Big Money Without Horse Trading Forum

[delusional]

I have decent stats - 3.85 and 178. I have boring and non-descript softs, but a shining, special-snowflaky personality. I am limited to schools that I can commute to. There are three T10 - C, N and P, and then Fordham, which falls somewhere in the 30s, I think. While everyone seems to assume that admissions is purely a numbers game, and I would take that to mean that I'm pretty safe with this selection, money is another matter entirely. Browsing LSN, I could find no rhyme or reason as to what scholarships are based on.

I am prepared to engage in the horse trade if necessary, applying to more distant peer schools, and playing the schools against each other, but that's really not my bag; and also, fee waivers are apparently sparser off of the December LSAT.

What can I do as part of the application process to be that guy who has, for example, that $153,000 next to his name at Columbia? Some say to be forthright with the school that's your first choice, but doesn't that ruin your bargaining position, if it later becomes necessary? If I write a ringing "Why X", wouldn't the money they offer be inversely proportional to the credibility of the essay? And then I'll be dependent on two schools that I don't particularly care for, in order to bargain.

Also, how do they look at financial need of someone who quits a job to attend law school? I know that they sometimes claim that a scholarship is a "combination" of need and merit based aid; do they only offer that AFTER receiving FAFSA and Needaccess?

Edited to remove some of the pompous self serving questions. Carry on.

[thecilent]

No

[amonynous_ivdinidual]

my stats were a hair worse (pm if you want particulars) and i took the up-front approach. I got some good responses and ended up with exactly what i wanted. if you want the unabridged tale, again, pm.

[Shooter]

"Decent" stats, huh? You have a 3.85 and a 178. You are going to a top law school, and you are probably going for free.

I find your lack of faith disturbing...

[delusional]

"Decent" stats, huh? You have a 3.85 and a 178. You are going to a top law school, and you are probably going for free.

I find your lack of faith disturbing...

You're right, I was kind of fishing for a compliment. . But seriously, looking at LSN, there are no givens. Obviously, I don't know what criminal convictions the people who were accepted at sticker with those numbers had on their records. But it's not like everyone gets free school everywhere with those numbers, and my app isn't perfect either. And given my limited options, and EXTREME aversion to debt, I want to make sure I cover every base.