Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Apply for Membership

Categories

LOCI: How do I say....

ErlingRoaldErlingRoald Alum Member
in Law School Admissions 48 karma

I've been wait-listed at the highest rank school in my state and I intend to write a LOCI. How do I phrase "Look, I've received a $40,000/year scholarship offer from a lower-rank (not lower quality) school and to be honest if you would offer anywhere close to that amount I would attend your school, hands down. But frankly, at 38 years old, foregoing $120,000 in debt is at the top of my priority list." more eloquently?

Show Related Discussions

Comments

  • studyingandrestudyingstudyingandrestudying Core Member
    5254 karma

    So you're carefully considering the costs, you love the school, you can see yourself there for the following reasons, and you REALLY hope to attend, but you have to prioritize financial considerations, you have a competitive offer from this other school and you're weighing it because you know you're going to be a law student on a limited budget faced with several significant expenses, but you'd be happier at their school for several reasons, and is there any way they can make it happen, and you have really good credentials (list a couple examples), and you can't wait to be a 1L and make contributions to the school if only they can expand the offer and you're very grateful that they're reviewing your application and you're looking forward to further conversations.

  • NotMyNameNotMyName Alum Member Sage ⭐
    5320 karma

    @lsatplaylist nailed it.

  • 1000001910000019 Alum Member
    edited February 2018 3279 karma

    I suggest you hold off requesting financial aid until you've been admitted.

  • _oshun1__oshun1_ Alum Member
    3652 karma

    Waitlist LOCI isn't the time to negotiate scholarships. You'd be better off saying something like although I've been accepted to schools with appealing scholarships, I would much rather wait for a response from your school because yall are so great and have so much to offer

    Saying "I want to go to your school BUT..." doesn't sound like a very convincing LOCI.

  • studyingandrestudyingstudyingandrestudying Core Member
    5254 karma

    @10000019 and @"surfy surf", Glad you mentioned this. Yes, it's probably good to put off the negotiations until there's an offer. The fact that this is a waiting-list situation changes my response to more of an enthusiasm/credential promotion letter. The above is a template for an offer negotiation situation.

  • ErlingRoaldErlingRoald Alum Member
    48 karma

    Great feedback folks! I agree with not requesting financial aid until I've been accepted but I don't want to be misleading and waste time. If they offer ONLY admission, there's no chance I will attend. I think they deserve to know my situation and weigh it when considering whether I'm worth bumping from the wait-list to the "in" list. It does no good to offer admission if I have no intention of accepting it if my conditions aren't met.

    I agree as well, and hence my post, that using "but" does not sound convincing.

    I met with the (an?) assistant dean and he said that due to their size, they receive many applications and that the sorting process would likely preclude me from immediate admission (low GPA, high LSAT). Because it's been 15+ years since my undergrad and I have a substantially strong resume, it's my hope that someone will actually LOOK at the details of my application, instead of just sorting me into the "not good enough numbers" pile.

    I think I can spin this well enough. Thank you all!

  • NotMyNameNotMyName Alum Member Sage ⭐
    5320 karma

    @10000019 and @"surfy surf", Glad you mentioned this. Yes, it's probably good to put off the negotiations until there's an offer. The fact that this is a waiting-list situation changes my response to more of an enthusiasm/credential promotion letter. The above is a template for an offer negotiation situation.

    Ditto.

    @ErlingRoald I think you have very honorable intentions. But it does happen that waitlisters who are accepted go on to negotiate sizable scholarships. There's been some chatter about that in the thread recently actually. So I think your main goal for now should be acceptance -- get your foot in the door.

  • ErlingRoaldErlingRoald Alum Member
    48 karma

    Fantastic! I'll proceed with admissions first. Folks like you make this website and program stand out among so many others. Many thanks!

  • westcoastbestcoastwestcoastbestcoast Alum Member
    3788 karma

    Agreed with the above posters! Don't jump the gun too fast! My fingers are crossed that you will also gain admissions to schools that are great alternatives to your top choice

Sign In or Register to comment.