Negotiating a scholarship when meeting with Admissions Forum

[Lawschool305]

Does anyone have any experience or insight with the following:

I am hoping to get about 5k a year more from a school (would love ten but don't want to get ahead of myself). If I am meeting with a high ranking admissions person of the school this week, would they be responsive if I told the person I would put down my deposit today if given 5k a year more?

I want to try this but do not know if it is to risky. Any insight would be appreciated. I have some leverage but it is rather weak.

[Lawschool305]

Bumping because of a lot of forum action today. If no one responds I won't bump again.

[TLSclique]

Bumping because of a lot of forum action today. If no one responds I won't bump again.

Why wouldnt you just email?

[Lawschool305]

I could email, but I am already going to visit anyway (the school is close to where I live currently). So I am wondering if it would put me at a disadvantage to just ask in person.

[TLSclique]

I could email, but I am already going to visit anyway (the school is close to where I live currently). So I am wondering if it would put me at a disadvantage to just ask in person.

Could hurt if (to put it bluntly) you're weird in person, or have bad body language. What's your leverage

[Lawschool305]

I have confidence in my ability to negotiate/present myself well enough that my speaking abilities or body language would not hurt me.

I don't want to out myself to a potential school reading this so I don't want to say about the scholarships, but it is a full ride to a slightly lesser ranked school. A small boost and I would be willing to commit to the school.

[Gabriel_is_Satan]

Be nice, polite and charming. They won't put in much effort if you're a cocksure a-hole. Don't "threaten" to go to the other school.

Simply lay out that you have a full ride somewhere else and that some scholarship money would really help. Don't ask for 5k, you're giving up on 10k. Remember that it is always better to be the first to come up with a number (yes, I know, this is counter-intuitive for beginners. It's true though), so do it and aim high. I would ask as nicely as possible "any chance you could match that offer?" (i.e. the full ride). Probably not, but hey, that's just the beginning. Now you're negotiating on your terms, not theirs. Unless a full ride is completely preposterous (don't ask Harvard for one because Maine Law gave you one), it won't hurt your chances, as long as you're not arrogant about it all. I can't stress this enough.

[UVA2B]

I have confidence in my ability to negotiate/present myself well enough that my speaking abilities or body language would not hurt me.

I don't want to out myself to a potential school reading this so I don't want to say about the scholarships, but it is a full ride to a slightly lesser ranked school. A small boost and I would be willing to commit to the school.

I mean, if done properly it likely won't hurt you, but when we're talking about negotiating for a living stipend on top of a full ride already offered, you're taking a much bigger risk than looking to up from $10k-$20k. They won't rescind the full ride, but I'd probably find it a bit off-putting if you came in looking for more. This is probably a YMMV issue, but I wouldn't do it.

[whitecollar23]

Do it over email. If they say no, then you could maybe bring it up in person if you're meeting with the right person, but this is the sort of thing to always do first via email. Offer to discuss in person in the email if you're so set on doing so.

[SPerez]

First ask them if they have a procedure for this. They might have a policy of not negotiating at all or might not do it until later in the cycle, in which cases there wouldn't end up being an in person "negotiation" at all.

My advice is to remember you're not buying a car. Saying you'll put down a deposit "right then and there" isn't the same as saying you'll "sign the papers right now" and buy a car. Deposits are forfeited all the time. People get money from other schools, get in off waitlists, etc. Every adcom has a long list of people that swore up and down there was no other school for them...that then went somewhere else.

Also, do not expect an answer in the meeting, even if you're sitting down with the decision maker.

Like UVA2b said, don't expect much if you're asking for more than a full-ride. The vast majority of schools do not do that. Most of the schools I know that do do that have some kind of additional application/interview process for the additional money. While you have nothing to lose by asking, I can say I was never left with a positive impression of anyone who ever asked me for more money when they already had a full-ride, no matter how politely they asked.

Stephen M. Perez
Prof. & Fmr. Admissions Dean