Top Law Schools

Hey all,

I entered Penn Law in the fall with a scholarship of about 55%. Just got my fall grades back and somehow by the grace of God I got straight A's (I'm not entirely convinced that there hasn't been a serious error or oversight somehow). Is that grounds for a scholarship increase? Do law schools increase scholarships based off strong first semester grades? Are they fearful of losing students to transfers to Harvard/Columbia/NYU/etc.? Basically, do you think it would be wise to ask them for more money? Any drawbacks/downsides to doing so? Is it something they'd even consider?

Thanks for the words of wisdom

Bump. Also interested in this - - in a similar boat at GULC.

Keep doing what you're doing. If you repeat, put in a transfer app to HYS. Use your acceptance to negotiate a full scholarship at your current school.

Does this actually work at top schools? If you're top 5% at Penn, there are no doors closed to you, so why would you go pay full tuition to interview with the exact same firms at CLS? I get that it's rational for you to make the threat, but isn't it rational for the school to politely decline your request? It's not like this is some TTT that can't offer you a robust OCI. Color me curious.

cron1834 wrote:Does this actually work at top schools? If you're top 5% at Penn, there are no doors closed to you, so why would you go pay full tuition to interview with the exact same firms at CLS? I get that it's rational for you to make the threat, but isn't it rational for the school to politely decline your request? It's not like this is some TTT that can't offer you a robust OCI. Color me curious.

based on personal experience, this definitely still works at top schools.

You can't do anything with one semester's grades. There's no leverage because there's no alternative, its not like you can transfer halfway through the year. They also won't play ball until you have a viable threat to go somewhere else via transfer, and even then it's not really a smart move for them. They would lose you and your half tuition payment, and accept a transfer student who would make full tuition payments. You've already boosted their USNWR numbers by matriculating, at this point you're just a student paying half as much and not technically offering them any further benefit. That said, that's just a strictly economic perspective, certainly the school values high achieving students to some degree, and rumor has it some schools will increase scholly to retain students. That said, Penn doesn't have the reputation for being one of them.

Only thing you can do is repeat your performance and try after having transfer opportunities. On the other hand if you want biglaw, you'd be a fool to go anyway and they know it. There is nothing in the biglaw world a Penn 4.0 can't get, including Wachtell, so you should prob sit tight and be thrilled that you'll have a shot at any firm you want, and that you're paying half as much for it.

Congratulations!!

Given your scholarship, I don't recommend transferring under any circumstances unless a school provided you a more competitive aid package (for example, need based aid) than what you already have. If you continue this performance you'll be among the very top students at your school and you'll receive significant attention from faculty and get pushed for feeders.

You could apply to T6 and try to negotiate a transfer based on how your second semester grades turn out. I really hope they listen to you. However, from what I've heard, this is mostly a TTT practice (increasing scholarships to stem transfer students); I haven't heard of any school besides Northwestern negotiating with students in this way. Regardless, you need the leverage from the transfer acceptance before you approach the administration with this kind of request.

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Despite the naysayers. Some schools will actually increase scholarships for people who are transfer threats. In any case there is no harm in politely asking. You should first be accepted as a transfer somewhere and then go to the financial aid office and say that you would like to stay, but are planning to transfer unless they can increase your scholarship.

Don't go anywhere. You can get a job at Wachtell, and the bonus that you get after your first year ($80k after taxes if not more) would be much greater than the maximum scholarship increase you'd get from Penn ($60k total over the remaining two years). Collect a couple of bonuses from Wachtell and then lateral down to a firm you actually like.

You are in great shape not because of your grades, but because of the existing large scholarship you have.

May as well apply to transfer and make them say no.

Phil Brooks wrote:Don't go anywhere.

I don't think OP is actually considering transferring, but just using the threat of transferring to get more money from Penn.

I think it could work and I don't see why it would hurt to try, but like others have mentioned, you have to wait until you get your spring grades back before you can make any moves.

You can try, but it really won't work.

genericlawstudent wrote:Bump. Also interested in this - - in a similar boat at GULC.

A note for you, GULCer, I've not heard of it working. So many transfer in and out of GULC each year, they truly don't seem to care.

This appears to be quite late to be posting; however, for future 1Ls thinking about transferring, I figured I'd write this.

Having gone to GULC and finishing in the lower end of the top 10% (always hard to tell the exact rank when the school doesn't rank but have been told this by one of the deans), I tried to do just this. After having opportunities to transfer up, I talked with everyone I could at the school to try and negotiate an increase in my 1/3 scholarship. Ultimately, the dean said GULC has a hard policy of not adjusting scholarships for potential transfers.

Whether that is actually the case, or they just didn't care enough to keep me, I guess we won't know until a success story is posted. I've heard other T14s being more flexible, but I think GULC is usually pretty stingy to begin with.

jerrymcguire1357 wrote:This appears to be quite late to be posting; however, for future 1Ls thinking about transferring, I figured I'd write this.

Having gone to GULC and finishing in the lower end of the top 10% (always hard to tell the exact rank when the school doesn't rank but have been told this by one of the deans), I tried to do just this. After having opportunities to transfer up, I talked with everyone I could at the school to try and negotiate an increase in my 1/3 scholarship. Ultimately, the dean said GULC has a hard policy of not adjusting scholarships for potential transfers.

Whether that is actually the case, or they just didn't care enough to keep me, I guess we won't know until a success story is posted. I've heard other T14s being more flexible, but I think GULC is usually pretty stingy to begin with.

as a future GULC 1L this fall, may I ask what law school did you successfully get in as a transfer?

edit: oh, I just saw your post at Harvard Transfer Thread this year, guess you are still waiting for the result, best wishes!!! (I'm just interested in what kind of law school top 10% in GULC can get you in...T3 or T6...)