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Waitlist Process - 2026

Waitlist 

Thank you for your continued interest in UChicago Law. We value the time you've already put into this process and we want to give you as much information as we can at this moment. Please know, the waitlist is always unpredictable so information below may change in real time, based on the admissions cycle. Our Waitlist FAQ also has information to answer your questions. 

Waitlist Before May 1, 2026

What You Can Do:

  1. Submit your Letter of Continued Interest: If you would like to share additional information with the Admissions Committee, please submit your Letter of Continued Interest via the Applicant Status Portal by May 1, 2026. Letters will only be accepted via the ASO portal.
  2. Send Updated Transcripts (if applicable): If you are still completing your undergraduate degree, please send an updated transcript once new grades are released via the Law School Admissions Council CAS Report process.
  3. Send Significant Career Updates (if applicable): Please only submit this information if it is a significant career update like a new position, geographic change or new organization. If you are submitting a new resume, please email it to admissions@law.uchicago.edu as a PDF with changes highlighted.
  4. Hold Off Sending Additional Letters of Recommendation: We understand you may want to send additional information to the Admissions Committee, like new letters of recommendation. We have limited abilities to review this information. Please refrain from sending these additional letters. 

What You Should Know:

We continually review the waitlist during our Regular Decision application cycle. This does not, however, mean that we will update you to let you know your file is being re-reviewed. We will only reach out to you during this period of time under limited circumstances: (1) to invite you to interview with a member of the Admissions Committee, if you have not done so already, (2) to request additional information for the review of your file, or (3) to give you the good news you are hoping for - an admission offer. 

Historically, we have offered very few waitlist admissions offers before our deposit deadline of May 1. The majority of our waitlist offers come during the summer months. 

Waitlist - After May 1, 2026 

What You Can Do:

  1. Confirm your interest in UChicago Law: After our deposit deadline, we will reach out to you via email to explain the formal process for confirming your place on the waitlist for the summer. We will ask you to affirmatively confirm your waitlist spot via a confirmation process. If you do not do so, we will withdraw your application.
  2. Submit an updated Letter of Continued Interest: The email described above will include information on how to submit an updated Letter of Continued Interest. 

What you Should Know:

After our Deposit Deadline of May 1, we will likely have a better sense of our waitlist offers for the summer. We will plan to reach out to you via email by May 15, 2026 to explain steps to confirm your position on the waitlist. We will also update this website with any additional information we can share at that time. 

Waitlist - After June 1, 2026 

What You Can Do:

  1. Be Prepared: Historically, the majority our waitlist offers have been sent during June and July, though this can change based on the admissions cycle. Our waitlist offers move quickly. So if you have confirmed your interest in UChicago Law, please be prepared to make a decision swiftly. 

What You Should Know:

Deposited JD students will be required to submit a second seat deposit on June 15, 2025. It is possible - though impossible to predict - that spots may become available if students' plans have changed at that second deposit deadline. 

Every cycle is different, but traditionally, here is what you can expect from a waitlist offer. Often times we will reach out to you via email or phone to discuss the waitlist process. This is not a requirement for admission, but a good chance for us to connect with you and for you to ask questions. Waitlist admissions offers will come via email. After that initial email, the Financial Aid office will reach out via email with information on scholarships and financial aid. You will have your financial aid information before you need to make a deposit decision. We often give 3-5 days for you to make your final decision on a deposit deadline.