Looking around at your class, have you noticed any particular charactestic that seem to be common amoung you and your peers?  Admissions often mention that they look for "fits", are there any qualities besides academia that sets the CLS class apart from others? Like a common interest in international law or you guys all like sausage on your pizza?

There was some data collected for, I believe, the 1996 application cycle.  It showed that Columbia had a waitlist of 600 people.  It ended up taking 30 people from that waitlist.  Even though that data is from a long time ago, it's definitely not comforting.  I'm having trouble writing a LOCI since the probability of an acceptance seems so small. Regardless, I'll stay on the Columbia waitlist as long as possible.  I'm not too sad about it, I have a 30k a year offer from GWU.  I'm sure the rest of you have similar offers that rock just as much, if not more.

I got 90k from GW, and rejected from Cornell.  I think I would have choosen Cornell over GW.  I know your parents make a lot, but how old are you? If you're old enough you do not need to report them.  From what I hear, Cornell tends to be fairly generous with financial aid grants.  It may not really be a difference of 90k.

Could one rationalize it by stating that GWU has a better location than Boston?

I didn't get any need-based money.  When was your FAFSA processed and complete?

Most people that watch and comment on these threads are 0Ls.  It's strange that everyone talks about GW's full rides this year, but don't they do this every year like every other school?  It's really hard for us to identify trends since most of us seem ignorant of what practices they employed 2-3 years ago. Is this really a scholarship blitz by GWU, or do they simply do this every year? 

I'm happy that I got a 10,000 dollar a year increase in my merit award, but why did I get it?  Did I get it because a lot of 135,000's are withdrawing? Did I get it in an early response to the drop in US News rankings? Neither senario is really comforting. I have a few good friends who got accepted to GWU and are brillant people.  They've been waitlisted at Penn and Michigan and yet, GWU has not offered them any money in merit awards. I know they are strongy considering GWU.  Why give the 10k to me and not that Penn-caliber person, or Michigan-caliber person.  In the long run isn't that the better move?