a tall latte and a j.d. to go

My law school is offering a promotion (seriously). Iif you get a friend to apply to the law school, you get a $10 coupon at the local Starbucks Coffee, plus a chance at some larger prize. The friend has to indicate your name on their application, and there you go.

Like many proposals I see dangers and opportunities here. The potential for abuse is obvious. What if the student has no chance of getting into the law school, or no interest in coming if they are actually accepted? What if they're not a student, at all? Perhaps the application fee, which I assume is on the high side of $10, is sufficient deterrence.

But there are also opportunities. How about a $10 flat fee, with a bonus if the student is accepted and a further bonus if they actually attend? Or a sliding scale where free coffee is added for each additional point of (your friend's) GPA? This would also teach something about interest and investment skills, concepts I can never quite get across in my basic tax class.

One might be churlish, and ask what kind of law school needs a $10 incentive. But as my own tax professor once said, if you don't like my examples, just add enough zeros until they attract your attention.