Berkeley c/o 2015 Applicants (2011-2012 cycle) Forum

[Redamon1]

Got my "need-based" aid email today: nothing.

I kind of wonder if this is because I applied way late, or because it's really merit aid they're dishing out, or what. My undergrad and HLS both considered me to be in the highly needy category, so I have a hard time believing Berkeley looked at the same numbers and figured my family can actually afford to pay sticker.

aw, that is a shame! question: are you technically considered a URM? i've heard rumors that berkeley gives strong preference to URMs when dispensing aid. again, these are only rumors from friends of mine, so idk how true they are. just throwing out one possibility.

I'm not URM and got a sizable merit scholarship last year. I know one person is not a trend but just thought I would add to the pool of anecdotes...

[thelawschoolproject]

But, isn't the deadline to accept our offer for Berkeley admission also Monday 4/16?

Not really. They only want us to sign a non-binding form ...which basically to me means "sign here if you're still interested." The major declaration of your intent to attend doesn't come until June 1st, as another poster said.

In which case, won't I have just spent $500 to reserve my seat while also being totally unsure about whether or not I can afford it?

Nope, they don't require a seat deposit, so it's totally risk free (financially anyway).

In which case also, won't my ability to negotiate merit aid be completely out the window since I have already told them I am committed to attending? So confused...

It shouldn't be. You don't have to withdraw from other schools. So, depending upon when other schools are making you decide, you should still have some type of leverage. Also, if you're doing the matching scholarship you should have already included you "leverage" by stating what other scholarship you have. So far as they know, nothing has changed. This would be what they are basing their scholarship on. However, if it's just a regular merit scholarship, you wouldn't be using that leverage anyway, so it wouldn't make a difference.

[Kimberly]

I don't know how I didn't know all of that before now. I would have submitted my Tentative intent to matriculate months ago had I known that.... Well, anyways, better late than never. Does take some stress off of me though... now I will just wait for hopeful merit aid. I wonder if they are only offering merit aid to people who have signed the Tentative form... would that be unheard-of? Has anyone been offered merit aid who DIDN'T sign the tentative form?

[sailboat]

Got my "need-based" aid email today: nothing.

I kind of wonder if this is because I applied way late, or because it's really merit aid they're dishing out, or what. My undergrad and HLS both considered me to be in the highly needy category, so I have a hard time believing Berkeley looked at the same numbers and figured my family can actually afford to pay sticker.

aw, that is a shame! question: are you technically considered a URM? i've heard rumors that berkeley gives strong preference to URMs when dispensing aid. again, these are only rumors from friends of mine, so idk how true they are. just throwing out one possibility.

Nah, I'm not URM, though at this point, they wouldn't know, right? They weren't allowed to ask for race on the app itself, and I don't think there was anything about it in the financial aid application. I did get the invitation to apply for scholarship(s) for URMs, so maybe they think there's a chance I am.

It might be that the rumors you were hearing were about merit aid... in fact, it could be that Berkeley's fin aid on a whole is really merit-based, not need-based at all, similar to NYU/Columbia, etc, I'm just too lazy to look back through old posts to see what the consensus is on that.

[Kimberly]

Got my "need-based" aid email today: nothing.

I kind of wonder if this is because I applied way late, or because it's really merit aid they're dishing out, or what. My undergrad and HLS both considered me to be in the highly needy category, so I have a hard time believing Berkeley looked at the same numbers and figured my family can actually afford to pay sticker.

aw, that is a shame! question: are you technically considered a URM? i've heard rumors that berkeley gives strong preference to URMs when dispensing aid. again, these are only rumors from friends of mine, so idk how true they are. just throwing out one possibility.

Nah, I'm not URM, though at this point, they wouldn't know, right? They weren't allowed to ask for race on the app itself, and I don't think there was anything about it in the financial aid application. I did get the invitation to apply for scholarship(s) for URMs, so maybe they think there's a chance I am.

It might be that the rumors you were hearing were about merit aid... in fact, it could be that Berkeley's fin aid on a whole is really merit-based, not need-based at all, similar to NYU/Columbia, etc, I'm just too lazy to look back through old posts to see what the consensus is on that.

I got a good amount of need based aid. I am not URM. Got mine last week. I asked the fin aid office and they said that they apply the same exact formula to every applicant and do not alter the output from the formula.... super uniform and super fair... Whatever the formula calculates for your need based aid is what they calculate. Though, I did notice that they grossly underestimated my current federal educational debt load and I wondered if this adversely impacted the amount of need based aid I was offered... never got a direct answer to that inquiry.

[lblelalr]

Berkeley not giving scholarship info before our respective deadlines is pretty messed up. It's really late in the cycle.

I called today and they said that there would be a massive wave of scholarship offers (particularly matching scholarships) sometime next week. They are waiting for current scholarship recipients to respond to the deadline that is on Monday.

does this mean most/all of the scholarships offered so far have been the named ones?

[sn20]

Withdrew today. Best of luck to everyone else!

[bilbobaggins]

Got my "need-based" aid email today: nothing.

I kind of wonder if this is because I applied way late, or because it's really merit aid they're dishing out, or what. My undergrad and HLS both considered me to be in the highly needy category, so I have a hard time believing Berkeley looked at the same numbers and figured my family can actually afford to pay sticker.

aw, that is a shame! question: are you technically considered a URM? i've heard rumors that berkeley gives strong preference to URMs when dispensing aid. again, these are only rumors from friends of mine, so idk how true they are. just throwing out one possibility.

Nah, I'm not URM, though at this point, they wouldn't know, right? They weren't allowed to ask for race on the app itself, and I don't think there was anything about it in the financial aid application. I did get the invitation to apply for scholarship(s) for URMs, so maybe they think there's a chance I am.

It might be that the rumors you were hearing were about merit aid... in fact, it could be that Berkeley's fin aid on a whole is really merit-based, not need-based at all, similar to NYU/Columbia, etc, I'm just too lazy to look back through old posts to see what the consensus is on that.

The sad truth as that almost everyone would merit need-based aid if no money in the bank and no family funding were the criteria. Most of your classmates meet this criteria. I have no idea how they dish out the aid, but it cannot be based solely on inability to pay for law school, because almost everyone is in that boat.

[utopian_grrl]

withdrew.

kind of glad they took their time handing out matching school offers - since I don't know what amount they would have given me, it made my decision a lot easier.

[operagrl71]

Speaking of matching scholarships, have people started to hear back??

[azgirl514]

Speaking of matching scholarships, have people started to hear back??

I haven't heard back yet -- getting impatient! It's the only thing that kept me from accepting admission immediately after this week's incredible ASW!

[jim-green]

.

Is your avatar Dean Tom?

[EMZE]

Based on ASW.. if that isn't Dean Tom, it's a look alike

[EvelynS]

It's definitely Dean Tom

[catwomangirl]

It's the last day of the week! Do we smell scholarship offers in the air?

[jim-green]

If you want to accept a scholarship, I know you have to withdraw from schools that accepted you, but do you have to withdraw from pending schools too?

It's the last day of the week! Do we smell scholarship offers in the air?

[catwomangirl]

If you want to accept a scholarship, I know you have to withdraw from schools that accepted you, but do you have to withdraw from pending schools too?

It's the last day of the week! Do we smell scholarship offers in the air?

I would guess not.

Should I take your statement to mean you just got a scholarship offer?

[larsoner]

So, I still haven't heard anything about scholarships, and this thread seems a little dead. So. . . are there still a lot of people in my boat or should I assume nothing is coming and withdraw?

[jim-green]

I would guess not. Should I take your statement to mean you just got a scholarship offer?

You should not.

[jungminnee]

So, I still haven't heard anything about scholarships, and this thread seems a little dead. So. . . are there still a lot of people in my boat or should I assume nothing is coming and withdraw?

I haven't heard anything about scholarships either... sent them an email about a week ago but no response. Tried calling them today but got voicemail =/ Maybe will try calling tomorrow.

[cylon_clone]

I submitted my matching scholarship (from Duke) form months ago and had expected to receive a response by ASW. I did not....this is partly why I withdrew my application. Berkeley is one of the most expensive schools in the country - in terms of CoL and tuition - they've got to know that finances can and will play a huge part in people's decisions. With seat deposits coming up, it seems a bit ridiculous to drag these things out. Michigan gave me a crap competitive scholarship when compared to other schools - but at least they offered something and were quick about it, which is why I'll at least be depositing there.

I'd rank Berkeley's matching scholarship as crazier than Stanford's admission cycle.

[larsoner]

I called them about matching scholarship. (The deadline I gave with the matching scholarship request has already passed.) The woman on the phone told me that it's possible I'm still in consideration but "chances aren't as great as they were before." I'm taking that to mean that we aren't necessarily going to be notified if we don't get a scholarship and that most of the money has been given out. I'm planning then to withdraw. Columbia here I come.

[thelawschoolproject]

I called them about matching scholarship. (The deadline I gave with the matching scholarship request has already passed.) The woman on the phone told me that it's possible I'm still in consideration but "chances aren't as great as they were before." I'm taking that to mean that we aren't necessarily going to be notified if we don't get a scholarship and that most of the money has been given out. I'm planning then to withdraw. Columbia here I come.

Their policy is to notify you if you don't receive a matching scholarship, fwiw.

[larsoner]

I called them about matching scholarship. (The deadline I gave with the matching scholarship request has already passed.) The woman on the phone told me that it's possible I'm still in consideration but "chances aren't as great as they were before." I'm taking that to mean that we aren't necessarily going to be notified if we don't get a scholarship and that most of the money has been given out. I'm planning then to withdraw. Columbia here I come.

Their policy is to notify you if you don't receive a matching scholarship, fwiw.

Where are you getting that from? Is it up on their website?

[poe]

I called them about matching scholarship. (The deadline I gave with the matching scholarship request has already passed.) The woman on the phone told me that it's possible I'm still in consideration but "chances aren't as great as they were before." I'm taking that to mean that we aren't necessarily going to be notified if we don't get a scholarship and that most of the money has been given out. I'm planning then to withdraw. Columbia here I come.

Most of the money has already been given out? I assumed they hadn't even started yet, considering that not a single person on TLS has reported a matching scholarship.