Negotiating scholarships works!!!!! Forum

[iamrobk]

FWIW, at Penn's ASW they specifically said to let them know about scholarship offers from other schools to negotiate aid.

Oh interesting thanks for passing that along. I attended another ASW which of course fell on the same days. Do you know what e-mail address they want scholarship inquiries sent to?

Sorry, I didn't catch the email address but I'm sure if you just send it to the generic admissions one they'll forward it to the right people! They definitely seemed to be aware that they are behind other schools in giving scholarships though, and I got the impression that they'll get back to people pretty quickly with offers if they have them from other schools already.

[bobbyh1919]

FWIW, at Penn's ASW they specifically said to let them know about scholarship offers from other schools to negotiate aid.

Oh interesting thanks for passing that along. I attended another ASW which of course fell on the same days. Do you know what e-mail address they want scholarship inquiries sent to?

Sorry, I didn't catch the email address but I'm sure if you just send it to the generic admissions one they'll forward it to the right people! They definitely seemed to be aware that they are behind other schools in giving scholarships though, and I got the impression that they'll get back to people pretty quickly with offers if they have them from other schools already.

Oh that sounds great. I just e-mailed them with offers from UVA and Duke so hopefully I hear something soon.

And yeah, they are behind but that's likely because they require W2 forms, Need Access, etc. and there's obviously some processing time that comes along with that.

[stellarEINS]

FWIW, at Penn's ASW they specifically said to let them know about scholarship offers from other schools to negotiate aid.

Oh interesting thanks for passing that along. I attended another ASW which of course fell on the same days. Do you know what e-mail address they want scholarship inquiries sent to?

From the Penn Admitted Students site:

The Scholarship Committee makes every effort to holistically and thoroughly consider our admitted students for merit-based assistance. Relevant, meaningful updates may--on occasion--affect our initial evaluation or trigger a reevaluation. Official merit scholarship offers from schools with which Penn Law shares a large number of admitted students generally weigh heavier; we strongly believe that financial considerations should not exclusively inform your choices. Offers may be sent via email (as PDFs). If a school does not break down an offer as "merit," "need," or a combination, simply send the financial aid award.

Please send any relevant materials to scholarships@law.upenn.edu. Make sure to include your full name in the subject line.

[bobbyh1919]

Hmm I sent it to Dean Post and the financial aid office, didn't realize they had another e-mail account just for scholarships. Also didn't include PDF's because I assumed they would take my word on my offers. Guess I'll find out soon enough.

[flv]

would it be totally unreasonable to negotiate with NYU using a substantial scholarship from Duke as leverage?

[bobbyh1919]

would it be totally unreasonable to negotiate with NYU using a substantial scholarship from Duke as leverage?

Not unreasonable, depending on what "substantial" is.

[swishin and dishin]

Hey,
Wish you luck in the process to this point.
I am in a similar spot to you, and I was just wondering how securing a living stipend worked out for you.

Anything you could share would be terrific
All the best

How does one go about asking for a living stipend? I have already received a full scholarship. How should I ask? I don't want to sound obnoxious.

I was thinking that because I have another full scholly offer from a school where I can live at home, I can ask them if they can help me with the additional cost of attending their school, where I would incur more living expenses.

Thoughts?

[hanman]

would anybody be willing to look at my (first) negotiation email to duke?

[lsuarkansas86]

FWIW, I've upped an offer from Loyola New Orleans from 5k-10k and working on more. Plus I expressed interest in a scholarship from LSU and was just told that a scholarship offer is in the mail. Negotiation definitely works. Keep at it people.

[TexasWave]

Edit: Guess I'll just have to see what happens for me :/

[gaud]

What's the consensus on resending a negotiation email?

I sent one about two weeks ago and haven't heard anything. Should I resend or will that look bad?

[landla]

What's the consensus on resending a negotiation email?

I sent one about two weeks ago and haven't heard anything. Should I resend or will that look bad?

I'd suggest calling as a follow up. I definitely wouldn't send the exact same email, but I think it is reasonable to follow up unless they told you it'd be longer than two weeks.

[tjddk]

I've got a few requests for sample negotiation letters. Rather than sending them out one by one via PM, I thought I would post it here:

Hello Dean ____,

Last week, I was excited to find out I have been accepted to [other school] with a scholarship of $____ a year. With deposit deadlines looming, I likely need to make a firm decision soon; needless to say, it is not an easy choice.

____ remains at the top of my list due to its [great thing #1] and [great thing #2], but I know I need to carefully consider all of my options in making such profound decisions. [Insert concern about why other school may be better/fit me better than this school].

I will certainly be thinking long and hard about this decision, but I wanted to check to see if my options at [this school] may have changed at all in the meantime. While I certainly appreciate the generosity of the aid I am currently receiving, I am wondering if any additional merit aid might have become available. Regrettably, given the current legal market, financial concerns will be playing a substantial role in my ultimate decision.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Quoting for easier reference.

Also, really hope I have the kind of success you've had with UCLA...

[emkay625]

Does Vanderbilt negotiate? Anyone know?

Because I would love to get a little more out of them and use it to get a little more out of Texas...

[kutn]

1. Would it be okay to use a scholarship from a lower-ranked school to negotiate?

2. Should I always mention the other school's name and exact amount of scholarship that they are willing to offer?

[station4]

1. Would it be okay to use a scholarship from a lower-ranked school to negotiate?

2. Should I always mention the other school's name and exact amount of scholarship that they are willing to offer?

1. I did and was successful. I negotiated with a T25 using a significant scholarship offer from another T25 and a significant scholarship from a school ranked in the 70s that is in the same market as the school that I was negotiating with. I am sure the scholarship I had from the peer school was mostly responsible for my success, but I felt that mentioning the other offer, which I was at the time considering due to the money, would show that I had other options in that market. With negotiating, it seems like you use what you have and hope for the best.

2. I don't know about always, but I included the name and scholarships of the other schools I was considering in my initial email.

[puremorning]

What I also just found to work was schmoozing with financial aid people at ASW. Case gave me 6k more for it. Totally worth it. That and the free food all weekend saved me tons of money!

[tjddk]

What I also just found to work was schmoozing with financial aid people at ASW. Case gave me 6k more for it. Totally worth it. That and the free food all weekend saved me tons of money!

Would you mind sharing (or PM) how you approached the subject?

I was shockingly awarded $120,000 from Northwestern. Until that point, I'd been fairly set on attending UCLA at sticker (I was hoping to maybe get SOMETHING from NU and negotiate up a modest amount). I told UCLA about the Northwestern offer (I didn't apply to many peer schools, based on my very strong geographic/personal preferences) and they came back with $60,000, which is half what NU offered.

Any ideas/suggestions/insight on how to proceed? I don't want to come off as grateful and respond to their "Congratulations! We're giving you $60k!!" email from UCLA with "SERIOUSLY? HALF??" I'm not thinking that I deserve even the $60k from UCLA, given how they are about splitters, but that I can't reasonably attend UCLA with the gap in COA being what it is.

For what it's worth, my numbers are 171/3.54.

[puremorning]

What I also just found to work was schmoozing with financial aid people at ASW. Case gave me 6k more for it. Totally worth it. That and the free food all weekend saved me tons of money!

Would you mind sharing (or PM) how you approached the subject?

I was shockingly awarded $120,000 from Northwestern. Until that point, I'd been fairly set on attending UCLA at sticker (I was hoping to maybe get SOMETHING from NU and negotiate up a modest amount). I told UCLA about the Northwestern offer (I didn't apply to many peer schools, based on my very strong geographic/personal preferences) and they came back with $60,000, which is half what NU offered.

Any ideas/suggestions/insight on how to proceed? I don't want to come off as grateful and respond to their "Congratulations! We're giving you $60k!!" email from UCLA with "SERIOUSLY? HALF??" I'm not thinking that I deserve even the $60k from UCLA, given how they are about splitters, but that I can't reasonably attend UCLA with the gap in COA being what it is.

For what it's worth, my numbers are 171/3.54.

I went and spoke privately with the head of financial aid. It sounds like schools actually get offended when students ask for tons more money. I wasn't looking for a specific amount anyway, I just wanted to lighten the burden in any way that I could of debt, and I was honest and told them that. Speaking in person allowed me to relay to them that I'm responsible with money and that I'm someone that will use the extra money wisely. I had initiated this meeting by sending an email to the dean, and once I showed up for ASW they were like, oh great! You're here! Go talk to so and so, and by the end of the day I had a new offer in my email.

[tjddk]

I went and spoke privately with the head of financial aid. It sounds like schools actually get offended when students ask for tons more money. I wasn't looking for a specific amount anyway, I just wanted to lighten the burden in any way that I could of debt, and I was honest and told them that. Speaking in person allowed me to relay to them that I'm responsible with money and that I'm someone that will use the extra money wisely. I had initiated this meeting by sending an email to the dean, and once I showed up for ASW they were like, oh great! You're here! Go talk to so and so, and by the end of the day I had a new offer in my email.

Thanks, and congrats!!

I'm not actually looking for them to match it, and would probably even pay a little extra to go to UCLA. I think I just need to find a way to express that I want to be able to rationalize to myself that going to UCLA is the better option, and right now, the gap's too much for that.

[lawapp12]

So I was wondering how successful I could be at negotiating a scholarship at a school that's ranked higher (and I haven't received a scholarship at) than other schools I have received scholarships at.

Trying to get one at #44 CU Boulder

Received scholarships at:
#67 Loyola Chicago $36000
#76 Penn State $9000
#82 Michigan State $75000
#93 Syracuse $60000

I just kinda feel like since my top choice is ranked so much higher than the others they probably want care too much >.>
Any thoughts?

[zor]

I went and spoke privately with the head of financial aid. It sounds like schools actually get offended when students ask for tons more money. I wasn't looking for a specific amount anyway, I just wanted to lighten the burden in any way that I could of debt, and I was honest and told them that. Speaking in person allowed me to relay to them that I'm responsible with money and that I'm someone that will use the extra money wisely. I had initiated this meeting by sending an email to the dean, and once I showed up for ASW they were like, oh great! You're here! Go talk to so and so, and by the end of the day I had a new offer in my email.

This seems silly to me (that they would be offended, not that you asked for aid). I've at least attempted negotiation with every school so far save two (the best for last! waiting for the other offers to come in), and all of my interactions have been entirely professional aside from Fordham, who was really rude. As long as you're polite, brief, and honest, they know they're running a business and that scholarships are essentially coupons they can hand out at their discretion. I have only communicated via e-mail and feel that's a better option than doing it in person where you're putting someone on the spot, but I haven't tried the latter so I could be wrong. But no one should be offended. This is their job, they do it every year.

[kutn]

Who should I write the letter to? Admission or financial aid office? Should I address it by "Dean...."?

[blueseahorse]

I went and spoke privately with the head of financial aid. It sounds like schools actually get offended when students ask for tons more money. I wasn't looking for a specific amount anyway, I just wanted to lighten the burden in any way that I could of debt, and I was honest and told them that. Speaking in person allowed me to relay to them that I'm responsible with money and that I'm someone that will use the extra money wisely. I had initiated this meeting by sending an email to the dean, and once I showed up for ASW they were like, oh great! You're here! Go talk to so and so, and by the end of the day I had a new offer in my email.

This seems silly to me (that they would be offended, not that you asked for aid). I've at least attempted negotiation with every school so far save two (the best for last! waiting for the other offers to come in), and all of my interactions have been entirely professional aside from Fordham, who was really rude. As long as you're polite, brief, and honest, they know they're running a business and that scholarships are essentially coupons they can hand out at their discretion. I have only communicated via e-mail and feel that's a better option than doing it in person where you're putting someone on the spot, but I haven't tried the latter so I could be wrong. But no one should be offended. This is their job, they do it every year.

fordham was rude to me as well!

[puremorning]

I went and spoke privately with the head of financial aid. It sounds like schools actually get offended when students ask for tons more money. I wasn't looking for a specific amount anyway, I just wanted to lighten the burden in any way that I could of debt, and I was honest and told them that. Speaking in person allowed me to relay to them that I'm responsible with money and that I'm someone that will use the extra money wisely. I had initiated this meeting by sending an email to the dean, and once I showed up for ASW they were like, oh great! You're here! Go talk to so and so, and by the end of the day I had a new offer in my email.

This seems silly to me (that they would be offended, not that you asked for aid). I've at least attempted negotiation with every school so far save two (the best for last! waiting for the other offers to come in), and all of my interactions have been entirely professional aside from Fordham, who was really rude. As long as you're polite, brief, and honest, they know they're running a business and that scholarships are essentially coupons they can hand out at their discretion. I have only communicated via e-mail and feel that's a better option than doing it in person where you're putting someone on the spot, but I haven't tried the latter so I could be wrong. But no one should be offended. This is their job, they do it every year.

Maybe that was the wrong word choice. From what she told me it sounded like some people felt entitled to automatically get an extra 10k added to their current scholarship. Basically when you ask, approach them nicely and don't be a dick expecting them to hand you money.