Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in? Forum

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Mjvance2

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Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by Mjvance2 » Mon Jun 16, 2014 2:42 pm

I'm applying to law school this fall to enroll in a part-time program, and I'm wondering if I should apply to schools that I'm not interested in attending. For personal reasons, I'm pretty set on the school I plan to attend, but I am wondering if I should apply to other schools so I can have some possibility of negotiating for scholarships, or just so the school "thinks" I may consider other schools when they are clearly my first choice. (They can't have all the leverage.) Is this a wise decision? Or should I just save my money and submit the one application?

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Ricky-Bobby

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by Ricky-Bobby » Mon Jun 16, 2014 2:48 pm

Apply broadly. You may be surprised where you get in or who gives you money, and you want as much leverage in scholly negotiations as possible. Don't limit your options just to save a few hundred dollars in app fees.

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jchiles

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by jchiles » Mon Jun 16, 2014 2:53 pm

Barring a total lack of scholarship or financial aid, I knew where I was going to go to law school, but I applied to about a dozen schools regardless mostly for potential leverage (and a few just because the application was free and I was curious if I could get in). I ended up not even having to use scholarship offers from those other schools to negotiate, but I think it makes sense to do this provided you don't apply to random schools but take some time to assess what schools are competing with the one you are planning on attending.

I'm not sure if this changes when you are considering part-time programs, I could see it being a little more difficult to negotiate if there aren't other part-time options nearby but somebody who went through part-time admissions would probably know better.

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by ymmv » Mon Jun 16, 2014 3:03 pm

Color me confused. If you are considering a part-time law program, I assume it is because you are working and need to attend school in the same city/area as your job. If that's the case, how many options do you even have? There aren't exactly a myriad of good part-time programs out there to begin with. And why are you considering these programs if your current job won't pay for it?

Mjvance2

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by Mjvance2 » Mon Jun 16, 2014 6:35 pm

ymmv wrote:Color me confused. If you are considering a part-time law program, I assume it is because you are working and need to attend school in the same city/area as your job. If that's the case, how many options do you even have? There aren't exactly a myriad of good part-time programs out there to begin with. And why are you considering these programs if your current job won't pay for it?
I am working at the time and my wife is currently in school full-time for the next two years. I guess you could say I'm going part-time so I can start sooner since I'm nt getting any younger (I'm really only 28). We're trying my to have to take out loans just for living expenses, so having one of us work makes that possible. The plan is to switch to full time when she completes her degree and starts working full-time. The school I plan to attend has said that general it is not an issue to be reclassified as a full-time student if your grades are decent.

That being said the school that I'm planning to attend has a good part-time program and has a few top-ranked programs overall that I'm interested in, so it's not a bad school. Now clearly other schools with part-time programs or in another city present are not as attractive, but if they offer something good who's to say I can't be "persuaded" to adjust my plan. I

t's possible I may defer or sit out a year and truly expand my options, but my wife is more likely to get a job where we currently live. This is where we''ve settled and plan to live, so it makes sense (to me) to follow my plan.

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Nova

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by Nova » Mon Jun 16, 2014 6:49 pm

Mjvance2 wrote:Is this a wise decision?
yes

a few hundred bucks in apps often turns into thousands in schollys
Last edited by Nova on Tue Jun 17, 2014 2:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

BigZuck

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by BigZuck » Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:30 pm

I don't think you should go to UH part time unless they give you a huge scholarship. Also, specialty rankings are meaningless.

I have heard mixed things about UH's willingness to negotiate. I would throw apps at Baylor, SMU, and maybe Tech at least. But make sure you have a strong LSAT score- your numbers will dictate what scholarship you get more than anything.

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by Mjvance2 » Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:07 pm

BigZuck wrote:I don't think you should go to UH part time unless they give you a huge scholarship. Also, specialty rankings are meaningless.

I have heard mixed things about UH's willingness to negotiate. I would throw apps at Baylor, SMU, and maybe Tech at least. But make sure you have a strong LSAT score- your numbers will dictate what scholarship you get more than anything.

Yeah, I've heard the same thing about UH and their scholarship negotiating. Hence why I'm even wondering if the applications elsewhere are worth it.

Why would you not recommend UH part time? Would you consider it full time?

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by BigZuck » Tue Jun 17, 2014 1:01 am

Mjvance2 wrote:
BigZuck wrote:I don't think you should go to UH part time unless they give you a huge scholarship. Also, specialty rankings are meaningless.

I have heard mixed things about UH's willingness to negotiate. I would throw apps at Baylor, SMU, and maybe Tech at least. But make sure you have a strong LSAT score- your numbers will dictate what scholarship you get more than anything.

Yeah, I've heard the same thing about UH and their scholarship negotiating. Hence why I'm even wondering if the applications elsewhere are worth it.

Why would you not recommend UH part time? Would you consider it full time?
I don't really know enough about part time programs to really comment about them specifically. Anecdotally, I had a friend who did UH part time and he complained about lots of kids in the class not actually working at all but rather devoting all their time to school and being in the part time section just so they would be curved against people who were working full time. Maybe he was exaggerating and maybe it wasn't really a problem and it was just sour grapes on his part because he didn't do well 1L year (he dropped out after).

I just think as a general rule UH shouldn't be attended unless its cheap. I wouldn't pay more than about 60Kish to attend. I think it's certainly worth attending for the right price and with modest career goals. Houston has a good legal market and UH placement there is pretty decent.

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Attax

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by Attax » Tue Jun 17, 2014 1:38 pm

BigZuck wrote:I don't think you should go to UH part time unless they give you a huge scholarship. Also, specialty rankings are meaningless.

I have heard mixed things about UH's willingness to negotiate. I would throw apps at Baylor, SMU, and maybe Tech at least. But make sure you have a strong LSAT score- your numbers will dictate what scholarship you get more than anything.
UH didn't budge on the $10k/year they gave me, despite offering a full ride to Baylor, W&L, etc. in their faces

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heavoldgotjuice

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Re: Should I apply to schools I'm not interested in?

Post by heavoldgotjuice » Fri Jun 27, 2014 4:55 pm

Choosing a law school is nothing like choosing a girl at a bar on a drunk friday night. U don't fuck with the one you're not interested in.

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