Negotiating Stipulations At TTT Forum

[WeekendWarrior]

I applied to law school late due to changing circumstances in my life. I have received an offer for $30,000 at Drake, $20,000 from Creighton and full tuition at Northern Illinois (yes I know it is TTTT). I am waiting on about 6 other schools in the TTT range. I am guaranteed a job out of Law School (I know some of you will say nothing is guarantee, but trust me this job is) so it does not really matter where I go to school I just want to go for the cheapest amount possible. I would prefer to stay in the Midwest as well. My three current scholarships all have the usual 35%-40% stipulations and I was just wondering if anyone out there has had success with a TTT school negotiating to have the stipulation removed? Thanks.

[WaltGrace83]

If you this job REALLY IS a guarantee, you are still paying too much money to go to these schools I'd assume. Anything less than a full scholly is a no-go in my opinion. If you have stipulations then that would be even worse.

Disclaimer: 0L

[WeekendWarrior]

Alright well maybe I'll just have to wait and see what else comes in.

[WaltGrace83]

Is retaking an option for you (*99% of the time it is)?

Good luck!

*The other 1% is dedicated to those people who are a bit too impatient

[WeekendWarrior]

I study for two weeks got a 159 and focused on TTT schools. I plan on taking the same job regardless of where I go so I am just trying to incur as little debt as possible. And yes I am definitely too impatient to wait another year.

[anyriotgirl]

[WeekendWarrior]

??????

[McAvoy]

Flame.

[Ti Malice]

I study for two weeks got a 159 and focused on TTT schools. I plan on taking the same job regardless of where I go so I am just trying to incur as little debt as possible. And yes I am definitely too impatient to wait another year.

Two weeks is only barely better than not studying at all. Most of the people with high LSAT scores on this forum studied for several months.

If you're really prioritizing incurring as little debt as possible, then it's odd that you haven't taken the LSAT seriously at all, since that's far and away the single biggest determinant of admissions and scholarship outcomes. Based on my experience as an LSAT instructor, if you scored a 159 after two weeks of prep, you're likely capable of scoring solidly in the 170s with enough prep. With the right GPA, you could go to Northwestern or Michigan for free. If you wouldn't want/need the added security and flexibility that a JD from a T13 would give you (assuming no tuition debt), then you could at least study enough to get a no-stips full ride at a good regional school like WUSTL, Minnesota, or Illinois.

Numbers for some people with full rides from Illinois this past cycle:

3.5/163
3.63/164
3.57/165
3.35/168
3.3/165
3.68/162

And for some people with full rides from WUSTL:

2.59/173
3.75/166
3.5/167
3.35/170

[WaltGrace83]

I study for two weeks got a 159 and focused on TTT schools. I plan on taking the same job regardless of where I go so I am just trying to incur as little debt as possible. And yes I am definitely too impatient to wait another year.

Officially lost interest. I think your making a potentially deleterious mistake

[WeekendWarrior]

I study for two weeks got a 159 and focused on TTT schools. I plan on taking the same job regardless of where I go so I am just trying to incur as little debt as possible. And yes I am definitely too impatient to wait another year.

Officially lost interest. I think your making a potentially deleterious mistake

That's fair. Like I said life circumstances changed so I only had two weeks to study because I really wanted to make a fall class. I understand most of you would wait a year, but I really just want to get going. Also if anyone has negotiated stips with TTT schools please respond as I am still looking for answers to that question.

[ilikebaseball]

That's fair. Like I said life circumstances changed so I only had two weeks to study because I really wanted to make a fall class. I understand most of you would wait a year, but I really just want to get going. Also if anyone has negotiated stips with TTT schools please respond as I am still looking for answers to that question.

Dude. come on.

[John Everyman]

yeah, this one's painful. not sure what this guy is doing here.

[daleearnhardt123]

OP Here:

Life circumstances have changed. Therefore I need to make a decision that has strong potential to ruin my life. WTF don't you ass-clowns understand about this?!?!

[Mullens]

Four year old promises fail, people die, law firms fold. Don't make this monumentally awful decision. You will regret it for the rest of your life.

[anyriotgirl]

[Louis1127]

Four year old promises fail, people die, law firms fold. Don't make this monumentally awful decision. You will regret it for the rest of your life.

This. OP, if u are going to go to these TTTs/TTTTs, get more money out of them and negotiate the stips away. This will likely involve retaking the LSAT.

[BankruptMe]

Have you just asked them to remove the stips?

Just say, I am choosing between schools X,Y and Z and if you were able to remove the stips, I would seriously consider attending.

Also, why not just go instate wherever you live to a law school if you have a guranteed job? Get instate tuition + live at home or for the cheap.

[McAvoy]

LOL I love how people are willing to attend schools they, themselves, call third tier toilets. OP will probs transfer to Chi for 2L anyways so it will be NBD.

[Ti Malice]

Like I said life circumstances changed so I only had two weeks to study because I really wanted to make a fall class. I understand most of you would wait a year, but I really just want to get going.

Just wanting to "get going" is a truly terrible reason to go to law school this year.

I had to postpone attending law school for a year because of unrelated life events, and I had already been out of undergrad and working for a number of years. Shit happens. Hundreds of people on this board have had to face the disappointment of waiting another year before beginning law school, whether out of a voluntary choice or not. This frustration is far from uncommon. Hurrying up to begin a terrible course of action makes absolutely no sense.

What do you see as the advantages of rushing into law school now over taking a more deliberate, informed approach in order to secure a much better long-term outcome just one year later (other than taking care of your antsiness and impatience, which is an irrational reason)?

I tend to take these scenarios with a handful of salt since they're often just stories posters tell to try to avoid getting the good advice they don't want to hear (no debt because of rich parents, used all my retakes, I have a guaranteed job, parents will only pay if I start this year, and so on). But even taking everything you have said as true, counting on this "guaranteed job" is still a pretty awful idea. Do you have a signed contractual agreement that a JD gets you the job, regardless of school and grades? What contractual provisions protect you in the case that your benefactor dies or the practice folds?

[WeekendWarrior]

Like I said life circumstances changed so I only had two weeks to study because I really wanted to make a fall class. I understand most of you would wait a year, but I really just want to get going.

Just wanting to "get going" is a truly terrible reason to go to law school this year.

I had to postpone attending law school for a year because of unrelated life events, and I had already been out of undergrad and working for a number of years. Shit happens. Hundreds of people on this board have had to face the disappointment of waiting another year before beginning law school, whether out of a voluntary choice or not. This frustration is far from uncommon. Hurrying up to begin a terrible course of action makes absolutely no sense.

What do you see as the advantages of rushing into law school now over taking a more deliberate, informed approach in order to secure a much better long-term outcome just one year later (other than taking care of your antsiness and impatience, which is an irrational reason)?

I tend to take these scenarios with a handful of salt since they're often just stories posters tell to try to avoid getting the good advice they don't want to hear (no debt because of rich parents, used all my retakes, I have a guaranteed job, parents will only pay if I start this year, and so on). But even taking everything you have said as true, counting on this "guaranteed job" is still a pretty awful idea. Do you have a signed contractual agreement that a JD gets you the job, regardless of school and grades? What contractual provisions protect you in the case that your benefactor dies or the practice folds?

Got to be honest with you, I never thought about the death part. Solid point to think about. Unlike most people who come to this board I plan to, and want to practice in a small town in Iowa probably starting at $40,000. I understand I'll never be putting in the 80 hour work weeks and making the 15X,XXX paychecks. I am OK with this. I did just receive an offer from Hamline University covering 90% tuition with no stips so I am no leaning towards taking this offer. I am married which will help with COL and will be receive money from the Navy to help with COL as well. Besides trying to squeeze out that extra 10% from Hamline I see no reason to take the LSAT again and wait a year when I can accomplish what I want to do starting this year. I do appreciate the advise, and it is the reason I came to this board. I have honestly put a lot of thought into some of things mentioned in this thread so thanks.

[Ti Malice]

Alright, I'm taking your word for it that the job position is basically guaranteed once you have your JD (barring employer death, perhaps), regardless of the school you attend and the results on your transcript. (Apologies for putting you through the wringer a bit -- 99.9% of the people who come to the board with a story similar to yours are on the verge of making a terrible decision. It sounds you might actually belong to the elusive other 0.1%.)

In this case, and given your goals, absolutely go with Hamline over your other current options. A 90% no-stips scholarship leaves you with negligible tuition costs over your three years (less than $12K in total), and COL support from the Navy and from being married means that both your out-of-pocket expense and debt load (if you take out any loans) should be quite low. If that job in Iowa truly is waiting for you, then just get the cheapest ABA-accredited law degree that you can (on a no-stips scholarship, of course). Even if your benefactor died and everything else worked against you in terms of legal employment, at least you wouldn't be completely screwed with life-ruining, non-dischargeable debt. You could probably use your JD to teach poll sci and criminal justice at a community college or something.

Good luck!