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Where should I go next fall? / Re: Deferrals and Scholarship Offers???
« on: April 20, 2005, 08:48:16 PM »
Well, here's what I've found out from two schools since my original post.
Some school are willing to offer one-year deferrals, but you must pay your seat deposit when it's due, and during the fall, you must also submit a new application.
The application is simply a formality though. It seems they need it for regulatory reasons. The seat deposit is required because as you might imagine, many students ask for deferrals, but then decide not to attend a particular school or law school at all. It's just a way for the school to know you're serious about attending the next year.
On the scholarship front is where things get hairy. Both schools I've been dealing with have noted that under normal circumstances they don't outright guarantee scholarship awards, but make every effort to extend a comparable scholarship the following year when you matriculate. In other words, if they offer you 15K this year, they will make every attempt to provide you with at least 15K the following year.
Depending on how "bad" they want you to attend, some schools are even willing to guarantee your aid award in writing. One school was willing to do this for me. This is a best case scenario because you never know if the person you made your deal with will still be at the school the following year. We've all heard of Deans swapping schools.
Anyway, I hope this information helps. I can understand someone being scared to ask like I did, but I honestly felt I didn't have anything to lose. I was completely satisfied with attending a different school if both of my deferrals were rejected.
The more I work my way through this law school process, the more I learn that nothing is impossible in the the law school admission game, if a school really wants you to attend.
Some school are willing to offer one-year deferrals, but you must pay your seat deposit when it's due, and during the fall, you must also submit a new application.
The application is simply a formality though. It seems they need it for regulatory reasons. The seat deposit is required because as you might imagine, many students ask for deferrals, but then decide not to attend a particular school or law school at all. It's just a way for the school to know you're serious about attending the next year.
On the scholarship front is where things get hairy. Both schools I've been dealing with have noted that under normal circumstances they don't outright guarantee scholarship awards, but make every effort to extend a comparable scholarship the following year when you matriculate. In other words, if they offer you 15K this year, they will make every attempt to provide you with at least 15K the following year.
Depending on how "bad" they want you to attend, some schools are even willing to guarantee your aid award in writing. One school was willing to do this for me. This is a best case scenario because you never know if the person you made your deal with will still be at the school the following year. We've all heard of Deans swapping schools.
Anyway, I hope this information helps. I can understand someone being scared to ask like I did, but I honestly felt I didn't have anything to lose. I was completely satisfied with attending a different school if both of my deferrals were rejected.
The more I work my way through this law school process, the more I learn that nothing is impossible in the the law school admission game, if a school really wants you to attend.
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