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3.77
173
2+ Years International WE
Would like to stay in Chicago for school

I'm torn between trying for the NU ED 150k scholarship or going RD across the board and at least having a chance at UChicago. My concern about doing RD is that I'd end up with a bunch of offers significantly lower than the 150k from NU ED. I'm very tempted by UChi but at the same time, I'd only consider going there if I got something close to $100k (seems unlikely).

I suppose my main question is whether or not I could get close to a 150k offer from NU if I were to be admitted RD, assuming I wanted to take my chances and see what happens with UChi as well. Not sure if there's a right answer here but I'd appreciate hearing what others might recommend. Thanks!

Why are you set on EDing? Your numbers are strong enough to get into a lot of places without it, and you'd probably receive a lot of scholarship money too.

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EDing NU isn't a bad option here at all.

I think U Chicago isn't a guarantee their gpa median is like 3.9. You'll get into Columbia and NYU probably, and you can use those to get more $$ elsewhere. I think some of the T10 schools have substantively better employment # than NU so I'd RD broadly. Write strong why essays for yield protect schools.

fwiw v similar numbers and got 165 when i applied (RD)
eta: @ nrthwstrn

You seem like a prime candidate for nu ed.

If you were less rigid wrt geography, then you might want to try your hand at getting big scholarships elsewhere in the t14. But seeing as you're dead set on chicago, and you frankly aren't quite ruby material, nu ed seems like a damn good call.

Edit: actually, I take it back. Nu is pretty generous for rd as well. I'm sure you'll get a big chunk of change at nu either way. I'd go rd and see what you catch across the board.

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barrelofmonkeys wrote:fwiw v similar numbers and got 165 when i applied (RD)
eta: @ nrthwstrn

eta2: got uchi to bump me up to 90k through negotiation

so agree with ^ re: not EDing

I think it all depends on to what degree you're willing to take on the small but nontrivial risk of getting a sub-optimal outcome at both Chicago T14s. The risk of getting waitlisted at NU for YP is unlikely, but it's impossible to say for certain that it won't happen. Getting less than $100k from U of C is much more likely, so if you 100% need to be in Chicago and wouldn't want to risk that combination at all, I would ED NU. If you wouldn't be devastated about going to another T14 in a circumstance like that, I would RD across the board (and the expected value there would surely be higher, just a little riskier).

Depends on how set you are on Chicago and how much more you'd be willing to pay to go to UChicago over NU. I personally wouldn't pay more than 30K to go to UChicago over NU so if I were in your shoes and set on Chicago I would ED NU b/c you more than likely will not get 120K+ from UChicago.

You're almost certainly a lock for NU ED. I did it and don't regret it.

With a 3.77 GPA & a 173 LSAT score in addition to 2 years of international work experience, you need to apply more broadly to assess both your options & your leverage to negotiate for additional scholarship money. (Although I do understand a preference for Chicago.)

The two years of work experience should enhance your application beyond your excellent numbers.

Chrstgtr wrote:Depends on how set you are on Chicago and how much more you'd be willing to pay to go to UChicago over NU. I personally wouldn't pay more than 30K to go to UChicago over NU so if I were in your shoes and set on Chicago I would ED NU b/c you more than likely will not get 120K+ from UChicago.

This

I think the big question here is how set are you on Chicago? You said you "would like" to stay there for school. How reluctant are you to go elsewhere? Is there anything tying you to Chicago that would make it very difficult (financially/personally) to leave? If its gotta be Chicago, then I don't think ED is a bad option, as your odds at Chicago are iffy. Even if its just a strong personal preference, applying NW ED and then also applying across the T14 in case you don't get it can't hurt. Either way, your gonna have some solid options with those stats. Good luck.

How set are you on Chicago? If you can't fathom going anywhere else in the country, than ED is 100% TCR. You have the grades, the experience, you seem like a great candidate for it.

However, if you're willing to go elsewhere, apply to the t-14. I can see you snagging H possibly and Columbia/NYU for sure. Plus, you seem like an excellent candidate for huge money at the lower end of the t-14.

jetsfan1 wrote:I think the big question here is how set are you on Chicago? You said you "would like" to stay there for school. How reluctant are you to go elsewhere? Is there anything tying you to Chicago that would make it very difficult (financially/personally) to leave? If its gotta be Chicago, then I don't think ED is a bad option, as your odds at Chicago are iffy. Even if its just a strong personal preference, applying NW ED and then also applying across the T14 in case you don't get it can't hurt. Either way, your gonna have some solid options with those stats. Good luck.

I don't know about snagging H but I more or less agree with the rest. I would just add that even if you are willing to go elsewhere for LS, think about where you want to ultimately end up. Assuming that is still Chicago, NU and UChicago are still the go-to schools. So I would actually prefer to go to NU at a full-ride over any other lower-mid T14 because of how NU feeds into Chicago. Going to a T6 I think would still help to get to Chicago because (1) UChicago is in Chicago and feeds there (at about the same rate as NU, maybe a little higher depending on who you talk to. UChicago's greatest benefits over NU come in markets outside of Chicago) and (2) NYU and Columbia are great schools and I think they can place outside NYC at a higher rate than they actually do (but again I wouldn't pay more than 30K more for one of those schools than to go to NU and you are unlikely to get 120K or more from NYU or Columbia). HYS I think is a pretty unlikely outcome, but if you can snag H (Y/S are almost certainly out of the picture unless there is something MAJOR you aren't telling us like URM status) H might be worth going to depending on what your career goals are and what level of financial aid you would receive. Even at max aid from H (around 160K in debt at graduation) I would take a full ride from NU if my goals were biglaw. If you are interested in something that is more snowflakey then H obviously can make sense at the right price point.

You'd probably get 60-90k from uchicago (maybe even 45 if they're feeling stingy).