WUSTL vs. GULC vs. BU Forum

[ltbenn]

Non-traditional (read: old-ish) applicant, 3.24/173 (second take - did better than my PT average after doing 7sage and basically all of the PTs out there - so I don't think retaking would be a great idea...)
Currently considering the following options:

GULC - 15k/year, leaving COA at @225k
WUSTL - 45k/year -> COA @100k
BU - 30k/year -> COA @125k

No savings or rich parents, so that'll all be loans.

Goals - would love to work in international arbitration / transnational litigation, so probably more Biglaw than anything else.

Other considerations - originally from the Boston area, so I wouldn't mind living there for school but would much rather end up in DC or NYC. Also, I'm a little infatuated with Georgetown (I know tls doesn't always have nice things to say about it but it was my first choice from day 1 and I love it...)

Am I crazy to go to gulc with that much debt? I feel like it's the only place I have a decent(ish) chance at my goals, so it might be worth it...?


To preclude comments - basically everywhere else I applied waitlisted me. So for now, these are the only choices.

[Vandy2bforrealz]

It looks like you may have underperformed your cycle.... I'm surprised you didn't receive more money everywhere you listed.

[BasilHallward]

Underperformed for sure. Retake is not the right answer here. Congrats on killing the LSAT! You should have been applying everywhere, so that you can leverage scholarships against these schools. UT? Vandy? UVA? Your LSAT is so high that you should be seeing $$$ from lower T-14s

[fliptrip]

I don't think you'd get big money at a t-14, but I do feel like you should have some here to choose from. Did you apply to them?

If you're going to be paying an arm and a leg, I think you'll want to be paying for the best chances and that comes from a t-14.

[ltbenn]

Thanks for the initial feedback, guys... Some additional info -

Applied to 10 of the t14 (everywhere but S, Y, Chicago and Berkley):
rejected at Harvard, Penn and Cornell
Waitlisted/Held/Reserved at Columbia, northwestern, UVA and Michigan
Still waiting to hear from NYU and Duke
In at Georgetown, 15k/year merit scholarship

Beyond that, applied to five more schools:
WUSTL - in with 47k/year (they just increased)
Vandy - wl (yp?)
GW - wl (yp?)
Emory - in with 36k/year
BU - in with 30k/year

Didn't apply to UT or any schools in Cali for geographical preference reasons...

Seven years of WE, most of which is very unique (in a good way, I think) - also have some C&F concerns which may explain the underperforming... Also, my wildly unimpressive GPA is from a BEd. degree at a school no one has heard of.

Retaking is probably not going to help (don't think I'll do any better and not sure another point or two would make much of a difference), and waiting a cycle isn't a great option (relocating from overseas this summer, so a year of bs work experience won't add anything and will probably just depress me...)


Thoughts?

[EzraFitz]

Thanks for the initial feedback, guys... Some additional info -

Applied to 10 of the t14 (everywhere but S, Y, Chicago and Berkley):
rejected at Harvard, Penn and Cornell
Waitlisted/Held/Reserved at Columbia, northwestern, UVA and Michigan
Still waiting to hear from NYU and Duke
In at Georgetown, 15k/year merit scholarship

Beyond that, applied to five more schools:
WUSTL - in with 47k/year (they just increased)
Vandy - wl (yp?)
GW - wl (yp?)
Emory - in with 36k/year
BU - in with 30k/year

Didn't apply to UT or any schools in Cali for geographical preference reasons...

Seven years of WE, most of which is very unique (in a good way, I think) - also have some C&F concerns which may explain the underperforming... Also, my wildly unimpressive GPA is from a BEd. degree at a school no one has heard of.

Retaking is probably not going to help (don't think I'll do any better and not sure another point or two would make much of a difference), and waiting a cycle isn't a great option (relocating from overseas this summer, so a year of bs work experience won't add anything and will probably just depress me...)


Thoughts?

Have you given GULC the good old negotiating tactic of "I want to come, but I need more money?" I have a higher GPA and lower LSAT than you (but still above 75th LSAT below 25th GPA) for GULC, and was able to double my scholarship with this tactic. Might work for you, especially with the WUSTL offer.

[ltbenn]

Thanks for the initial feedback, guys... Some additional info -

Applied to 10 of the t14 (everywhere but S, Y, Chicago and Berkley):
rejected at Harvard, Penn and Cornell
Waitlisted/Held/Reserved at Columbia, northwestern, UVA and Michigan
Still waiting to hear from NYU and Duke
In at Georgetown, 15k/year merit scholarship

Beyond that, applied to five more schools:
WUSTL - in with 47k/year (they just increased)
Vandy - wl (yp?)
GW - wl (yp?)
Emory - in with 36k/year
BU - in with 30k/year

Didn't apply to UT or any schools in Cali for geographical preference reasons...

Seven years of WE, most of which is very unique (in a good way, I think) - also have some C&F concerns which may explain the underperforming... Also, my wildly unimpressive GPA is from a BEd. degree at a school no one has heard of.

Retaking is probably not going to help (don't think I'll do any better and not sure another point or two would make much of a difference), and waiting a cycle isn't a great option (relocating from overseas this summer, so a year of bs work experience won't add anything and will probably just depress me...)


Thoughts?

Have you given GULC the good old negotiating tactic of "I want to come, but I need more money?" I have a higher GPA and lower LSAT than you (but still above 75th LSAT below 25th GPA) for GULC, and was able to double my scholarship with this tactic. Might work for you, especially with the WUSTL offer.

My initial offer from GULC was 10k/year, negotiated them up to 15k, when I tried a second time I got the "no dice" email from Andy...

ETA: at this point I'm hoping to get off a waitlist (or a surprise from NYU? *fingers crossed* *not gonna happen...*) for more leverage..

[EzraFitz]

Thanks for the initial feedback, guys... Some additional info -

Applied to 10 of the t14 (everywhere but S, Y, Chicago and Berkley):
rejected at Harvard, Penn and Cornell
Waitlisted/Held/Reserved at Columbia, northwestern, UVA and Michigan
Still waiting to hear from NYU and Duke
In at Georgetown, 15k/year merit scholarship

Beyond that, applied to five more schools:
WUSTL - in with 47k/year (they just increased)
Vandy - wl (yp?)
GW - wl (yp?)
Emory - in with 36k/year
BU - in with 30k/year

Didn't apply to UT or any schools in Cali for geographical preference reasons...

Seven years of WE, most of which is very unique (in a good way, I think) - also have some C&F concerns which may explain the underperforming... Also, my wildly unimpressive GPA is from a BEd. degree at a school no one has heard of.

Retaking is probably not going to help (don't think I'll do any better and not sure another point or two would make much of a difference), and waiting a cycle isn't a great option (relocating from overseas this summer, so a year of bs work experience won't add anything and will probably just depress me...)


Thoughts?

Have you given GULC the good old negotiating tactic of "I want to come, but I need more money?" I have a higher GPA and lower LSAT than you (but still above 75th LSAT below 25th GPA) for GULC, and was able to double my scholarship with this tactic. Might work for you, especially with the WUSTL offer.

My initial offer from GULC was 10k/year, negotiated them up to 15k, when I tried a second time I got the "no dice" email from Andy...

Oof, that's a rough shake (although it seems from my talking to people that I outperformed my numbers for scholarship purposes). FWIW I did get them to increase twice (15k->20k->30k). And this isn't immediately helpful, but both UCLA and UT gave me close to fulls, which I think helped for negotiating purposes.

I think if you're really set on not waiting it out, then GULC is your best option right now, although I'd take Duke or NYU in a heartbeat over GULC if positive news comes from them. I also think it might not hurt if you were willing to sit out a cycle, and apply much more broadly to the 15-25 range and snag as much $$$$ as possible to negotiate harder next cycle if it comes down to it. But I'm not very savvy on reapplying without retaking, so others may have better input.

[Vandy2bforrealz]

GULC is your best offer but you probably wait to see if any new offers are forthcoming. I don't believe people should attend WUSTL unless they are from STL or have a full ride. You are close to the full ride but it's still not a good deal with your numbers.

[ltbenn]

Update - paid my first seat deposit at WUSTL and submitted the scholarship acceptance form at gulc, keeping both offers alive a little longer in hopes of still pushing gulc up a bit.

Maybe I threw away $500, maybe I bought myself another month of negotiations... Only time will tell.

Any ideas for how to sway gulc into increasing their offer beyond the standard "love you mean it please give me moneys" emails? Or how to turn 47k at WUSTL to full ride with stipend?

[KeYe88]

Update - paid my first seat deposit at WUSTL and submitted the scholarship acceptance form at gulc, keeping both offers alive a little longer in hopes of still pushing gulc up a bit.

Maybe I threw away $500, maybe I bought myself another month of negotiations... Only time will tell.

Any ideas for how to sway gulc into increasing their offer beyond the standard "love you mean it please give me moneys" emails? Or how to turn 47k at WUSTL to full ride with stipend?

send emails will do