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Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:02 pm
by TLSNYC
So, I am sending out a letter to try and negotiate money out of a particular school. I got accepted to a higher ranked school but received no money from that school; however, if I did choose to go there, I could live for free with my cousin who has a spare bedroom in his place. This would obviously save me close to 30k over three years. Is it worth mentioning that to the lower ranked school, i.e. in addition to actual competing scholarship offers from schools x and y, if i go to school z, i will be saving 30k due to living arrangements and that would make school z cheaper.

Re: Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:04 pm
by bdubs
Why should the school care about your living arrangements?

They are giving you scholarship money to attract well qualified students. If your qualifications don't get you money then your living arrangements won't change that.

Re: Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:07 pm
by TLSNYC
bdubs wrote:Why should the school care about your living arrangements?

They are giving you scholarship money to attract well qualified students. If your qualifications don't get you money then your living arrangements won't change that.
I just thought it could help in the sense that my total cost of attendance at school z would be 150 due to the living arrangements.
I tell school x, which is offering me nothing, that school z would be cheaper for me in the hopes of eliciting some kind of offer from school x. ( I also have actual scholarship offers from other schools to negotiate with as well.)

Re: Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:08 pm
by Dany
Just mention that your cost of attendance will be lower at the higher-ranked school.

Re: Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:11 pm
by Nogameisfair
Dany wrote:Just mention that your cost of attendance will be lower at the higher-ranked school.
This. In reality all you need to say is, "I wont come to your school unless you give me more money." In a nice way.

Re: Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:14 pm
by cubswin
Dany wrote:Just mention that your cost of attendance will be lower at the higher-ranked school.
Word.

On a semi-related note, shouldn't you pay your cousin something to live with him for three years?

Re: Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:18 pm
by TLSNYC
cubswin wrote:
Dany wrote:Just mention that your cost of attendance will be lower at the higher-ranked school.
Word.

On a semi-related note, shouldn't you pay your cousin something to live with him for three years?
Thanks to everyone for all the helpful replies!

And yes, I def. should and have even offered, but he totally refuses. I think he feels like he owes me, since he stayed at my parents house for a little over two years when he was doing his bachelors. (Not to mention, he's only 27 and he makes about half a million a year, so he probably sees my money as chump change anyway.)

Re: Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:21 pm
by thecilent
TLSNYC wrote:
cubswin wrote:
Dany wrote:Just mention that your cost of attendance will be lower at the higher-ranked school.
Word.

On a semi-related note, shouldn't you pay your cousin something to live with him for three years?
Thanks to everyone for all the helpful replies!

And yes, I def. should and have even offered, but he totally refuses. I think he feels like he owes me, since he stayed at my parents house for a little over two years when he was doing his bachelors. (Not to mention, he's only 27 and he makes about half a million a year, so he probably sees my money as chump change anyway.)
Okay what does your cousin do?

Re: Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:54 am
by Moxie
thecilent wrote:
TLSNYC wrote:
cubswin wrote:
Dany wrote:Just mention that your cost of attendance will be lower at the higher-ranked school.
Word.

On a semi-related note, shouldn't you pay your cousin something to live with him for three years?
Thanks to everyone for all the helpful replies!

And yes, I def. should and have even offered, but he totally refuses. I think he feels like he owes me, since he stayed at my parents house for a little over two years when he was doing his bachelors. (Not to mention, he's only 27 and he makes about half a million a year, so he probably sees my money as chump change anyway.)
Okay what does your cousin do?
TITCQ

Re: Can I mention living at home in a negotiation letter?

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:05 am
by iShotFirst
If your cousin feels he owes you, why dont you ask him to get you a job?