FAQs: Admissions Process
How do I submit my application to the Law School?
The Law School has a paperless admissions process and only accepts applications through the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) Electronic Application process. The Admissions Office will not accept paper copies of your application materials. Paper materials and updates will not be retained or reviewed and will be discarded. You must register with LSAC before applying to the Law School.
What is the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS)?
The Law School (and nearly all ABA-approved law schools) requires applicants to register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (LSDAS). We require a copy of your LSDAS law school report and all application components and supporting materials, including all transcripts and letters of recommendation, must be processed through LSDAS. Please review the LSDAS website for more information about this service.
LSAC has also developed a campaign called DiscoverLaw.org, which provides information for racially and ethnically diverse students on career opportunities in the law and is a great resource for law school applicants.
Is there an LSAT or GPA cutoff?
Absolutely not. The Admissions Committee reads every application seriously and there are no numeric cutoffs. While our applicant pool has strong numeric credentials, the non-numerical components in an application are just as important. Accordingly, our admitted students have a wide range of GPAs and LSAT scores and are a varied and interesting group of students.
How many applications does the Law School receive?
We received over 5,400 applications for our class of approximately 190 students in the 2008-2009 admissions cycle.
How important is each component of the application?
We do not have a valuation system for any part of the application, which means that no component of the application is assigned a numeric value. The Admissions Committee takes a holistic view of each applicant and reviews every part of every application. The importance of any given component of the application will depend on the application as a whole.
How does the Admissions Committee review applications?
We have a rolling admissions process and we encourage you to apply early. The Admissions Committee reads files in the order that they have completed and issues decisions on a rolling basis throughout the admissions cycle. The Admissions Committee usually begins releasing decisions towards the end of the year and will continue into the spring until all decisions have been released.
How can I check the status of my application?
You may check the status of your application with our online status checker. After we receive your application, you will receive your log-in information in an email from the Admissions Office.
When will I receive a decision on my application?
Generally speaking, you may expect a decision within eight to ten weeks after your file is completed. However, depending on when you apply in the admissions cycle, you may receive a decision sooner or it may take a bit longer in light of our holistic review process and the volume of applications that we receive.
What if I need to update my application?
If it is necessary to update your application, you must email your updated information to the Admissions Office at admissions@law.uchicago.edu. Electronic updates will be uploaded to your file in our electronic database. However, if you are sending an updated transcript or an additional letter of recommendation, you must send them through LSDAS. Please do not send any paper materials or updates to the Admissions Office. Paper materials and updates will not be reviewed or retained and will be discarded. We strongly encourage you to submit all materials with your initial application.
Does the Law School grant interviews?
Unfortunately, we are unable to conduct personal interviews of all applicants and the Committee will not grant requests for interviews. However, we do have a small interviewing program, but interviews are offered only at the Committee's request. After an initial review of your application, we may invite you to come to Chicago for an evaluative interview if the Committee determines that an interview would be helpful to its consideration of your file.
Do you grant fee waivers?
The Law School is happy to honor fee waivers granted by LSAC. If LSAC has granted a fee waiver to you, we will automatically waive the application fee.
What is the certification letter and do I need to submit it?
The certification letter is only required for applicants who pay the $75 application fee by check or money order instead of paying electronically. If paying by check or money order, you must print the certification letter from our application materials available from LSAC, sign the letter, include a check payable to the University of Chicago Law School, and mail it to the Admissions Office. The certification letter is not required for applicants who pay their application fee electronically by credit card - you do not need to print it and send it to the Admissions Office.
Please note: If your application fee is waived because you are (1) a current Teach for America member or alumnus, or (2) currently enrolled as a University of Chicago student, you must print the certification letter, sign it, write on the letter the reason that your fee is waived, and mail the letter to the Admissions Office.
Does the Law School offer deferred admission?
Admission is granted only for the year for which you apply. However, the Admissions Committee considers requests for deferred admission on a case-by-case basis and is often willing to grant deferrals under appropriate circumstances. (We recognize that fellowships, graduate programs, and other life circumstances may necessitate delaying matriculation for one or two years.) In order accept an offer of deferment, you must withdraw your applications from all other law schools and may not seek deferred admission elsewhere. You also may not apply to other law schools while deferred. Deferment requests for admitted students committed to participating in Teach for America will automatically be granted when requested.
What are the language requirements for international students?
The University requires that all applicants who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The TOEFL or IELTS must have been taken within two years of the date of the application. Please review the Information for International Students to learn more about the required proficiency levels. Domestic applicants whose native language is not English and who have not attended schools where instruction is in English may also be required to submit these English language test scores.
The TOEFL or IELTS will not be necessary if the applicant studied in full-time status for a least one academic year, within five years previous to the date of his or her application, in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or English medium universities in Canada or South Africa. Students who have studied in English in other countries are not exempt from this requirement and must provide either TOEFL or IELTS scores with their applications.
