Negotiating scholarships works!!!!! Forum

[northwood]

Okay so I need some help please....

UNLV offered me $16,700 first year, and half tuition for 2L and 3L with top 33% stip (gross)

Seton Hall offered me 25k per year with a top 50% stip

Would it be wise for me to ask UNLV for more money and bring up the Seton Hall offering considering they are 'higher ranked' ???

Please please help

I think you should ask to get rid of that stip at UNLV. use seton hall as a guide. However, when making the final decision you will have to choose new jersey or nevada as the state you want to practice in- as neither of the schools you mentioned travel that far. Remember- the worst that can happen is they say no. If you are decent and polite they wont revoke your scholly or acceptance. Get that letter written and send it in on monday morning!

Thank you! Does anyone know whether a letter or an email will give a better impression? I am more than willing to write a letter with 24k gold trim if it can save me a stipulation or get me some extra money lol

use an email. This is a very busy time, and they are using emails a lot. Set it up in a letter format, and double and triple check your tying.

[c_dubya_s]

use an email. This is a very busy time, and they are using emails a lot. Set it up in a letter format, and double and triple check your tying.

Oh, the irony.

Don't be afraid to call them up and ask what format they would like it to be submitted in. Likely email, but it can't hurt to ask.

[gaud]

use an email. This is a very busy time, and they are using emails a lot. Set it up in a letter format, and double and triple check your tying.

Oh, the irony.

Don't be afraid to call them up and ask what format they would like it to be submitted in. Likely email, but it can't hurt to ask.

I sure will, you are all so helpful, thanks!!

[northwood]

use an email. This is a very busy time, and they are using emails a lot. Set it up in a letter format, and double and triple check your tying.

Oh, the irony.

Don't be afraid to call them up and ask what format they would like it to be submitted in. Likely email, but it can't hurt to ask.

we shall call that exhibit A

[cinephile]

On this note, is it just me or are stipulations like top third things only tier 2, 3 and 4 schools do?

There are stipulations for my T1 scholarships, but they require that I remain in good standing (2.0 or 2.5) not even in the top half of the class.

And as far as negotiations go, I've had no luck. Tried to negotiate with my top 2 choices (one offered half scholarship, the other nothing) by leveraging better offers from lower ranked schools. This could be why I had no success, or maybe they just don't negotiate, but in any case, it's disappointing. Don't really feel like bothering with the other schools since I have no intention of going there.

[zonto]

Thanks thread! Got me another $27,000 at W&M and we'll see what that gets me at a couple of other schools.

[labballin24]

Thanks thread! Got me another $27,000 at W&M and we'll see what that gets me at a couple of other schools.

How long did it take for you to hear from W&M? I'm doing the same at the moment.

[jppatt16]

Would someone care to review my general inquiry/negotiation writeup before I send it out?

[WashingtonJew]

I'll read - I negotiated from 0 to 28k at Iowa! I was wondering if anyone's ever been successful negotiation from 0 to something, and then negotiating more. How did you go about that if so?

[jppatt16]

I'll read - I negotiated from 0 to 28k at Iowa! I was wondering if anyone's ever been successful negotiation from 0 to something, and then negotiating more. How did you go about that if so?

Thanks, a PM is headed your way.

[bigben5289]

Quick question people

I got 25k a year from a school. I was just invited to join Phi Beta Kappa and I will join. Do you think if I tell this school that I was just invited to join PBK they will increase my scholarship amount?

Thanks

[sgtgrumbles]

Question: I'm interested in trying to negotiate up from my initial scholarship award at one of MVPB. If my best sources of leverage are an acceptance to one of CCN and a larger scholarship from one of DNCG, should I mention both in my email?

Also, since the school with which I'm trying to negotiate has a stated aversion to reconsidering awards, should I do anything differently? Should I put all my other offers out there from the get-go, or send the standard inquiry email before I get into specifics?

[rs2004]

Question: I'm interested in trying to negotiate up from my initial scholarship award at one of MVPB. If my best sources of leverage are an acceptance to one of CCN and a larger scholarship from one of DNCG, should I mention both in my email?

Also, since the school with which I'm trying to negotiate has a stated aversion to reconsidering awards, should I do anything differently? Should I put all my other offers out there from the get-go, or send the standard inquiry email before I get into specifics?

I think it ultimately depends on what kind of student you are to that school (below median, median, or above median) and how much that school wants you. If a higher ranked school has opened its doors to you, that must mean something to the object of your affection, wouldn't you agree? I would put all your other offers up front to show that other schools are very interested in you being with them but tell the object of your affection that you're excited about the acceptance and the initial offer but merit aid is #1 factor in your final call. The worst thing that school can say is, i'm sorry but...

[rocon7383]

I sent a letter to the Brooklyn's financial aid email, their admissions questions email AND an admission's counselor's email asking about whom i should speak to regarding a scholarship. NO ONE got back to me. This all took place over a week ago. What gives? Did I mess up?

I looked over what I wrote and there are no grammatical/tactless mistakes, it seems pretty clean cut.

[rs2004]

I sent a letter to the Brooklyn's financial aid email, their admissions questions email AND an admission's counselor's email asking about whom i should speak to regarding a scholarship. NO ONE got back to me. This all took place over a week ago. What gives? Did I mess up?

I looked over what I wrote and there are no grammatical/tactless mistakes, it seems pretty clean cut.

i think a week or 2 is standard. i got replies from schools, in time periods ranging from 3 days to 3 weeks. they may have to do some more consideration with releasing merit aid, compare your status with other students', do their own fact checking if you have mentioned that you have gotten scholarships from other schools, figure out how much they can give you while still remaining a competitive offer, etc. it may also be caused by a lag in communication between offices. i.e. one school's financial aid office sent my email to the university registrar and i got my reply from the registrar's office. if you are still concerned, i would call the financial aid office.

[rli66]

So far I've been able to negotiate up to full scholarship at a T1 school using a T14 offer. Still waiting on word from a T10 school using the lower ranked offers.

I included in my package a Why T10 school essay as well as a couple of extra (and my best, imo) LORs.

[rocon7383]

I sent a letter to the Brooklyn's financial aid email, their admissions questions email AND an admission's counselor's email asking about whom i should speak to regarding a scholarship. NO ONE got back to me. This all took place over a week ago. What gives? Did I mess up?

I looked over what I wrote and there are no grammatical/tactless mistakes, it seems pretty clean cut.

i think a week or 2 is standard. i got replies from schools, in time periods ranging from 3 days to 3 weeks. they may have to do some more consideration with releasing merit aid, compare your status with other students', do their own fact checking if you have mentioned that you have gotten scholarships from other schools, figure out how much they can give you while still remaining a competitive offer, etc. it may also be caused by a lag in communication between offices. i.e. one school's financial aid office sent my email to the university registrar and i got my reply from the registrar's office. if you are still concerned, i would call the financial aid office.

Thanks for the response. The thing is, I never actually requested more aid. I just asked who i should speak to because cost of attendance is a concern of mine. Do you think the same reasoning applies?

[rs2004]

I sent a letter to the Brooklyn's financial aid email, their admissions questions email AND an admission's counselor's email asking about whom i should speak to regarding a scholarship. NO ONE got back to me. This all took place over a week ago. What gives? Did I mess up?

I looked over what I wrote and there are no grammatical/tactless mistakes, it seems pretty clean cut.

i think a week or 2 is standard. i got replies from schools, in time periods ranging from 3 days to 3 weeks. they may have to do some more consideration with releasing merit aid, compare your status with other students', do their own fact checking if you have mentioned that you have gotten scholarships from other schools, figure out how much they can give you while still remaining a competitive offer, etc. it may also be caused by a lag in communication between offices. i.e. one school's financial aid office sent my email to the university registrar and i got my reply from the registrar's office. if you are still concerned, i would call the financial aid office.

Thanks for the response. The thing is, I never actually requested more aid. I just asked who i should speak to because cost of attendance is a concern of mine. Do you think the same reasoning applies?

i missed that. just call the financial aid office today and ask. don't wait. i never sent a "who should i speak to?" email to my schools bc i didn't see a need for it. not like i'm going through customer service at verizon or something you know? i was directing my emails to the financial aid office or the main officer at the fin aid off ice and they should be expecting any financial aid related inquiries, including that of award reconsideration. yea don't wait too long, call them today, bc you don't know if and when brooklyn will run out of funds.

[Sandro]

How would you respond to a school that said they were still giving out awards a month ago and to check back, and now they just released a big round of increased scholarships to people? Get more "aggressive" in negotiating, considering I have have better acceptances/scholarship offers and really want just a few thousand more?

[rs2004]

How would you respond to a school that said they were still giving out awards a month ago and to check back, and now they just released a big round of increased scholarships to people? Get more "aggressive" in negotiating, considering I have have better acceptances/scholarship offers and really want just a few thousand more?

yes definitely. a school will charge you $$$ for tuition and increase it every year so why would it be strange for a proactive student to ask for more merit aid? until the school says no, i would say try, try, and try again.

[Sandro]

How would you respond to a school that said they were still giving out awards a month ago and to check back, and now they just released a big round of increased scholarships to people? Get more "aggressive" in negotiating, considering I have have better acceptances/scholarship offers and really want just a few thousand more?

yes definitely. a school will charge you $$$ for tuition and increase it every year so why would it be strange for a proactive student to ask for more merit aid? until the school says no, i would say try, try, and try again.

I'm trying to get the wording down right now - I think in my first negotiation I might have came off a little too interested in the school, seeing as I was skipped over when a lot of people got un solicited scholarship boosts.

How explicit should I be in the fact that I like school X but it isnt the cheapest and its current cost doesnt put it in a very competitive position compared to better schools I've gotten in to ?

[rs2004]

I wrote: "I am very excited about my acceptance at school abc and would like to attend school abc for law school but merit aid is a serious factor in my final consideration. I send this e-mail to request that the Financial Aid office reconsider my award letter."

I also laid out how much total merit aid i got from each competitive school. This way, the school itself can calculate the difference it would cost me to go to their school v. the other competitive schools.
This has gone both ways. One school jumped at the numbers and gave me $60,000 total from $0. Another school, which gave me $30,000 total initially, basically said, sorry but we have no more money to give you.

[bb8900]

Has anyone had any success negotiating with Northern California schools?

If so, which ones?

I am 0 for like 4

[jwmalone87]

Has anyone had any success negotiating with Northern California schools?

If so, which ones?

I am 0 for like 4

Which schools might those be? I got shot down from Hastings but am about to send something Davis' way.

[Neidermeyer519]

So far I have been able to negotiate just a little extra money from my target school, but I am also retaking the LSAT in June. The June score can be used for upping scholarship amounts, so even though that will be extremely late in the cycle, I'm doing what I can do. lol. I definitely kick myself for not taking the LSAT as serious the first time around.