Columbia Class of 2020 Forum

[Xenon22]

Does anyone have an idea on how much financial aid is considered a strong amount? I'm very unclear on how much Columbia is willing to give. I got 60k and as someone who went to college for free because of my family's economic status, I'm pretty uneasy on taking out 200k of loans. But if it turns out that 60k is on the higher end of what Columbia will give out, that would definitely make me feel better. Otherwise, I'm considering retaking LSAT and applying next cycle.

You'd be top 25% of how much money you got including people who are getting 0$. I'd say that's pretty good. The next level up would be basically a Butler or an unnamed amount equivalent.

Thanks! I had offers of 90-100 from lower T14 so I wasn't sure I was getting as much as I could be. That definitely makes me feel better. I'm paying my deposit tonight!!

[MrJD2020]

Guys. I just got $ from NYU and it's slightly less than what I got for C. In fact, it's lower by CLS's by almost exactly the same amount as the difference in tuition between the two schools (C being the more expensive one), over the three years. However, if I earn less than 15K gross the summer after 2L (i.e., if I completely flame out during OCI), then the 3L portion of my NYU award increases by that very difference. (But NYU knows I want biglaw -- so they know that won't happen.) Also, I know that the two schools are basically equal in cost once more expensive rent near NYU is taken into account, so deep down I know NYU's offer really IS lower.

I want CLS more and CLS admissions/financial aid DEFINITELY knows that because I straight-up told them (lol). I'm waiting to hear back on a request for more money from CLS, which I asked for before I got the NYU letter. My only leverage at the time was that I'm on two HYS waitlists (solely due to better need-based aid at those schools) and my argument was that more money from C would help me feel comfortable giving up my spots on the HYS waitlists (i.e., giving up the potential for better need-based aid from HYS).

Should I tell CLS about NYU? On one hand, they might think "uh, dude, you want us more than NYU and they gave you, at best, an equal offer." On the other hand, they might think, "Maybe we will give you 10k more, since we know you are broke as f**k, and that will kill the NYU offer bird and HYS waitlist bird with one stone, and you will finally stop bothering us, deposit, and come here in the fall."

Thoughts?

[CPA-->JD]

Checking in!

[Leliana]

Thoughts?

Not worth it, IMO. They didn't budge for my (higher) NYU offer. I think the former of your two hypotheticals is correct.

[dclaw93]

So I just called financial aid since I haven't received my initial offer yet (recent admit), and they told me that my deposit deadline would be included in this initial offer.

Is this how it worked for other recent admits? I was under the impression we were all held to the 5/1 deadline so this kinda makes me nervous.

Sending an email to admissions now to try to get this in writing...

[MrJD2020]

So I just called financial aid since I haven't received my initial offer yet (recent admit), and they told me that my deposit deadline would be included in this initial offer.

Is this how it worked for other recent admits? I was under the impression we were all held to the 5/1 deadline so this kinda makes me nervous.

Sending an email to admissions now to try to get this in writing...

I'm not a recent admit but that sounds very right to me.

[MrJD2020]

Thoughts?

Not worth it, IMO. They didn't budge for my (higher) NYU offer. I think the former of your two hypotheticals is correct.

You may be right. Not gonna do it. I just hope they don't think "So, where's that NYU offer, huh?"

Hopefully my honest explanation of my waitlist conundrum makes a difference. If http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 8#p9959308 is accurate, the prospect of losing me to H (which definitely would give me more money if I get in) is actually real, so hopefully they give me enough to not give a damn about getting into H. And I really don't want to give a damn.

[Thelaw23]

You tried to leverage Columbia for more money by telling them you're at 2 HYS waitlists?
Is that a thing???

I really don't think it is because the chances of getting off any WL are pretty low.

[dclaw93]

So I just called financial aid since I haven't received my initial offer yet (recent admit), and they told me that my deposit deadline would be included in this initial offer.

Is this how it worked for other recent admits? I was under the impression we were all held to the 5/1 deadline so this kinda makes me nervous.

Sending an email to admissions now to try to get this in writing...

I'm not a recent admit but that sounds very right to me.

Ok, thanks!! I would just obviously hate to lose my spot in the class so am trying to triple check

[Leliana]

So I just called financial aid since I haven't received my initial offer yet (recent admit), and they told me that my deposit deadline would be included in this initial offer.

Is this how it worked for other recent admits? I was under the impression we were all held to the 5/1 deadline so this kinda makes me nervous.

Sending an email to admissions now to try to get this in writing...

I would definitely get it in writing if this policy isn't mentioned anywhere on their website/other communications you received.

[trevian39]

Is anyone else still waiting to hear back about negotiation for merit aid? I'm starting to think they're just ignoring me until the deposit deadline

[texcellence]

Is that a thing???

No. Guarantee they don't care at this point lol

[CPA-->JD]

Is anyone else still waiting to hear back about negotiation for merit aid? I'm starting to think they're just ignoring me until the deposit deadline

I just called and they just basically laughed and said no dice.

[MrJD2020]

You tried to leverage Columbia for more money by telling them you're at 2 HYS waitlists?
Is that a thing???

I really don't think it is because the chances of getting off any WL are pretty low.

Hahaha. I am making it a thing!!!

Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 6 people on H's waitlist get off of it, so I don't think it's completely unreasonable to bring it up. I have a feeling I actually will get off it, for a number of reasons (e.g., delusions of grandeur, ego, etc.). (Stanford, however, does have pretty poor waitlist admission stats.)

I only chose to stay on S's waitlist in case I somehow get in and they give me a huge discount. And for H, 90% of my rationale for staying on at this point is that their need-based aid is significant. (The HLS endowment is 5-6x CLS's size -- they really do give pretty good financial aid.) The other 10% is for the H-bomb.

The truth is that I really do like Columbia more for many reasons, and they know it. I worry that I would get a bit lost at HLS, whereas I feel very confident and at home here in NYC and at Columbia. Also, the v20 corporate law employment prospects are not really better at H, and Columbia knows that too. So they really do know that it's the $ that will keep me at CLS. I wonder how much they care about yield percentage -- that and three of their diversity stats (lol) are the only things I'd impact by not going there, and I think only yield (which I wouldn't bring down that much) would really impact USNWR rankings. They can fix those other stats using their waitlist, if they care to. But why not just give me another little discount? Much less work for them.

A good friend of mine got an ever-so-slightly better financial aid package from C. Does he have a better GPA and LSAT score? Yes. He definitely deserves it, for sure. (No, I will not divulge specific stats or award figures!) That being said, I still think that the likelihood of getting a modest increase in my CLS award in order to keep me from going to H (in the event that I get in) is not significantly lower than the likelihood of my good friend getting what he got from CLS.

[unrelated]

Deposit paid!

[Leliana]

Deposit paid!

Yay! Go post in the destinations thread!

[hellohalo]

You tried to leverage Columbia for more money by telling them you're at 2 HYS waitlists?
Is that a thing???

I really don't think it is because the chances of getting off any WL are pretty low.

I was like "wow" when I saw that...

[VA2lawschool]

You tried to leverage Columbia for more money by telling them you're at 2 HYS waitlists?
Is that a thing???

I really don't think it is because the chances of getting off any WL are pretty low.

I was like "wow" when I saw that...

Yeah, this is laughable. They won't budge for a lot of students' much higher Chicago and NYU [REAL] offers, but for sure for your waitlist!!!

[MrJD2020]

You tried to leverage Columbia for more money by telling them you're at 2 HYS waitlists?
Is that a thing???

I really don't think it is because the chances of getting off any WL are pretty low.

I was like "wow" when I saw that...

Yeah, this is laughable. They won't budge for a lot of students' much higher Chicago and NYU [REAL] offers, but for sure for your waitlist!!!

You can't expect to get what you don't ask for.

If there is even a 1% chance, it was worth it. You really never know what will happen when you politely ask for something. It cost me nothing to try.

They haven't said no yet!

[hellohalo]

Responding to the poll: I cannot afford to live in law school housing

[jjcorvino]

Only 3 behind Michigan in the destinations thread.

[MrJD2020]

Responding to the poll: I cannot afford to live in law school housing

Is a shared law school apt more expensive than other options? What's the cheaper alternative?

[419419]

This might be a dumb question since no one here seems to have any problems about it, but I don't quite understand the financial aid package I received: do I HAVE TO take up loans in order to accept the need/merit based aid? What if I don't need loans? Thx!

[smilingorch]

This might be a dumb question since no one here seems to have any problems about it, but I don't quite understand the financial aid package I received: do I HAVE TO take up loans in order to accept the need/merit based aid? What if I don't need loans? Thx!

No; they're giving you merit aid and then showing you how much in federal stafford loans you're eligible for without anyone needing to take a look at your credit score...it will still affect your credit score however. Anything not covered by those two things or your own money can be met with outside loans (govt., bank, etc). You don't have to accept the stafford loans. In fact, they need your permission to sign you up for those

[meeseeks]

Everybody who is depositing should head to the destinations thread!