Negotiating scholarships works!!!!! Forum

[clemenza]

Could use some advice - is it possible to use specialty rankings as leverage for more scholarships. I've been admitted into all top environmental law programs with scholarships (2 with significant amount, the third not nearly as much), but would like to get more from the one that offered me less. I know that these schools are very competitive with each other when it comes to their enviro law programs, so it seems like it could work.

Thoughts?

This seems stupid, since environmental law rankings don't correlate with the general US News rankings, which is what the schools actually care about.

Not sure how accurate that is considering those specific programs is what draws the students to the school. They pride themselves on that program more than the others. Yes overall ranking is important, but they compete with each other to maintain that top enviro law ranking.

FTFY

Lol @ specialty rankings

Lol they doubled my scholarship. So yeah

[dreamofNYC]

Do you recommend paying the seat deposit first? Or first negotiate and then pay the seat deposit? I'm inclined to think they wish to see some commitment (i.e., payment of seat deposit first) before negotiating.

[Gucci Mane]

Just wanted to say that this thread was a big help, I managed to get a $70k increase from a school. I was worried about sounding overly aggressive in my emails with their financial aid office, but in the end it worked out really well.

[jk148706]

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[PB&J.D.]

Has anyone had success negotiating with UT outside of their scholarship matching program? I submitted a matching request and received some $ just over a week ago, then received an acceptance and a very generous offer from a peer school today. According to their policy, I can't submit another matching request, but financially this throws things far out of balance. Any help or advice is appreciated.

[logicspeaks]

Used a full ride from Texas to get my scholarship at USC from $120k to $150k overnight. Don't be afraid to ask!

[andapieceoftoast]

I successfully negotiated an increase of $15k/year at one T-10 and unsuccessfully negotiated at another T-10.

I think the reason why I was successful is because I only tried to negotiate at schools that I absolutely would attend with the right financial aid package (and I don't mean a full scholarship either). Since admissions officers see many of solicitations like these every day, my best advice is to make your requests in a sincere and compelling way. I don't mean that I sucked up to the admissions officers, all I said was "This school is one of my top two choices for these reasons, however, I received X offer from these other schools that I feel I can't disregard because of my personal financial situation. Is there anything you can do to help make my choice easier?"

Like I said, one said yes, one said no, that's our best offer. No hard feelings at all towards the second school, I just would have been crazy to turn down the improved package at the first school. And lucky me, that was my first choice anyway

PM if you're interested in the details

[bswann22]

So, I just got a pretty surprising email from the U of Utah that they are now giving me a $42,654 a year scholarship, discounting my tuition and fees to $4600 a year w/ 3.250 stip. I had already paid my deposit at CU Boulder, where my tuition and fees are going to be about $20k a year with a no-stip scholarship.

I would much rather go to Boulder than Utah. However, $4600 a year is hard to pass up, even though the 3.250 stip is obviously a little scary. Does anyone think there is a legitimate chance Boulder would give me more money if I called or emailed them, even with my deposit already in? Anyone have any advice on how I should go about this?

Thanks!

[paayter]

So, I just got a pretty surprising email from the U of Utah that they are now giving me a $42,654 a year scholarship, discounting my tuition and fees to $4600 a year w/ 3.250 stip. I had already paid my deposit at CU Boulder, where my tuition and fees are going to be about $20k a year with a no-stip scholarship.

I would much rather go to Boulder than Utah. However, $4600 a year is hard to pass up, even though the 3.250 stip is obviously a little scary. Does anyone think there is a legitimate chance Boulder would give me more money if I called or emailed them, even with my deposit already in? Anyone have any advice on how I should go about this?

Thanks!

nice scolly, but wth is the median??

[njdevils2626]

So, I just got a pretty surprising email from the U of Utah that they are now giving me a $42,654 a year scholarship, discounting my tuition and fees to $4600 a year w/ 3.250 stip. I had already paid my deposit at CU Boulder, where my tuition and fees are going to be about $20k a year with a no-stip scholarship.

I would much rather go to Boulder than Utah. However, $4600 a year is hard to pass up, even though the 3.250 stip is obviously a little scary. Does anyone think there is a legitimate chance Boulder would give me more money if I called or emailed them, even with my deposit already in? Anyone have any advice on how I should go about this?

Thanks!

I was given more money when I tried to negotiate post-deposit (though I had double-deposited, not sure if that's the case here) so it's definitely plausible that they increase aid after the deposit is in. Also, as paayter said, wtf is the median at Utah that they can stip a 3.25? That just sounds insane. I'd tell Boulder about your offer from Utah and ask for more, worst that can happen is they say no

[bswann22]

So, I just got a pretty surprising email from the U of Utah that they are now giving me a $42,654 a year scholarship, discounting my tuition and fees to $4600 a year w/ 3.250 stip. I had already paid my deposit at CU Boulder, where my tuition and fees are going to be about $20k a year with a no-stip scholarship.

I would much rather go to Boulder than Utah. However, $4600 a year is hard to pass up, even though the 3.250 stip is obviously a little scary. Does anyone think there is a legitimate chance Boulder would give me more money if I called or emailed them, even with my deposit already in? Anyone have any advice on how I should go about this?

Thanks!

I was given more money when I tried to negotiate post-deposit (though I had double-deposited, not sure if that's the case here) so it's definitely plausible that they increase aid after the deposit is in. Also, as paayter said, wtf is the median at Utah that they can stip a 3.25? That just sounds insane. I'd tell Boulder about your offer from Utah and ask for more, worst that can happen is they say no

The median is basically right around 3.25. So, I essentially have to be in the top 50% of the class for it to be renewable.

[Caesar Salad]

Second appeal with absolutely no new leverage, or any real leverage to begin with (no competing offers etc) and was awarded an additional $5k. After two appeals my 50% scholly is up to 80%, with my argument simply being "I really want to go to your school but it's expensive and I'm poor." I am now really excited to be going to my top choice for about $45k less than I would have had I not sent a couple emails. Very cool.

[DerekZoolander]

Just made myself $40k + interest costs thanks to multiple deposits and persistent negotiation.

[PB&J.D.]

...

[thevuch]

ive successfully negotiated 2 increase thanks to this thread and the other one in the content competitions.

i was told to check back in after the 1st seat deposit deadline, and i did where i basically aasked for 1 more increase and said it would make my decision an easy one.

but this was last friday and i've gotten no reply since :/

at least i havent been told no?

what do yall think is up here

[bkegslounge]

So I am playing two regional schools off each other and need some advice. They started out with identical scholarship offers. My first attempt to negotiate with both schools led nowhere. School A then gave me an increase weeks later after initially turning me down. I sent this to School B and they matched it but said that this was their final offer. Now I just received another email from School A increasing my offer yet again, adding a book stipend, and covering the cost of future tuition hikes. My question is... Even though School B said they gave me their final offer, should I still try to negotiate with this new offer from School A?

[cannibal ox]

100% yes. You should absolutely try. You could save yourself thousands if you end up at school B. And if school B ups your offer, you should take it back to school A.

[bkegslounge]

100% yes. You should absolutely try. You could save yourself thousands if you end up at school B. And if school B ups your offer, you should take it back to school A.

How should I approach this though? The assistant dean I was negotiating with said verbatim: "Note that this will be the final offer extended to you regardless of any additional counter offers from [School A] or any other school."

[cannibal ox]

Something like "I would love to attend your school for X, Y, Z reasons, but I was recently awarded # scholarship at school A. I am very debt adverse, especially in the current job market, and I would like to know if school B's scholarship is your final offer before I make my ultimate decision."

Don't leave any 'what if' scenarios on the table, the worst they can say is "yes, this is our final offer".

[bkegslounge]

Something like "I would love to attend your school for X, Y, Z reasons, but I was recently awarded # scholarship at school A. I am very debt adverse, especially in the current job market, and I would like to know if school B's scholarship is your final offer before I make my ultimate decision."

Don't leave any 'what if' scenarios on the table, the worst they can say is "yes, this is our final offer".

True true. I'll give it a shot. Thanks

[jk148706]

When negotiating is it in bad taste to point out a different school has better job numbers?

Let's say school A and school B both offered $50k. But school B has a 85% LST score with 50% fed clerk + big law, when school A has a 75% LST w 30% fed clerk + big law.

Is it OK to ask school A for more money in this situation by basically saying "at similar costs, it makes sense for me to go to school B due to the better job outcomes." Or is that poor taste ?

[riverwater]

When negotiating is it in bad taste to point out a different school has better job numbers?

Let's say school A and school B both offered $50k. But school B has a 85% LST score with 50% fed clerk + big law, when school A has a 75% LST w 30% fed clerk + big law.

Is it OK to ask school A for more money in this situation by basically saying "at similar costs, it makes sense for me to go to school B due to the better job outcomes." Or is that poor taste ?

Poor taste. I'd find a better way to say more or less the same thing, like School B places more people into my target market blah blah blah

[jac101689]

To what extent do you think schools will match offers from rivals so as not to "lose" the competition?

[riverwater]

To what extent do you think schools will match offers from rivals so as not to "lose" the competition?

Variable, depending on how your numbers will affect their medians and how much scholarship $ they have to play with

[Yawkey]

I recently received an increase and was told it was a final offer. I'll be attending regardless of any further bump, but I was curious if its possible to finagle a little more even after they've said the offer was final and I paid the deposits: "I'm coming here regardless, buttttt blah blah blah"

Worth a shot or waste of time?