J.D. Admissions
FAQ
How do I apply?
Applicants must apply online through LSAC
What is the application deadline?
Regular application deadline for fall admission is March 31.
Does GW Law have an early decision/early action process?
Yes. We have a Binding Early Admission/Presidential Merit Scholarship Program. All applicants admitted through this program will be awarded a full-tuition scholarship. The application deadline for those seeking early admission is Dec 15; notification will be mailed on Jan 15. Applicants who seek but are not granted early admission will be considered in the regular admission process. For detailed information about this binding early admission program, click here.
When may I submit my application?
Applicants may submit their applications after October 1.
Does GW Law have a rolling admissions process?
Yes. Our regular admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis. We will begin making decisions in late December and will continue until every applicant has a final decision.
How long after I submit my application should I expect to receive a decision?
We do our best to get decisions in our regular admissions process out as quickly as possible. You should expect to receive a decision from us within 8 weeks of the date on which your file is complete.
Do I have a better chance of gaining admission if I apply early in the process?
Applying early does not significantly increase an applicant’s chances of gaining admission. We make admissions decisions very carefully through a thorough review process. It is not our goal to fill the fall entering class in the early months of the admissions cycle. Rather, we are looking to admit the strongest of our applicant pool. Therefore, even if you submit your application early (on October 1), you may not have a final decision until after the March 31 application deadline.
Are my chances of gaining admission better if I apply to the part-time (evening) program rather than to the full-time program?
No. Our admission standards are the same for both the full-time and the part-time programs. You should apply to the program in which you prefer to enroll.
If I start law school in the part-time program, may I transfer to the full-time program at some point and still complete my degree in a total of three years?
Yes. Students who complete their first semester as part-time students may transfer to the full-time program after the first semester of first year with the permission of the Dean of Students. Those students will continue to take their classes in the evening during the second semester of the first year, but will carry a full-time course load during that second semester. Those students will then take a 4-credit course during the summer following the first year to make up the credits they missed in the first semester of first year. At the start of the second year, those students will be full-time students and may take their classes in the day or evening. Students who transfer from the part-time program to the full-time program after the first semester (and who take the 4-credit summer course following first year) may complete their degrees in a total of three years.
What if I am on GW Law’s wait list? What can I do to increase my chances of gaining admission?
Each year we invite a number of strong applicants to be on our wait list. Please note that we do not rank our wait list. If and when we are able to make offers of admission to wait-listed applicants, we will review the entire list before making any final decisions.
If you are on our wait list and would like to add something to your file (for example, your last semester college grades, a work promotion, receipt of an award or honor, an additional recommendation, etc.), you certainly may do so. We will consider all information in your file when the time comes for us to review our wait list.
If I am on the wait list, when can I expect to receive a final decision?
We do our best to make decisions on wait-listed applicants as soon as we can. However, you should understand that some wait-listed candidates may not receive a final decision until July or August.
What are the requirements for admission?
Please visit our admission requirements page for full details.
What is the best major for a person who wishes to attend law school?
There is no one preferred major that best prepares a student for law school. Students come to law school (and do well) from all different academic backgrounds. We admit individuals who majored in English, foreign languages, history, political science, physics, biology, chemistry, music, art history, economics, mathematics, engineering, etc. What is most important in the law school admissions process is that an applicant has done well in his or her undergraduate curriculum and has illustrated the ability to do well in a rigorous and challenging course of study.
Are there any specific courses that I should take to help me be prepared for law school?
These are not requirements – but courses that may be useful include: logic, accounting, microeconomics, business law or Constitutional law (or any course that is taught using the case method of study), and legal research. Also, any course that introduces students to the American legal system will be helpful. Finally, students who are law-school-bound should be sure to take courses that require substantial research and writing.
My undergraduate GPA is lower than it should be. Will GW Law consider only the GPA in my major or only the GPA for my last two years of college when I was doing better?
The GPA that is important in our admissions process is your cumulative GPA – for your entire undergraduate career. We will, however, note an upward trend in your performance and certainly will consider any factors that influenced your performance in the semesters in which your performance was not at a level illustrative of your capabilities. You should include an addendum with your application explaining what happened in one or more semesters in which your performance was particularly poor.
Although I did not do as well as I should have in my undergraduate degree program, I did very well in my master’s degree program. Can GW Law consider my graduate GPA rather than my undergraduate GPA?
We certainly will consider any graduate work you have completed in our evaluation process. However, the graduate GPA is not as important to us as the undergraduate GPA.
My LSAT or GPA is lower than the GW Law median LSAT or median GPA. Do I have any chance of gaining admission or will my low LSAT score/GPA take me out of the running?
We consider each application in its entirety. We do not make any decisions based solely upon LSAT score or solely upon GPA. Of course, the stronger an applicant’s LSAT score and undergraduate GPA, the more likely it is that that candidate will gain admission. However, each year we admit some applicants who have both LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA’s below our medians. If your numbers are not very high, be sure that you make the other portions of your application as strong as possible.
When should I take the LSAT?
The LSAT is given four times a year in specific locations. It is not given online. You must have taken the LSAT within five years of your application in order to be considered for admission to our fall entering class.
If I take the LSAT more than once, will GW Law consider the high score or the average score?
We will consider each of your LSAT scores if you take the test more than once, but will give greater weight to the highest score.
How should I prepare for the LSAT?
The goal of all applicants should be to take the LSAT only once and to get the highest score they possibly can. To achieve this, preparation is critical.
There is no one best way for all individuals to prepare for the LSAT. You need to investigate the different preparation methods that are available and to determine which is the best for you. Some individuals are able to prepare on their own, using LSAT prep materials and old tests (you can purchase old LSAT’s from LSAC). Others need the discipline imposed by a formal LSAT prep course. Still others work best with individual tutoring. You need to investigate the different LSAT prep resources that are available in your area and decide what will work for you.
I already have taken the LSAT once and did very poorly. Should I take it again?
If you have a very weak LSAT score and believe you can do better, you should take the test again. Raising a low LSAT score will do a great deal to strengthen your application. Perhaps you can do something to prepare differently/better? If you feel that you can be better prepared and that you can raise your score, then you should take the test again. Since most law schools, including GW, place greater weight on the highest score, there really is no risk in taking the LSAT again.
Is there a minimum LSAT score that GW Law requires?
No. There is no minimum score. We will consider each and every application in its entirety – whether the LSAT score is 180 or 120. However, the stronger your LSAT score, the greater your chances of gaining admission. In the past several years, very few of our admitted applicants have had LSAT scores below 150.
I just do not do well on standardized tests. Should I explain this in my personal statement?
We do not recommend that you use your personal statement to explain a poor LSAT score (or a weak undergraduate GPA, for that matter). Your personal statement should not focus on making excuses or providing explanations for weaknesses in your record. Rather, your personal statement should be positive and should provide information that will help our admissions committee to understand what you will bring to our community and to the practice of law. It is your chance to highlight the things that make you unique and to provide information about yourself that is not included in the other parts of your application.
If you want to explain something negative in your record, whether it is a low LSAT score or a weak undergraduate performance, we suggest that you do so in a short addendum.
Does GW Law require letters of recommendation?
We do not require letters of recommendation. However, we urge applicants to submit two letters of recommendation if they wish. We will consider any letters of recommendation that are submitted in a timely fashion.
Does GW Law prefer that letters of recommendation be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service?
Yes. We prefer that applicants submit their letters of recommendation through LSAC. However, if recommenders wish to send individual letters to GW Law, we will accept them.
My college provides a credential evaluation service. May I submit letters of recommendation using my college service?
Yes. We will accept college or university credential evaluation packages.
May I submit a resume with my application?
Yes. You must submit a resume with your application.
What should my personal statement be about?
We leave the topic of your personal statement completely up to you. This is your opportunity to convey to our admissions committee whatever information about yourself – over and above the information provided elsewhere in your application – that you would like us to consider. Your personal statement should be positive and should provide information that will help our admissions committee to understand what you will bring to our community and to the practice of law.
How long should my personal statement be?
Please try to keep your personal statement to 500 words – two pages, double spaced.
Should I schedule a personal interview?
We do not conduct personal interviews as part of our admissions process. However, we are happy to talk with applicants, answer questions and show you our law school facilities.
May I take a tour of GW Law?
Yes. Please check the website here for our tour schedule and let us know when you would like to come in for a visit. During each academic semester, we have daily scheduled tours that include a class visit. If you wish to visit a class, please be sure that you contact us and reserve a space in advance, as space is limited. email: jdadmit@law.gwu.edu.
Do I have to disclose information about prior or pending criminal, disciplinary, and/or academic problems in my application?
Yes – disclose everything. It is extremely important that you describe in detail the circumstances surrounding any criminal, disciplinary and/or academic problems. Failure to disclose this information can result in serious problems, both in relation to your law school application (we have revoked acceptances in the past in cases in which we learned of applicants’ failure to answer questions completely and truthfully) and in applying for admission to the bar of any state. State boards of bar examiners will conduct character and fitness investigations to determine if you are fit to be admitted to their bars. Those investigations typically include criminal background checks, as well as review of your law school application, undergraduate record and law school record. It is critically important that your disclosures of the information requested in our law school application be complete and accurate.
I did some stupid things in college – alcohol violations, fraternity pranks, etc. Will these past indiscretions prevent me from being admitted to GW Law?
Not necessarily. Many applicants to law school have less than perfect personal backgrounds. If you have any criminal charges/convictions or other disciplinary issues in your record, be sure that you provide detailed information to us in response to the relevant questions in our application. A drunk driving conviction or academic probation will not, in and of itself, preclude you from gaining admission to law school. If you have been convicted of one or more felonies or habitually have abused positions of trust, you may have a problem gaining admission to law school and/or to the bar. In the past, we have contacted applicants to make them aware of problems that may lie ahead in terms of bar admission so that they could consult with the bar of the state in which they ultimately hope to practice. But – as a starting point – disclose everything.
If I am admitted to GW Law, how long will I have to decide if I will attend?
We typically require that admitted applicants make two seat deposits to reserve their seats in the entering class. The first deposit is due in April; the second is due in June.
If I make the seat deposits and change my mind, will my seat deposits be refunded?
No. All seat deposits are completely non-refundable.
Are seat deposits credited toward tuition?
Yes. Seat deposits are credited to the first semester tuition.
Does GW Law have on-campus housing for law students?
Yes. We have a limited number of dorm rooms and efficiency apartments available for law students. We also have relationships with a number of private apartment complexes within a half-mile radius of the law school.
If I am admitted, may I defer my admission to the next year?
Perhaps. We consider requests for deferral on a case-by-case basis. We will consider your reasons for seeking a deferral and let you know our decision within one or two weeks of receipt of your request. We generally grant one-year deferrals, although we will grant two-year deferrals in some special cases (for example, for individuals who are called to military duty or who choose to participate in Teach for America or the Peace Corps).
If I begin law school at another law school, may I transfer to GW Law?
Perhaps. Each year we admit a number of transfer applicants who have completed their first year at another ABA-accredited law school. Our transfer admissions process is extremely competitive. The most important factor we consider in the transfer admissions process is performance in the first year of law school (typically, applicants must be in the top 10-15% of their first year law classes to be competitive transfer candidates). We also consider undergraduate performance, any graduate work, LSAT score, writing ability, reason for wanting to transfer to GW Law and other professional and personal accomplishments.
When is the transfer application deadline?
The deadline for transfer applications is June 15th. We send notification (via e-mail and U.S. mail) as quickly as possible after June 15th.
Financial Aid FAQs
Students admitted to GW Law may be considered for merit-based scholarship awards as well as for need-based grants. All students who are US citizens or permanent residents are eligible for Federal Stafford Loans (maximum of $20,500.00 per year). Students may also qualify for Federal Perkins Loans and private educational loans. Approximately 85% of GW Law students are receiving one or more forms of financial aid. More information about financial aid.
What forms must I submit to apply for GW need-based financial aid?
FAFSA – student’s information only – used to award Federal Loans – go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. GW’s law school code is: E00196
How do I go about obtaining loans – both the federal student loans and private loans?
Once you have been admitted to GW Law, you will be assigned a financial aid counselor who will assist you as you work your way through the loan application process. You will be able to borrow federal and private educational student loans from one of GW Law’s most frequently used lenders or from any lender of your choice. After you have settled on GW as your intended law school, you will begin submitting the required documents for loans.
What if I have undergraduate and/or graduate student loans? Can I defer them while I’m in law school?
Yes. If you have federal student loans from college or graduate school, you may defer repayment of those loans while you are in law school. Be sure that you obtain a deferment form from your lender(s) prior to the start of law school. Once you begin law classes, the University Registrar will certify that you are enrolled so that the deferment may take effect.
We do our best to help each admitted applicant learn as much about GW Law as possible and to feel good about his or her decision to join us. Once you are admitted, you will receive a number of mailings from us to provide detailed information about your admission and about the multitude of opportunities that await you at GW Law. You will be invited to one or more events for newly-admitted students; you will be contacted by current students and/or alumni. You also will be given access to a new student portal on our website through which you can communicate with your future classmates, post questions to the different administrative offices of the law school, etc. You should be sure that all of your questions are answered and that you receive whatever assistance you need as you begin to prepare your for legal studies at GW Law. Please visit the admissions/financial aid contact information page for further assistance.