Northwestern Pritzker - Class of 2020 Forum

[brinicolec]

Also, there's only like... 40 people in the NU Law FB group


I'ma need them to start tweeting out the link every few hours

[2000andBeyond]

Do we know how generous NU is historically? I want to temper any expectations if they're known to be a little stingy lol

I'm hopeful, fwiw. They also came into a ton of money recently.

Yeah. Like $100 million or something like that, right? It was a hugeeee donation. It's the reason the law school is now "Pritzker" lol

And idk if anyone has checked out the "Motion to Lead" campaign they're working on, but one of the goals is "Address the high costs of legal education"

Given the seismic, structural shifts in the employment market for law graduates, along with the high levels of student debt, there is an urgent need to address the gap between earnings and debt for an increasing number of our graduates. Despite the additional investments in financial aid and restrained tuition increases in recent years, students with incomes at the lower end of the graduating student income scale are finding it difficult to service their debt upon graduation.

Over the next several years, we will invest substantially in financial aid for our entering and continuing law students. Some of these investments will continue to help us recruit the most highly qualified students. Such recruitment has become an increasingly competitive process, as our peer law schools have also invested in financial aid and have, in the cases of the wealthiest law schools, leveraged their resources to recruit applicants through substantial financial aid. Our continuing excellence and reputation depends upon our ability to recruit these extraordinary students. Relatedly, our objectives of recruiting a diverse student body — diverse upon several dimensions — requires augmented financial investment.

In addition, we will invest in the well-being of our students by providing increased financial support for those in financial need. While we provide scholarship support for needy students, our ability to provide support adequate to ameliorate student need and thereby keep debt manageable has been limited — not as a result of a wavering commitment, but because of a lack of suitable funds. We need to do better. A key element of this strategic plan is to raise external funds to make a significant dent in aggregate student debt. After all, Northwestern Law must be a place which welcomes and educates top quality students regardless of financial condition and circumstance. Student debt impacts student learning, career choice, and post-graduate well-being. We are committed to assuaging these serious impacts with constructive financial aid efforts.

If we are successful, the aggregate debt of our graduates will diminish substantially over time and our position on this particular statistic will move to the bottom quartile of the cohort of top law schools. Moreover, we are committed to taking measures that will influence other top law schools, as well as law schools generally, to take similar steps to reduce the cost of legal education writ-large.

Oh yes! All of this just brightened my day...

[brinicolec]

Do we know how generous NU is historically? I want to temper any expectations if they're known to be a little stingy lol

I'm hopeful, fwiw. They also came into a ton of money recently.

Yeah. Like $100 million or something like that, right? It was a hugeeee donation. It's the reason the law school is now "Pritzker" lol

And idk if anyone has checked out the "Motion to Lead" campaign they're working on, but one of the goals is "Address the high costs of legal education"

Given the seismic, structural shifts in the employment market for law graduates, along with the high levels of student debt, there is an urgent need to address the gap between earnings and debt for an increasing number of our graduates. Despite the additional investments in financial aid and restrained tuition increases in recent years, students with incomes at the lower end of the graduating student income scale are finding it difficult to service their debt upon graduation.

Over the next several years, we will invest substantially in financial aid for our entering and continuing law students. Some of these investments will continue to help us recruit the most highly qualified students. Such recruitment has become an increasingly competitive process, as our peer law schools have also invested in financial aid and have, in the cases of the wealthiest law schools, leveraged their resources to recruit applicants through substantial financial aid. Our continuing excellence and reputation depends upon our ability to recruit these extraordinary students. Relatedly, our objectives of recruiting a diverse student body — diverse upon several dimensions — requires augmented financial investment.

In addition, we will invest in the well-being of our students by providing increased financial support for those in financial need. While we provide scholarship support for needy students, our ability to provide support adequate to ameliorate student need and thereby keep debt manageable has been limited — not as a result of a wavering commitment, but because of a lack of suitable funds. We need to do better. A key element of this strategic plan is to raise external funds to make a significant dent in aggregate student debt. After all, Northwestern Law must be a place which welcomes and educates top quality students regardless of financial condition and circumstance. Student debt impacts student learning, career choice, and post-graduate well-being. We are committed to assuaging these serious impacts with constructive financial aid efforts.

If we are successful, the aggregate debt of our graduates will diminish substantially over time and our position on this particular statistic will move to the bottom quartile of the cohort of top law schools. Moreover, we are committed to taking measures that will influence other top law schools, as well as law schools generally, to take similar steps to reduce the cost of legal education writ-large.

Oh yes! All of this just brightened my day...

Hopefully it's not all smoke and mirrors and they actually WILL be showing us the money, but only time can tell! Lol

[guynourmin]

Anyone else working on the scholarship application essays right now because it's due tomorrow? lol

Yup
Really struggled with what to write in this first one but I think I'm almost done finally.

I've been getting home from work at like 8 (TLS isn't helping either) so it's gonna be a late night.

Does anyone know how much of an impact these essays have?

I just think they want to know how likely you are to attend and how much to incentivize you. I sure hope we hear back soon.

I don't think we'll hear back for at least 3 weeks. As close to the end of the month as they can manage, likely.

Idk. The FAQ says early-March, not late-March.

I don't know what the FAQ has said in previous years, but all with a 3/1 deadline the last three years were 3/25/16, 3/27/15, 3/20/14, so I am guessing late march.

[brinicolec]

Me every time I check NU's site and see they still haven't posted more info about ASW:

[2000andBeyond]

So excited that Northwestern is doing well in basketball this season. Love March Madness!!!

[hellohalo]

Did I fuck up the CSS profile or did they really not ask for any 2016 W-2/tax info?

Nope, it didn't ask for any of mine either!

I am really not feeling confident about this! lol. I just logged back in and looked at it and it only asks for 2015 income and expected resources available during the 2017-2018 school year. So weird. Although, maybe good for me!

LOL wait yeah...it asked for 2015!

What do you guys mean by "ask for"?
Would financial office request extra info like the tax return forms? I just submitted my app yesterday and got a confirmation email. Nothing else.
Thank you.

[votebuilder1]

So excited that Northwestern is doing well in basketball this season. Love March Madness!!!

+1 - What a year to start caring about NU basketball...

[brinicolec]

So excited that Northwestern is doing well in basketball this season. Love March Madness!!!

I honestly haven't been paying attention to their conference. My alma mater is in the ACC so that's primarily what I watch.

I do love me some college basketball though so I hope they keep it up! Lol

[brinicolec]

Did I fuck up the CSS profile or did they really not ask for any 2016 W-2/tax info?

Nope, it didn't ask for any of mine either!

I am really not feeling confident about this! lol. I just logged back in and looked at it and it only asks for 2015 income and expected resources available during the 2017-2018 school year. So weird. Although, maybe good for me!

LOL wait yeah...it asked for 2015!

What do you guys mean by "ask for"?
Would financial office request extra info like the tax return forms? I just submitted my app yesterday and got a confirmation email. Nothing else.
Thank you.

We're talking about the FAFSA & CSS profile, which you have to fill out if you want to be considered for need-based loans/grants.

[hellohalo]

We're talking about the FAFSA & CSS profile, which you have to fill out if you want to be considered for need-based loans/grants.

Yes. I only apply for scholarship. So I submitted the app form and CSS. But I didn't come across any request of tax form.

[brinicolec]

We're talking about the FAFSA & CSS profile, which you have to fill out if you want to be considered for need-based loans/grants.

Yes. I only apply for scholarship. So I submitted the app form and CSS. But I didn't come across any request of tax form.

Because you only applied for the merit aid...

[hellohalo]

We're talking about the FAFSA & CSS profile, which you have to fill out if you want to be considered for need-based loans/grants.

Yes. I only apply for scholarship. So I submitted the app form and CSS. But I didn't come across any request of tax form.

Because you only applied for the merit aid...

Really?! I think that's a combination of merit and need. I'm international. That's why I didn't apply for the loan.

[RedPurpleBlue]

So excited that Northwestern is doing well in basketball this season. Love March Madness!!!

I honestly haven't been paying attention to their conference. My alma mater is in the ACC so that's primarily what I watch.

I do love me some college basketball though so I hope they keep it up! Lol

We should. If we can hold on to Coach Collins, I think our program could turn into a consistent middle to top of the Big Ten team. Construction starts on Welsh-Ryan Arena after this season ($110+ million project I think), so that will be a huge incentive to keep him (plus someone donated to endow his coaching position this year). We are also getting clubhouse for the basketball players that was announced a month ago, so that should increase our recruiting profile. In the meantime, games will be held at the United Center, so that will be really convenient for us, if we choose to attend NU Law. I've had a blast going to the games as an undergrad. Too bad I had to miss yesterdays game for work (got to watch it on the TV though). I picked up three Daily Northwestern's on my way to class today, because I wanted to make sure I had at least one good condition one to frame in the future (front page is a cool picture of the win with "Madness" in big letters on top).

[guynourmin]

We're talking about the FAFSA & CSS profile, which you have to fill out if you want to be considered for need-based loans/grants.

Yes. I only apply for scholarship. So I submitted the app form and CSS. But I didn't come across any request of tax form.

I think CSS is not static, so not everyone gets asked the same questions, but for me, at least, it had very specific tax-related questions like, what does like 47a on your 2015 tax return say. All I was saying was I only had 2015-related questions, and nothing about 2016.

[brinicolec]

We're talking about the FAFSA & CSS profile, which you have to fill out if you want to be considered for need-based loans/grants.

Yes. I only apply for scholarship. So I submitted the app form and CSS. But I didn't come across any request of tax form.

Because you only applied for the merit aid...

Really?! I think that's a combination of merit and need. I'm international. That's why I didn't apply for the loan.

Wait, hold on. I was reading this on my phone and in the car (bad combo. Idk why, but I get like "sea sick" smh lol). You DID fill out CSS? It's possible that because you're international, they didn't ask for it. Either way, if it didn't ask for it, I wouldn't worry.

[brinicolec]

So excited that Northwestern is doing well in basketball this season. Love March Madness!!!

I honestly haven't been paying attention to their conference. My alma mater is in the ACC so that's primarily what I watch.

I do love me some college basketball though so I hope they keep it up! Lol

We should. If we can hold on to Coach Collins, I think our program could turn into a consistent middle to top of the Big Ten team. Construction starts on Welsh-Ryan Arena after this season ($110+ million project I think), so that will be a huge incentive to keep him (plus someone donated to endow his coaching position this year). We are also getting clubhouse for the basketball players that was announced a month ago, so that should increase our recruiting profile. In the meantime, games will be held at the United Center, so that will be really convenient for us, if we choose to attend NU Law. I've had a blast going to the games as an undergrad. Too bad I had to miss yesterdays game for work (got to watch it on the TV though). I picked up three Daily Northwestern's on my way to class today, because I wanted to make sure I had at least one good condition one to frame in the future (front page is a cool picture of the win with "Madness" in big letters on top).

I went to a basketball school so they had ALL the amenities and when I read "we're getting a clubhouse" I was like, "Wait, that's not just.. a thing for people?!" but that's awesome. College basketball doesn't bring in as much as football, but it's definitely a way to get ppl buying the school clothing and everything lol.

[hellohalo]

We're talking about the FAFSA & CSS profile, which you have to fill out if you want to be considered for need-based loans/grants.

Yes. I only apply for scholarship. So I submitted the app form and CSS. But I didn't come across any request of tax form.

I think CSS is not static, so not everyone gets asked the same questions, but for me, at least, it had very specific tax-related questions like, what does like 47a on your 2015 tax return say. All I was saying was I only had 2015-related questions, and nothing about 2016.

I see. Actually I have specific questions in my CSS on income or tax like 5a... too. I wasn't asked to send them the tax files.
Did you send (email/fax) any tax returns? Thank you.

[hellohalo]

We're talking about the FAFSA & CSS profile, which you have to fill out if you want to be considered for need-based loans/grants.

Yes. I only apply for scholarship. So I submitted the app form and CSS. But I didn't come across any request of tax form.

Because you only applied for the merit aid...

Really?! I think that's a combination of merit and need. I'm international. That's why I didn't apply for the loan.

Wait, hold on. I was reading this on my phone and in the car (bad combo. Idk why, but I get like "sea sick" smh lol). You DID fill out CSS? It's possible that because you're international, they didn't ask for it. Either way, if it didn't ask for it, I wouldn't worry.

Thank you! Yea I wouldn't worry too much. Or I would just email the office like "hey do you want my tax return forms?"

[brinicolec]

We're talking about the FAFSA & CSS profile, which you have to fill out if you want to be considered for need-based loans/grants.

Yes. I only apply for scholarship. So I submitted the app form and CSS. But I didn't come across any request of tax form.

I think CSS is not static, so not everyone gets asked the same questions, but for me, at least, it had very specific tax-related questions like, what does like 47a on your 2015 tax return say. All I was saying was I only had 2015-related questions, and nothing about 2016.

I see. Actually I have specific questions in my CSS on income or tax like 5a... too. I wasn't asked to send them the tax files.
Did you send (email/fax) any tax returns? Thank you.

No. You don't have to actually send them your tax returns

[guynourmin]

Did you send (email/fax) any tax returns? Thank you.

The original question I asked/you responded to was "did they really not ask for any 2016 W-2/tax info". You do not need to send them your tax returns, no.

[dclaw93]

FYI, NU just posted details about ASW here: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissi ... itweekend/

[brinicolec]

FYI, NU just posted details about ASW here: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissi ... itweekend/

Here's the link to the tentative schedule for Diversity Day + ASW if anyone is curious: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissi ... le2017.pdf

Also, the forms to register + to request a travel stipend are up!

[2000andBeyond]

FYI, NU just posted details about ASW here: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissi ... itweekend/

Here's the link to the tentative schedule for Diversity Day + ASW if anyone is curious: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissi ... le2017.pdf

Also, the forms to register + to request a travel stipend are up!

OMG! This looks like so much fun. I'm soooo jealous of y'all

[2000andBeyond]

Is anyone going to the alumni dinner in Washington DC on March 15?