Top Law Schools

Hello! Long-time lurker, and I'm finally asking for help because I'm not sure which path to pursue. Here's my situation: I applied to several schools so I'd have leverage to work with. 170 LSAT, 3.77 GPA, non URM, out of UG for 8ish years, and I'm considered independent for financial aid purposes by most schools. My whole family is low/middle-low income, though, so I'm getting a lot of need-based aid. Softs are "eh".

Still waiting to hear back from:
Harvard (expected rejection)
U Chicago (expected rejection)
UVA (expected WL/rejection)
NYU (expected WL/rejection)

Waitlisted at:
Northwestern
Georgetown
U Penn
UCLA
Duke
Columbia

Rejected from:
Berkeley

Offered admission from:
Cornell - $120,000 scholarship (top choice)
Vanderbilt - $125,000 scholarship (offer stated explicitly that it is not their policy to "compete" with awards from other schools)
UC Davis - $120,000 scholarship + ~$30,000 need-based grants (estimated by them) (safe choice)

I'm a California resident and Davis is pretty close, so I wouldn't have to move if I chose it, but I'm no stranger to moving somewhere completely new by myself, and Nashville and Ithaca are exciting prospects. I know I would love Ithaca, and I'm going to Vandy's ASW in two weeks. Using the Cost Comparison spreadsheet I found on these boards, I came up with these estimates for total debt at repayment, given the initial scholarship offers:

Cornell ~ $157,000 debt
Vanderbilt - $116,000 debt
UC Davis - $36,000 debt

If Davis were to up their scholarship offer to full tuition, the need-based grants would cover most of my living expenses, and I could end up with only ~$5000 in loans at repayment. I would prefer to attend Cornell, but I would absolutely take Davis on for a full tuition scholarship.

About Cornell: Unless any of my other schools (see above) magically admit me with $$$ or un-waitlist me with $$$, Cornell is the best school to offer me anything, so I don't have much leverage to encourage them to increase their offer, and unless I can convince them to increase the offer by ~$45,000, I'm thinking I may just have to cut my losses and go with the least debt at Davis. I cannot rationalize going into that much debt for my dream school.

Here are my questions: Davis' first seat deposit is due April 15, and I don't get back from Vandy's ASW until April 9. If I'm going to hold out hope for Cornell to increase the $$, I need to ask them first, but how? I cannot think of any appeal other than, "I'm poor, you're expensive, and that's a level of debt I can't swallow." Vandy is still an interesting offer, but I want to visit before I make a commitment either way. Is there any harm in asking for an increase based on Cornell's offer? Or should I just straight up ask Davis for full tuition and hope for the best?

Please help me get my thoughts in order. I'm really not sure how to proceed. Thank you.

First, I am surprised with your results. I would have expected you to score more acceptances among the schools that waitlisted you. Anyway, I don't think leverage has much of a role to play here and you're in a position of just asking. You may as well show Vanderbilt your Cornell offer and see what they do and you can just ask Cornell for some more money. Similarly with Davis, just ask them for more money.

Where do you want to work?

Oh good, I was really surprised, too, and I wasn't sure if I should be. Maybe I screwed up my personal statement--who knows? I have no real preference for living/working. I've spent most of my life in Northern California, but I don't need to stay there. I'd be happy working in bigger cities in the Midwest, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, wherever. I'd be happy in smaller cities in the Northwest, too. I keep reading about other people visiting Vanderbilt and surprising themselves by falling in love with it. Should I bring up Cornell's offer when I visit Vandy in two weeks, or should I email them now?

I would love to move out of California, but the idea of graduating from a good school with so little debt... it's really tempting. I'm telling myself that I can still move where ever I want after graduating and working a couple years in the Sacramento area--am I lying to myself?

I don't think you have any reason to wait to ask anyone for more money. The way you sound, Cornell looks like it would make a lot of sense for you. I don't know how well Cornell will work to get you back to NorCal, but with you being so geographically flexible I think it could really work out for you. Cornell at that price is a very good deal. I hope Lavitz will come in and give his thoughts, as he's all knowing with respect to Cornell.

I also generally wouldn't think Vandy is bad if you are happy staying in the Southeast. Stay tuned though, hopefully you get off some waitlists and get into some of your outstanding schools.

Thanks for your input. It's much appreciated