URMs and ($60k+) Scholarships Forum

[Thirteen]

I don't have any info about T14 scholarships, but I did receive a scholarship for $25,300 per year from SMU with a 2.11/169. I'm an AA Male.

The scholarship only requires that I remain in good standing (above 2.0 GPA).

[Master_Splinter]

I think this thread needs a bump. There should be more offers for you guys to post...

[Fresh]

If I can find some time i'll add new data points from this cycle, especially for UChicago's Rubenstein

[Master_Splinter]

Thanks Fresh, this thread is a great asset to current and future applicants.

Congrats on Stanford! Good luck with your decision, I would love to be in your shoes. #WINNING

[SupraVln180]

3.6/163 -UNC

75% scholly, about 70K

I'm Cuban, so I'm more like a URM-lite


EDIT: Oops, sorry didn't realize you only wanted T-14.

[Master_Splinter]

Any new updates for this thread Fresh?

[yngblkgifted]

3.6/163 -UNC

75% scholly, about 70K

I'm Cuban, so I'm more like a URM-lite


EDIT: Oops, sorry didn't realize you only wanted T-14.

Just as refreshing with half the pigmentation.

[Geneva]

Wow! Interesting info. I feel like I was counted as URM for acceptances, but not for scholarships.

[kindaklueless]

Wow! Interesting info. I feel like I was counted as URM for acceptances, but not for scholarships.

+1

For example, the Northwestern scholarships are a little shocking considering they gave me nil.

[operagrl71]

168/3.5 AA Female

Berkeley: $120K [applied for matching w/Duke $$s]
Duke: $114K
NYU: $60/$75K
Chicago: $60K [up from $45K initial]

None of these include need...I also got nothing from Northwestern which surprised me.

[salmos]

Excuse me, I have a question.

So these scholarships are merit-based. (The better your stats, the more aid you're likely to recieve.) That means that a URM+ low income combo gives you a chance to get a full ride based on merit plus get need-based scholarships for living expenses?

I did look do a bit of research in the Financial Aid section here. Surprisingly most threads are about loans rather than scholarships for piss poor minorities. But the consensus seems to be that need-based grants/scholarships will usually be awarded in accordance with merit-based scholarships (So there wouldn't be very many, if any, cases in which someone gets a merit-based full ride plus a completely independent set of need-based grants).

[twenty]

Unlike undergrad, you're not going to get a lot of money because you need it. Figure that at the very least, you're probably going to have to take on 60-70k debt just from living expenses alone -- and a lot of applicants still have to take on a substantial amount of debt. Even a 90k scholarship will leave you at more than 100k of debt.

Plus, need-based scholarships are like, 6k-7k a year (and as far as I know, can't offset COA expenses). It's nothing to write home about regardless.

[salmos]

Unlike undergrad, you're not going to get a lot of money because you need it. Figure that at the very least, you're probably going to have to take on 60-70k debt just from living expenses alone -- and a lot of applicants still have to take on a substantial amount of debt. Even a 90k scholarship will leave you at more than 100k of debt.

Plus, need-based scholarships are like, 6k-7k a year (and as far as I know, can't offset COA expenses). It's nothing to write home about regardless.

I guess what's confusing me about this is the significant variation in scholarship money among people with very similar stats. For example, you have one person in Cornell who got a 164/3.65 and received $135k in scholarships and another person in the same school who got a 168/3.94 and received only $90k in scholarships.

At first it made sense to assume there was a difference in need between these two people (what with 1/8 Mexicans or 1/8 Blacks checking the URM boxes I figured there's a decent amount of URM applicants who have some money). That's a big difference. Is it stuff like the dates people apply + the dates people submit their decisions to attend?

[bizzybone1313]

This is great. But we need more current updated numbers. Dem times have changed with the drop in apps.

[twenty]

I guess what's confusing me about this is the significant variation in scholarship money among people with very similar stats. For example, you have one person in Cornell who got a 164/3.65 and received $135k in scholarships and another person in the same school who got a 168/3.94 and received only $90k in scholarships.

Yeah, no difference in need, but certainly a difference in soft factors, likelihood of attendance, how early you apply (fun fact: applying early when there's more money usually results in a larger initial scholarship), the fact that many people negotiate scholarships, match scholarships, etc.

You'll notice that some schools like Penn and UVA will straight-up waitlist incredibly qualified URMs because they think the likelihood of that person actually attending is rather low, even with a lot of money.

At first it made sense to assume there was a difference in need between these two people (what with 1/8 Mexicans or 1/8 Blacks checking the URM boxes I figured there's a decent amount of URM applicants who have some money). That's a big difference. Is it stuff like the dates people apply + the dates people submit their decisions to attend

I'm not trying to be an ass here, and I do appreciate what you're trying to say, but I think you're making a lot of unfortunate assumptions underlying your two posts; that is, that "full minorities" are poor buggers that eat at McDonalds every day, and the further away you get from minority-dom, the more money you have or something. And you're treating this like a forgone conclusion that somehow AA applicants that are only a quarter black are probably wallowing in money, and that's why some applicants get more scholarship funds than others.

The only reason folks like you and I get a substantial boost come admission/scholarship time is based on two realities. One, URMs score lower on the LSAT. Two, URMs traditionally do not go to law school, hence the "underrepresented" part.

So for one kid under both medians to get into a school with a x-scholarship and another kid under both medians to get a y-scholarship, understand that the reason students are getting in with money is because the dean doesn't want his class pictures looking like the cast photos from Leave It To Beaver. Sometimes there isn't even any method to the madness.

[salmos]

Yeah, no difference in need, but certainly a difference in soft factors, likelihood of attendance, how early you apply (fun fact: applying early when there's more money usually results in a larger initial scholarship), the fact that many people negotiate scholarships, match scholarships, etc.

You'll notice that some schools like Penn and UVA will straight-up waitlist incredibly qualified URMs because they think the likelihood of that person actually attending is rather low, even with a lot of money.

Got it. So, apply early and make sure your top choices know you really want to attend there.

I'm not trying to be an ass here, and I do appreciate what you're trying to say, but I think you're making a lot of unfortunate assumptions underlying your two posts; that is, that "full minorities" are poor buggers that eat at McDonalds every day, and the further away you get from minority-dom, the more money you have or something. And you're treating this like a forgone conclusion that somehow AA applicants that are only a quarter black are probably wallowing in money, and that's why some applicants get more scholarship funds than others.

The only reason folks like you and I get a substantial boost come admission/scholarship time is based on two realities. One, URMs score lower on the LSAT. Two, URMs traditionally do not go to law school, hence the "underrepresented" part.

So for one kid under both medians to get into a school with a x-scholarship and another kid under both medians to get a y-scholarship, understand that the reason students are getting in with money is because the dean doesn't want his class pictures looking like the cast photos from Leave It To Beaver. Sometimes there isn't even any method to the madness.

I don't actually treat it as a foregone conclusion. I'm just generalizing (don't worry, I don't do it in class). Actually, back in my baby college years I used to advocate giving no boosts to racial minorities (full or otherwise) who weren't also socioeconomically disadvantaged. But I get that it's a law school forum so I'll be more careful about what I say.

[Amicus_Curiae2013]

I didn't apply to many places, but here's my LSN profile to see if it helps at all: http://lawschoolnumbers.com/Moxie/jd

I'm an AA male, FWIW.

So you got nothing from HLS?

[sunsheyen]

Hey y'all just bumping this...I think that keeping it updated will be a good help. I dont know if anecdotal just posting here in thread would be more helpful than making sure lsn is updated and pulling from there? I dont know anything about spreadsheets or anything, so perhaps someone more schooled than I would help out.

Small or large, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to see some data to perhaps hope for!

[MarkScott]

bump

[gbullock19]

For those of you wondering about people in the 150-160 range what you can get in the 2016-2017 cycle with 3.0 GPA ... 90k at Stetson, 66k at Mercer, 21k at Memphis (super cheap tuition there). waitlisted to UGA. I retook LSAT in February, I expect a 5 pt jump to 159 based on my PTs. Then I'll be applying to Georgia State and FSU

[brinicolec]

I don't actually treat it as a foregone conclusion. I'm just generalizing (don't worry, I don't do it in class). Actually, back in my baby college years I used to advocate giving no boosts to racial minorities (full or otherwise) who weren't also socioeconomically disadvantaged. But I get that it's a law school forum so I'll be more careful about what I say.

Why in the world...?