Negotiating scholarships works!!!!! Forum

[DorthyMantooth]

I emailed a school two weeks ago asking about a scholarship increase. I sent my email directly to the dean of admissions and I have yet to hear back. I don't want to seem impatient, but the first deposit is due in a few weeks and I'd certainly like to know if he is at least considering my request. Is this common practice or is there anything else I should do from here?

[superhopefulwoo]

I emailed a school two weeks ago asking about a scholarship increase. I sent my email directly to the dean of admissions and I have yet to hear back. I don't want to seem impatient, but the first deposit is due in a few weeks and I'd certainly like to know if he is at least considering my request. Is this common practice or is there anything else I should do from here?

Just call them. I usually call if there is not at least an acknowledgement within a week. They don't seem to mind from my experience, but be prepared to recite the contents of your letter.

[whsy]

I emailed a school two weeks ago asking about a scholarship increase. I sent my email directly to the dean of admissions and I have yet to hear back. I don't want to seem impatient, but the first deposit is due in a few weeks and I'd certainly like to know if he is at least considering my request. Is this common practice or is there anything else I should do from here?

Just call them. I usually call if there is not at least an acknowledgement within a week. They don't seem to mind from my experience, but be prepared to recite the contents of your letter.

Same thing is happening with me. I emailed the school's dean (since he was the one who had written me back saying they were considering) a follow up letter after a week of silence, and have heard nothing. Now I'm not sure who to follow up with...

[annet]

Schools A and B are peer state schools. School A has offered a full-ride, and School B has offered 1/2 tuition. School A's deposit deadline is a couple weeks before School B's. If given a full-ride at both, I would prefer School B.

I'm assuming that, in order to keep pressure on School B leading up to their deposit deadline, I will have to pay the deposit at School A to keep that offer alive. Is that correct?

Currently in a nearly identical situation. Although it hurts, yes, I'm prepared to eat the deposit at school A if I have to. I did nag school B for their offer based on school A's deposit deadline and that worked. Emailing school B to negotiate today.

[Big Dog]

why not play their game? Request an extension of the deposit deadline.

Simple.

[buddyt]

why not play their game? Request an extension of the deposit deadline.

Simple.

Request an extension of whose deposit deadline? The full-ride school? What incentive do they have to extend the deadline for you if they've already maxed out their offer?

[superhopefulwoo]

why not play their game? Request an extension of the deposit deadline.

Simple.

Request an extension of whose deposit deadline? The full-ride school? What incentive do they have to extend the deadline for you if they've already maxed out their offer?

If you state that you would really like to visit the school prior to accepting - I think that would make a good case even if you are maxed out. People visit schools to make sure it is the right fit for them - why would they deny you the ability to do so by forcing a deadline on you?

[whyy]

Anyone willing to take a look at my email? I have 60,000 from USD and 30,000 from Loyola. Looking to get loyola to come up and hopefully match...

[Big Dog]

The full-ride school? What incentive do they have to extend the deadline for you if they've already maxed out their offer?

Their "incentive" is to snag your numbers --- which is why they offered full tuition in the first place. Of course, they may not care; regardless, the worst that will happen is that they say, 'No', to the extension request.

[yodamiked]

Anyone willing to take a look at my email? I have 60,000 from USD and 30,000 from Loyola. Looking to get loyola to come up and hopefully match...

You can Pm the email if you like. I haven't dealt with either of those schools, but I've had some pretty significant success with WUSTL and UCLA. So I might be helpful and I might not be.

[SteelPenguin]

.

[NikiShiz]

Just a quick question, in general, is accepting a scholarship legally binding? Meaning that you have to attend that school?

[Tremendous]

Just a quick question, in general, is accepting a scholarship legally binding? Meaning that you have to attend that school?

Legally binding? Um, no.

Nothing is binding at all until you send in your deposit, and that's only binding if you don't want to lose that money by withdrawing.

If you "commit" to attend their school, then yes, you will look like a douche if you back off that and go somewhere else. But it's your life, and you didn't even sign any agreement like with early decision or something.

[NikiShiz]

Just a quick question, in general, is accepting a scholarship legally binding? Meaning that you have to attend that school?

Legally binding? Um, no.

Nothing is binding at all until you send in your deposit, and that's only binding if you don't want to lose that money by withdrawing.

If you "commit" to attend their school, then yes, you will look like a douche if you back off that and go somewhere else. But it's your life, and you didn't even sign any agreement like with early decision or something.

Thank you for your quick response!

[0808millerd]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed so any help would be appreciated.

I recently got a scholarship from a school I was not expecting to get one at. I would like to negotiate with them to try and get them to match some of the offers from other schools. The problem is, I already withdrew my application to those other schools because I had pretty much made up my mind not to go to them and look elsewhere.

Am I SOL or is it okay/safe to still negotiate using those schools as leverage?

[deuceindc]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed so any help would be appreciated.

I recently got a scholarship from a school I was not expecting to get one at. I would like to negotiate with them to try and get them to match some of the offers from other schools. The problem is, I already withdrew my application to those other schools because I had pretty much made up my mind not to go to them and look elsewhere.

Am I SOL or is it okay/safe to still negotiate using those schools as leverage?

This is an interesting gray area. As long as you have the offer letters (or whatever they gave you to make the offer), you should be pragmatically able to use the other offers. I would make sure to use the correct context - "I have been offered" rather than "I am considering an offer of". I don't think there's any way for them to find out if you've withdrawn from other schools short of calling them and asking (and I'd bet that information is private), so as long as you're okay with bluffing your way through it and you have the proof of the other offers, I don't see why not it's not safe. Whether it's okay is a personal matter.

[nointerests]

Whats the 'policy' when trying to negotiate scholarships when you have no concrete offer from a similarly ranked school, but the cost of attendance at the peer school is still lower than the cost of attendance at the other school even with given aid? Trying to negotiate from both because I am interested in both, but I don't know what to do when asked "What are your other offers?"

[wannabelawstudent]

Whats the 'policy' when trying to negotiate scholarships when you have no concrete offer from a similarly ranked school, but the cost of attendance at the peer school is still lower than the cost of attendance at the other school even with given aid? Trying to negotiate from both because I am interested in both, but I don't know what to do when asked "What are your other offers?"

Tell them the offer and provide the numbers that show that cost of attendence at school X is lower than school y. Be specific and show something from each schools website.

[dewdawn]

anyone knows a great June LSAT will help for Scholarship? I am going to retake LSAT!

[JXander]

anyone knows a great June LSAT will help for Scholarship? I am going to retake LSAT!

Also curious.

[annet]

anyone knows a great June LSAT will help for Scholarship? I am going to retake LSAT!

I don't know the answer. But based on what happened really late in last year's cycle and the fact that this year's cycle seems to be similar or worse for law schools, it can't hurt if you're prepared to play hardball.

The problem is leverage. You'll get your score back in July and most schools will be starting classes soon after that. I'm envisioning a double or triple deposit situation where you're completely open to attending any of the schools as well as riding waitlists. Profess financial hardship after they email you about having multiple deposits - I think this happens in early May - and tell them that you're taking the June LSAT in the hopes that you can either get more money or get off the waitlist at another school with better employment prospects/lower cost of living/whatever. If you're prepared to walk away from law school entirely if you don't get more money, absolutely tell them that.

I think it was mentioned earlier in the thread that you aren't attending a school until you show up for orientation. You certainly can use that fact to your advantage but you're going to really have to go 'all in' with the negotiating and, possibly, be ready to sit out until next cycle. I don't think I have the balls for a strategy like this but I think it could be quite profitable if you're willing to negotiate hard.*



* I can see my boss doing this, actually, which is one of the reasons why she has the letters C, E, and O in her title and I have the word "assistant" in mine. Being an awesome negotiator is like magic.

[dewdawn]

anyone knows a great June LSAT will help for Scholarship? I am going to retake LSAT!

I don't know the answer. But based on what happened really late in last year's cycle and the fact that this year's cycle seems to be similar or worse for law schools, it can't hurt if you're prepared to play hardball.

The problem is leverage. You'll get your score back in July and most schools will be starting classes soon after that. I'm envisioning a double or triple deposit situation where you're completely open to attending any of the schools as well as riding waitlists. Profess financial hardship after they email you about having multiple deposits - I think this happens in early May - and tell them that you're taking the June LSAT in the hopes that you can either get more money or get off the waitlist at another school with better employment prospects/lower cost of living/whatever. If you're prepared to walk away from law school entirely if you don't get more money, absolutely tell them that.

I think it was mentioned earlier in the thread that you aren't attending a school until you show up for orientation. You certainly can use that fact to your advantage but you're going to really have to go 'all in' with the negotiating and, possibly, be ready to sit out until next cycle. I don't think I have the balls for a strategy like this but I think it could be quite profitable if you're willing to negotiate hard.*



* I can see my boss doing this, actually, which is one of the reasons why she has the letters C, E, and O in her title and I have the word "assistant" in mine. Being an awesome negotiator is like magic.

Thank you so much annet. I guess I have to negotiate hard since I can't afford the tuition and living expenses...

[upandup]

So if I have two equally ranked schools in the same area with the same two deposit deadlines and similar though not identical awards, is there really any reason why I shouldn't put down two deposits (assuming I have the cash for both)?

[dewdawn]

So if I have two equally ranked schools in the same area with the same two deposit deadlines and similar though not identical awards, is there really any reason why I shouldn't put down two deposits (assuming I have the cash for both)?

speaking of the deposits, can we put down two or more? what if I put down deposit but decide not to go? Is the only consequence loss of money if that is the case?

[whsy]

So if I have two equally ranked schools in the same area with the same two deposit deadlines and similar though not identical awards, is there really any reason why I shouldn't put down two deposits (assuming I have the cash for both)?

You can put down multiple deposits. Not sure why you'd put down two deposits though, in your case, are you negotiating or still deciding between the two schoosl?