Northwestern 2011 Applicants Forum

[dddhhh]

From their website:
JD Candidates
Financial aid at Northwestern Law takes many forms, including scholarships, grants, and loans. You absolutely must apply for financial aid in order to be considered for any kind of financial assistance, including scholarships or grants. All of our scholarships/grants are awarded on a combined basis of need and merit, so if you do not submit a financial aid application, you will never be considered for a scholarship. There are 3 components to a complete financial aid application:

A 2011-2012 Need Access application (available online after January 2, 2011)
Scholarship and Grant Supplemental Application *
A 2011-2012 FAFSA (our school code is 001739)
* The essay questions posed in the Scholarship and Grant Supplemental Application are as follows:

Please describe in detail how Northwestern Law will uniquely help you reach your short-term and long-term career goals. (300-500 words)
Northwestern Law administers an extensive program of scholarships and grants, all of which are awarded on a combined basis of merit and financial need. Please assess your position for merit aid and discuss your financial need for aid. (300-500 words)

The deadline for submitting your complete financial aid application is March 1 at 5 pm

so is it just that one question then?

There are two,
a) Please describe in detail how Northwestern Law will uniquely help you reach your short-term and long-term career goals
b) Please assess your position for merit aid and discuss your financial need for aid.

[hipstermafia]

There are two,
a) Please describe in detail how Northwestern Law will uniquely help you reach your short-term and long-term career goals
b) Please assess your position for merit aid and discuss your financial need for aid.

RC fail, THANKS!

[sarahlawg]

There are two,
a) Please describe in detail how Northwestern Law will uniquely help you reach your short-term and long-term career goals
b) Please assess your position for merit aid and discuss your financial need for aid.

What does that mean? Why you think you should get the merit aid over someone else?

[rs2004]

There are two,
a) Please describe in detail how Northwestern Law will uniquely help you reach your short-term and long-term career goals
b) Please assess your position for merit aid and discuss your financial need for aid.

What does that mean? Why you think you should get the merit aid over someone else?

Create a budget for yourself. how much you estimate your cost will be for the academic year, food costs, transportation, living expenses, etc. if you aren't going to be getting any help from family or other sources, say so.

this doesn't seem to be a why you over others question. just discuss why you in your current situation is asking NU for money with frankness. if you've worked for x many years and don't have any savings because you live in a money-sucking hole like nyc, make that clear. so on and so forth.

[sarahlawg]

There are two,
a) Please describe in detail how Northwestern Law will uniquely help you reach your short-term and long-term career goals
b) Please assess your position for merit aid and discuss your financial need for aid.

What does that mean? Why you think you should get the merit aid over someone else?

Create a budget for yourself. how much you estimate your cost will be for the academic year, food costs, transportation, living expenses, etc. if you aren't going to be getting any help from family or other sources, say so.

this doesn't seem to be a why you over others question. just discuss why you in your current situation is asking NU for money with frankness. if you've worked for x many years and don't have any savings because you live in a money-sucking hole like nyc, make that clear. so on and so forth.

that sounds like just an answer to the second part: discuss your financial need for aid. The 'please assess your position for merit aid' makes me think I need to say what I've done to deserve aid to the school. No?

[rs2004]

There are two,
a) Please describe in detail how Northwestern Law will uniquely help you reach your short-term and long-term career goals
b) Please assess your position for merit aid and discuss your financial need for aid.

What does that mean? Why you think you should get the merit aid over someone else?

Create a budget for yourself. how much you estimate your cost will be for the academic year, food costs, transportation, living expenses, etc. if you aren't going to be getting any help from family or other sources, say so.

this doesn't seem to be a why you over others question. just discuss why you in your current situation is asking NU for money with frankness. if you've worked for x many years and don't have any savings because you live in a money-sucking hole like nyc, make that clear. so on and so forth.

that sounds like just an answer to the second part: discuss your financial need for aid. The 'please assess your position for merit aid' makes me think I need to say what I've done to deserve aid to the school. No?

well we could go back and forth on the semantics of the question (i do think that assessing your position means, figuring out where you stand financially, for example if you worked for 3 years and you have 5000 in savings, will that go towards tuition, living expenses, or do you need that for a rainy day, etc.)

but i would just call financial aid to get a clear meaning.

[hipstermafia]

well we could go back and forth on the semantics of the question (i do think that assessing your position means, figuring out where you stand financially, for example if you worked for 3 years and you have 5000 in savings, will that go towards tuition, living expenses, or do you need that for a rainy day, etc.)

isn't this what we're about to do for three years?

[rs2004]

well we could go back and forth on the semantics of the question (i do think that assessing your position means, figuring out where you stand financially, for example if you worked for 3 years and you have 5000 in savings, will that go towards tuition, living expenses, or do you need that for a rainy day, etc.)

isn't this what we're about to do for three years?

haha yes, and that is also what i've been paid to do for the last few years. buuuut, when it comes to money and how much you're gonna get and how much you're gonna pay out of pocket, the meaning of the question should be crystal clear!

[sarahlawg]

well we could go back and forth on the semantics of the question (i do think that assessing your position means, figuring out where you stand financially, for example if you worked for 3 years and you have 5000 in savings, will that go towards tuition, living expenses, or do you need that for a rainy day, etc.)

but i would just call financial aid to get a clear meaning.

Yeah I may just because they use both terms (merit aid vs need aid) separately in the topic. I thought someone maybe would know from prior experience. I think it's weird they make you write a 2-page essay on this when your resume/numbers as well as your FAFSA should speak for themselves.

[rockies2]

I applied 1/14 and have yet to hear anything at all from Northwestern--no app acknowledgement email, no status checker, nothing. Should I be concerned and maybe contact them, or is this par for the course?

This happened to me too, you can request an email on the application status page.

[Siamsa414]

I applied 1/14 and have yet to hear anything at all from Northwestern--no app acknowledgement email, no status checker, nothing. Should I be concerned and maybe contact them, or is this par for the course?

This happened to me too, you can request an email on the application status page.

Oh, sweet, that works. Thanks!

[localboy]

...

[SirWilliam1022]

Should be in today. They say that if you weren't able to make it into your interview because of travel delays that you should call to cancel or reschedule. However, this has two other meanings: 1) There will be some interviews for those who were able to make it into town; 2) There will be some admissions stafff there to answer phones. Snow is nothing new to people in Chicago so I would anticipate answers today or tomorrow at the latest. Very much hoping so.

[rs2004]

NorthwesternU
Northwestern News
Decision to cancel classes/close University on Wed will be made early Wed morning with text msg/e-mail update --LinkRemoved--
1 hour ago via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet Reply

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Retweeted by tweetsbyjohann and 12 others

[lbki]

No AJD decisions today. If file was complete before last Friday, we will post a notification before the end of the week.
6 minutes ago via web tweetsbyjohann

[SirWilliam1022]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rs2004]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but wait, there's more...


NU Law Admissions
True story. We'll most likely be open tomorrow. RT @tweetsbyjohann: Northwestern last closed due to extreme weather on: Jan 15, 1979

@tweetsbyjohann
Johann
Unless the University closes (See earlier RT), our office will be open. Although, there may only be one person here.

[SirWilliam1022]

Nooooo!!!

[rs2004]

Nooooo!!!

hahahaha

this thread is prettay prettay prettay good.....

[dddhhh]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but wait, there's more...


NU Law Admissions
True story. We'll most likely be open tomorrow. RT @tweetsbyjohann: Northwestern last closed due to extreme weather on: Jan 15, 1979

@tweetsbyjohann
Johann
Unless the University closes (See earlier RT), our office will be open. Although, there may only be one person here.

I'm sure they will work from home to try to meet the new deadline given. One of johann's earlier tweets was about being able to read more files/send decisions when it snows because they have more time to read. Good luck everyone!

[localboy]

...

[SirWilliam1022]

Here is an image I found of the unrest that has begun outside of the Northwestern Admissions office... it seems one million AJD applicants have assembled for an overthrow of the admissions committee. Admissions Director Mubarak has invoked a curfew of 5pm, has sacked the governing structure, and promises a quick response to all applicant files. =D

[rinkrat19]

Here is an image I found of the unrest that has begun outside of the Northwestern Admissions office... it seems one million AJD applicants have assembled for an overthrow of the admissions committee. Admissions Director Mubarak has invoked a curfew of 5pm, has sacked the governing structure, and promises a quick response to all applicant files. =D

Funny, I thought there'd be more snow.

[SirWilliam1022]

Just a little joke Northwestern... please don't throw my application in the garbage.

[(Inside of the mind of the Northwestern Admissions Czar - "Just a little joke, Bill... I seem to have misplaced your application... (in the dumpster out back)]


My Application after the last post. =C ----> (Was supposed to be a picture of Oscar the Grouch, but techincal difficulties got in the way.)

[swimmergirl1303]

Hey FYI for anyone else who's 8 weeks are up I called the admissions office and they said the 8 weeks is a guideline. It can be anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks! Good luck everyone!