Negotiate money? Give a deadline? Seat deposit? Plz help

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• 1 Like

  studyingandrestudying Core Member

  March 2019 5254 karma

  Have you visited the schools? If not, is it possible to? I'd find out the deadlines--it seems like a fair question.
• 4 Likes

  Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  March 2019 8392 karma

  Right about now is a good time to start negotiating, if you have things to negotiate with (which it sounds like you do). The point of negotiating is to help figure out where you're going, so you def should start that process before deciding! There sometimes is money that opens up around seat deposit time though. Unless a school specifically tells you they will only negotiate once (which I believe there is a school or 2 out there that says this - check their policies), you should try within the next couple of weeks, and then again right around the deposit deadline.

  They are generally pretty strict about deposits, but you can also ask for extensions. If you miss a deposit deadline, sometimes a school will reach out to ask why and see if you'd like to discuss things. But, you can't count on that. A school may still let you deposit and commit after the deadline, but that's not a guarantee. So I'd operate under the assumption that your offers blows up if you don't deposit.

  As far as wait lists, schools will ride them out all summer and have been known to admit students the last week before the semester, or even the first day of class! It's bananas. Really what they want to know from you is how long you are willing to be on that wait list. You can't really tell them you need an answer by X date, but it helps them to know that if you aren't accepted by a certain date then you won't be able to attend. Also bear in mind that scholarships from the wait list are really hit or miss. Some schools may have some funding available, others may not. It generally will be lower than what you would get if accepted directly though. So, something to think about.

  (And I'd also say re: your work - you do have a concrete answer of where you are going - law school. ) You just haven't committed to a specific one yet. But it's not like you don't have anything you can tell them!
• kpj744___ Alum Member

  March 2019 231 karma

  Would love @"selene.steelman" 's perspective on this!
• 7 Likes

  Selene Steelman Free Trial Member Admissions Consultant

  March 2019 2037 karma

  First of all, it is very common for admitted students to put down seat deposits at multiple schools by the first deposit deadline. Schools cannot stop candidates from doing this. Second of all, you can always back away from a school at which you have deposited if your circumstances change and you get a better offer. Just be considerate and let the school(s) know right away if you are going to commit elsewhere.

  To answer your specific questions:
  (1) You can start your conversations with schools about scholarship now. You should remember at all times that you are your own best advocate, and if you don't ask, no one will give you anything. I would begin by picking up the phone and calling the admissions office of your target school. Identify yourself as an admitted student who would like to speak with someone about the process of scholarship reevaluation. (I really prefer the term reevaluation rather than negotiation). Get the name and contact information of the person you should be speaking with. Call that person and start a conversation. Schools all have different policies about awards. Some will absolutely not change the award amount because they have a set budget. Most have rules in place about how candidates can approach the process. Usually you need to put your request in writing and attach PDFs of competing offers. See how the conversation goes and be as respectful and appealing as possible. Talk about what you love about the school and what you hope to bring to the table. Can the school help you make this a reality? The better a connection you can make with the person, the better advocate they will be for you when going back to the admissions/scholarship committee for reevaluation. I think phone calls are more effective than emails in this situation because you can make a stronger impression. Hopefully a positive one!

  If you feel like you might blow through the seat deposit deadline at a certain school, call the school before the deadline and let them know what your situation is. Ask if there is any flexibility with the deposit deadline? If the school feels like they might lose a potential deposit, they might ask you what it will take to get you to commit. The strictness of the deadline depends on the school. One school might not bother chasing down an admitted student who misses the deposit deadline. Another might call each admitted student who misses the deposit deadline to ask, What is going on? What will it take? (This could potentially be a good time to ask about reevaluating scholarship awards).

  2) If your dream school says keep them posted, keep them posted. Check in with them (again I would recommend by phone) every few weeks and let them know what is going on with your particular situation and reaffirm your interest in the school. Let them know if you have looming deposit deadlines. Always be respectful and polite on the phone. Follow up the conversation with a thank you email (they will likely keep a record in your file). If your application is strong, no admissions committee is going to reject a candidate for being persistent in her interest. If you need to deposit somewhere, deposit somewhere and continue waiting for the dream school to make up its mind. There is nothing stopping you from withdrawing from the school at which you have deposited should you be admitted to your dream school. You will have to eat that deposit since it is most likely nonrefundable, but in the grand scheme of things, it is a relatively small expense.

  The short answer in most situations is engage, engage, engage. Don't be a stalker, but don't be shy either. The more the admissions committee knows about you, the better. Good luck!
• kpj744___ Alum Member

  March 2019 231 karma

  Thank you so much, as always, for your thorough responses, @"selene.steelman"