Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Law School. The personal statement must be submitted electronically with your electronic application. Your statement should be approximately two pages in length.

This section is optional.

If you think these optional short essays could help us get a better sense of who you are, we encourage you to consider submitting your responses to no more than two of the following questions. Note that there is a 100- to 250-word limit for each question.

• If you could sit and chat with anyone, living or from any time in history, who would you chat with? What's one question you'd ask? Why?
• You're given the opportunity to teach a one-day class to your fellow students at Stanford Law School. Based on your particular skills and talents, what would you teach?
• The library in the town where you grew up has been destroyed. Choose three books to contribute to rebuilding the library's collection.
• Music has a way of setting tone and mood for any occasion. With this in mind, pick three songs or musical works to be playing in the background as the Admissions Committee reviews your materials.

This section is optional.

At Stanford Law School, we value the ability to communicate constructively across differences - even when the stakes are high or the differences significant. Please discuss a time when you encountered a viewpoint that contrasted with your own and explain how you responded. Would you do anything different if the same thing happened today? Your essay should be approximately one-to-two pages in length.

This section is optional.

If you wish to provide additional and relevant information that is not explained in the required application materials, please attach a brief statement.

Please attach a résumé describing your academic, extracurricular, and professional activities. The résumé must be submitted electronically with your electronic application. Please do not include a photo.

*If your answer to any of these questions below is "Yes," please attach an explanatory statement with your electronic application. Prior to matriculation, you will be required to submit documentation from each school attended attesting to your good standing.

1. Have you ever at any college or university been in other than good standing because of academic deficiencies, been sanctioned for misconduct, or been the subject of disciplinary proceedings?

2. Have you ever been convicted of, or is any charge now pending against you for any crime other than a traffic violation?

3. Have you ever been subject to discipline by a professional organization?

Please review the application procedures and requirements on the Stanford Law School website before completing this form.

Below you will find detailed instructions specific to the Stanford Law School application.

1. BIOGRAPHICAL: Complete the Biographical section.

2. BIOGRAPHICAL (Continued): Complete the Biographical (Continued) section.

3. CONTACT INFORMATION: Complete the Contact Information section.

4. DEMOGRAPHICS: Complete the Demographics section. Stanford is required by federal guidelines to report certain information about race and ethnicity. We acknowledge that the categories listed below may not allow you to fully describe your ethnic/racial background. Responding to these questions is optional. Your response to these questions will not be displayed to the Admissions Committee.

5. DEMOGRAPHICS (Continued): Complete the Demographics (Continued) section if you wish to do so.

6. MILITARY SERVICE: Complete the Military Service section if you wish to do so.

7. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Complete the Background Information section if you wish to do so.

8. PREVIOUS APPLICATION: Indicate if you have previously applied to Stanford Law School within the past three application cycles, and select the entry year(s) for which you applied.

9. EDUCATION: List all high schools, colleges, universities, graduate and professional schools, and any study abroad program(s) you have attended. An affirmative answer to Question 2 also requires a letter of good standing from your law school to be sent directly to the Office of Admissions (admissions@law.stanford.edu). List academic honors, awards, or other recognitions you have received in the order in which you received them.

10. EMPLOYMENT: Question 1: List employment while in college, summer employment while in college, and full- or part-time work since graduating from college. Question 3: Please list any significant extracurricular, community, or other activities.

Please utilize the required résumé to provide detailed information regarding your employment history and extracurricular activities.

11. STANDARDIZED TESTING: List in chronological order all the dates which you have taken, or intend to take, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and/or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Note that scores for tests taken prior to June 2020 will not be considered valid. Applicants for Fall 2026 admissions must take the LSAT by the January 2026 test administration and the GRE by February 1, 2026.

12. OTHER STANFORD PROGRAMS: Indicate if you are applying for a joint degree program and/or the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program. For details regarding each joint degree program, please visit our website. Note that the programs with Johns Hopkins and Princeton are external to Stanford and are therefore considered cooperative rather than traditional joint degree programs. For details regarding the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, please visit their website.

13. CHARACTER & FITNESS: Complete the Character & Fitness section. If any questions are answered in the affirmative, you must attach an explanatory statement to your application.

14. NOTICES & CERTIFICATION: Review the Notices & Certification section. Answer whether you wish to opt in or out of our outreach efforts, and confirm you understand and agree that acceptance is conditional upon meeting all requirements, terms, and conditions of the application process, including any further requirements, terms, or conditions expressed at the time of acceptance.

Please use the personal statement to introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and to help the Committee get to know you on a personal level. It should demonstrate your potential contribution to the Law School community beyond simply academics and should demonstrate your ability to communicate your thoughts effectively. The Admissions Committee generally finds that a statement that focuses on a unique personal attribute or experience is usually the most informative (as opposed to a restatement of your qualifications or résumé).

While there is no page or word limit on the personal statement, please note that the Admissions Committee values an applicant's ability to communicate thoughts in a clear and concise manner. The Admissions Committee typically finds that 2-4 pages is a sufficient length for most personal statements.

JD/PhD Essay

If you have obtained a PhD, are completing a PhD, or if you are concurrently applying to a PhD program, we invite you to submit a one-page optional essay explaining your research and academic interests, your professional goals, and how completing a JD would help you improve your research and achieve your professional goals.

If you choose to submit this essay, please attach it to the JD/PhD Essay in the attachments section.

If you answered "yes" to the Doctoroff Program question: "If you are admitted to the Law School, do you want to be considered for the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program", please attach a statement of interest describing in 250 words or less why you want to participate in the Doctoroff Program and how earning the Doctoroff Program Certificate will help you achieve your career goals.

You may submit optional supplementary addenda to highlight topics you wish to bring to our attention that were not included in your personal statement or other application materials. The Admissions Committee typically finds one page or less is a sufficient length for most addenda. Applicants are not required to submit optional addenda. Examples of supplementary addenda include:

• UChicago Law aims to train well-rounded, critical, and socially conscious thinkers and doers. UChicago Law does not seek to impose a single viewpoint or style of thought on its students. Instead, our faculty exposes students to contrasting views, confident in students' abilities to choose their own paths. Describe why you would be a good fit at UChicago Law. Potential topics include professional and/or personal goals; experiences that would allow you to succeed at UChicago Law; or topics you have become passionate about studying in law school. Please strive for your response to be more personal than a recitation of information from our website.
• Share why you applied to UChicago Law.
• If you do not think your academic record or standardized test scores accurately reflect your ability to succeed in law school, please tell us why.
• If there is something the Admissions Committee cannot learn about you from your application materials that would be helpful in the review of your file, please share in a brief addendum.

Please submit a résumé describing your educational history, extracurricular and community activities, academic honors and experiences, and any full- or part-time work experience. Indicate the number of hours per week spent on each activity or job and please include approximate dates for each activity. Make sure your résumé is current at the time of submitting your application. If your education or work has been interrupted for more than a normal vacation period, please describe your activities during that time in your résumé or in a separate addendum.

If you answered "yes" to Character and Fitness Question 1: "In connection with your enrollment at any college, university, or other institution of higher education, have you ever been placed on academic probation or found to be guilty or responsible or accountable for any misconduct, including but not limited to any matter for which you were suspended, dismissed, expelled, banned, restricted, placed on probation, or subject to any other probation, sanction, or penalty? If so, please provide all material facts and an explanation of the circumstances. NOTE: Misconduct includes but is not limited to academic and non-academic matters. You must also disclose disciplinary matters that are pending at the time of your application.", please attach a complete and detailed description of the circumstances.

If you answered "yes" to Character and Fitness Question 2: "Have you ever been charged with or convicted of any crime or offense other than a minor traffic violation? This includes any charges, complaints, or citations that were filed against you as a juvenile or as an adult, formal or informal, pending or closed, dismissed, expunged, sealed or subject to a diversionary program, and includes any charges, complaints, or citations that you reasonably expect to be brought against you.", please attach a complete and detailed description of the circumstances.

If you answered "yes" to Character and Fitness Question 3: "Have you been discharged or dismissed from the armed forces, other than by honorable discharge, or sentenced in a court-martial proceeding?", please attach a complete and detailed description of the circumstances.

If you answered "yes" to Character and Fitness Question 4: "Are there any matters or circumstances you have not disclosed in response to the first three prompts that you reasonably believe you may need to disclose when seeking admission to the bar?", please attach a complete and detailed description of the circumstances.

1. Register for and take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) (if applicable).

Applicants must submit a LSAT, GRE, or GMAT score earned within the last five (5) years. For more information on what constitutes a score earned within the last five (5) years, please see the instructions on the websites of LSAC (for the LSAT), Educational Testing Service (for the GRE), and Graduate Management Admissions Council (for the GMAT). For submitting a GMAT score, please see the prerequisites below.

• LSAT: Submit LSAT scores to the Law School through LSAC. The Law School will consider all LSAT scores, but we will rely primarily on the highest score and we do not average your scores. *Early Decision applicants and applicants to the Chicago Law Scholars Program must take the LSAT no later than the November administration.
• GRE: Submit GRE scores to the Law School by designating the University of Chicago Law School as a recipient using Educational Testing Service (ETS) code 2577. If you have taken the GRE more than one time, you must submit all scores within the last five years.
• GMAT: Students seeking the JD degree in combination with a degree in a different discipline at the University of Chicago may submit a GMAT score (including GMAT Online Exam scores) in lieu of the LSAT or GRE. Submit GMAT scores to the Law School by designating the applicable program: (1) The Law School - JD/MBA Booth School of Business Joint Degree (code H9X-2D-54), (2) The Law School - JD/MPP Harris School of Public Policy (code H9X-2D-58), or (3) The Law School - Joint Degree Programs (code H9X-2D-32). If you have taken the GMAT more than one time, you must submit all scores earned within the last five years.

NOTE: If you take the LSAT in addition to the GRE or GMAT, we will evaluate all scores and report the highest LSAT score to the American Bar Association. If you are admitted to the Law School based on your GRE or GMAT score and, after admission take the LSAT, the Admissions Committee will evaluate your new score and re-evaluate your offer of admission.

2. Register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).

Applicants must register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) to submit undergraduate and graduate school transcripts and letters of recommendation. You must submit all undergraduate and graduate school transcripts and all letters of recommendation through the CAS. Do not send these materials directly to the Law School. The CAS will not release a report to the Law School until you have paid all necessary fees, submitted the Flexible Application, and submitted all required materials. Please note, there may be a delay in processing once you submit your transcripts to CAS, so please attempt to submit your transcripts as soon as possible. Additionally, if you submit a GRE or GMAT score, the Admissions Office will need to manually waive the LSAT requirement in order for a CAS report to generate. This is completed several times a week. There may be a slight delay in this waiver process, but it will not impact the review of your file.

Please direct questions about the CAS to LSAC at 215.968.1001 or LSACinfo@LSAC.org.

3. Complete all sections of the Flexible Application and upload all required materials.

Required Materials

• Application. Please complete each section of questions in the Flexible Application. If you are applying Regular Decision, you do not need to complete the Early Decision section.
• Résumé. Describe your educational history, academic honors and experiences, extracurricular and community activities, and any full or part-time work experience. Please indicate the number of hours per week spent on each activity or job, and include approximate dates for each activity. Make sure your résumé is current when you submit your application. If your work has been interrupted for more than a normal vacation period, describe your activities during that time either in your résumé or in a separate addendum. Your résumé may be more than one page.
• Personal Statement. Introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and help the Admissions Committee get to know you on a personal level. The personal statement should demonstrate your potential contribution to the Law School community beyond academics and should demonstrate your ability to communicate your thoughts effectively. The Admissions Committee generally finds a statement focusing on a unique personal attribute or experience is the most informative (as opposed to a restatement of your qualifications or résumé). While there is no page or word limit on the personal statement, the Admissions Committee values clear and concise written communication skills. The Admissions Committee typically finds that 2-4 pages is a sufficient length for most personal statements.
• Character and Fitness Statements. If you answer "yes" to any of the Character and Fitness questions, you must upload an addendum describing the circumstances in the Attachments section. An affirmative response to any portion of the Character and Fitness questions will not automatically disqualify a candidate from admission. You have a continuing obligation to make us aware of affirmative answers to the Character and Fitness statements after you submit your application and throughout your time in law school, if you are admitted. The Character & Fitness questions mirror the questions you will be asked on the state bar examinations (additional information available below). When in doubt with Character and Fitness, err on the side of disclosure. If you need to update us on a Character and Fitness statement after you submit your application, please email admissions@law.uchicago.edu with your update.
• Doctoroff Business Leadership Program Statement. If you answer "yes" to the Doctoroff Program question, you must upload an addendum describing why you want to participate in the Doctoroff Program and how earning the Doctoroff Program Certificate will help you achieve your career goals. Successful statements will move beyond restating the requirements of the program and instead focus on specifics like legal practice areas you are interested in exploring during law school and career goals in law and business. Please keep your statement of interest to 250 words or less.
• Letters of Recommendation. We require two letters of recommendation to complete your file. The maximum number you may submit is four. We prefer at least one letter of recommendation from an academic recommender (e.g., professor, teacher's assistant, etc.). Submit letters of recommendation through the LSAC CAS. If you plan to submit more than two letters of recommendation and would like the Admissions Committee to hold your application until we have received all your letters, you must e-mail admissions@law.uchicago.edu with your request.
• Transcripts. Provide all undergraduate and graduate school transcripts reflecting a complete history of your undergraduate and graduate performance. You must submit a transcript for any university you were enrolled at, even if you withdrew and no credit was earned. Send transcripts through LSAC's CAS.
• English Language Proficiency Requirement. The University of Chicago requires all applicants to meet certain English language proficiency requirements. Applicants who do not meet the criteria must submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet-based test (iBT) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic as proof of English language proficiency. Please review the English language proficiency requirements on our website. If you need to submit a TOEFL score, contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL code for the CAS is 8395. If you need to submit an IELTS score, contact the test center where you took the IELTS and request that your test scores be sent electronically to LSAC through the IELTS system.

Optional Materials

Addenda

You may submit optional supplementary addenda to highlight topics you wish to bring to our attention that were not included in your personal statement or other application materials. The Admissions Committee typically finds one page or less is a sufficient length for most addenda. Applicants are not required to submit optional addenda. Examples of supplementary addenda include:

• UChicago Law aims to train well-rounded, critical, and socially conscious thinkers and doers. UChicago Law does not seek to impose a single viewpoint or style of thought on its students. Instead, our faculty exposes students to contrasting views, confident in students' abilities to choose their own paths. Describe why you would be a good fit at UChicago Law. Potential topics include professional and/or personal goals; experiences that would allow you to succeed at UChicago Law; or topics you have become passionate about studying in law school. Please strive for your response to be more personal than a recitation of information from our website.
• Share why you applied to UChicago Law.
• If you do not think your academic record or standardized test scores accurately reflect your ability to succeed in law school, please tell us why.
• If there is something the Admissions Committee cannot learn about you from your application materials that would be helpful in the review of your file, please share in a brief addendum.

JD/PhD Essay

If you have obtained a PhD, are completing a PhD, or if you are concurrently applying to a PhD program, we invite you to submit a one-page optional essay explaining your research and academic interests, your professional goals, and how completing a JD would help you improve your research and achieve your professional goals.

If you choose to submit this essay, please attach it to the JD/PhD Essay in the attachments section.

Completing Your File

Your file must be complete before the Law School will review your application and materials. To be considered complete, you must submit the application with all required application materials. You may submit your application before you receive your test score or take a standardized test, but your file will not be considered complete until we receive your standardized test score, application, and all required materials. We will send an email notification to you when the application is received and when it is complete. It is your responsibility to monitor the status of your application and ensure we have received all required materials.

After your application is complete, we do not typically accept updates unless (1) the Admissions Committee requests additional materials, (2) your update pertains to the Character and Fitness sections of the application, or (3) your update substantially alters the truthfulness and completeness of your application. Please use the online status checker and check your e-mail regularly (including your spam folders). Please consult www.law.uchicago.edu/checkappstatus for further information.

Interviews

Interviews are conducted only at the invitation of the Admissions Committee. Applicants may not request an interview. Interview invitations will be sent via email. Check your email, including your spam folder, on a regular basis, as applicants who do not accept the invitation to interview within the time frame specified in the interview invitation will have their application evaluated without an interview. Interviews are conducted virtually. For more information, please visit www.law.uchicago.edu/interviews.

4. Determine if you will be applying to the Early Decision, Chicago Law Scholars, or Regular Decision Program.

Program Options

There are three different application programs: Early Decision, Regular Decision, and Chicago Law Scholars (for University of Chicago College students and alumni only). All applicants complete the same application. You will indicate the program for which you are applying on the application. Please pay close attention to the deadline for each program. Early Decision and Chicago Law Scholars applicants will also be required to complete the Early Decision Agreement. Regular Decision applicants should leave the Early Decision Agreement blank.

Application deadlines:

• Chicago Law Scholars: December 1
• Early Decision: December 1
• Regular Decision: March 1

Below is a description of each program:

Early Decision

The Early Decision program is appropriate for applicants who are certain the University of Chicago Law School is their first choice, regardless of financial considerations. Early Decision applicants must submit the application and all supporting materials by December 1 (note: the November test date is the latest LSAT score the Admissions Committee will consider for Early Decision). The Admissions Committee will not begin evaluating an application until we have received all required materials from LSAC and the application has been marked complete. Early Decision applicants will be notified of the Admissions Committee's decision by the end of December. Applicants admitted through the Early Decision program must commit to attending the Law School and must immediately withdraw all applications at other law schools. Early Decision applicants who are not admitted during the Early Decision cycle may have their applications denied or they may be placed on the waitlist for further review (at which point, admission, if offered, will no longer be binding on the applicant). Please review the Law School's ED website to learn more about the Early Decision program, including additional considerations like financial aid implications.

Regular Decision

Regular Decision applicants must submit the application and all required materials by March 1. The Admissions Committee will not begin evaluating an application until we have received all required materials from LSAC and the application has been marked complete.

We encourage Regular Decision applicants to submit their applications early in the admissions cycle. We read applications on a rolling basis in the order they are completed and will begin extending offers of admission well before the deadline. The Admissions Office will issue decisions on a rolling basis until all applications have received an initial decision. Waiting until later in the cycle to submit your application could put you at a disadvantage in the admissions process.

Please note we will accept applications after the March 1 deadline, but applications received after that date will be considered on a space-available basis only and we strongly encourage you to apply well before the deadline. Applicants taking the LSAT in June or July may still apply, but space will be very limited. On some occasions, we have accepted outstanding applicants into the summer, but it is a small number.

Chicago Law Scholars

The Chicago Law Scholars Program provides an opportunity for current students and alumni of the University of Chicago undergraduate College to complete the application early and receive an expedited admissions decision by the end of December. Successful applicants will receive a scholarship of $150,000 as part of their financial aid package. Applicants to the Chicago Law Scholars Program must submit a completed application and all supporting materials by December 1 (note: the November test date is the latest LSAT score the Admissions Committee will consider for Chicago Law Scholars). Admission under the Chicago Law Scholars Program is binding. Applicants admitted through the Chicago Law Scholars Program must commit to attending the Law School and must immediately withdraw all applications from other law schools. Chicago Law Scholars applicants must complete the Early Decision Agreement with the application and will be bound by the same terms that govern Early Decision admission. Current College students and alumni may apply to the Early Decision program open to all applicants; however, their admission will not be tied to a substantial scholarship. You can learn more about this program at www.law.uchicago.edu/chicago-law-scholars-program.

5. Pay the non-refundable application fee.

All applicants (except as otherwise noted below) must pay the $90 application fee (U.S. funds only) through LSAC.

If your application fee has been waived because you are (a) a Teach for America participant or alumnus who completed service within the last five years, (b) a current University of Chicago undergraduate student, (c) a Peace Corps participant or alumnus who completed service within the last five years and who provides documentation confirming completion of the 27 month commitment, (d) an AmeriCorps participant or alumnus who completed service within the last five years and who provides a letter from your supervisor confirming at least a 10-month commitment, or (e) serving active duty in the U.S. military, a U.S. military veteran, or a member of the U.S. Reserves or National Guard, please do not pay the application fee through LSAC (we will not be able to issue a refund if you pay the fee).

More information on how to request an application fee waiver, including need-based fee waivers, is available on our website: https://www.law.uchicago.edu/feewaivers. Application fee waivers must be requested before you submit your application.

Questions? Call us at 773.702.9484 or e-mail us at admissions@law.uchicago.edu.

Please submit a personal statement that helps us learn about the personal, professional, and/or academic qualities you would bring to the Law School community and the legal profession. Applicants often submit the personal statement they have prepared for other law school applications. Your personal statement should focus on your relevant personal, professional, and/or academic experiences and not on specific reasons why you wish to attend Yale Law School.

Personal statements should be approximately two double-spaced pages, formatted in a professional 12-point font, and include your name, LSAC number, and "Personal Statement" in the header.

We encourage you to write an optional essay in response to one of the four questions below, each related to a value that is central to the Law School community. This essay is an opportunity to provide readers with relevant information that may not be found elsewhere in your application. If you choose to answer one of these questions, your essay should focus on your relevant personal, professional, and/or academic experiences and not on specific reasons why you wish to attend Yale Law School.

The optional essay should be approximately one double-spaced page, formatted in a professional 12-point font, and include your name, LSAC number, and "Optional Essay X" in the header (X should be the number of the question selected, e.g., Optional Essay 3).

Option 1: The Law School has a strong tradition of public service and encourages its students to contribute to the community in a wide variety of ways. Describe a community that has been particularly meaningful to you. Discuss what you have gained from being a part of this community and what you have contributed to this community.

Option 2: The Law School encourages its students and alumni to be leaders, innovators, and change makers across many different sectors. Describe one of your most important accomplishments and explain why it is important to you. Discuss how you demonstrated leadership, helped innovate, and/or drove change as part of that accomplishment.

Option 3: The Law School values determination and resilience and recognizes that these traits are critical to success at the Law School and in the legal profession. Describe a significant challenge, disappointment, or setback that you have faced. Discuss how you approached this experience and what you learned from it.

Option 4: In order to succeed at the Law School and in the legal profession, you must be able to have discussions across difference and be open to changing your mind. Describe a time when you changed your mind on an important topic after discussing it with a person with whom you disagreed or learning additional information. Discuss what you learned from this experience.

The Law School is a vibrant intellectual community where students are expected to engage academically with faculty and fellow students. In no more than 250 words, write about an idea or issue from your academic, extracurricular, or professional work that is of particular interest to you. The idea or issue you choose does not have to be law-related; this is an opportunity for readers to learn more about how you would engage intellectually in the Law School community.

The 250-word essay should be double-spaced, formatted in a professional 12-point font, and include your name, LSAC number, and "250-Word Essay" in the header.

If it has been more than three months since you attended college, describe what you have been doing during that time. You may respond in a narrative format if you have only one or two activities. If you have more than a few activities, we ask that you format your response in a structured manner such as a list or chart. You should include all graduate and professional education, paid and unpaid employment, and any other activities that you consider relevant. Please answer this question separately from any information provided in your résumé. We anticipate significant duplication between this section and your résumé; the purpose of this section is to present a complete list of your post-college activities in a manner and order that is helpful to our review of your application. The descriptions in this section should be brief, and, in general, applicants should be able to provide this information in no more than one page, unless they have extensive post-graduate or professional experience.

For each activity (aside from additional education), please:

• provide a brief description;
• state the approximate start and end date;
• estimate your time commitment; and
• note whether it was paid or unpaid.

Please answer a, b, and c separately from the included résumé. While you may choose to do this in a variety of formats, we ask that you do so in a structured manner such as a list or chart. Please note that we anticipate significant duplication between this section and your résumé; the purpose of this section is to present your activities in a manner and order that is helpful to our review of your application. Please include a complete list of your college activities. Your descriptions should be brief, and, in general, applicants should be able to provide this information in no more than 1-2 pages.

(a) It is helpful for us to understand what you did during those terms when you were not in school during your undergraduate education (including summers and any other term(s) when you were not in school). This should include, for example, all paid and/or unpaid employment, internships, and study abroad. If you were taking classes or studying abroad over the summer, you should include that as well. Please list these activities in order of relative importance to you. For each activity, please:

• provide a brief description;
• state the approximate start and end date;
• estimate the hours per week you committed; and
• note whether it was paid or unpaid.

(b) Please list all activities you participated in during the terms while you were also taking classes as part of your undergraduate education. This should include, for example, extracurricular activities and paid or unpaid employment or internships. Please list these in order of relative importance to you. For each activity, please:

• provide a brief description;
• state the approximate start and end date;
• estimate the hours per week you committed; and
• note whether it was paid or unpaid.

(c) Please list and very briefly describe any other activities during your undergraduate education (in or out of school) that you consider relevant if not otherwise described above. This may include, for example, a significant thesis or capstone project; or significant personal or familial responsibilities.

You may use this attachment slot to submit addenda to your application if any are necessary for a full representation of your candidacy. These addenda may include, for example, explanations related to transcripts or test scores, including a history of under-performance on standardized tests. It is not necessary to include any addenda, and many applicants do not include any.

Please submit a résumé. You must answer the College and Post-college Activities questions separately from this included résumé. Generally, résumés should be 1-2 pages in length.

If you answered yes to Character and Fitness question 13.1, please include an attachment describing the circumstances and, if you wish, provide information that will help us understand the context of your behavior and the outcome of this experience for you and others. The Admissions Office understands that excellent applicants may have made mistakes, and answering "yes" does not disqualify you from consideration for admission to the Law School. Please note that the information included in your Character and Fitness attachment as well as answers to the Character and Fitness questions may become part of the character and fitness review of the bar in the state(s) in which you intend to practice. Admission to the practice of law depends in part on satisfaction of the requirements of the particular jurisdiction as to proof of good character. These requirements differ from state to state, and applicants should inform themselves of the requirements of the jurisdictions in which they are interested.

If you answered yes to Character and Fitness question 13.2, please include an attachment describing the circumstances and, if you wish, provide information that will help us understand the context of your behavior and the outcome of this experience for you and others. The Admissions Office understands that excellent applicants may have made mistakes, and answering "yes" does not disqualify you from consideration for admission to the Law School.

Please note that the information included in your Character and Fitness attachment as well as answers to the Character and Fitness questions may become part of the character and fitness review of the bar in the state(s) in which you intend to practice. Admission to the practice of law depends in part on satisfaction of the requirements of the particular jurisdiction as to proof of good character. These requirements differ from state to state, and applicants should inform themselves of the requirements of the jurisdictions in which they are interested.

INTRODUCTION

Yale Law School is a place where students immerse themselves in important ideas and have many opportunities to put those ideas into practice. Our distinctive approach to legal education is rooted in a commitment to academic excellence, a focus on innovation, and a passion for service. With hundreds of courses taught by world-renowned faculty, dozens of legal clinics and academic centers, and an innovative leadership curriculum, the Law School provides its students with many opportunities to gain the skills necessary to make a positive impact in the world and follow any career path they choose.

The Law School is committed to finding talented individuals wherever they are and providing them with the necessary financial support to ensure that a legal education is accessible to students from all backgrounds. For this reason, all of our financial support is need-based and includes full-tuition scholarships for students with the highest need, as well as a comprehensive loan repayment program for those who choose lower paying careers. Our consistent goal is to lower the barriers that limit access to law school and the legal profession.

Every year, we select approximately 200 remarkable new students to join more than 13,000 alumni and build upon this exceptional legacy. Our admissions process is selective, and we conduct a holistic review of every application we receive. There is no cut-off for grade point averages or test scores, and no single part of an application is determinative. We seek students with a record of academic excellence, professional distinction, and exceptional accomplishments who are eager to immerse themselves in our community. We look for people who will contribute meaningfully to the Law School, both inside and outside the classroom. Successful applicants should be open-minded and able to have conversations with people with whom they disagree; collegial, professional, and respectful in all of their interactions; highly ethical and aware of their responsibilities as future members of the legal profession; resilient and determined in the face of obstacles; and passionate about contributing to the communities around them.

We encourage all applicants to learn more about our application process and the components of our application. You can also connect with the Admissions team to learn more.

HOW TO APPLY

In order to apply to Yale Law School, you must subscribe to the Law School Credential Assembly Service (CAS). You can register for CAS with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Yale Law School requires applicants to submit their applications through the LSAC electronic application service included as part of a CAS subscription.

WHEN TO APPLY

Yale Law School will open its application for the Class of 2029 on September 1, 2025, and applications can be submitted beginning on October 1, 2025. Applications must be submitted by no later than February 15, 2026. It is your responsibility to make certain that all items arrive at Yale in a timely fashion. Please note that it may take several weeks for LSAC to process your materials.

Under our review process there is no advantage, in terms of the likelihood of admission, to applying earlier in the application cycle. In other words, your chances of admission remain constant regardless of when you submit your application.

APPLICATION FEE & NEED-BASED FEE WAIVERS

Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $85 application fee, which will not be credited to tuition in the event of admission. The application fee is waived automatically for those applicants who have received an LSAC fee waiver.

If you do not have an LSAC fee waiver and would like to request a need-based fee waiver of your Yale Law School application fee, please request one using our online form before submitting your application. We cannot refund application fees after they have been paid under any circumstances. Need-based fee waivers are generously granted, and parental information is not requested as part of the fee waiver application. If your request is approved, you will be given a fee waiver code to enter during the submission process for your Yale Law School application.

Please note that neither the request for, nor the granting of, a need-based fee waiver has any bearing on admissions decisions. Yale Law School employs a need-blind admissions process and encourages applicants from all socio-economic backgrounds to apply.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES & ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPTS

You must receive, or expect to receive, by the summer of 2026 a bachelor's degree (or the equivalent) from an approved undergraduate institution in order to be eligible to apply. All offers of admission are contingent upon graduation.

You must submit to LSAC transcripts from each college or university you attended, including study abroad and all schools you attended for graduate or professional study. Even if one school includes summary data regarding courses from another school on its transcript, an official transcript from each institution must be submitted. Yale Law School strongly encourages applicants to submit transcripts, through LSAC, reflecting all coursework completed through the time of application and further encourages applicants to submit updated transcripts as additional coursework is completed. We suggest that you allow at least six weeks for a transcript to be processed by LSAC. For detailed instructions, please visit the LSAC transcript webpage.

In light of the circumstances posed by COVID-19, Yale Law School recognizes that transcripts may reflect mandatory or optional pass/fail or credit/no credit grades. These grades will not be viewed negatively by the Admissions Office and the Law School will maintain a holistic review process for all applications.

STANDARDIZED TESTS

Yale Law School accepts results from the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test. We do not have a preference between these standardized tests. However, you may submit score(s) from one standardized test only. If you have a reportable LSAT score, you must submit your LSAT score, and you may not submit a GRE score for consideration.

If you choose to apply with the LSAT, you must take the LSAT no later than January 2026. LSAC automatically reports all LSAT scores from the past five years. The oldest LSAT score we will accept is June 2020.

LSAC requires an LSAT writing sample, taken via LSAT Writing or LSAT Argumentative Writing, in order to generate your CAS report. Applicants who take the LSAT more than once do not need to submit multiple writing samples. It may take up to three weeks for LSAC to process and report your LSAT Writing. Therefore, you should complete your LSAT Writing no later than January 25, 2026, to ensure we receive it by the application deadline.

If you choose to apply using the GRE General Test, we must receive your GRE scores from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) by our application deadline, February 15, 2026. Because it may take up to 15 calendar days for ETS to transmit your scores once you complete the exam, you should take the GRE no later than February 1, 2026. Applicants who have taken the GRE can log into their ETS accounts and select Yale Law School as a recipient of GRE results using the school code 4542. Additionally, please ensure that the GRE score report submitted with your application is requested on or after the date you submit your Yale Law School application. Do not submit your GRE scores in advance of your application. A failure to comply with these policies may prevent the review of your application or result in the withdrawal of an offer of admission.

To maintain parity between our evaluation of LSAT and GRE results, applicants who apply using the GRE must submit all GRE scores from the past five years. When reporting your GRE scores to Yale Law School, please select the option to report your entire testing history. Selecting this option will report all of your GRE scores for the past five years.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Yale Law School requires two letters of recommendation. You can submit a maximum of three letters of recommendation. We strongly prefer letters from at least two professors with whom you have studied who can speak to your academic performance and who have had a chance to personally evaluate significant aspects of your academic work. Letters from college deans, coaches, chaplains, and others may be helpful, but are not preferred. If possible, they should not replace letters from two faculty recommenders.

Letters of recommendation from employers can be useful in the following two circumstances: (1) in addition to two academic letters, if you have significant work experience or your employer supervised your work in a full-time, post-graduation position, especially if the position is related to your law school interests, or (2) if you are unable to obtain two academic letters, most commonly because you have been out of school for a substantial period of time. In both cases, an employer recommendation is most helpful when it addresses the qualities that academic recommendations typically address (e.g., research and writing skills, critical thinking and analytic ability, and overall suitability for the study and practice of law).

All letters of recommendation must be transmitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service, which is included as part of your CAS subscription.

We will begin review of your application as soon as we have received two letters of recommendation. We will not hold your application in order to wait for an additional letter. To ensure that all of your recommendations are available for consideration, please verify that they are on file with LSAC prior to applying to the Law School.

PERSONAL STATEMENT

The required personal statement should help us learn about the personal, professional, and/or academic qualities you would bring to the Law School community and the legal profession. Applicants often submit the personal statement they have prepared for other law school applications. Your personal statement should focus on your relevant personal, professional, and/or academic experiences and not on specific reasons why you wish to attend Yale Law School.

The personal statement should be approximately two double-spaced pages, formatted in a professional 12-point font, and include your name, LSAC number, and "Personal Statement" in the header.

250-WORD ESSAY

The Law School is a vibrant intellectual community where students are expected to engage academically with faculty and fellow students. For the required 250-word essay, you should focus on an idea or issue from your academic, extracurricular, or professional work that is of particular interest to you. The idea or issue you choose does not have to be law-related; this is an opportunity for readers to learn more about how you would engage intellectually in the Law School community.

The 250-word essay should be double-spaced, formatted in a professional 12-point font, and include your name, LSAC number, and "250-Word Essay" in the header.

OPTIONAL ESSAY

We encourage you to write an optional essay, which will allow you to answer one of four questions, each related to a value that is central to the Law School community. This essay is an opportunity to provide readers with relevant information that may not be found elsewhere in your application. If you choose to answer one of these questions, your essay should focus on your relevant personal, professional, and/or academic experiences and not on specific reasons why you wish to attend Yale Law School.

The optional essay should be approximately one double-spaced page, formatted in a professional 12-point font, and include your name, LSAC number, and "Optional Essay X" in the header (X should be the number of the question selected; e.g., Optional Essay 3).

ADDENDA

You may submit addenda to your application if any are necessary for a full representation of your candidacy. These addenda may include, for example, explanations related to transcripts or test scores, including a history of under-performance on standardized tests. It is not necessary to include any addenda, and many applicants do not include any.

INTERVIEW

Yale Law School will select some applicants to interview as part of the evaluation process and an interview is necessary for admission. If you are selected for an interview, the Admissions Office will contact you with additional information.

DEAN'S CERTIFICATION

Yale Law School does not require submission of dean's certification form(s) as part of the initial application. In the event an offer of admission is extended to you and you choose to accept that offer, you will be required to submit a dean's certification form from each college or university degree program in which you are, or have been, enrolled, regardless of whether a degree was awarded. The dean's certification form and a complete set of instructions will be provided to admitted students.

All offers of admission are contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the dean's certification requirement. Discrepancies between an applicant's answers to the questions in the Character and Fitness section of the admission application and the information provided in dean's certification forms will be considered sufficient grounds for revocation of an offer of admission.

REVIEW PROCESS & NOTIFICATION

The Admissions Office will notify you by e-mail when your application has been received and is ready to be processed. After processing your application, the Admissions Office will notify you by email of your application's completion status and provide you with log-in credentials for your applicant portal, where you can review your application's status and learn which, if any, application materials are needed to complete your application.

Applications are considered approximately in the order in which they are completed. Your application will be considered complete and ready for review once the Law School receives your application materials, a CAS report, LSAT or GRE score(s), and two letters of recommendation. We will not hold your application in order to wait for an additional letter of recommendation, later test scores, or any other additional materials.

Given our holistic review of each application and the significant involvement of multiple readers in the review process, our decision-making process can be lengthy. We appreciate your patience throughout the review process.

If admitted, Yale Law School may use information derived from your application, including your name, contact information, and basic biographical information, to connect you with members of the Law School's community. If you do not consent to the sharing of such information, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions.law@yale.edu.

Please note: We cannot provide decision information over the phone. If you have a deposit or scholarship deadline at another school, please send to us an e-mail with your name, LSAC account number, telephone number, name of the school, type of deadline, and deadline date.

ADMISSION OFFERS & SCHOLARSHIPS FROM OTHER LAW SCHOOLS

If you receive an offer of admission and/or a scholarship offer from another law school before hearing from Yale Law School, please be aware that LSAC's Statement of Good Admission and Financial Aid Practices provides member law schools with best practices for law school admission and financial aid programs.

First, law schools should allow applicants sufficient opportunity to consider other offers before requesting a commitment of any kind. Second, each school should allow applicants to freely accept a new offer from another law school even though a scholarship has been accepted, a deposit has been paid, or a commitment has been made to their school. Thus, law schools should never ask you to withdraw your application to Yale Law School before a decision has been made on your application.

In addition, please note that Yale Law School will consider applications from individuals who have accepted admission through deferred admissions programs for college sophomores and juniors.

FINANCIAL AID

All financial aid packages at Yale Law School are calculated on need-based criteria.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to Yale Law School. Yale Law School's Title IV code is 001426. In the event that an offer of admission is extended to you, you will be given access to Yale Law School's Financial Aid Application and Scholarship Tool (FAAST). You will need to submit your information to FAAST before your financial aid package can be generated. If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you will only need to submit your information to FAAST.

Visit Yale Law School Financial Aid for additional information about our need-based aid system and to learn about other ways the Law School financially supports its students and graduates.

CERTIFICATION & VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION

By agreeing below to the instructions, you certify that the information you have provided on your application form, in any related materials submitted to Yale Law School, and in any communications with Yale Law School, is accurate to the best of your knowledge, and that all written work is your original work. You understand that Yale Law School or its agent has the right to verify information included in, but not limited to, your application. You further hereby authorize all persons or entities to provide any information that will serve to verify the information you have presented in your application, in any related materials provided to Yale Law School, and in any communications with Yale Law School; you expressly waive any required notice to you. You agree to notify Yale Law School of any changes in the provided information or of any further information that might affect your eligibility for consideration as a prospective student. You understand that all offers of admission are contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the dean's certification requirement. You understand that a failure to satisfy any of the obligations set forth in this paragraph; or any discrepancies between the information you provided as part of your application and any other information you provide to Yale Law School, information Yale Law School receives from dean's certification forms, letters of recommendation, or through any action Yale Law School takes to verify information in or related to your application will be considered sufficient grounds for the revocation of your offer of admission to Yale Law School.

CITIZENSHIP STATUS

Yale Law School is committed to equal opportunity and accessibility to all candidates who show great academic and personal promise irrespective of citizenship status. Yale Law School evaluates applications without regard to a student's citizenship or immigration status, and all students are eligible for the Law School's need-based financial aid.

WEIL LEGAL INNOVATORS (WLI) PROGRAM

Yale Law School is a partner law school in the Weil Legal Innovators (WLI) Program. Participants in WLI defer their first year of law school to work at a nonprofit organization. Participants receive a salary and health benefits for the year, a $10,000 law school scholarship, ongoing professional development training from instructors in the academic, private, and public sectors, mentorship by a Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP partner, and more. If interested, you may apply between December 2025 and March 2026. You can learn more at the WLI website.

NONDISCRIMINATION, TITLE IX & CLERY ACT STATEMENTS

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual's sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran. Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA); W.L. Harkness Hall, 3rd Floor, Room 303, 100 Wall Street, New Haven, CT 06511; 203.432.0849; equity@yale.edu.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects people from sex discrimination in educational programs and activities at institutions that receive federal financial assistance. Questions regarding Title IX may be referred to the University's Title IX Coordinator, Elizabeth Conklin, at 203.432.6854 or at titleix@yale.edu, or to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 8th Floor, Five Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921. Telephone: 617.289.0111, Fax: 617.289.0150, TDD: 800.877.8339, or E-mail: ocr.boston@ed.gov.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) as well as other applicable federal and state laws, the University publishes an annual campus security and fire safety report. This report contains three years? worth of campus crime statistics concerning crimes committed within the geographical limits of the University as defined by the Clery Act; security policy statements; fire safety information; and a description of where students, faculty and staff should go to report crimes. The fire safety section of the annual report contains information on current fire safety procedures and fires that occurred within an on-campus student housing facility, if any. You may request a copy from Yale Public Safety by mail at P.O. Box 208235, New Haven, CT 06520-8235, or by phone at at 203.432.4400. A copy is also available online.

The Admissions Committee requires that every applicant submit an original example of written expression. The purpose of this personal statement is to provide you with as flexible an opportunity as possible to submit information that you deem important to your candidacy. You may wish to describe your experiences and interests - intellectual, personal, or professional - and how you will contribute to the Penn Carey Law community and/or the legal profession. Please limit your statement to two pages, double-spaced, and label it as "Personal Statement" with your name and LSAC account number on each page.

This section is optional.

If you wish, you may write an additional essay on any of the following topics. These optional essays allow you an opportunity to provide the admissions committee with additional relevant information that you were not able to include in your personal statement. Please include the essay(s) with your application by electronically attaching them to your application before submission through LSAC. You are welcome to submit as many or as few optional essays as you choose. Include your name and LSAC account number on each page. Please limit any optional essay to one page, double-spaced, and title it appropriately. Any optional essay(s) you choose to submit should respond to one or more of the following prompts:

• These are the core strengths that make Penn Carey Law the best place to receive a rigorous, collaborative, and engaging legal education: genuine integration with associated disciplines; transformative, forward-looking faculty scholarship; highly-regarded experiential learning through clinics and our pro bono pledge; innovative, hands-on global engagement; and a manifest commitment to professional development and collegiality. These qualities define Penn Carey Law. What defines you? How do your goals and values match Penn Carey Law's core strengths?
• Penn Carey Law is committed to achieving an expansive and welcoming law school community that brings a broad range of ideas, experiences, and perspectives to our classrooms. Tell us about how you will contribute to our Penn Carey Law community.
• Describe a significant challenge you have faced. What have you learned from this challenge?
• What is your motivation for pursuing a JD degree?
• What strength or quality do you have that most people might not recognize?
• If you do not think that your academic record or standardized test scores accurately reflect your ability to succeed in law school, please tell us why.

This section is optional.

Please upload any additional explanations needed for the Application Questions.

Please submit a résumé or CV as an electronic attachment with your application. In addition to your professional experiences, please include any academic and/or non-academic honors you have received as well as any extracurricular and/or community activities in college and since graduation. Please account for all time periods.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you must provide an explanatory statement. If you do not, the processing and review of your application will be delayed. We caution you to err on the side of full disclosure. If you need additional space for your explanation, you may upload it in the Character and Fitness section in Attachments.

1. While attending an academic program, has your academic experience ever been interrupted, either non-voluntarily or voluntarily, for one or more full terms for any reason? (This does not include the time period between high school and college or between college and law school or any other degree program, etc.)

2. Explanation: (maximum characters 500)

3. Have you ever been issued academic or disciplinary warnings, placed on academic or disciplinary probation, suspended, dropped, expelled, or been required to withdraw from any post-secondary institution you have attended, or are any such proceedings now pending against you? (This should include matters that have been expunged or dismissed.)

4. Explanation: (maximum characters 500)

5. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been arrested, charged, cited, or convicted of a crime (including misdemeanors), or cited for an infraction (including moving violations), or is any charge now pending against you? (This should include matters that have been expunged, dismissed, or subject to a diversionary program.)

6. Explanation: (maximum characters 500)

7. Have you ever been, or are you currently enrolled in another U.S. law school? This question refers to enrollment in any degree program at a U.S. law school (e.g., JD, ML, LLM, etc.). This does not refer to stand-alone certificate programs.

8. Explanation: (maximum characters 500)

This section is optional.

If you are interested in applying for Early Decision, please select the Early Decision option (Round 1 or Round 2) under Type of Application in the Program Information section of the Application Questions. Also, you must print and sign the Early Decision Agreement in Forms. You can then upload the signed Early Decision Agreement here in Attachments before transmission through LSAC. The Early Decision Agreement must be physically signed.

**Application Instructions:

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School**Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
3501 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6204
215.898.7400 (phone)
http://www.law.upenn.edu/; contactadmissions@law.upenn.edu; finaid@law.upenn.edu

FIRST YEAR JD ADMISSIONS AND FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

We welcome your interest in the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (Penn Carey Law) and provide this information to guide you through the admissions and financial aid processes.

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

All applicants must hold a bachelor's degree to be eligible to enroll in the first year Juris Doctor (JD) program. Applicants who are admitted to the JD program are admitted for the fall on a full-time basis only. We do not have spring admission or a part-time program. All applicants must take an approved standardized test (either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)) and must register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). (See Test Administration and LSAC Credential Assembly Service information below.)

Standards for Admission

The admissions process at Penn Carey Law is highly selective. Last year, we received over 8,000 applications for the approximately 260 places in the first-year class. Students who apply to Penn Carey Law come from every state in the nation, from many countries around the world, from more than 200 undergraduate institutions, and from a broad range of academic, ethnic, cultural, professional, and economic backgrounds.

There is no pre-law educational requirement or even a specific recommended course of study for admission to Penn Carey Law. Strength of character, breadth of knowledge, and intellectual maturity constitute the base upon which our legal education builds. As such, Penn Carey Law seeks to enroll individuals who have demonstrated outstanding academic success, who are intellectually curious, and who possess superior writing, oral communication, and analytical skills, and who will positively contribute to the Penn Carey Law community, and ultimately, to the legal profession.

The Admissions Committee considers numerous factors in the admissions process, including the student's academic record, course selection and grade trends, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, leadership, community service, extracurricular activities, professional and life experiences, demonstrated growth in response to any challenges an applicant may have faced, and the applicant's examples of written expression (the standardized test writing sample, personal statement, and optional essays). Importantly, the Admissions Committee bases its decision on all material submitted on behalf of each candidate. Though an applicant's academic record and standardized test score are significant factors in the review process, they are not the sole factors. We do not have numerical "cut-offs" in the application process, nor do we employ the use of an admissions index.

The Admissions Committee does not grant evaluative interviews by request of the applicant as part of the review process. To learn more about the Law School, the University campus, and Philadelphia, please consider attending one or more of our various virtual or in-person recruiting events. These events are offered predominantly in the fall semester. For more information and to register, please visit our website: https://www.law.upenn.edu/admissions/jd/connect-with-us.

**Application Deadlines

Early Decision (Binding)**Round 1

Submit application by November 15*
Complete application by December 1
Receive decision by December 31

Round 2

Submit application by January 7*
Complete application by January 15
Receive decision by January 31

*Early Decision applications must be submitted through LSAC no later than November 15 for Round 1 or January 7 for Round 2. All supporting documents, including the LSAC Credential Assembly Service Report, must be received by December 1 for Round 1 or January 15 for Round 2 Early Decision consideration.

Please be advised that once an Early Decision application is deemed complete, the application could immediately go to the Admissions Committee for review, regardless of Round 1 or Round 2 submission. Therefore, a decision could be made at any point and will be considered binding once made.

Regular Decision

Submit application by March 1**
Complete application by March 15
Receive decision by May 1

**Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in November and decisions are made beginning in December. Therefore, it is advised that you submit your application earlier in the cycle rather than later.

Early Decision

Penn Carey Law's Early Decision option is designed for applicants who have thoroughly researched their law school options and determined that Penn Carey Law is clearly their first choice, regardless of financial considerations. Penn Carey Law's Early Decision program is binding. Applicants who wish to be considered for Early Decision must commit to matriculate at Penn Carey Law if admitted. If admitted, you must withdraw your applications from all other law schools and refrain from initiating new applications. Applicants who apply through the Early Decision program may apply to other law schools but may not have more than one binding Early Decision application pending simultaneously. If a binding Early Decision application has been submitted to another school, applicants may apply through Penn Carey Law's Early Decision program only if and when they are released from their binding terms at the other school.

If you are interested in applying for Early Decision, please select the Early Decision Admission, Round 1 or Round 2 option under Type of Application in the Application Data section of the Application Questions. Also, you must print and physically sign the Early Decision Agreement from Forms. You can then upload the signed Early Decision Agreement to Attachments before transmission of your application through LSAC. If you are not able to upload the signed Early Decision Agreement to Attachments, it can be emailed directly to the Office of Admissions. The Early Decision Agreement must be physically signed.

Penn Carey Law's Early Decision option allows applicants to receive a decision - admit, deny, or hold for further consideration - by the end of December for Round 1 and by the end of January for Round 2. For Round 1, Early Decision applicants must take an approved standardized test no later than November of the application year and submit the application by November 15. For Round 2, Early Decision applicants must take an approved standardized test no later than December of the application year and submit the application by January 7. Additionally, the Office of Admissions must receive all required supporting documents, including the LSAC Credential Assembly Service report and letters of recommendation, by December 1 for Round 1 and by January 15 for Round 2.

Applicants who choose to apply for Early Decision Round 1 but are unable to complete their application by December 1, may request their application be considered for Early Decision Round 2, keeping in mind that they may not have more than one binding Early Decision application pending simultaneously as stated above. A request to rollover from Early Decision Round 1 to Early Decision Round 2 must be submitted in writing by email to the Office of Admissions. Otherwise, Early Decision Round 1 applicants who are unable to complete their application by December 1 will be reviewed as regular admissions applicants. Early Decision Round 2 applicants who are unable to complete their application by January 15 will be reviewed as regular admissions applicants. An applicant's decision will no longer be binding if accepted through the regular admissions process.

Early Decision applicants who are held for further consideration, whether in Round 1 or Round 2, will be reevaluated during the regular admissions process. After being held for further consideration, an applicant's decision will no longer be binding if accepted through the regular admissions process.

Regular Decision

Applicants who submit applications for Regular Decision by March 1 and complete applications by March 15 will receive a decision - admit, deny, hold for further consideration, or waitlist - by May 1. We suggest Regular Decision applicants should take an approved standardized test no later than December of the application year due to our rolling admissions but we will accept approved standardized test scores for any tests administered by February 28, 2025.

How to Apply

We require you to submit an application using the LSAC electronic application (with electronic submission through LSAC), available at LSAC.org.**Application Requirements and Instructions

Application Form**Please provide complete information for each question on the application in the spaces provided. You may attach additional pages (as an upload in Attachments) to complete or elaborate on this information. Please answer all questions fully and accurately. All information submitted for an application file is confidential. A copy of your law school application will be retained for a minimum period of three years. For those students who matriculate, a copy of your application will be sent to the Committee on Character and Fitness when you apply to take a state bar examination or seek admission to the bar. Please be advised that there are character, fitness and other qualifications for admission to the bar and that as an applicant, prior to matriculation, you should determine what those requirements are in the state(s) in which you intend to practice. More information is available at the National Conference of Bar Examiners: http://www.ncbex.org/.
https://aces2.lsac.org/Utilities/AppCycle/%20http:/www.ncbex.org/Please answer all required questions on the application form unless otherwise noted.

Application Fee

The application fee is $85 (nonrefundable). You must pay the application fee by debit or credit card when you submit your application through LSAC. When you pay the application fee through LSAC, you will also sign your application with the electronic signature option. Applicants may be eligible for one of the fee waiver programs described below. Please do not pay the application fee if you are requesting a fee waiver. We will not refund the application fee.

Penn Carey Law Fee Waiver Application

If submitting the application fee will cause undue financial hardship, you may request a need-based fee waiver directly from Penn Carey Law. You must submit the Penn Carey Law Fee Waiver Application directly to Penn Carey Law and be approved before you transmit the LSAC Electronic Application through LSAC. If you are granted a fee waiver for Penn Carey Law, please ignore that the application will still list the fee on the LSAC site. Your fee waiver will be applied on the payment page once you have submitted the application through LSAC. No fee waiver coupon code is needed.

The Penn Carey Law Fee Waiver Application (located on our website at https://www.law.upenn.edu/admissions/how-to-apply.php) and the fee waiver supporting documentation can be emailed to contactadmissions@law.upenn.edu. The fee waiver application is not live until right before the application goes live.

LSAC Fee Waivers

If LSAC has granted you an LSAC Fee Waiver for the LSAT and Credential Assembly Service, you do not need to submit the Penn Carey Law Fee Waiver Application or notify us in any other way. Since Penn Carey Law is a participating school, candidates who receive a fee waiver from LSAC will automatically receive an application fee waiver from Penn Carey Law. No fee waiver coupon code is needed. Please ignore that the application will still list the fee on the LSAC site. When you transmit your Penn Carey Law application, you will be prompted to electronically sign your application, but you will not be prompted for payment information.

Service Recognition Fee Waivers: AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Teach For America, and the United States Military

In recognition of your service, all past and present members of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Teach For America, and the United States Military are eligible for an application fee waiver. You must request this service recognition fee waiver from Penn Carey Law before you transmit the electronic application through LSAC as we will not refund the application fee. To apply, please complete the Service Recognition Fee Waiver Application.

Once your participation in the designated service organization has been verified, you will be sent a fee waiver approval email. Please ignore that the application will still list the fee on the LSAC site. Your fee waiver will be applied on the payment page once you have submitted the application through LSAC. No fee waiver coupon code is needed. Please make sure to note your service appointment on your résumé.

Merit Fee Waivers

Merit-based fee waivers are made available through queries to the LSAC Candidate Referral Service (CRS), ETS, and GMAC. These fee waivers are sent to highly qualified applicants who have registered for CRS, and will appear automatically in the application checkout at LSAC. For merit-based fee waiver consideration, please make sure you have opted-in for the CRS; registered with the Credential Assembly Service; have at least one approved standardized test score on file, and have a processed undergraduate degree-school transcript at LSAC. Our fee waiver emails are sent periodically throughout the application cycle, starting in early September and continuing through February.

If you are granted a fee waiver for Penn Carey Law, please ignore that the application will still list the fee on the LSAC site. Your fee waiver will be applied on the payment page once you have submitted the application through LSAC. No fee waiver coupon code is needed.

Test Administration and LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

Every applicant must take an approved standardized test, either the LSAT, GRE, or GMAT, and must register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) through LSAC. You may register for the LSAT and/or the Credential Assembly Service online at LSAC.org or by phone at 215.968.1001. For the GRE and GMAT, you must arrange for an official test score report to be released to Penn Carey Law; we will not accept test taker copies of score reports. You may register for the GRE here; Penn Carey Law's school code for GRE score reporting is 4122. You may register for the GMAT here; Penn Carey Law's school code for GMAT score reporting is G56-RV-81. Please make sure that you look for the Law School name and not just the University; they are two different recipients.

We will accept approved standardized test scores from any test administration taken within the last five years prior to the current application cycle, i.e., June 2020 or thereafter for the LSAT and within five years of your score posting for the GRE and/or GMAT. Please note that your GRE and/or GMAT standardized test score must be valid through the completion of your application file so therefore please take into consideration when your score will no longer be valid. We cannot control the timeframe in which your file will be completed. Standardized tests taken before June 2020 do not need to be reported. In view of our March 15 deadline to complete your file and the length of time needed for processing your application materials, we suggest approved standardized tests should be taken no later than December 2025, but we will accept approved standardized test scores for any tests administered by February 28, 2026. We will not accept any standardized tests taken after February 28, 2026 for the initial review of your application file.

All valid and reportable LSAT test scores, taken June 1, 2020 or thereafter, are considered as part of your application. Please report the highest LSAT score obtained on the application form in the Standardized Test section. We do not require that all GRE and/or GMAT test scores, taken within the last five years prior to your file being completed, be reported and submitted as part of your application. If an applicant has taken the LSAT and has a reportable LSAT score, an applicant may choose whether or not to share GRE and/or GMAT test results. If you would like your GRE and/or GMAT test scores to be considered in addition to your LSAT score(s) then please fill out the GRE/GMAT Standardized Test section of the application form. At its discretion, the Admissions Committee may evaluate your application based on the highest score. If there are circumstances that you believe affected your performance on a test, we encourage you to attach an additional statement with your application (see Optional Essays) explaining those circumstances. In addition, if you choose to retake an approved standardized test, up through February 28, 2026, after submitting your application, you must notify us in writing if you would like your application to be held from committee review until the new test score is received. We will not automatically hold your file from review for receipt of a future test score if you just list on the application that you are taking a future test.

Each applicant must also register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and arrange to have all transcripts sent to LSAC from each college or university attended. When we receive your application, we will automatically request your CAS report, and LSAC will transmit it electronically to us. The CAS report includes your LSAT score(s) and LSAT writing sample(s) if you have taken the LSAT, copies of your academic transcript(s), an undergraduate academic summary, letters of recommendation, and other information. Please note that your CAS report will NOT be released by LSAC until all required transcripts have been received and processed by LSAC. Once we receive your initial CAS report, we will automatically receive CAS update reports (e.g. new transcripts, new LSAT scores, new letters of recommendation etc.) from LSAC.

Penn Carey Law requires that any international transcripts be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service for applicants who completed any post-secondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada. You must use this service for the evaluation of your international transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the international work through a study-abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a US or Canadian institution, the program was no longer than one year in length, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the Credential Assembly Service registration fee. An International Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your CAS report.

To use the Credential Assembly Service, log in to your online LSAC account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive international transcripts.

Applicants are reminded to monitor their LSAC account to ensure that the account is current so that their CAS report will be released to us on a timely basis. CAS reports are released to Penn Carey Law when all transcripts, at least two letters of recommendation, and an LSAT score and LSAT writing sample (unless only applying with GRE and/or GMAT scores) are received. In addition, all applicable fees must be paid to LSAC in order for a CAS report to be released.
**Recommendation Forms and Letters

Penn Carey Law requires that you submit your letters through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service.**Your CAS report will not be released to Penn Carey Law until at least two letters of recommendation are on file with LSAC and assigned to Penn Carey Law. This service is included with your Credential Assembly Service registration. You must use the letter of recommendation form available online through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service for each letter submitted to LSAC. Please do not send letters directly to Penn Carey Law, unless directed by the Admissions office.

Letters of recommendation from individuals who can comment on your intellectual capacity and analytical and written communication skills are extremely useful in a rigorous selection process. Therefore, we require two letters of recommendation from individuals who have served as recent academic instructors or advisors. However, if you have been out of school for several years and obtaining academic references will present a hardship, letters from employers or others who have worked closely with you are sufficient. Note that we will accept up to four letters of recommendation; however, your application is deemed complete with two letters of recommendation. We do not hold applications from going out to review for letters of recommendation beyond the required two. Therefore, please make sure your recommenders get your letters of recommendation in to LSAC in a timely fashion.

Character and Fitness Verification

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

The Admissions Committee requires that every applicant answer questions pertaining to character and fitness. If you answer yes to any of these questions, you must provide an explanation in the space provided on the Application for Admission. We caution you to err on the side of full disclosure as any discrepancies will be investigated and may be reported to LSAC's Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process Subcommittee.

Personal Statement

The Admissions Committee requires that every applicant submit an original example of written expression. The purpose of this personal statement is to provide you with an opportunity to submit information that you deem important to your candidacy. You may wish to describe your experiences and interests - intellectual, personal and/or professional - and how you will contribute to the Penn Carey Law community and/or the legal profession. Please try to limit your statement to two pages, double-spaced, as a suggested length. In addition, mark as "Personal Statement" and include your name and LSAC account number on each page.

Optional Essays

If you wish, you may write an additional essay on any of the following topics. These optional essays allow you an opportunity to provide the admissions committee with additional relevant information that you were not able to include in your personal statement. Please include the essay with your application by electronically attaching it to your application before submission through LSAC. You are welcome to submit as many or as few optional essays as you choose. Include your name and LSAC account number on each page. Please limit any optional essay to one page, double-spaced and title it appropriately. Any optional essay(s) you choose to submit should respond to one or more of the following prompts:

• These are the core strengths that make Penn Carey Law the best place to receive a rigorous, collaborative, and engaging legal education: genuine integration with associated disciplines; transformative, forward-looking faculty scholarship; highly-regarded experiential learning through clinics and our pro bono pledge; innovative, hands-on global engagement; and a manifest commitment to professional development and collegiality. These qualities define Penn Carey Law. What defines you? How do your goals and values match Penn Carey Law's core strengths?

• Penn Carey Law is committed to achieving an expansive and welcoming law school community that brings a broad range of ideas, experiences, and perspectives to our classrooms. Tell us about how you will contribute to our Penn Carey Law community.

• Describe a significant challenge you have faced. What have you learned from this challenge?

• What is your motivation for pursuing a JD degree?

• What strength or quality do you have that most people might not recognize?

• If you do not think that your academic record or standardized test scores accurately reflect your ability to succeed in law school, please tell us why.

Applying for Joint-Degree Programs

Penn Carey Law leads in cross-disciplinary education of law students. Every year, a number of our applicants and students apply to more than 20 formal joint-degree programs, either contemporaneously with the Penn Carey Law application or in the first or second year of their law study. Additionally, on an ad hoc basis, students have successfully combined graduate study outside of these formal programs in other graduate and professional schools at the University of Pennsylvania. If you are interested in supplementing your legal education with study at other programs/schools at the University, we encourage you to discuss that interest with their Admissions Department. Note that you must apply individually to each program; admissions decisions are made by each program independently. You will find a list of most of our available formal joint-degree programs on the Application for Admission. Additionally, detailed information regarding each program may be found on our website at https://www.law.upenn.edu/crossdisciplinary/jointdegree/. If you are applying to another graduate program, or intend to, please provide the information requested in the Application Data section of the Application Questions.

Exception: If you are applying for the three year JD/MBA program, please do not apply through LSAC. Instead, you must apply exclusively through Wharton at http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/. In the Wharton application, you will find a Law School application supplement in the Program Specific Information section. Please reference the Instructions and Guidelines for JD/MBA Applicants in the Program Information section of the Wharton application for further important information. You may only apply to one of these degree programs per application cycle: either the JD or the three year JD/MBA. Once you have submitted an application for either the JD or the JD/MBA degree program, you cannot switch to the other degree program. You can still apply Early Decision Round 1 or Round 2 for the JD program with the three year JD/MBA application through Wharton.

Application Status/Questions

The Penn Carey Law Office of Admissions is committed to serving our applicants as efficiently and effectively as we can during the application process. We will notify you of the date upon which we receive your application in an email acknowledgment. Please be advised that it may take approximately 2 to 8 weeks from the date that we receive an application, depending on when in the cycle the application is submitted, to process and evaluate the file for completeness. At that time, we will inform you of any missing required documents if we have received the LSAC CAS report. Please note that we will not evaluate the file for completeness until we receive the CAS report. We will also notify you of the date upon which your application is complete. Once your file is complete, it is put in the queue for the Admissions Committee and files are evaluated on a rolling basis. It is difficult to predict how long your file may be in the review process as your file will be evaluated by several members of the Admissions Committee.

Applicants will be able to check the status of their application at any time using the Application Status Checker, Penn Carey Law's online status checker. To access the online status checker, you can go to our website at https://www.law.upenn.edu/admissions/how-to-apply.php. Please be sure that you have allowed adequate time for your application to be processed, completed, and evaluated before contacting the Office of Admissions to check on the status of your decision. Again, you can always check on the status of your application by accessing the online status checker. Also, if you contact the Office of Admissions, please understand that due to the large volume of applications and supporting documents that we receive, we may not be able to immediately verify whether a specific item has been received and filed with your application. Please keep checking the Application Status Checker to verify receipt of required application documents.
**Email Notification

Please note that an email address is required.**We communicate via email with applicants regarding the status of their application; thus, it is imperative that you provide an email address on your application and it remains current throughout the admissions process. You will be notified by email when your application is received, again when your application file is completed, and possibly at other times to update you on the status of your application.

Please promptly notify us of any changes to your email address or any changes to your other contact information. Applicants should be aware of their email service provider's procedures for spam filtering that may affect delivery of any email communications sent from the Penn Carey Law Office of Admissions. Steps should be taken to ensure that messages can be delivered promptly.

Reapplication

Applicants who are denied admission may reapply to Penn Carey Law in a subsequent year. It should be noted, however, that candidates are unlikely to be admitted unless there is some significant change since their previous application. Previous applicants who wish to reapply must:

• Submit the current application, a new personal statement, and résumé

• Submit the $85 application fee

• Register with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service if registration is no longer current, and pay for an additional report

• Send updated transcript(s) to LSAC for all academic work - undergraduate, graduate, and/or professional - completed since the last application

• While not required, we strongly suggest that you submit two new letters of recommendation to replace or supplement previously submitted letters

**TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID

Tuition and Fees (2024-2025)**Tuition $74,688

Learning Support Fee $1,234

General Fee $3,954

Health Clinical Fee $716
**Sub-Total Tuition and Fees: $80,592

Living Expenses (2024-2025)**Room and Board $20,520

Books and Supplies $2,600

Health Insurance $4,412

Miscellaneous $1,784

Transportation $944

**Sub-Total Living Expenses: $30,260

Cost of Attendance $110,852**The General Fee is a partial contribution toward the support of the Student Health Service, graduate student activities, recreational facilities, the physical development of the University, and other services not directly associated with specific courses. The Trustees reserve the right at any time to amend the regulations concerning tuition, fees, and method of payment and to make such changes applicable to students currently enrolled in the University as well as to new students. Tuition and fees are adjusted annually. The living expenses estimate will vary according to personal lifestyles.

Applying for Financial Aid

Admissions decisions at Penn Carey Law consider the full context of each applicant's life experiences, which may include socio-economic factors, to ensure a holistic evaluation. Moreover, an applicant's financial circumstance does not negatively influence our admissions decision-making. The need-based financial aid evaluation is conducted only after an admissions decision is rendered. It is the policy of Penn Carey Law, insofar as possible, to assist deserving students with their legal education by reducing the burden of financial pressures. Financial assistance is available to qualifying applicants in the form of need-based aid (grants), merit scholarships, public interest scholarships, the Toll Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program, and federal and private student loans.

If you are interested in applying for need-based aid, complete the requisite financial aid forms, described below. We recommend that you submit the above forms promptly after admission and before March 1. If admitted after March 1, please submit these forms as soon as possible after admission.

Need-Based Aid

To be considered for need-based financial assistance (grants) at Penn Carey Law, we use the financial information that you provide for yourself, your parent(s), and if applicable, your spouse. Applicants for need-based financial aid are required to submit two applications:

1. the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is available online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Penn Carey Law's FAFSA school code is 003378.

2. the CSS Profile Application at http://student.collegeboard.org/profile. There is a $25 fee. Need-eligible students who enroll at Penn Carey Law will receive a $25 tuition reimbursement for this fee at the time of matriculation. Note: We strongly encourage you to provide your social security number (SSN) on the CSS Profile Application and the application for admission form. Applications submitted without the SSN can experience significant processing delays. Penn Carey Law's CSS Profile school code is 2495.

These forms must be received by March 1, if admitted before that date. Due to limited University resources, we must consider each admitted student's entire financial situation. Accordingly, Penn Carey Law requires applicants applying for need-based grants and their families (except those students age 30 and over by December 31 of the year of enrollment) to complete the parental, student, and spousal (if applicable) sections of the CSS Profile application. FAFSA applicants applying to graduate school are considered independent under federal guidelines and are only required to complete the student sections of the FAFSA application.

If you have any questions regarding the financial aid applications or evaluation process, please contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at 215.898.7743 or send an email to finaid@law.upenn.edu. Additional information about our need-based grant program can be found on our website at https://www.law.upenn.edu/admissions/financing/.

Merit Scholarship Programs

Penn Carey Law awards merit scholarships to a select number of students using a holistic approach that includes, but not limited to, academic achievements, leadership, service, and professional and life experiences. Most scholarships do not require a separate application, though if nominated, admitted students may be asked to interview and/or submit additional essays. Scholarship nominees and recipients are notified on a rolling basis between late January and late April.

Admitted students interested in the Toll Public Interest Scholarship are required to submit a separate application. Notice of this separate application will be emailed to admitted students throughout the spring.

Penn Carey Law offers a wide range of merit scholarship opportunities that provide generous funding and unique program benefits. You can read more about all of our scholarship programs on our website at https://www.law.upenn.edu/admissions/financing/.

Students must remain in good academic standing and be enrolled as a full-time student to retain their Law School scholarship. Good academic standing requirements can be found at https://www.law.upenn.edu/academics/jd-requirements.php.

Toll Loan Repayment Assistance Program (TolLRAP)

Penn Carey Law is committed to promoting the pursuit of public interest careers, and TolLRAP offers generous repayment assistance, on an annual basis, to Penn Carey Law graduates working in public sector careers. A full description of TolLRAP can be found on our website at https://www.law.upenn.edu/admissions/financing/.Loans

Various federal and private loans are available to help students fund their education at Penn (repayment terms and interest vary). Students can borrow through the Federal Direct, Federal Direct Graduate PLUS, and other student loan programs. Application and program details can be found at https://srfs.upenn.edu/financial-aid/loan-types.

Please note, if you are applying for loans only, you need only submit the FAFSA. The CSS Profile application is only required for students who are applying for need-based grants.

International Students

International students may apply for need-based aid (grants) and loans from private student loan lenders. Please note that student loans for international students require a U.S. cosigner. U.S. federal student loans are not available to international students. More information on private student loans can be found on Penn's website at https://srfs.upenn.edu/financial-aid/loan-types.

International students admitted to Penn will also be considered for the merit scholarships described above. International students are eligible to participate in our Toll Loan Repayment Assistance Program (TolLRAP).

Please tell us how your background, perspective, or life experience(s) have led you to pursue law school and/or how they have influenced what you hope to achieve through your legal education. (suggested page limit: two pages double-spaced in 12pt font)

1. Law school and the practice of law are both rewarding and challenging. Among the qualities it takes to succeed in both are resilience, integrity, empathy, diligence, maturity, and the ability to engage across differences. Please describe how you have developed, cultivated, and/or exhibited one or more of these qualities in your life. required(maximum characters 3000)
2. We understand that professional resumes do not necessarily reflect every major responsibility or position a candidate has ever held. We invite you to further expand upon your work history, familial obligations, or other significant contributions to your household (including part-time jobs or roles assumed while attending high school and/or college). Please note this question is optional. (maximum characters 1500)
3. Please describe your interests and hobbies.required (maximum characters 200)
4. Some applicants know where they want to begin their legal practice. If you have such specific geographic preferences, please identify them. (maximum characters 200)

Why UVA Law (optional)

If you have specific reasons for wanting to attend UVA Law that are not discussed elsewhere in your application, you are welcome to address those here. Please note this question is optional. (suggested page limit: two pages double-spaced in 12pt font)

Should you wish to address other topics, please upload them here. If multiple topics are addressed, please upload them as separate, descriptively labeled documents.

You will not be penalized if you do not submit optional addenda. Please use your best judgment as to whether optional addenda are relevant to your situation. You should not submit published written work, research projects, theses, or other documents unrelated to the application. They will not be considered.

Attach a current and professional resume.

If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," you must attach an addendum explaining the circumstances. After submitting this application, you have an ongoing obligation to immediately notify the Office of Admissions of new or additional information pertaining to these questions. Note that the existence of a criminal history will not, by itself, disqualify an applicant for admission.

ABA STANDARD 504 STATEMENT: In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every US jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

As you provide responses to the questions set forth in this section, please do so carefully and be mindful that in the future, when you seek admission to one or more state bars, you will be required to respond to similar conduct questions. For this reason, please pay careful attention to provide detailed, complete and accurate responses both on this application, as well as in response to similar questions that are posed to you in the future. Failure to provide complete, accurate and consistent responses, or to omit information that is requested, can cause serious problems for you when you are seeking bar admission.

1. Have you ever been subject to verbal or written discipline (informal or formal, and of any type, such as but not limited to warning, reprimand, suspension, dismissal, and/or detrimental impact to any benefit/privilege) for scholastic or other reasons in any of the colleges, universities, graduate or professional schools you have attended (including organizations you have participated in at these institutions), or by any employer?

2. Have you ever been cited for, charged with, taken into custody for, arrested for, indicted for, tried for, pled guilty to, or convicted of, the violation of any law, excluding minor traffic or parking violations? Note: incidents involving alcohol or drug possession, driving while intoxicated or impaired, damage to property, injury to person(s), driving without insurance, leaving the scene of an accident, driving on a suspended license, and/or reckless driving are NOT considered minor offenses for the purposes of this section and should be disclosed here. This question does NOT require you to disclose information concerning any arrest or criminal charge that has been expunged at the time you submit this application. This question does NOT require you to disclose incidents that were the subject of a juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding.

3. Have you ever been party to a civil lawsuit?

4. Are you aware of any charges, discipline and/or accusations pending or expected to be brought against you of any kind that would satisfy any of the foregoing character & fitness-related questions?

This section is optional.

If you would like UVA Law to consider GRE General Test scores, GMAT scores, or both, please attach copies of all such score reports here. These score reports should show the test scores attained as well as the corresponding percentile rank of those scores. While PDFs of your score reports are helpful aids to our Admissions Committee members, they are not a substitute for the official score reports sent directly to UVA Law by ETS and/or GMAC. You must also direct ETS and/or GMAC to send official score reports directly to UVA Law.

JD PROGRAM (First-Year Entry) Application Instructions

We begin accepting applications for the JD program on Monday, September 1, 2025. Applying on or before our March 1, 2026 priority deadline guarantees that we will issue an admissions decision no later than April 10, 2026. If you wish to apply under our Binding Expedited Decision option, we must receive all components of your application by 5:00 p.m. ET on March 1, 2026. Any Binding Expedited Decision applications completed after 5:00 p.m. ET on March 1 will be treated as Regular Decision applications. We will review all Regular Decision applications received after March 1, but we do not guarantee an admissions decision by April 10. All components of the application should be written in your own words, without the use of artificial intelligence tools.

University of Virginia School of Law Admissions Process

The admissions process at the University of Virginia School of Law is designed to build an extraordinary community of students who will thrive in a collegial and academically rigorous environment and go on to become responsible leaders, public servants, and successful members of the legal profession. To that end, we seek an entering class of forward-thinking students who exemplify the qualities of resilience, integrity, empathy, diligence, maturity, and the ability to engage across differences.

At the most basic level, our goal is to understand each applicant as a person, and to evaluate the unique path that led them to apply to UVA. Our evaluation criteria are holistic and necessarily assess all components of the application. We consider intellectual aptitude and academic achievement, as well as individual life experiences, obstacles overcome, contributions through service and leadership, a unique worldview, demonstrations of strength of character, the nature and quality of any work experience, military service, and an applicant's potential to contribute to and succeed at UVA Law.

Understanding each story will enable us to offer admission to students who will thrive at UVA Law and who will contribute to the experience of those around them. We are committed to welcoming, in the words of our University mission statement, "talented students from all walks of life," and will continue to do our best to be a welcoming and inclusive community--one that values the unique gifts of our students and, above all, cares for them as individuals.

We do not consider an applicant's race, financial need, or family history with UVA as part of the admissions decision.

How Applications Are Reviewed

We assess each applicant as an individual in accordance with the University of Virginia School of Law admissions process and LSAC's Statement of Good Admissions Practices. This assessment considers not only standardized test scores and undergraduate grades, but also the strength of an applicant's undergraduate or graduate curriculum, trends in grades, the maturing effect of experiences since college, the nature and quality of any work experience, significant achievement in extracurricular activities in college, service in the military, contributions to campus or community through service and leadership, and personal qualities displayed. An applicant's experiences surmounting economic, social, or educational difficulties with grace and courage, demonstrating the capacity to grow in response to challenge, and showing compassion for the welfare of others can all play a role in the admissions decision.

Race is not a factor in the admissions decision. Neither is an applicant's family history with UVA. Information related to an applicant's race or ethnicity is collected for state and federal reporting requirements. Application readers do not have access to reports or individual or collective class data that includes race, ethnicity, or family ties to UVA.

Financial need is not a factor in the admissions decision. If you wish to be considered for loans or scholarships, including Unsubsidized Student Loans, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), designating the University of Virginia as a recipient of your need analysis report. See www.law.virginia.edu/financialaid for more information.

Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis. After confirmation of application completion and processing, each file undergoes multiple phases of holistic review. Select applicants will be invited to interview with a member of our admissions committee and notified of their decision shortly thereafter. All interviews are initiated by the Office of Admissions; applicants may not request an interview. Please note that our team manually processes each application and may experience delays during high-volume times. We make every effort to notify applicants of their admissions decision within a reasonable timeframe. The release of decisions is subject to many factors, and delays in decisions do not necessarily reflect negatively on the applicant. We appreciate your patience in this process.

BINDING EXPEDITED DECISION OPTION

If you wish to apply under the Binding Expedited Decision option, you must follow the requirements of the Regular Decision option (below) AND go to the "Binding Decision Option" tab in the e-application and click the box acknowledging agreement with the terms of the Binding Expedited Decision option. Binding Expedited Decision applicants will be notified of their decision within 21 business days of the date we receive all necessary components of the application (including the residency determination for those applicants claiming in-state educational privileges). Applicants admitted through the Binding Expedited Decision option are eligible for both loans and scholarships just like applicants admitted through the Regular Decision option. Please note that most applicants admitted to UVA Law will receive their admissions decision well before they receive any financial aid information. As a result, the Binding Expedited Decision option is best suited only to individuals who are sure that UVA Law is their top choice and who are also prepared to begin law school at UVA in August 2026, regardless of what their financial aid awards may be.

If you wish to apply under the Binding Expedited Decision option, we must receive all components of your application by 5:00 p.m. ET on March 1, 2026. All applications submitted or completed after the March 1 priority deadline will be reviewed as Regular Decision applications.

REGULAR DECISION OPTION

Applicants should ensure that we have received a completed application by March 1, 2026. In addition to the completed, signed application form, you must submit the following items before your application will be deemed complete and forwarded to the Admissions Committee for review:

1.      Transcript of prior academic record, submitted through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS);
   

2.      A valid Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test score;
   

3.      At least two, but no more than four, letters of recommendation;
   

4.      A personal statement and a résumé. Other optional addenda may be submitted as described below;
   

5.      $85 application fee; and
   

6.      Application for Virginia In-State Educational Privileges, if seeking classification as a resident student.
   

Please note that it can take several days for an application submitted through the LSAC electronic application service to reach us.

Transcript of Prior Academic Record

You must register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). LSAC will receive your undergraduate and any graduate transcripts, copy them, and forward the transcripts to the law schools to which you apply. Do not send your academic transcripts directly to the UVA Law Admissions Office. For more information about the CAS, go to the LSAC website at www.LSAC.org.

Standardized Test Scores

You must submit a score from one of the following approved standardized tests:

1.      The LSAT;
   

2.      The GMAT; or
   

3.      The GRE General Test.
   

The standardized test score or scores that you submit must have been earned on or after June 1, 2020 and must meet any other validity or timing requirements set out by the organization that administers that particular test. See www.lsac.org, www.mba.com, and/or www.ets.org/gre for more information about the three accepted standardized tests and the organizations' score reporting policies.

Because LSAC provides the Credential Assembly Service, any and all LSAT scores you may have earned within the past five years will be reported on the CAS report. If you choose to submit GRE General Test and/or GMAT scores in lieu of or in addition to an LSAT score, we require you to submit all scores that you have earned on that test within the past five years. As an example, Applicant A has taken the LSAT once and the GMAT twice within the past five years. Applicant A's LSAT score will automatically appear on her CAS report; if she chooses to report her GMAT scores as well, Applicant A must direct both GMAT scores to UVA Law. As another example, Applicant B has taken the GRE General Test three times in the past five years but has not taken the LSAT. Applicant B must direct all three GRE scores to UVA Law.

Applicants who submit GRE or GMAT scores must: (1) request that all scores be sent directly to UVA Law; and (2) attach copies of all score reports to their applications. The attached score reports should show both the raw scores attained and the percentile rank of those scores. While the GRE and/or GMAT score reports you attach to your application are a helpful aid to our Admissions Committee members, they are not a substitute for the official score reports sent directly to UVA Law by ETS and/or GMAC. If you are applying with only GRE and/or GMAT scores, we will not consider your application to be complete until we receive your official score reports from ETS and/or GMAC.

UVA Law's school code for GRE score reports is 4266. Please note that this code differs from ETS's code for the University of Virginia. Be sure to use UVA Law's school code - 4266 - when sending your GRE score to UVA Law. Applicants who wish to direct GMAT scores to the law school can search for UVA Law by name.

Letters of Recommendation

You must provide at least two letters of recommendation. We accept no more than four recommendation letters. Recommenders should evaluate your potential as a law student, so letters from members of your college or graduate school faculty who can discuss your academic performance are particularly helpful. If you have been out of school for several years and have difficulty securing an academic reference, you may substitute letters from employers or others who have worked closely with you. In any event, letters should address the skills necessary for rigorous, advanced academic work: the ability to read complex textual material closely, to analyze it carefully, and to present reasoned conclusions in writing and orally; maturity; self-discipline; commitment; and professionalism.

UVA Law requires applicants to submit letters through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation service. This service is included with your CAS registration. Letters submitted through the LSAC service are copied and sent to us along with your CAS Law School Report and can be read online immediately. Updated reports are sent immediately if letters are received after your initial CAS Law School Report has been sent. To use this service, follow the instructions on the LSAC website.

Personal Statement (suggested page limit: two pages double-spaced in 12pt font)

Please tell us how your background, perspective, or life experience(s) have led you to pursue law school and/or how they have influenced what you hope to achieve through your legal education.

Why UVA Law (optional) (suggested page limit: two pages double-spaced in 12pt font)

If you have specific reasons for wanting to attend UVA Law that are not discussed elsewhere in your application, you are welcome to address those here. Please note this question is optional.

Optional Addenda

Should you wish to address other topics, the "Optional Addenda" section can be used to address as many topics as you wish. If multiple topics will be addressed, we prefer that you separate topics and upload each as separately (and descriptively) labeled.

Please do not upload academic projects, publications, or other examples of previous work.

Application Fee

Unless the application fee has been waived, all applicants are required to pay the $85 application fee using a credit card through the LSAC secure server. Follow the instructions on the LSAC website. If you received a waiver for the LSAT or LSDAS fees from the Law School Admission Council, you automatically qualify for an application fee waiver from UVA Law. When you apply electronically through LSAC, the waiver will apply automatically.

Applicants serving in an established public service commitment such as Teach for America, the Peace Corps, Americorps/VISTA, CityYear, or in a Truman Public Service Fellowship, will have the application fee waived. E-mail us at admissions@law.virginia.edu for a fee waiver.

We are happy to waive the application fee for any applicant for whom payment of the fee will prevent them from applying or would pose a hardship. E-mail us at admissions@law.virginia.edu for a fee waiver.

We cannot under any circumstances refund a fee already paid via LSAC.

Application for Virginia In-State Educational Privileges

If you are claiming entitlement to in-state educational privileges, you must submit the appropriate residency application with your application for admission. Failure to submit the application, or to supply any supplemental information that may be requested by the Office of Virginia Status, may delay consideration of your application or result in your classification as a nonresident candidate.

For further information concerning Virginia residency status, see Virginia Residency.

Application Information for International or Foreign-Educated Students

Transcripts of postsecondary work completed at a college or university outside the United States or Canada must be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). The one exception to this requirement is for work completed outside the United States or Canada through a study abroad, consortium or exchange program sponsored by a US or Canadian institution, where the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. An International Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and incorporated into your CAS report.

We do not require TOEFL scores from JD applicants. However, applicants should be aware that competency in English is critical to success in the study of law at the University of Virginia, and that demonstrated fluency in English is an important consideration in evaluating applications. Should you choose to submit a TOEFL score, you must contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL code for the CAS is 0058. Your score will be included in the International Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your CAS Law School Report.

Questions about the Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at (215) 968-1001, or LSACinfo@LSAC.org.

Importance of Full Disclosure and Continued Good Conduct

Lawyers are held to high ethical standards. Failure to disclose an act or event is often more significant, and can lead to more serious consequences, than the act or event itself. Once the application has been submitted, you have a continuing duty to maintain high standards of academic, professional, and personal conduct, in addition to a continuing duty to inform the Admissions Office of any changes to the information in the application, or of any new information without which the application as previously submitted would be inaccurate or incomplete. Your duty to inform the Admissions Office of any changes continues until the time you receive a final admissions decision and, if admitted, until the time you matriculate as a student at the University of Virginia School of Law.

False, misleading, or incomplete answers or statements made in this application, or in any materials submitted to the Admissions Office, the Financial Aid Office, or any administrative unit of the University of Virginia could constitute a basis for denial of admission, rescission of an offer of admission, or denial of admission to the practice of law. Such actions also may be reported to the Law School Admission Council for investigation of misconduct in the admissions process.

The Admissions Committee, through the Office of Admissions, reserves the right to impose any reasonable sanctions on applicants who are found to have violated continued standards of good conduct--including, but not limited to, denial of admission or rescission of an offer of admission.

ABA Standard 504 Statement

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every US jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Students with Disabilities

Disability status is not a factor in the admissions decision. Prospective students who have questions concerning accommodations for physical disabilities, cognitive disabilities, or other disabling conditions should contact the Office of Student Affairs at studentaffairs@law.virginia.edu or (434) 924-3737. All information will be confidential except to the extent necessary to make accommodations.

Contact Us:

admissions@law.virginia.edu
www.law.virginia.edu/admissions
Phone: (434) 924-7351
FAX: (434) 982-2128
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903-1738

Every applicant must submit a Statement of Purpose responding to the following prompt:

What motivates you to pursue law? How does attending law school align with your ambitions, goals, and vision for your future?

The Statement of Purpose must be one to two pages in length, using double-spacing, one-inch margins, and a font size that is comfortable to read (no smaller than 11 point). Please place (a) the title “Statement of Purpose” in the document header, left-aligned, and (b) your full name in the document header, right-aligned.

Every applicant must submit a Statement of Perspective, responding to the following prompt:

The Admissions Committee makes every effort to understand who you are as an individual and potential Harvard Law School student and graduate. Please share how your experiences, background, and/or interests have shaped you and will shape your engagement in the HLS community and the legal profession.

The Statement of Perspective must be one to two pages in length, using double-spacing, one-inch margins, and a font size that is comfortable to read (no smaller than 11 point). Please place (a) the title “Statement of Perspective” in the document header, left-aligned, and (b) your full name in the document header, right-aligned.

This section is optional.

We encourage you to provide any relevant information that may be helpful to us in making an informed decision on your candidacy. If you need additional space beyond the application questions and required materials, you may attach a brief addendum below.

We require a resume as part of the application. Please limit your resume to one or two pages in length.

The following links are to sample resumes. You do not have to follow the formatting used in these resumes, but all three are examples of well-organized, easy-to-read drafts.

• Sample 1
• Sample 2
• Sample 3

Application Toolkit: Resume

PLEASE ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.

If you answer “yes” to any of the questions below, you must provide details in the space provided.

If you are a reapplicant, please note that responses to Character and Fitness questions from your previous application(s) to Harvard Law School may be reviewed before a final decision is reached on your candidacy.

1. At any educational institution, have you ever been found responsible for behavioral misconduct that resulted in anything more than a verbal reprimand or are any such charges pending?

2. At any educational institution, have you ever been found responsible for academic misconduct or are any such charges pending?

3. In a professional setting, have you been subject to disciplinary sanctions, or are any charges pending?

4. Have you ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to, any felony or misdemeanor, other than:

• an arrest or other detention that did not result in a conviction, or in which a conviction was vacated;
• a first conviction for any of the following misdemeanors: drunkenness, simple assault, speeding, minor traffic violations, affray or disturbance of the peace; or
• any misdemeanor conviction that occurred more than five years before your application for admission, unless you were also sentenced to imprisonment, or were convicted of any additional offense within the five year period.

Note that you are not required to answer “yes” to this question, or provide an explanation, if the criminal adjudication or conviction has been expunged, sealed, annulled, pardoned, destroyed, erased, impounded, or otherwise ordered by a court to be kept confidential.

5. Are you currently deferring enrollment at a law school that requires a commitment not to apply elsewhere?

6. Have you ever attended a law school?

7. If you answered yes to any of the above questions, please explain here. (maximum characters 500)

Harvard Law School Juris Doctor (J.D.) Program

We are pleased that you have chosen to apply for admission to Harvard Law School (HLS). We encourage you to explore our website to learn more about our school and the J.D. program.

This application is only for students who meet the eligibility criteria below. If you are a Junior Deferral Program or Transfer applicant, please do not use this application. Ineligible candidates who submit an application will not be considered for admission and will not receive an application fee refund.

J.D. Eligibility Requirements

• All applicants must hold or expect to hold a bachelor's degree by August of the year for which they apply to enter (except in cases where all requirements are met prior to September and degree conferral occurs after September).
• Applicants may apply for admission to Harvard Law School through the regular J.D. application no more than three times. Applications submitted via the Junior Deferral Program and the Transfer pathways do not count towards this cap.

Submitting Your Application

The J.D. Application opens on September 15, 2026 at 12:00 a.m. ET and closes on February 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. We encourage the submission of your application in advance of this deadline to ensure its timely review.

Applications must be completed and submitted through the LSAC website. You will receive an email confirmation with your status checker credentials when we receive your application from LSAC. Once the required materials have been successfully processed, you will receive a subsequent email notification that your application is complete and ready for review.

You will be able to submit updates through LSAC and your status checker while your application is under consideration. Note that we will not replace materials you have already submitted and cannot hold the review of your file for an upcoming standardized test score or other additional material. We do not accept any hard copy materials.

Admissions Decisions

During the application review process, we will select a number of applicants to interview for admission. If you are selected to interview, you will be notified via email. These interviews are by invitation only and are conducted throughout the admissions cycle, starting in November.

We will begin releasing admissions decisions in January. We aim to notify all applicants of their admission decisions by early April. For more information on this year's cycle timeline, please visit our website.

Decisions will be communicated via the status checker. We will not release any information on an application to anyone other than the applicant. We are obligated to protect confidentiality and privacy; these policies help to serve that purpose.

All decisions are final. We do not have a reconsideration process and will not reconsider or review any released decisions.

Application Components

Please review the instructions for the application components carefully before completing your application. You may also refer to the resources available on our Application Toolkit.

1. Application Form

We ask all applicants to complete the application questions fully. Required fields will be marked accordingly.

2. Application Fee or Fee Waiver

The application fee is $90 (non-refundable). You may pay the fee by credit or debit card when you submit your application.

If payment of the application fee would pose a financial hardship, we recommend applying for the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Fee Waiver Program. HLS will waive your application fee if you are the recipient of an LSAC fee waiver. If you are not able to obtain a fee waiver from LSAC, you may request a need-based fee waiver directly from HLS by completing the HLS Fee Waiver Request Form. The HLS Fee Waiver Request Form will close on February 10, 2026. We cannot accommodate any fee waiver requests made after this date.

3. Standardized Test Score

All applicants to the J.D. program must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Examinations General Test (GRE). Applicants must take either the LSAT or GRE by February 1 to ensure that scores are available by the application deadline (February 15).

LSAC will report all LSAT scores from the past five years. We will not consider a GRE score in the evaluation of your application if you have a valid LSAT score on file.

If you will not have a valid LSAT score on file this cycle and elect to apply with the GRE instead, you must report all valid test scores from the previous five-year period. To report GRE General Test scores to HLS, you should log into your ETS account and select Harvard Law School as a recipient of results using the school code 2135.

4. Transcripts

Applicants must have all undergraduate and graduate transcripts sent to LSAC after registering for LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). If you completed any postsecondary coursework outside the U.S. (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign work through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. If this is the case, please be certain that your home transcript lists the course title, credit level, and grade awarded. Visit the LSAC website for more information on requesting transcripts.

5. Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. Two letters of recommendation are required. You may submit up to three. We strongly recommend that at least one letter of recommendation come from an academic source.

6. Resume

We require a resume as part of the application. Please limit your resume to one or two pages. Please visit the HLS J.D. Admissions website for samples.