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APPLICATION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTSQ. What are your JD application deadlines?Early Decision Deadline: November 1 – The application, including personal statement and application fee, must be received by this date. You then have until November 15 to complete your application, which means that all supporting documents, including the LSDAS report and letters of recommendation, must be received by November 15. You will receive a decision – admit, deny, or hold for further review – by December 31. If you apply Early Decision but do not meet these deadlines, your application will be considered for regular admission. The October LSAT will be considered in the Early Decision evaluation process. Please note that Early Decision is binding. Early Notification Deadline: Penn Law no longer has an early notification process. Regular Admission Deadline: February 15*. Decisions are made on a rolling basis from January to May. * If your application is submitted after February 15th, we cannot guarantee a decision by a particular date. In this case, please allow up to 10 weeks for a decision from the date your application was received in the Admissions Office. Transfer Application Deadline: July 15 Public Interest Scholarship Deadline: February 15 Q. Do I have to submit my application electronically?We prefer that you submit your application electronically, i.e. via LSAC Electronic Application; however, if you prefer to submit a paper application, you may download a paper application from our website at www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/jd/apply/ Q. Does Penn Law require a Dean's Certification with the application?No, applicants are not required to submit a Dean's Certification. Students who are admitted to Penn Law and decide to matriculate at Penn Law are required to submit a Dean's Certification prior to the start of the fall semester. Q. How long will it take for a decision to be made on my application?It takes approximately four to six weeks from the date that we receive an application to process and complete the applicant file. We will notify you via email of the date on which we received your application and inform you of any missing documents. We will also notify you via email of the date on which your application is complete. Once your file is complete, it is referred to the Admissions Committee and files are evaluated on a rolling basis. The evaluation process may take eight to ten weeks from the date upon which the application is completed, though you may receive a decision much sooner. Please be sure that you have allowed adequate time for your application to be processed, completed and evaluated before checking on the status of your application, as frequent status checks delay the admissions process. Q. Does Penn Law offer a fee waiver of the application fee?Yes. If LSAC has granted you an LSAT/LSDAS fee waiver and you apply electronically via LSAC to Penn Law, your application fee will automatically be waived. If you apply via a paper application, you may submit a fee waiver request with your application. In addition you will have to submit a copy of your tax return, and, if you are presently in school, you must also submit your financial aid award letter and your student loan information. All of the aforementioned documents, as well as our Fee Waiver Form, must be submitted at the same time or subsequent to (not prior to) the general application, and must be submitted in hard copy. Q. Do you grant interviews for admission?No, we do not offer evaluative interviews and/or meetings with members of the Admissions Committee during the application process. Applicants who have concerns that they wish to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee should address those concerns in an addendum to their application. The addendum may be in the form of a memo or letter and should be addressed to the Admissions Committee. Q. In addition to GPA and LSAT, what factors in an applicant's file are most important to the Admissions Committee?The Admissions Committee considers the applicant's entire academic history, including breadth and rigor of curriculum, grade trends, and advanced coursework if applicable. The Admissions Committee also evaluates the applicant's writing ability based on the personal statements and letters of recommendation. Additionally, the Committee considers work experience, personal background and experiences, service, leadership, overcoming challenges or disadvantages, and any other factors that make an applicant unique and that will somehow positively contribute to the life of the Law School and/or the legal community. The Admissions Committee does not employ the use of matrices or indexes when evaluating applicant files and has no statistical cut-offs for review; each file is read from cover to cover in a very holistic approach to the application evaluation. Q. Is someone with a graduate degree at an advantage in applying to law school?The Committee will give consideration to everything included in the application. Graduate coursework could certainly enhance one's application given that it provides additional academic training and may broaden the perspective that one brings to the law school community. However, an applicant holding a graduate degree does not necessarily have a competitive advantage over an applicant who does not. APPLICATION STATUSQ. How will I be notified about the status of my application?We primarily communicate with applicants via email regarding the status of their application. Applicants will be notified by email when their application is received, again when their application file is complete and at other times to provide an update on the status of their application. Applicants whose files are incomplete are usually notified via US mail of any required items that are missing from their application; otherwise email will be used for notification. Please notify the Admissions Office promptly of any changes to your email address or any changes to your other contact information. Applicants should be aware of their service provider's procedures for spam filtering (especially with free email accounts) that may affect delivery of any email communications sent from the Admissions Office. Steps should be taken to ensure that messages will be delivered promptly. Q. How will my decision be communicated to me?All final decisions will be sent via mail. Q. How do I withdraw my JD application for Penn Law?To ensure the accuracy of our records, applicants must send a written request to the Admissions Office. This request should include your name as it appears on the application as well as your LSAC account number. The written request can be sent via mail to the University of Pennsylvania Law School, 3400 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6204; via fax at 215.898.9606 or via email using the Contact Form available at the bottom of this page. CERTIFICATION PAGE/LETTERQ. Where do I find the Certification Page/Certification Letter?If you elect to submit your JD application electronically rather than printing and mailing it, you must sign the Certification Letter in lieu of the last page of the application and send the letter directly to the Law School. For those applicants who submit the LSAC Electronic Application, the certification letter is available as one of the steps for completion of the application. Further information can be found by signing in to your LSAC account and reviewing the 11 steps listed under the Application Menu that is available. LSAT AND LSDASQ. If I take the LSAT more than once, does the Admissions Committee consider the average or the higher LSAT score?If there are circumstances that you believe affected your performance on a prior test, we encourage you to provide an additional statement with your application explaining those circumstances. The Admissions Committee will consider such information and may, at its discretion, evaluate your application based on the higher or highest LSAT score. Q. How does the Committee view a canceled LSAT score?A canceled LSAT score has no impact on the evaluation of an application. Q. Will Penn Law consider my February 2007 LSAT score?Penn Law will consider your February LSAT score, as long as your application is received by the February 15th deadline. Please note, however, that because our decisions are made on a rolling basis, the pool is very competitive at this point in the review process, as many of our offers will be extended by the March time frame. Please also note that for those taking the February LSAT, we cannot guarantee you a decision by May 1. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION/TRANSCRIPTS/OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTSQ. How many letters of recommendation do you require?Penn Law requires two letters of recommendation to complete an application. We will accept up to four letters of recommendation. Candidates applying for the Public Interest Scholarships must submit at least one letter of recommendation that addresses the candidate's commitment to public service. Q. Does Penn Law accept letters of recommendation via LSAC or a college or graduate school credentials service?We prefer that you submit your letters of recommendation through LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service; however, Penn Law will accept recommendations directly from a university credentials service. Letters of recommendation may also be sent from the recommender directly to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. See the question below. Q. Is a recommendation form needed for each letter of recommendation?Letters sent through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service or a university credentials service do not require the Penn Law Letter of Recommendation Form. Letters sent directly to Penn Law must include the recommendation form. Q. If I have been out of school for a while, from whom should I get letters of recommendation?A professor, an employer or anyone who can speak to your ability to succeed in a rigorous law school program may write letters of recommendation on your behalf. Q. Do you accept faxed or emailed transcripts or letters of recommendation?No. Faxed or emailed letters of recommendation and transcripts are not considered official documents. Letters of recommendation may be sent via LSAC (no Applicant Appraisal form is required), or directly to the Law School with the required Applicant Appraisal form attached in signed and sealed envelopes to be considered official. Transcripts must be sent via LSAC. If you completed your study outside the United States, Puerto Rico or Canada, you may not be eligible for an LSDAS subscription and you must have official academic transcripts and letters of recommendation sent directly to the Penn Law Office of Admissions. Q. Do you accept faxed or emailed copies of supporting documents?No. All documents must be sent in the mail to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid; we do not accept electronic submissions of documents. JOINT DEGREE PROGRAMSQ. Does Penn Law offer joint degree opportunities?Information about Penn’s cross disciplinary programs can be found at www.law.upenn.edu/academics/crossdisc. Q. What is the application process?Students must submit a separate application for each school to which they apply and consequently sit for any standardized testing required by the program. If and when accepted to both programs, the University will assist in combining the coursework, saving the student in both time and tuition expense. TRANSFER ADMISSIONQ. Does Penn Law accept transfer students from other law schools?Penn Law accepts transfer applications from students who have completed one year of study at a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association and a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Students wishing to apply for transfer to Penn Law must apply prior to their second year of law school. We do not accept transfer students beyond the first year of law school; however, a student may apply as a visiting student at Penn Law for up to one year of study during the student's second or third year of law school. Please refer to the application for instructions on applying as a transfer or visiting student at http://www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/jd/apply. Q. What is the earliest date that I may submit a transfer application?May 1, and our deadline is July 15. Q. Does Penn Law accept transfers from part-time programs?No. In order to be eligible to apply to transfer to Penn Law, students must be enrolled full time at an ABA/AALS-accredited law school and must have successfully completed all the required 1L coursework of the home law school's 1L program. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND APPLICANTS HOLDING AN LL.M. OR LL.B. DEGREEQ. Are foreign students applying for the J.D. program required to take the TOEFL exam?No, foreign students are not required to take the TOEFL. Q. If I hold an LL.M. and want to apply to the J.D. program, do I have to take the LSAT?Yes. Q. If my degree is from a foreign institution, must I send my transcripts to a transcript translation service, such as World Education Services (WES)?No. Penn Law School requires that any foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service for applicants who completed any postsecondary work outside the U.S. (including its territories) or Canada. You must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign work through a study-abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the LSDAS registration fee. A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your LSDAS report. If we determine that you need to submit a TOEFL score, you must contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL code for the JD Credential Assembly Service is 0058. Your score will be included in the Foreign Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your LSDAS Law School Report. To use the JD CAS, log in to your online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts. Q. If I hold an L.L.M degree, may I apply to Penn Law's J.D. program as a transfer student?No, you must apply as a first-year student; however, you may be granted advanced standing if you are admitted. See the question below. Q. If I hold an LL.M. or a foreign law degree, will I be granted advanced standing for the J.D. program, i.e. will I be given credit for any of my coursework?Students who hold an LL.M. degree will not be given credit for their LL.M. coursework; however, students who hold a foreign law degree (LL.B.) may be given credit for their law courses. Typically, students holding an LL.B. will be granted one year of credit; thus, they will be able to complete the J.D. program in two years. The evaluation of foreign law coursework is completed after the student is admitted. Q. Do international students qualify for financial aid or scholarships?Yes. Foreign applicants who are admitted to the J.D. program will be considered for all merit scholarships; a separate application is not required for merit scholarships. Additionally, foreign applicants may be eligible for need-based grants. A financial aid application is required for need-based grants. The financial aid application deadline is March 1. Instructions for applying for financial aid may be found at www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/jd/financing.html Q. Are international students eligible for loans?The CitiAssist International Loan Program is available to Penn Students without the requirement of a co-signer. International students may also apply for loans from private student loan lenders; however, these loans typically require a creditworthy co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. U.S federal student loans are not available to international students. ENROLLMENT OPTIONS AND DEFERRINGQ. Does Penn Law have a part-time, summer or evening program?No. Q. Can I begin at Penn Law in the spring?No. Penn Law offers fall enrollment only. Q. May I defer my admission?If you are admitted and wish to defer your admission, you must submit a written request to the Dean of the Admissions stating your reasons for wanting the deferral. One-year deferrals are typically granted for reasons such as work, finances, completion of a graduate program, or extenuating circumstances, such as illness or injury. Two-year deferrals are granted only if you are enrolled in a two-year program such as Teach for America, Peace Corps, or have a military commitment. Q. What are the requirements to hold deferred status?If your deferral is granted, you must submit a nonrefundable seat deposit in the amount of $500, and you must complete and sign our Deferral Agreement. The Agreement states that you will not hold deferred status at another law school nor will you apply to another law school. TOLL PUBLIC INTEREST SCHOLARSHIPQ. How do I apply for the Toll Public Interest Scholarship?The Toll Public Interest Scholarship application is available online at www.law.upenn.edu/applyonline/pubinterestscholarship. Q. What is the deadline for the Toll Public Interest Scholarship?February 15 Q. Do I need to submit my public interest scholarship application with my application for admission?No. You may submit your application for admission prior to submitting your Toll Public Interest Scholarship application. The deadline for the Toll Public Interest Scholarship is February 15. Q. How many Public Interest Scholarships are awarded and what is the amount?Four to six Toll PI Scholarships are awarded each year to incoming students. The scholarship is full tuition in the first year and two thirds tuition in the second and third years. The Scholarship includes a mandate for three years of public service work within the first five years after graduation. Q. How do I submit a letter of recommendation for the Toll Public Interest Scholarship?Letters may be submitted via LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service. Please understand that it may take up to two weeks from the time the letter is received and entered at LSAC for the Admissions Office to receive a copy of the letter. To ensure timely receipt, the letter can be sent directly to the Admission Office accompanied by our Letter of Recommendation form found at www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/jd/apply. Please mail to the following address: FINANCIAL AIDQ. How much is tuition?Tuition and fees for the 2007-2008 academic year is $41,960. Q. What does room and board generally cost?The cost for room and board will vary according to your own personal lifestyle, but here is an estimate for the academic year:
Q. What type of financial aid do you offer?Penn Law is committed to assisting deserving students with the financing of their legal education. We offer a combination of merit scholarships, need-based grants, and loan sources to assist our students with the financing of tuition and living expenses. A description of our scholarships may be found at www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/jd/financing.html Q. How do I apply for merit based awards?With one exception, merit scholarships do not require a separate application. If you are admitted to Penn Law, you will be considered for all merit scholarships. The Toll Public Interest Scholarship is the only merit scholarship that does require a separate application. Please refer to the following website for application instructions: www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/jd/financing.html Q. How do I apply for financial aid?If you wish to apply for need based aid you must complete the FAFSA and the Need Access financial aid application. In addition, if you are under the age of 30, we require parental and spouse (if applicable) information when determining eligibility for need based aid. If you are applying for loans only you may complete the FAFSA without parental information. For on-line application instructions, visit www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/jd/financing.html. Q. Do I need to submit parental information?Due to limited University resources, we must consider each student's entire financial situation. Accordingly, Penn Law requires financial aid applicants and their families (except those students over the age of 30 by December 31, of the year of enrollment) to complete the parental, student and spouse (if applicable) sections of the Need Access financial aid application. As a graduate school applicant you are considered "independent" under federal guidelines and are only required to complete the student sections of the FAFSA. Q. What do I do if my parents will not supply information and/or will not financially contribute to my education?There are low interest loans available that can replace parental contributions. Please visit www.sfs.upenn.edu for information on available student loans. Q. I will not be married when I come to school in September, but plan to be married during the school year; do I need to submit prospective spousal information?Yes, if you are married or plan to be married by October 1, 2008 you must submit spousal information. Q. Can international students obtain financial aid?International students may apply for need-based aid (grants) and loans from private student loan companies. The CitiAssist International Loan Program is available to Penn Students without the requirement of a co-signer. Most other programs will require a creditworthy co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. U.S federal student loans are not available to international students.
Q. I am applying now to be a permanent resident; am I eligible for Federal financial aid?You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident at the time of application to be eligible for aid. Q. When will I find out about my financial aid package?The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid notifies admitted students of their financial aid eligibility on a rolling basis beginning in March. Q. What is the deadline for student loans?It is recommended that your FAFSA form be submitted as soon as possible after January 1. Your Masters Promissory Note is recommended to be completed by June 1. Please visit www.sfs.upenn.edu for additional application instructions. Q. What is the school code for completing the FAFSA?The University of Pennsylvania's school code is 003378. Q. I do not qualify for private loans because of poor credit, what should I do?In this case you would need to secure a credit worthy co-signer. In most cases with a credit worthy co-signer you would be able to borrow. If you are not able to find a credit worthy co-signer and you are dependent on this source to fund tuition and living expenses, it is suggested that you defer your admission for a year to work on your credit score before coming to law school. Q. Are there any other outside sources that I should consider in regard to financial aid?We recommend that you explore organizations to which you belong that might have funding available: religious organizations, fraternal organizations, clubs, athletics, veteran groups, ethnic groups, unions, employers, rotary clubs, etc. Also, there are scholarship search engines that you could consider: www.collegeboard.com or www.finaid.org. Additionally, the law school has compiled a directory for admitted students in an effort to help them locate outside scholarships. Scholarship scams: beware of programs that charge applications fees, most times they are schemes to get money. Q. Can I afford to borrow money if I want to work in public interest?No one can deny that salaries in public sector work, particularly for non-profits, legal services organizations, and other non-governmental organizations, are low, particularly compared to the average salaries earned by Penn Law graduates joining private sector organizations. But alumni take these jobs for many reasons, including the psychic income of serving those in need. Penn Law has a strong Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program (PILRAP) that offers assistance in loan repayment to our graduates who choose public sector work. Since its inception, our PILRAP program has offered millions of dollars of assistance to our graduates who have committed themselves to work in the public sector. Based on a formula that accounts for overall debt burden and salary, the Program loans students money to pay their debt, and begins to forgive these loans once the graduate has worked in the public sector for three years. To learn more about the program, consult the PILRAP section on the Web. VISITING PENN LAWQ. How do I set up a visit to Penn Law?Information Sessions are offered during the fall and winter months, typically on a weekly basis. An information session includes a class visit, tour of the law school, and an admissions and financial aid question and answer session. Additionally, class visits are offered every day of the week. You may view the Information Session and Class Visitation schedule at www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/visitus.html Q. Does your office offer guided tours of the Law School?Penn Law currently offers guided tours of the Law School following each J.D. information session. The information session schedule can be found at www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/visitus.html You are also welcome to visit the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid during our office hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) to obtain our Self Guided Tour. Self Guided tours are available on weekends, but you must contact us to make prior arrangements. WAITLIST AND HOLD STATUSQ. What is the difference between waitlist and hold status?The difference between waitlist status and hold status is that the evaluation process has been completed for applicants who are placed on the waitlist. Waitlisted candidates will not be reviewed again until after May 1, which is our commitment deadline for those who have been offered admission. Applicants who are placed on hold are still being reviewed; i.e. a decision was not reached after the initial evaluation and the application is "held" for further review by additional members of the Admissions Committee. Q. If I am on the waitlist, when will I receive a decision?Our commitment deadline for admission offers is May 1. If all of the positions in our entering class are not filled as of our May 1 deadline, we will begin to review candidates on the waitlist to make additional admission offers. Thus, you could hear from us as early as mid May. Q. If I am on hold, when will I receive a decision?Candidates who are placed on hold typically receive a decision – admit, deny, or waitlist – by mid-May. Q. Is the waitlist ranked?Our waitlist is not ranked. Q. How many applicants are placed on the waitlist and how many are offered admission?The number of candidates who are placed on the waitlist and who are offered admission from the waitlist varies dramatically from year to year. There are many factors that affect the waitlist, such as the quantity and quality of our applications relative to prior years, the number of students who accept our offer of admission, and the number of students who defer their admission to the following year or who withdraw their acceptance of our offer. Each of the past four years has been very different. In 2002, we made almost no offers to candidates on the waitlist because the yield on our initial admission offers increased compared to previous years. In 2003, we made several offers to candidates on the waitlist because we were much more conservative in the number of initial admission offers that we made. In 2004, we admitted just a few students from the waitlist as a few seats became available in early to mid summer. In the past three years, we have made several offers to candidates on the waitlist. REAPPLICATION PROCESSQ. I applied to Penn Law last year and was denied admission. I would like to reapply this year. What materials do I need to submit with my new application?Applicants who are denied admission may reapply to Penn Law in a subsequent year. It should be noted, however, that candidates are unlikely to be admitted unless there is some significant change since their previous application. Previous applicants who wish to reapply must:
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