Hi,

I am a European lawyer and I was wondering if it's possible to receive a full-tuition waiver from top B-schools? If so, what circumstances do they consider? Is it realistic to expect a full-tuition waiver as an international student?

Thanks for the comments!

It is possible, but it's very common. It's not realistic to expect one. Schools generally use scholarships to attract candidates who, otherwise, might attend better schools and who fit the school's recruiting companies. Top schools generally don't need to offer *full* waivers to attract those students. A friend of mine got a full waiver and, to give context, she had a PhD in economics from the top university in in one of the BRICS countries, had competed at the Olympic level (in a sport that interested this university), and had a successful career in market research. She would have gone to INSEAD if the school had not waived the tuition.

As a rule of thumb, it's important to understand that accepting a full waiver comes at a cost: typically it will bring you to a school that's less good than the one you would have had to pay for, so the opportunity cost can be quite high.

To get a scholarship in the US, aim for rich, private universities where you are well above the average.

Thanks for the answer, Duncan.

My profile is as follows:

Age: 25
Experience: 3 years at top-tier law firm practising business law
GPA: 4.4/5

Which schools would you target with such profile?

Well, so far you don't sound like the sort of candidate who is very hard to attract. Maybe Georgia? Have you taken the GMAT?