undercuts your negotiation abilities. If you want to get a large scholarship, apply everywhere from CCN on down, negotiate with everyone, and especially negotiate with GULC for as many rounds as you need. They'll offer you less than most other schools at first, they will tell you they don't give out scholarships that large, and so on, but they will come around in the end if your other offers are good enough and you are persistent. Do not make it too obvious how strong your personal reasons for choosing them over other schools are.

I know PILS gives 1/3 scholarship. I am definitely interested but was curious about how that would impact other aid. Do you think the impact of the earlier decision deadline (assuming I was offered PILS, which is no given) would cause enough of a negative impact on my other scholarship negotiations that I should forgo applying to the scholarship? I'm definitely going to try for NYU's RTK scholarships which seem hypercompetitive but would definitely make me seriously consider leaving DC for a few years.

To be honest, I haven't seen the terms of the commitment form they want you to sign when you accept PILS, since I didn't apply; it's worth sending a PM to TLS users accessislife or Dipper who got it last cycle. If the form requires you to withdraw all your other apps etc. (that is, if it's like an ED commitment) , the only thing you can negotiate with is a threat not to go to LS at all, which is not what you want. If it's like the form they have everyone sign who they offer a regular scholarship, which merely says that you intend to attend but doesn't require you to withdraw elsewhere, then you can just keep on bringing other offers to them afterwards, and they'll either care or not, but it doesn't matter. My impression was that it's the former sort of scenario, but I actually am not sure now that I think of it.

Man, thanks a lot. I appreciate those potential resources and all the info. Are you at GULC?

seagan823 wrote:I live in DC and have been working as a social worker for three years. Before that I was an Americorps volunteer. My GF and I live together and she has been teaching in DCPS for 8 years. My goal is PI work in civil legal services in DC (housing/public benefits/family law) but I want the outside shot at pipedreams like art 3 clerkships/big gov honors that gtown would give me over other DC schools.

How should I proceed with my applications to gtown and other schools to secure the most $ from gtown possible?

Definitely do one of the supplements and, if you can, the group interview. I had the exact same GPA and LSAT and was wait-listed last year, in part because I don't think I showed enough interest. (Admittedly also possible they just did not like me for some reason.)

seagan823 wrote:Man, thanks a lot. I appreciate those potential resources and all the info. Are you at GULC?

Yup; I was in a similar position to yours last year, and ended up with a very good scholarship after proceeding in the way described above. And yeah echoing what the above poster said--do write one of their silly 250 word essays, and do an alumni interview if they ask you to do one. I did both.

seagan823 wrote:Thanks for the advice guys. This seems like a logical strategy. To summarize:

1. Blanket T-14 (minus Y/S)
2. Negotiate within peer groups (CCN, MVPDBCN - these seem fluid enough to compare)
3. Negotiate with schools between peer groups
4. Bring these to georgetown.

Now, as for this:

Hand wrote:

Capitol_Idea wrote:GULC also has public interest scholarships/fellowship grants, I believe. But yeah, what Mullens/Zuck said, basically.

While it comes with a decent scholarship, PILS requires you to commit way before the deadline, which severely undercuts your negotiation abilities. If you want to get a large scholarship, apply everywhere from CCN on down, negotiate with everyone, and especially negotiate with GULC for as many rounds as you need. They'll offer you less than most other schools at first, they will tell you they don't give out scholarships that large, and so on, but they will come around in the end if your other offers are good enough and you are persistent. Do not make it too obvious how strong your personal reasons for choosing them over other schools are.

I know PILS gives 1/3 scholarship. I am definitely interested but was curious about how that would impact other aid. Do you think the impact of the earlier decision deadline (assuming I was offered PILS, which is no given) would cause enough of a negative impact on my other scholarship negotiations that I should forgo applying to the scholarship? I'm definitely going to try for NYU's RTK scholarships which seem hypercompetitive but would definitely make me seriously consider leaving DC for a few years.

Worth noting that, in addition to whatever "peer" schools you apply to for negotiating leverage, you should also apply to some just-outside-the T14 schools for leverage too.

WashU will almost certainly throw a full ride at you.
UCLA will almost certainly throw 75% or more at you.

Generally speaking, schools won't match lower ranked school's offers. But they can have some sway -- at least they did for me -- in increasing your scholarship. Especially when combined with offers you get from the other schools already mentioned in this thread.

My numbers are significantly lower than yours and I got a decent pile of money after heavy negotiations. Provided you play your cards right, you will do very well. Echoing everyone else, blanket everything from Columbia down, plus UCLA, Texas, Vanderbilt, Wash U, and GW. Negotiate at every school to maximize your bargaining power, then prepare to navigate the gauntlet...

If for some insane reason GULC doesn't offer money after your acceptance, email admissions and say you'd like to be considered for merit aid. Gently hound them until they offer to let you write the extra essay; once they offer it up, write the hell out of it. They'll ask you to name a figure that would allow you to attend: be reasonable, but you're negotiating, so start on the high side. You could be ballsy and ask for a full ride, but def request at least 120k—I have no idea if they actually go that high, but ask anyway. Again, gently hound them until they cave, which should be right before the initial deposit is due. The real key is to double deposit at whichever peer schools are offering more money than GULC. This is essential. Higher-ranked schools are better, obviously, but Texas should work, and possibly others. Before the second deposit deadline, reach out to GULC and see if there's room to negotiate again, expressing interest in the school as well as sadness that you ultimately have to make the best financial decision despite your passionate desire to attend GULC, blah blah. If they haven't already maxed out your scholarship, they'll probably buckle and give you another bump. Now, the best part: 1-2 weeks before orientation, ask again. Do it tactfully and just say that you're concerned about your finances, and that you've heard scholarship money sometimes opens up due to late-summer waitlist movements. They won't want to lose you, and may offer more money. Go forth and prosper.

Agree with all of the above posts. Nevertheless, seriously consider NYU (public interest scholarships) as well as regional powerhouses Duke & Virginia. If you proceed with a "Georgetown or bust" mentality, you might overlook some great opportunities.

Glasseyes wrote:My numbers are significantly lower than yours and I got a decent pile of money after heavy negotiations. Provided you play your cards right, you will do very well. Echoing everyone else, blanket everything from Columbia down, plus UCLA, Texas, Vanderbilt, Wash U, and GW. Negotiate at every school to maximize your bargaining power, then prepare to navigate the gauntlet...

If for some insane reason GULC doesn't offer money after your acceptance, email admissions and say you'd like to be considered for merit aid. Gently hound them until they offer to let you write the extra essay; once they offer it up, write the hell out of it. They'll ask you to name a figure that would allow you to attend: be reasonable, but you're negotiating, so start on the high side. You could be ballsy and ask for a full ride, but def request at least 120k—I have no idea if they actually go that high, but ask anyway. Again, gently hound them until they cave, which should be right before the initial deposit is due. The real key is to double deposit at whichever peer schools are offering more money than GULC. This is essential. Higher-ranked schools are better, obviously, but Texas should work, and possibly others. Before the second deposit deadline, reach out to GULC and see if there's room to negotiate again, expressing interest in the school as well as sadness that you ultimately have to make the best financial decision despite your passionate desire to attend GULC, blah blah. If they haven't already maxed out your scholarship, they'll probably buckle and give you another bump. Now, the best part: 1-2 weeks before orientation, ask again. Do it tactfully and just say that you're concerned about your finances, and that you've heard scholarship money sometimes opens up due to late-summer waitlist movements. They won't want to lose you, and may offer more money. Go forth and prosper.

Thank, this is great info.

CanadianWolf wrote:Agree with all of the above posts. Nevertheless, seriously consider NYU (public interest scholarships) as well as regional powerhouses Duke & Virginia. If you proceed with a "Georgetown or bust" mentality, you might overlook some great opportunities.

Definitely going to look for the best possible option. I'm going to apply for RTK, make sure Penn knows about my desire for PI because they offer full rides as well. Duke and UVA are definitely in the mix. I am drawn to GULC because I live her, I want to serve DC residents, their clinics are awesome and my SO might not want to leave. There are definitely going to be a lot of financial and personal calculations to make, so its not quite GULC or but despite how I phrased things in the first post. I just know its among the top schools on my list and I want to negotiate accordingly.

seagan823 wrote:

CanadianWolf wrote:Agree with all of the above posts. Nevertheless, seriously consider NYU (public interest scholarships) as well as regional powerhouses Duke & Virginia. If you proceed with a "Georgetown or bust" mentality, you might overlook some great opportunities.

Definitely going to look for the best possible option. I'm going to apply for RTK, make sure Penn knows about my desire for PI because they offer full rides as well. Duke and UVA are definitely in the mix. I am drawn to GULC because I live her, I want to serve DC residents, their clinics are awesome and my SO might not want to leave. There are definitely going to be a lot of financial and personal calculations to make, so its not quite GULC or but despite how I phrased things in the first post. I just know its among the top schools on my list and I want to negotiate accordingly.

Current PILS here. Want to clarify a few things:

(1) The PILS $$ gets added to what you receive in merit/need, which is assessed separately. For me, that means I don't pay tuition (i.e. free ride)
(2) I didn't have to commit to PILS until March or April of the year I started
(3) You HAVE to negotiate with GULC basically. I went from 15k a year to 40k a year because I used other other schools as leverage, hit up accepted students events, etc.

Anything else feel free to PM