Negotiating beyond a full ride Forum

[Cocoron]

.

[acr]

I'm a URM splitter with an LSAT around 75th percentile and a GPA below 25th percentile at most T14s. I've gotten into a couple of T14s and also a T20 with a full scholarship. Expecting I'd have to pay sticker at any T14 given my numbers.

My question is how to tactfully negotiate my $$$ at the T20 into some sort of COL stipend. Even if the employment prospects outside of the T14 are grim, not having to pay tuition and having part of my COL taken care of would create a situation with financial risk small enough that I might be willing to turn down the T14 acceptances. Should I send an email to the admissions office now or wait it out to see if any of the T14s might offer something? Should I bring up the T14s I've already gotten into as leverage, even if they offer me no financial aid? Has anyone successfully done this before?

First off, forget "tactfully." You don't need to dance around the issue with them. You know you want money and they know you want money, and the worst thing they can say is no. Anything short of directly insulting admissions, the school, throwing a tantrum, or expressing a polarizing political opinion in your negotiation and your acceptance will not be impacted.

I'm assuming that the T20 you're referring to is a certain school well known for giving out quick full ride scholarships to splitter candidates. In that case, I would casually negotiate with them up until the seat-deposit deadline to see if they bite. If they don't bite before then, start turning the screws harder as the deadline approaches. They will either be desperate enough for your LSAT to keep their median that they offer you a stipend or say no and you keep your full ride anyway. I know they gave out a TON of stipends/money right around the deadline last year, which was around the last week in March.

Having said that, it's unlikely you'll get anything this early since they don't know what kind of money they'll need to shell out for their median quite yet. Later in the cycle they'll have a better idea of how much dough they have to recruit the LSATs they need, which is why your odds of success will be greater as the deposit deadline approaches.

Hello [Admissions],

I am extremely excited about my admission to [law school]. [Law school] is my first choice. However, I am extremely worried about financing COL and am writing to ascertain whether I would qualify for a COL stipend.

Sincerely,
Cocoron

[180kickflip]

I know it doesn't answer the question, but Unless you have a serious criminal record or something outlandish on your app, you're going to get $$. No URM with a t14 75th LSAT is going to be totally passed over for $. Especially if we're talking multiple t14 acceptances...Wait til you get t14 $ and negotiate between them.

[WatchClosely]

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