IN AT TEXAS!!!!!!! CLASS OF 2013!! Forum

[kittenmittons]

Does anyone have any idea on how successful one might be in negotiating more merit aid out of Texas? I am admitted with what I consider a generous scholarship package. Slightly above 75th on LSAT and at median on GPA. Not URM.

I also have a couple t-14 offers which a lot of people have told me is the way to go, but the money at Texas, the school itself and Austin are all very attractive to me. If they were to give me some more $$, I think I would be all but sold.

Is it even worth trying?

Do, or do not. There is no try

Thanks smart ass. You know exactly what I am asking: is there any chance I would be successful in negotiating more aid?

To be fair, I can never pass up a Yoda reference. I'm in the same boat and asked the same question earlier.

[JazzOne]

think i'll end up at UT too. i saw this question earlier, but didn't see an answer... how do you go about negotiating merit aid/ raising a scholarship offer?

Last year the financial aid office gave us one chance to be re-evaluated for merit aid. They asked us to submit all our other offers, and they reviewed them to determine if they should award us additional aid. However, the financial aid office made it clear that we could only submit our other offers once. So don't blow your wad early. Wait until later in the cycle to start thinking about negotiating aid.

[kittenmittons]

think i'll end up at UT too. i saw this question earlier, but didn't see an answer... how do you go about negotiating merit aid/ raising a scholarship offer?

Last year the financial aid office gave us one chance to be re-evaluated for merit aid. They asked us to submit all our other offers, and they reviewed them to determine if they should award us additional aid. However, the financial aid office made it clear that we could only submit our other offers once. So don't blow your wad early. Wait until later in the cycle to start thinking about negotiating aid.

Anecdotally, have you heard success stories?

[JazzOne]

think i'll end up at UT too. i saw this question earlier, but didn't see an answer... how do you go about negotiating merit aid/ raising a scholarship offer?

Last year the financial aid office gave us one chance to be re-evaluated for merit aid. They asked us to submit all our other offers, and they reviewed them to determine if they should award us additional aid. However, the financial aid office made it clear that we could only submit our other offers once. So don't blow your wad early. Wait until later in the cycle to start thinking about negotiating aid.

Anecdotally, have you heard success stories?

To be perfectly honest, no. I do not know of anyone who got additional aid at that point. I couldn't negotiate for more aid because I didn't apply anywhere but UT, so I had no competing offers to submit. Plus, I already had been offered a full scholarship, and the stipends are extremely competitive. However, the whole process was seemed organized and anticipated by the financial aid office. My impression was that the gesture was not mere pretense. I think they really were assessing the competing offers and awarding additional aid to recruit top applicants.

[los blancos]

Finally got my status checker today

[los blancos]

think i'll end up at UT too. i saw this question earlier, but didn't see an answer... how do you go about negotiating merit aid/ raising a scholarship offer?

Last year the financial aid office gave us one chance to be re-evaluated for merit aid. They asked us to submit all our other offers, and they reviewed them to determine if they should award us additional aid. However, the financial aid office made it clear that we could only submit our other offers once. So don't blow your wad early. Wait until later in the cycle to start thinking about negotiating aid.

Anecdotally, have you heard success stories?

To be perfectly honest, no. I do not know of anyone who got additional aid at that point. I couldn't negotiate for more aid because I didn't apply anywhere but UT, so I had no competing offers to submit. Plus, I already had been offered a full scholarship, and the stipends are extremely competitive. However, the whole process was seemed organized and anticipated by the financial aid office. My impression was that the gesture was not mere pretense. I think they really were assessing the competing offers and awarding additional aid to recruit top applicants.

Jazz, this question probably belongs in another thread, but how well do you think you have to do in your class at UT ITE to get big law? What are you hearing from the 2Ls? Are your prospects largely limited to the state of Texas? Are CA firms well-represented at OCI?

[Olive]

Jazz, this question probably belongs in another thread, but how well do you think you have to do in your class at UT ITE to get big law? What are you hearing from the 2Ls? Are your prospects largely limited to the state of Texas? Are CA firms well-represented at OCI?

+1
And how about east coast firms? Thanks!

[Jericwithers]

Jazz, this question probably belongs in another thread, but how well do you think you have to do in your class at UT ITE to get big law? What are you hearing from the 2Ls? Are your prospects largely limited to the state of Texas? Are CA firms well-represented at OCI?

Anecdotally, the 2L across the hall from me doesn't have anything reassuring to say. However, his class got passed up in recruiting and it seems to be picking up for this years 1Ls (yet I don't know any and its probably too early to say).

[mte84]

IN!! Was an original "Held" student and just got the letter today!!! So beyond excited... As an out of state applicant with borderline stats... I am so excited my softs pulled it out for me... Good luck for all held applicants! Write an LOCI!!!

[adrib]

IN!! Was an original "Held" student and just got the letter today!!! So beyond excited... As an out of state applicant with borderline stats... I am so excited my softs pulled it out for me... Good luck for all held applicants! Write an LOCI!!!

do you mind sharing your stats? my hopes for UT die a little each day.

[mte84]

not a problem.

[JazzOne]

Jazz, this question probably belongs in another thread, but how well do you think you have to do in your class at UT ITE to get big law? What are you hearing from the 2Ls? Are your prospects largely limited to the state of Texas? Are CA firms well-represented at OCI?

These are some great questions. I'll see if I can get Esc to respond to your post because I simply don't know the answers. I came into law school committed to BigLaw in Texas, so I haven't looked into employment prospects out of state. I also haven't concerned myself too much with the class rank required for BigLaw, but I'd rather not share my reasons for that publicly. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. The one thing I can say is that the Career Services Office at UT is awesome. They helped me set up an interview with a big firm today, and we're having a spring OCI for 1Ls.

[texaspecial88]

A question to those of you admitted after being put on "hold":

If you sent an LOCI, did you ever hear a response letting you know they received it?

[mte84]

I received an email confirming they received my letter.

[texaspecial88]

I received an email confirming they received my letter.

Really? Should I send an email asking them if they received it? (I sent it about 3 weeks ago)

[yournamehere]

not going to go back and quote specific posts, but there are some things I can respond to.

1. I lived in the Northeast for more or less my whole life before falling in love with and then moving to Austin to go to Law School. The people in Texas are miles nicer than anywhere I've ever spent any substantial amount of time. I haven't had any problems making friends, either.

2. I was able to negotiate additional merit aid from UT, after sending in my offers from other schools.

3. From everyone I have talked to, in Texas, UT is absolute gold. Outside of Texas, we do pretty well for ourselves.

4. If you've never been to Austin, then you must go to 6th street on a Friday or Saturday night around midnight. Doesn't matter whether you drink or not, you just need to walk around and see the hordes -- I've never seen anything like it. Go somewhere else afterwards if drunk college kids isn't your scene. Another thing to do is go see a concert. We have the best music scene in the country here, and places like Emo's, Mohawk, and Stubb's are all fantastic venues. Best place to find out who's playing is showlistaustin.com

[entrechatsix]

I received an email confirming they received my letter.

Really? Should I send an email asking them if they received it? (I sent it about 3 weeks ago)

i think you should definitely email or call. i sent an addendum a couple of weeks ago to the admissions email address and received confirmation ~2 days after.

[Esc]

Jazz, this question probably belongs in another thread, but how well do you think you have to do in your class at UT ITE to get big law? What are you hearing from the 2Ls? Are your prospects largely limited to the state of Texas? Are CA firms well-represented at OCI?

These are some great questions. I'll see if I can get Esc to respond to your post because I simply don't know the answers. I came into law school committed to BigLaw in Texas, so I haven't looked into employment prospects out of state. I also haven't concerned myself too much with the class rank required for BigLaw, but I'd rather not share my reasons for that publicly. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. The one thing I can say is that the Career Services Office at UT is awesome. They helped me set up an interview with a big firm today, and we're having a spring OCI for 1Ls.

From what little I know, and it isn't much, the market seems to be improving a bit. Most of the firms seem interested in hiring 1Ls right now. The 2Ls got slammed hard at OCI last fall, so it was speculated that no one would be hiring right now, but a lot of firms seem to be doing so. Its still pretty crappy, but there's a ray of hope. No idea what 2L OCI is going to be like in August....

I haven't researched OCI firms, since that's not really my interest. Pre-ITE conventional wisdom was that students above median or even top 60% could get Big Law or market rate. Now, who knows. The most recent statistics, from Class of 2008, had 2/3 of the student body being Texas residents, and 2/3 of the student body getting jobs in Texas. Self-selection is a large part of that, so it makes calculating out of state placement difficult, but at least 1/3 of the student body left Texas for jobs. About 8 or 9 % went to each of California, NYC, and DC, with a scattering being distributed among other regions (South, Midwest, Northeast, etc.). ITE, who knows....

[whatwhat]

can anyone help me out with saying how long after your application being complete and being sent your username login info is a decision usually made? i applied regular decision

[chicoalto0649]

Headed to Austin!

Anyone wanna swing by The Omni and say hi, ill be there!

[lightbulb1986]

.

[joesrevenge]

think i'll end up at UT too. i saw this question earlier, but didn't see an answer... how do you go about negotiating merit aid/ raising a scholarship offer?

Last year the financial aid office gave us one chance to be re-evaluated for merit aid. They asked us to submit all our other offers, and they reviewed them to determine if they should award us additional aid. However, the financial aid office made it clear that we could only submit our other offers once. So don't blow your wad early. Wait until later in the cycle to start thinking about negotiating aid.

Anecdotally, have you heard success stories?

Yes I have. I was one. They increased my scholarship substantially after I negotiated with them (none of my other scholarships were from higher ranked schools either). I waited til late March before I tried.

So there is hope. Might as well try.

[goodolgil]

Still wondering when/if I'm going to hear from UT. I got held in early Dec to regular applicant pool. My numbers are 169 3.85.

[RSN_M3]

Still wondering when/if I'm going to hear from UT. I got held in early Dec to regular applicant pool. My numbers are 169 3.85.

Your numbers are considerably higher than mine, but I was held mid-November and still haven't heard back.

[entrechatsix]

should i even be checking my status checker? or will i receive a decision without it even changing?