SMU 2012 Forum

[barneytrouble]

Checking in.

[Gail]

just scaring folks like myself.


any updates?

[eaper]

just scaring folks like myself.


any updates?

Probably 2 weeks or so until they start releasing answers.

[tcuphi]

status hasnt been changed since 11/14/11. Im ED and anxious to know!

[swilson215]

status hasnt been changed since 11/14/11. Im ED and anxious to know!

Last year the first batch of acceptances came out about a week or so from this time. Hopefully it'll be the same for you, but you've still got a little wait. Don't worry, last year my status checker didn't change at all between when I submitted and when I found out.

[hookem12]

Waiting..... and waiting..... and waiting.

[swilson215]

Waiting..... and waiting..... and waiting.

1Ls still don't have our grades. Trust me, we're waiting harder than you SMU just moves a little more slowly than most of us would like.

[ClutchCity24]

Seconding what SWilson said. Last year acceptances came out at the end of January and there was absolutely no movement of the status checker until admitted. Good luck to everybody waiting.

And seriously, waiting for grades is so much worse. Especially when every other Texas school has grades and every employer wants to know grades. SMU is just super slow with everything for some reason.

[YankeeFan2]

Just checking in! (and waiting..........................)

[barneytrouble]

Does anyone know if SMU has a policy of not negotiating schollys?

[snehpets]

Does anyone know if SMU has a policy of not negotiating schollys?

Pretty sure someone said that they did early (have that policy I mean)

[swilson215]

Does anyone know if SMU has a policy of not negotiating schollys?

Pretty sure someone said that they did early (have that policy I mean)

I'm not sure if it's a policy per se, but i've never heard of anyone successfully negotiating with them. Their first offer is usually the best they'll do, and it's pretty much based solely on your numbers.

[Billy Batts]

Does anyone know if SMU has a policy of not negotiating schollys?

You need to understand that SMU is very difficult to deal with when it comes to any request. It's a long and drawn-out process to get your student loan refund, get your grades, or get anything else done that requires help from the administration. Once you realize that, the thought of a student taking part in a one-on-one, person-to-person negotiation about scholarship money with someone from the school seems pretty far fetched. I can't imagine any such negotiations really take place.

[BlueBell1900]

Does anyone know if SMU has a policy of not negotiating schollys?

You need to understand that SMU is very difficult to deal with when it comes to any request. It's a long and drawn-out process to get your student loan refund, get your grades, or get anything else done that requires help from the administration. Once you realize that, the thought of a student taking part in a one-on-one, person-to-person negotiation about scholarship money with someone from the school seems pretty far fetched. I can't imagine any such negotiations really take place.

Did you go to SMU? My personal experiences have been completely opposite of what you've described.

[Billy Batts]

I am at 2L at SMU Law. Each semester, financial aid is not refunded until well after classes have begun, meaning that one cannot use the disbursement to buy books. The administrator in charge of the law school financial aid is simply unavailable. He will not answer e-mails or return phone calls. You may, however, charge books at the bookstore at exorbitant prices. Also, it's after the close of business on January 20, and I still have not received most of my fall grades. We may be the only 2Ls in the nation still waiting on grades from last semester. The 1Ls have not received any grades and will be behind students at other law schools when it comes to finding summer employment. Students at most other schools have already received their grades and submitted resumes to employers. Factors like these make it hard for me to envision one of the deans on the phone with a potential student, wheeling and dealing over scholarship money.

[kalvano]

Chris is spot-on.

Also, I've never heard of anyone having any success negotiating. For all it's good aspects, SMU is still stuck about 20 years ago when it comes to operating a modern law school.

[swilson215]

Yup. We just got grades today, I only got my loan money last week...I think the day that tuition was due (of course). One time I did get the (previously believed to be mythical) hard-to-reach financial aid administrator on the phone and he was actually helpful, but normally it's a student worker or secretary who doesn't know what's actually going on. I love SMU so far, and there are some really great aspects about the school, but turn around time for ANYTHING isn't one of them.

[Billy Batts]

Kal and SWilson are right. The school is great in a lot of ways, but very inefficient in others. Some of the financial aid folks are helpful, but only if you talk to the right ones. If you push hard enough, you can find the right people and deal strictly with them the rest of the way. When it comes to scholarship negotiation, I can't think of whom you'd need to contact to start the process. I imagine you would have to do something like showing up in the dean's office and refusing to leave. Of course, that wouldn't endear you to the person with whom you would hope to be negotiating.

My point is that if you can't live with the scholarship you are offered from SMU, you should probably keep looking for a school.

To update my last post, even the 1Ls now have all their grades. I still lack most of mine.

[eaper]

Updated to 1/23... Apparently they're mailing all decisions, so, even if they did decide (and didn't update the status) I'll still have a wait to do=\

[Flappy Scribbleneck]

Updated to 1/23... Apparently they're mailing all decisions, so, even if they did decide (and didn't update the status) I'll still have a wait to do=\

+1

[PrincetonLaw]

Updated to 1/23... Apparently they're mailing all decisions, so, even if they did decide (and didn't update the status) I'll still have a wait to do=\

+1

+1

[citykitty]

Updated to 1/23... Apparently they're mailing all decisions, so, even if they did decide (and didn't update the status) I'll still have a wait to do=\

+1

+1

Same for me!

[woodscommaL]

Updated to 1/23... Apparently they're mailing all decisions, so, even if they did decide (and didn't update the status) I'll still have a wait to do=\

+1

+1

Same for me!

Me too! Hoping a decision is coming soon.

[kalvano]

They've always called in the past. Plus, it's still a little early.

[eaper]

They've always called in the past. Plus, it's still a little early.

"We are unable to release decisions by phone or email. All final decisions will be mailed." Guess they changed that. And, yeah, it'll probably close to another week before they release stuff (if past trends hold).