I'm in since the first day they sent the decision. I cant remember what date tho. hahaha. I wud like to ask all admitted student or berkeley alumni. How high is our chances to get some tuition relief, 15,000 dollars ADP things? What should i write in the financial aid application? I mean They said that it will be granted on the combination of need base and merit base.
For my background, I'm graduate in the best law school in my country. However, my ranking is around top35%. I was in many top distinguished activity including several publication. A year of work experience. So, I wud evaluate myself as i'm so lucky to get thier offer!

Financial background, my dad has enuf to send me to berkeley. Some in my country will consider my family is rich. The rich in my country is still carrying a big burden if they want to send thier children to US. Moreover, I think i have 2 llm. So,it will cost a lot for 2 degree in the US. He still got 3 more sons, and he needs to sent them all to US. each has to do 2 llm as well.

The thing is if i dont get any financial aid for berkeley. There's high chance wont pay for berkeley, I might have to go to Wisconsin instead. The tuition minus scholarship is only 28,000 while berkeley is 49,000. T_T.
The other choice wud be UT austin with the tuition 39,000 and UC davis with scholarship is around 36,000. But I want to go to Berkeley!

Please help me!

Please help guys! Any idea??

Hi finkel,

The only thing I can think of is a deferral, or wait for Berkeley's fiancial aid decision.

Financial background, my dad has enuf to send me to berkeley. Some in my country will consider my family is rich. The rich in my country is still carrying a big burden if they want to send thier children to US. Moreover, I think i have 2 llm. So,it will cost a lot for 2 degree in the US. He still got 3 more sons, and he needs to sent them all to US. each has to do 2 llm as well.

I'm not exactly sure Finkel what the situation you are describing is but without meaning to sound cynical here are a few of my points:

1. The merit based part will evaluate the most outstanding candidates in terms of credentials. Knowing that Berkeley is a top school, I don't feel confident that a top 35% would cut it.

2. The need based part will take into consideration students with limited financial resources. I don't think Berkeley will care that your parents want to send your other 3 brothers to a US school and not to a local school at your country or that you would want to do 2 LLM's; I think all this information is entirely irrelevant to them. What they will usually look for is genuine inability to pay the bill, that is, lack of any sufficient funds to support your studies and life there. My thinking might be arbitrary as I have no deep knowledge of the merits of your situation but it doesn't strike me as such.

3. The combination of the above tells me that it would be very tough to get some money from them in combination with the education cuts promulgated this year in California and the public status of Berkeley. However, this doesn't mean it is not worth trying!

4. You will find that since objectively the cost of a LLM is rather high, there will be many applicants who do not possess all the necessary funds to finance it, therefore need based competition can be fierce. I would suggest you indicate any genuine factors that could have resulted to your lack of funds such as previous loans, high debt (either personal or family), lack of previous employment or employment in low paying jobs etc etc. All this of course only if it is applicable in this case.

I have withdrawn my Berkeley offer so I am not sure what this financial aid form entails but I suppose it will be asking for some of the above. Good luck!