Top Law Schools

Suppose you got no money as a 1L from your school, and then went on to be, say, top 2% in your class. Anyone have anecdotal information on these kinds of situations? Particularly at a top law school?

j.hill86x wrote:Suppose you got no money as a 1L from your school, and then went on to be, say, top 2% in your class. Anyone have anecdotal information on these kinds of situations? Particularly at a top law school?

If you applied to transfer up to another school, you can use that as leverage for money to your current school. Other than that, you can hope the school would give you more money out of good faith, but I wouldn't plan on it.

Recommend going through that app. process just for the leverage? Any stories about that actually working?

Some schools have internal competitions for additional scholarships (only open to rising 2Ls and 3Ls) - or at least, my school did (usually named in honor of past students/faculty/alumni). Many of those are merit-based, so 2% would probably get you something. However, they're not always very much money (e.g. a couple thousand bucks). That's the only thing I know of, apart from the transferring thing.

j.hill86x wrote:Recommend going through that app. process just for the leverage? Any stories about that actually working?

I'm sure there are, but I think each school has a different policy on increasing aid...so you would need to find someone from the same/similar school as yours to know.

j.hill86x wrote:Recommend going through that app. process just for the leverage? Any stories about that actually working?

If you're asking whether 5 hours and $500 bucks or so is worth a very good chance that you will save upwards of $60,000, the answer is yes.

seespotrun wrote:

j.hill86x wrote:Recommend going through that app. process just for the leverage? Any stories about that actually working?

If you're asking whether 5 hours and $500 bucks or so is worth a very good chance that you will save upwards of $60,000, the answer is yes.

$60,000??? and IS IT a good chance? Or are you really just awkwardly burning through recommendations from professors who know you best (for the transfer process) to get what is still a likely denial from the financial aid department?