Veterans Thread Forum

[UnicornHunter]

Just wanted to share some information regarding the GI Bill that I found out this weekend. I was seriously miscalculating how much I would receive.

I met with the UVA Financial Aid office and found out since they are a public school, you will actually get a percentage of what they charge in state students. So if you are 100% eligible, you would receive $54,000 in tuition benefits since that is what they charge in state students. The $21,084 cap only applies to private schools. I will only be eligible for 40% so would receive $21,600 at UVA compared to the $8,433.60 I thought I would receive. I verified this information with vets at both UVA and Georgetown. Seems to me like UVA, Michigan, and Cal-Berkeley are great bets for vets eligible for the GI Bill since they are the only 3 public schools in the T-14. Granted, if you have 100% benefits and the private school does yellow ribbon, you are still looking at $42,168 in benefits which is nothing to sneeze at. This may have already been discussed, but just figured I would share.

Yeah, if you're at 100% and the school does full blown YRP, you pay $0, which is really the way to think about it. I'm not sure why UVA or Michigan would be better than Chicago or Harvard when the total bill from any of those schools will be $0.

If you're not at 100% stay in until you are.

If the school doesn't do full YRP, don't go unless it's Yale.

[Specter1389]

Just wanted to share some information regarding the GI Bill that I found out this weekend. I was seriously miscalculating how much I would receive.

I met with the UVA Financial Aid office and found out since they are a public school, you will actually get a percentage of what they charge in state students. So if you are 100% eligible, you would receive $54,000 in tuition benefits since that is what they charge in state students. The $21,084 cap only applies to private schools. I will only be eligible for 40% so would receive $21,600 at UVA compared to the $8,433.60 I thought I would receive. I verified this information with vets at both UVA and Georgetown. Seems to me like UVA, Michigan, and Cal-Berkeley are great bets for vets eligible for the GI Bill since they are the only 3 public schools in the T-14. Granted, if you have 100% benefits and the private school does yellow ribbon, you are still looking at $42,168 in benefits which is nothing to sneeze at. This may have already been discussed, but just figured I would share.

Yeah, if you're at 100% and the school does full blown YRP, you pay $0, which is really the way to think about it. I'm not sure why UVA or Michigan would be better than Chicago or Harvard when the total bill from any of those schools will be $0.

If you're not at 100% stay in until you are.

If the school doesn't do full YRP, don't go unless it's Yale.

Agreed if you have 100% benefits and the school does unlimited Yellow Ribbon. Georgetown though only offers $10,000 in benefits for instance plus you'd get an additional $10,000 from the VA. For those that choose to not stay in to receive 100% for varying reasons, that is when the state schools have an advantage in cost.

[UnicornHunter]

Just wanted to share some information regarding the GI Bill that I found out this weekend. I was seriously miscalculating how much I would receive.

I met with the UVA Financial Aid office and found out since they are a public school, you will actually get a percentage of what they charge in state students. So if you are 100% eligible, you would receive $54,000 in tuition benefits since that is what they charge in state students. The $21,084 cap only applies to private schools. I will only be eligible for 40% so would receive $21,600 at UVA compared to the $8,433.60 I thought I would receive. I verified this information with vets at both UVA and Georgetown. Seems to me like UVA, Michigan, and Cal-Berkeley are great bets for vets eligible for the GI Bill since they are the only 3 public schools in the T-14. Granted, if you have 100% benefits and the private school does yellow ribbon, you are still looking at $42,168 in benefits which is nothing to sneeze at. This may have already been discussed, but just figured I would share.

Yeah, if you're at 100% and the school does full blown YRP, you pay $0, which is really the way to think about it. I'm not sure why UVA or Michigan would be better than Chicago or Harvard when the total bill from any of those schools will be $0.

If you're not at 100% stay in until you are.

If the school doesn't do full YRP, don't go unless it's Yale.

Agreed if you have 100% benefits and the school does unlimited Yellow Ribbon. Georgetown though only offers $10,000 in benefits for instance plus you'd get an additional $10,000 from the VA. For those that choose to not stay in to receive 100% for varying reasons, that is when the state schools have an advantage in cost.

yeah, this is fair.

[Troianii]

Welcome! We're very similar except I'm almost done with 5 years of active Navy service. MU2 here.

Where'd you deploy, Memphis?

I can't stress how important getting a good LSAT score will be (I have a 164 LSAT and a 4.0 UGPA with a 3.98 master's GPA and I haven't been having the cycle I thought I would with T15 schools). If you're taking in September, you have plenty of time to study for a great score. Breaking 170 with your veteran status and GPA could open a lot of doors for you. There are a lot of good resources on here for getting a good LSAT score. I wish I would have found TLS before I applied to law school.

Just chiming in briefly on this, all that I can say is that the veteran status is hit or miss. There's actually a lot of statistics on minority applications, such that we can determine the average LSAT equivalent boost at a given school (for example, AA's typically get 5-10pt LSAT equivalent boost, last I read). We don't have those states for vets but, speaking anecdotally, I think it's pretty much a wild card. Some schools won't give a crap. Some will take note of it and then figure accept you w/little to no scholarship and have a veteran at the institution give you a call to pitch the school to you. Then, some will get a giant boner when they read about your veteran status.

For that reason, I suggest that vets be at least slightly more liberal in applying. I'd also note for all applying vets here, (please forgive the caps use, but this is one thing that shouldn't be missed): USE YOUR VET STATUS FOR APPLICATION FEE WAIVERS! Really, I've found that if you call and ask roughly three out of four law schools will give you an application fee waiver just for being a veteran.

[Troianii]

Wow! This is awful. I agree with you, people should know what to anticipate. A free service could end up being costly.

Have they approached you about providing feedback? I expected to receive a survey regarding my experience, but I have not. I hope you provide feedback to S2S so vets can be assured the quality services that are advertised.

It's because of their system. Their process is pretty simple: they help someone, and all that they require in return is that you pay it forward and help another vet (through their system) in the future. And I thought it worked pretty good - the guy who helped me was very knowledgeable, but also very busy. S2S is not something I'd suggest people use if they're in a bind. I'd strongly suggest that everyone start their process early - do your research, talk to advisers (namely through S2S - it's free), and visit schools. This is not a process that you want to do last minute.

[Troianii]

As far as I understand too, as of 01 Jan 2016 state schools have to grant military veterans in state tuition if they have been out of the military for fewer than three years. That's a big deal too, and makes going to a school like Michigan a way better possibility for me.

That's correct, which is why it's very limited in who it helps. I've tried looking up colleges that just give in state tuition without the recent separation stipulation. To my knowledge the only state is Maine - that is, regardless of when you got out or what your residency is, you can get in state tuition at any Maine school. But that's not exactly helpful for TLS, since Maine's only law school is ranked something like #129.

[doobleykah]

Welcome! We're very similar except I'm almost done with 5 years of active Navy service. MU2 here.

Where'd you deploy, Memphis?

I can't stress how important getting a good LSAT score will be (I have a 164 LSAT and a 4.0 UGPA with a 3.98 master's GPA and I haven't been having the cycle I thought I would with T15 schools). If you're taking in September, you have plenty of time to study for a great score. Breaking 170 with your veteran status and GPA could open a lot of doors for you. There are a lot of good resources on here for getting a good LSAT score. I wish I would have found TLS before I applied to law school.

Just chiming in briefly on this, all that I can say is that the veteran status is hit or miss. There's actually a lot of statistics on minority applications, such that we can determine the average LSAT equivalent boost at a given school (for example, AA's typically get 5-10pt LSAT equivalent boost, last I read). We don't have those states for vets but, speaking anecdotally, I think it's pretty much a wild card. Some schools won't give a crap. Some will take note of it and then figure accept you w/little to no scholarship and have a veteran at the institution give you a call to pitch the school to you. Then, some will get a giant boner when they read about your veteran status.

For that reason, I suggest that vets be at least slightly more liberal in applying. I'd also note for all applying vets here, (please forgive the caps use, but this is one thing that shouldn't be missed): USE YOUR VET STATUS FOR APPLICATION FEE WAIVERS! Really, I've found that if you call and ask roughly three out of four law schools will give you an application fee waiver just for being a veteran.

The veteran status will come into play much more when looking for a job after law school. Have spoken to multiple hiring partners in the last few weeks who can attest to this.

[Troianii]

Welcome! We're very similar except I'm almost done with 5 years of active Navy service. MU2 here.

Where'd you deploy, Memphis?

I can't stress how important getting a good LSAT score will be (I have a 164 LSAT and a 4.0 UGPA with a 3.98 master's GPA and I haven't been having the cycle I thought I would with T15 schools). If you're taking in September, you have plenty of time to study for a great score. Breaking 170 with your veteran status and GPA could open a lot of doors for you. There are a lot of good resources on here for getting a good LSAT score. I wish I would have found TLS before I applied to law school.

Just chiming in briefly on this, all that I can say is that the veteran status is hit or miss. There's actually a lot of statistics on minority applications, such that we can determine the average LSAT equivalent boost at a given school (for example, AA's typically get 5-10pt LSAT equivalent boost, last I read). We don't have those states for vets but, speaking anecdotally, I think it's pretty much a wild card. Some schools won't give a crap. Some will take note of it and then figure accept you w/little to no scholarship and have a veteran at the institution give you a call to pitch the school to you. Then, some will get a giant boner when they read about your veteran status.

For that reason, I suggest that vets be at least slightly more liberal in applying. I'd also note for all applying vets here, (please forgive the caps use, but this is one thing that shouldn't be missed): USE YOUR VET STATUS FOR APPLICATION FEE WAIVERS! Really, I've found that if you call and ask roughly three out of four law schools will give you an application fee waiver just for being a veteran.

The veteran status will come into play much more when looking for a job after law school. Have spoken to multiple hiring partners in the last few weeks who can attest to this.

I'm still a 0L, so I can't attest to that from first-hand experience, but that is exactly what I've heard from people over and over and over again. Veteran status will/should help a lot with that.

[gonavy!]

Hey everybody,

I've been lurking but this is my first post - I'm very grateful to have stumbled upon this community and hope some of you have some advice.

I'm wondering if anyone here has had experience with deferral (by reason of military obligation). I'm currently an active duty O-3 trying to juggle a couple of things - mainly RAD paperwork vs. deployment opportunity, and law school applications.

My plan is to drop my paperwork to get out around the same time I start dropping my applications (Fall 2016) to request separation by Summer/Fall 2017, but my supervisor is dangling a carrot of a deployment opportunity for me around the same time. My problem is that if I end up taking the deployment, it may run over into Fall 2017. (For reasons unknown - I have been active duty the last 6 years and never had an opportunity to deploy, so I would really like to before I get out.)

Are most schools understanding of deferrals for reason of [active duty] military obligation? Are they more likely to not care and I will have to do the process over again? If deferral is not an option that would be a strong reason for me to decline this potential deployment, though it would pain me. advice appreciated - thanks!

[Nagster5]

Hey everybody,

I've been lurking but this is my first post - I'm very grateful to have stumbled upon this community and hope some of you have some advice.

I'm wondering if anyone here has had experience with deferral (by reason of military obligation). I'm currently an active duty O-3 trying to juggle a couple of things - mainly RAD paperwork vs. deployment opportunity, and law school applications.

My plan is to drop my paperwork to get out around the same time I start dropping my applications (Fall 2016) to request separation by Summer/Fall 2017, but my supervisor is dangling a carrot of a deployment opportunity for me around the same time. My problem is that if I end up taking the deployment, it may run over into Fall 2017. (For reasons unknown - I have been active duty the last 6 years and never had an opportunity to deploy, so I would really like to before I get out.)

Are most schools understanding of deferrals for reason of [active duty] military obligation? Are they more likely to not care and I will have to do the process over again? If deferral is not an option that would be a strong reason for me to decline this potential deployment, though it would pain me. advice appreciated - thanks!

I was in the same situation, every school I asked said they would defer me. I've never heard of a school not allowing deferrals for deployments.

[dannyswo]

Hey everybody,

I've been lurking but this is my first post - I'm very grateful to have stumbled upon this community and hope some of you have some advice.

I'm wondering if anyone here has had experience with deferral (by reason of military obligation). I'm currently an active duty O-3 trying to juggle a couple of things - mainly RAD paperwork vs. deployment opportunity, and law school applications.

My plan is to drop my paperwork to get out around the same time I start dropping my applications (Fall 2016) to request separation by Summer/Fall 2017, but my supervisor is dangling a carrot of a deployment opportunity for me around the same time. My problem is that if I end up taking the deployment, it may run over into Fall 2017. (For reasons unknown - I have been active duty the last 6 years and never had an opportunity to deploy, so I would really like to before I get out.)

Are most schools understanding of deferrals for reason of [active duty] military obligation? Are they more likely to not care and I will have to do the process over again? If deferral is not an option that would be a strong reason for me to decline this potential deployment, though it would pain me. advice appreciated - thanks!

Just get your EOAS to be August 2017 when you submit your resignation request. You don't have to do the entire deployment. Hell, if you're on a boat, you're only missing the trip home.

[dannyswo]

Hi,

Navy LCDR
19 years now, 1 to go.
LSAT 163
Undergrad GPA 2.9 English
Grad School GPA 3.5 MS Global Leadership

I'm aiming at UT Austin and University of San Diego. I'm primarily interested in being somewhere warm and getting a stipend to cover living expenses. Currently overseas until I retire.

[JazzyMac]

Hi,

Navy LCDR
19 years now, 1 to go.
LSAT 163
Undergrad GPA 2.9 English
Grad School GPA 3.5 MS Global Leadership

I'm aiming at UT Austin and University of San Diego. I'm primarily interested in being somewhere warm and getting a stipend to cover living expenses. Currently overseas until I retire.

Welcome!

[njkga]

For that reason, I suggest that vets be at least slightly more liberal in applying. I'd also note for all applying vets here, (please forgive the caps use, but this is one thing that shouldn't be missed): USE YOUR VET STATUS FOR APPLICATION FEE WAIVERS! Really, I've found that if you call and ask roughly three out of four law schools will give you an application fee waiver just for being a veteran.

Every school that I asked in the T14 gave me a fee waiver with the ONLY exception being Cornell, and my stats suggest I don't really have a shot at most of those schools. (Didn't ask HYS or Berkeley, but asked everywhere else.)

Still waiting to hear about admission to those schools, though, I threw applications at every school from NYU on down (except Berkeley and Cornell.)

[Nagster5]

Hi,

Navy LCDR
19 years now, 1 to go.
LSAT 163
Undergrad GPA 2.9 English
Grad School GPA 3.5 MS Global Leadership

I'm aiming at UT Austin and University of San Diego. I'm primarily interested in being somewhere warm and getting a stipend to cover living expenses. Currently overseas until I retire.

You need to retake the LSAT if you want a reasonable shot at UT. You're a lock for USD. If you raised your LSAT just a couple points, you'd be close to a full ride. Also, as a splitter you're going to need to cast a wide net, there's about 15 schools ranked between UT and USD that are sunny that you should be applying to.

[OtterLaw]

Hi,

Navy LCDR
19 years now, 1 to go.
LSAT 163
Undergrad GPA 2.9 English
Grad School GPA 3.5 MS Global Leadership

I'm aiming at UT Austin and University of San Diego. I'm primarily interested in being somewhere warm and getting a stipend to cover living expenses. Currently overseas until I retire.

You need to retake the LSAT if you want a reasonable shot at UT. You're a lock for USD. If you raised your LSAT just a couple points, you'd be close to a full ride. Also, as a splitter you're going to need to cast a wide net, there's about 15 schools ranked between UT and USD that are sunny that you should be applying to.

Nagster is right with UT. I have a 164 LSAT and a 4.0 and I'm an in state veteran and I'm on their waitlist and very unsure if they will take me or not. If you could raise your LSAT by even 5 points, I bet you would have a shot with UT.

And welcome!

[SoCalBum]

Does anyone have a link or a break down for Top 20 schools that are completely covered by the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program?

D

[Nagster5]

Does anyone have a link or a break down for Top 20 schools that are completely covered by the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program?

D

It's literally the first thing in the first post on this thread.

[SoCalBum]

Thanks. I new it was somewhere.

D

[dannyswo]

Hi,

Navy LCDR
19 years now, 1 to go.
LSAT 163
Undergrad GPA 2.9 English
Grad School GPA 3.5 MS Global Leadership

I'm aiming at UT Austin and University of San Diego. I'm primarily interested in being somewhere warm and getting a stipend to cover living expenses. Currently overseas until I retire.

You need to retake the LSAT if you want a reasonable shot at UT. You're a lock for USD. If you raised your LSAT just a couple points, you'd be close to a full ride. Also, as a splitter you're going to need to cast a wide net, there's about 15 schools ranked between UT and USD that are sunny that you should be applying to.

Nagster is right with UT. I have a 164 LSAT and a 4.0 and I'm an in state veteran and I'm on their waitlist and very unsure if they will take me or not. If you could raise your LSAT by even 5 points, I bet you would have a shot with UT.

And welcome!

Thanks.

I appreciate the advice to re-take the LSAT, I'll look into it.

The wide-net advice is really good, I recognize that. I just have priorities that are probably 180 out from everyone else. I've moved 13 times in 19 years, I want to move to school and stay there for work, so my law school decisions are based on cities I want to live in, which limits me more than the typical applicant, I reckon. I don't want to go to school in LA and sit in traffic and/or send my kids to lousy schools because I live downtown. Pepperdine is gorgeous, but I can't afford to live within 40 miles of the school. Little things like that have shaped my future path.

Good luck, and I'm interested in hearing how you all make out.

[SemperLegal]

Hi,

Navy LCDR
19 years now, 1 to go.
LSAT 163
Undergrad GPA 2.9 English
Grad School GPA 3.5 MS Global Leadership

I'm aiming at UT Austin and University of San Diego. I'm primarily interested in being somewhere warm and getting a stipend to cover living expenses. Currently overseas until I retire.

You need to retake the LSAT if you want a reasonable shot at UT. You're a lock for USD. If you raised your LSAT just a couple points, you'd be close to a full ride. Also, as a splitter you're going to need to cast a wide net, there's about 15 schools ranked between UT and USD that are sunny that you should be applying to.

Nagster is right with UT. I have a 164 LSAT and a 4.0 and I'm an in state veteran and I'm on their waitlist and very unsure if they will take me or not. If you could raise your LSAT by even 5 points, I bet you would have a shot with UT.

And welcome!

Thanks.

I appreciate the advice to re-take the LSAT, I'll look into it.

The wide-net advise is really good, I recognize that. I just have priorities that are probably 180 out from everyone else. I've moved 13 times in 19 years, I want to move to school and stay there for work, so my law school decisions are based on cities I want to live in, which limits me more than the typical applicant, I reckon. I don't want to go to school in LA and sit in traffic and/or send my kids to lousy schools because I live downtown. Pepperdine is gorgeous, but I can't afford to live within 40 miles of the school. Little things like that have shaped my future path.

Good luck, and I'm interested in hearing how you all make out.

I know that feeling, brother. The only thing I wanted when I got out was my own sock drawer and a single annual tradition.

[dannyswo]

I know that feeling, brother. The only thing I wanted when I got out was my own sock drawer and a single annual tradition.

I'll be happy with access to carne asada and not having to put my phone in a locker whenever I walk into a building.

[doobleykah]

I know that feeling, brother. The only thing I wanted when I got out was my own sock drawer and a single annual tradition.

I'll be happy with access to carne asada and not having to put my phone in a locker whenever I walk into a building.

Out two years and I still have to do that... feelsbadman

[biglaw21]

Anyone willing to look at/swap personal statements?

[2020lawvet]

Hi all!

Just wanted to check in here in preparation for applying this upcoming fall.

Navy LT
174 LSAT
3.93 GPA (Ivy League Undergrad)

I'm aiming for H/Y/S but would be happy with many different T14 schools. Thanks for all the advice so far, it's very much appreciated!