Santa Clara University

The Application Process and the Admissions Decision

Among many criteria, the admission decision will be primarily based on your written application and supporting documents, which includes your:

• undergraduate cumulative grade point average, "GPA,"
• Law School Admissions Test, the "LSAT" score,
• application and undergraduate transcripts,
• personal statement,
• letters of recommendation,
• and in some cases a Dean's Letter.

You will also need to understand rolling admissions and acceptance procedures.

The GPA
The GPA considered by the law school is the cumulative grade point average of every course the applicant has taken at the college level to the date of consideration. It includes all courses taken for credit at all colleges and universities attended. Thus, the ideal time for a student to begin "working on getting a good GPA" is the first day of classes at the first college attended. While the maximum GPA of 4.0 ("straight A's") cannot be a realistic expectation for more than a few highly gifted and highly motivated students, it should be the goal of every pre-law student at the time he or she begins college work, and every effort should be made to come as close as possible to that goal. Since law school is a rigorous academic program, admissions officials want proof (i.e., a high GPA, particularly in your last two years) that you can succeed in college. A GPA below 3.0 will harm your chances of gaining admission to law school and will need to be explained. (See personal statement discussion below.) back to top

The LSAT
The LSAT is a standardized examination designed to measure skills that are important to the study of law---reading, reasoning, analyzing, and writing. The test is intended to predict performance in law school, and it is required by every ABA-accredited law school in the country. You can obtain the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book from any pre-law advisor, and it is available as well in the SCU Law School Admissions Office. The test is administered four times during the year: June, October, December, and February. The basic test fee for the LSAT is $127 (at published test centers only). You should NOT take the exam on a lark, just to see how you might perform. Even though you can retake the exam numerous times, most schools average your test scores rather than taking the highest score. You should take the LSAT by October of the year in which you are applying. This provides sufficient time to re-take the test if necessary and to change your choice of schools should you test higher or lower than expected.

The LSAT is not a test for which an applicant can "cram" the night before. Developing and strengthening the skills tested by the LSAT (critical reading, analytical, logical reasoning, and writing skills) are the goals of your entire college career. It is important that you thoroughly familiarize yourself with the test by obtaining and practicing past LSAT sample exams. You may also wish to purchase a book which provides guidelines for and practice in taking the LSAT. There are also courses available (e.g., Princeton Review, Kaplan) that allow you to practice taking the exam, provide analysis of your strengths and weaknesses on the LSAT, and provide tips on how to improve your performance. These courses are quite expensive (up to $1000, though some financial aid is available), and opinions are mixed. However, if you typically experience difficulty and score low on aptitude tests, such as the SAT, you might want to consider investing in such a course. As with a GPA below 3.0, a score on the LSAT below the 50th percentile will harm your chances for admission and requires explanation in your personal statement.

In filling out the LSAT Registration Form, be sure to check the box that permits your scores to be sent to Santa Clara's Director of Pre-Law Advising. This will assist us in tracking and analyzing LSAT scores of SCU students.

When registering for the LSAT, be sure to give yourself enough time to select a convenient testing location and prepare for the test. You also should determine whether each law school in which you are interested will accept scores from the February LSAT administration, which is the last test date in each administration cycle. The quickest and easiest way to register for both the LSAT and the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS, a service required by most American Bar Association-approved schools) is online at www.lsac.org.  If you need to obtain a paper registration form, call 215-968-1001.  For information on fee waivers, for test sites outside of the US and associated fees, and for more detailed information about the LSAT see the LSAC website or the new, published 2008-2009 LSAT and LSDAS Information Book available from Susan Frisbie in St. Joseph's 313. back to top

The Application Proper
Application forms must be obtained individually from each law school; the ABA-LSAC Official Guide contains phone numbers and addresses of all ABA-approved law schools, at http://officialguide.lsac.org. The application form asks for items of personal information necessary to give evaluators a written "picture" of the applicant. The instructions that accompany the application should be followed exactly, and responses should be clearly typed and error-free. back to top

The Personal Statement
Virtually every law school now requires a personal statement from the applicant. Be sure to adhere carefully to the requirements or recommendations contained in the application instructions regarding length, matters addressed, format, etc. The typical statement should be two or three typewritten pages, double-spaced. It should reflect the very best grammatical and communicative effort of the applicant, since it will be judged both as to form and substance. Being simple and direct will impress admissions officials. Using big words and legal terms will not. Consider the personal statement as your personal interview (on paper) with the admissions committee. This is no time to be shy or modest. Write about your accomplishments, and present yourself in the best possible light; you should also, however, be candid. In other words, emphasize your "positives," and diminish the significance of your "negatives," candidly and persuasively. For example, you may need to explain a poor performance on the LSAT or a low GPA your freshman year. A guide to writing the personal statement is available from your pre-law advisor. back to top

Letters of Recommendation
Applications will indicate how many letters of recommendation are required. As in other matters, the desires and suggestions of the law school should be followed meticulously. Although the LSAT and GPA form the foundation of the admission evaluation process, your personal statement and letters of recommendation can provide the admission committee with a different perspective from which to view them; the right combination of information can breathe life into your application file. Letters should comment on the applicant's academic progress and should be specific; therefore, they should come from professors who have had significant personal contact with you, both inside and outside of class if possible. This will usually involve professors in the applicant's major field and logically should include those in whose classes the applicant's work was most noteworthy. Remember that admissions officials want to know that you can succeed in a rigorous academic program. General character references, even from prominent attorneys or politicians, will NOT help your chances and may in fact hurt them (e.g., if they give the impression that the school is being "leaned on" by a person of influence). Take care in selecting your "recommenders," being certain that they will write strong letters. You should feel free to supply them with additional information which you may be uncomfortable supplying in your personal statement. (E.g., A letter-writer could include a notation that, although your overall GPA is a 3.2, your GPA in your major is 3.5 and, excluding freshman year, is 3.6.) Be sure to obtain the guide from your pre-law advisor called "Tips on Getting Letters of Recommendation that Help." back to top

Dean's Letter
Some schools, mostly on the East Coast, require a recommendation from the Dean of your school. Typically, this information includes class rank and academic standing. If you have been subjected to any disciplinary actions even in your first quarter at SCU, this will appear on the Dean's Letter and may harm your chances for law school admission. To obtain the Dean's letter, see Matthew Duncan at the Office of Student Life, 205 Benson. back to top
 

Admission and Acceptance
Most law schools operate on a "rolling admissions" basis, in which applicants are evaluated continuously over several months, beginning in late fall and extending to midsummer for waiting-list admissions. It is especially important for you to apply at the earliest possible date. The earlier you apply, the more places will be available. Although schools will try to make comparable decisions throughout the admission season, it is disadvantageous to be one of the last applicants to complete a file. Additionally, the more decisions you receive from law schools early in the process, the better able you will be to make your own decisions, such as whether to apply to more law schools or to accept a school's offer.

Applicants whose qualifications exceed the school's admission standards are usually accepted during the first round of decisions. With some exceptions, candidates whose credentials fall below the school's standards are usually rejected. Most applications are not decided upon immediately. If you have strong qualifications, but do not quite meet the competition of those currently being admitted at a particular law school, you may be placed on a waiting list for possible admission at a later date. The law school will notify you of its decision as early as April or as late as July. Many law schools use seat deposits to help keep track of their new classes. For example, a school may require an initial acceptance fee of $150, credited to your first-term tuition if you actually register at the school; if you choose not to attend, the deposit may be forfeited or returned only partially. back to top