The Law School's 2009 entering J.D. class was selected from a pool of 9,592 applicants. This large number permits the Admissions Committee, which is composed of full-time faculty members, the associate dean for admissions, and the director of admissions, to be highly selective.

Applicants who apply through GW Law's Binding Early Admission/Presidential Merit Scholarship Program must complete their applications no later than Dec 15  Notification will be sent no later than Jan 15.  Early admission applicants who are not admitted will receive a decision in the regular admission process.

The Admissions Committee begins to review completed files in the regular admission process in late December, though the majority of decisions are made in February, March, and April.  Due to the large volume of applications received, it may take as long as three or four weeks from the time of receipt of an application for a file to become complete. And, during the busiest part of the year (January through April), it may take an additional six to eight weeks for a decision to be made on a completed file.

All material submitted by the applicant (including the personal statement and letters of recommendation, if submitted) is considered before a decision is made. There are no inflexible standards, nor are there minimum grade-point averages or LSAT scores that are required. However, students whose undergraduate records and LSAT scores indicate a high probability of success in law study are in a favored position. Other factors considered in the admission decision include the student's writing ability, as demonstrated in the personal statement, undergraduate school attended and major, any graduate work, professional experience, and extracurricular activities.

Consistent with the goal of providing an educationally stimulating and diverse environment, the Law School affirmatively seeks to recruit qualified members of groups (notably racial and ethnic minorities) that have been subject to discrimination in the past. This commitment includes considering all aspects of the applicant's personal and academic history in determining his or her potential for success in law school; conducting special recruitment programs; and awarding financial assistance upon a showing of financial need.

After the Admissions Committee has reviewed a file, a decision is made to (1) admit; (2) deny; or (3) invite to be on GW Law's wait list. Those admitted will receive a letter informing them of that action and requesting that a $500 deposit be submitted directly to the Admissions Office by April 15.  Admitted applicants will be required to pay a second deposit, in the amount of $1,000, no later than June 15.  All deposits are non-refundable and will be credited to fall tuition.  Students admitted from the wait list (some of whom may not be admitted until April, May, June, and July) will be required to make a seat deposit within two to three weeks of the date on which they receive their admission decision.