Mentioning a school's LRAP in a Why X essay? Forum

[vissidarte27]

Hi folks.

Did a search, didn't find anything.

What's the verdict on mentioning a schools' LRAP in a "Why X?" essay? Is it horribly frowned upon to talk about money? I want to work in the public sector, and one of the big reasons that I've chosen this school is that it's LRAP kicks ass and would facilitate the kind of work I want to do. I love that the school allows its alum to practice based on their passions rather than on their pocketbooks.

Can I mention this as one of the pluses of school X or should I ignore it and focus on some of the other things? Is there a hard and fast rule about mentioning LRAP/financial matters when writing this kind of essay?

[Grizz]

Mention it.

[OGR3]

I can certainly see that as a big plus. I'd mention it.

[Bildungsroman]

I'd mention it.

You need to be wary of mentioning money when it sounds presumptive, like "I want to attend X because I believe I will be offered a nice scholarship," or when it's mentioned in the context of something that reflects poorly on you or your desire to attend that school, like "My parents say that if I go to school X they'll give me an allowance during law school".

It's good to mention LRAP because it shows you've familiarized yourself with the school beyond just knowing its rank or its prestigious name, it speaks to your desire to do public interest law (which schools just love), and it shows you're being smart about this decision and doing some good long-term planning. Just make sure to talk about other factors motivating you to attend as well, because only talking about the LRAP would make it seem as though you're only selecting the school because it's the cheapest option.