JD ADMISSIONS FAQTo request a copy of the Penn Law Viewbook, including Admissions and Financial Aid Information, please click here. Detailed instructions on how to apply are available here (PDF).
APPLICATION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTSQ. What are your JD application deadlines?Early Decision Deadline: November 15 - The application must be received by this date. You then have until December 1 to complete your application, which means that all supporting documents, including the LSAT/Credential Assembly Service Law School report and letters of recommendation, must be received by December 1. 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. You must take the LSAT no later than October of the application year to be considered for Early Decision. Please note that Early Decision is binding. 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 12 weeks for a decision from the date your application was received in the Admissions Office. Due to the rolling admissions process, applications submitted after April 1 are strongly discouraged. Transfer Application Deadline: July 15 Q. Do I have to submit my application electronically?Yes, you must submit your application electronically via the LSAC Electronic Application available through 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 2 to 4 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 after we receive your LSAT/Credential Assembly Service Law School report. We will also notify you via email of the date on which your application is complete. Once your file is complete, it is in the queue to be referred to the Admissions Committee and files are evaluated on a rolling basis. The evaluation process may take 8 to 12 weeks from the date upon which the application is completed, though you may receive a decision much sooner. You will be able to track the status of your application through Online Status, Penn Law's online status checker. Decisions will be posted on Online Status and subsequently mailed. Please be sure that you have allowed adequate time for your application to be processed, completed and evaluated before inquiring with our office directly regarding the decision on your application. Q. Does Penn Law offer a fee waiver of the application fee?Yes. If LSAC has granted you an LSAT/Credential Assembly Service fee waiver, your application fee will automatically be waived when you apply electronically via LSAC. Based on the Penn Law and Teach For America partnership, all current Teach For America corps members and alumni are eligible for an application fee waiver. You must request a Teach For America Fee Waiver before you transmit the Electronic Application through LSAC. In your letter of request to be sent to Penn Law Admissions, please provide your full name as registered at LSAC, LSAC account number, and e-mail address. In addition to the letter of request, you must provide documentation of your participation in Teach For America such as an appointment letter. You do not need to submit the Penn Law Fee Waiver Application. Once your participation in Teach For America has been verified, you will be e-mailed a fee waiver coupon number. When filling out the application, check that you have been granted a Penn Law Fee Waiver. The fee waiver coupon number can be entered on the payment page once you select to transmit your application through LSAC. Please make sure to note your Teach For America appointment on your résumé. Otherwise, to request a waiver of the application fee, you must submit the Fee Waiver Application directly to our office. The Fee Waiver Application is available on our website at www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/jd/apply/. In addition to the Fee Waiver Application, you will have to submit a copy of your most recent tax return or W2 form(s), a copy of a recent pay stub, and an itemized list of expenses if you are not currently enrolled in an academic program. If you are presently in school full-time, you must submit a copy of your financial aid award letter (not your financial aid transcript). Additionally, you must submit a copy of your parents’ most recent tax return if they claimed you as a dependent regardless of whether you are enrolled in school. Without supporting documentation, your application will not be evaluated. Your completed Fee Waiver Application and supporting documentation must be submitted to Penn Law Admissions by February 15. Once your fee waiver has been approved, you will be e-mailed a fee waiver coupon number. When filling out the application, check that you have been granted a Penn Law Fee Waiver. The fee waiver coupon number can be entered on the payment page once you select to transmit your application through LSAC. Please do not submit the application fee if you are applying for an application fee waiver. 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. Additionally, applicants will be able to check the status of their application at any time using Online Status, Penn Law's online status checker. To access the online status checker, please click here. Q. How will my decision be communicated to me?All final decisions will be viewable through Penn Law's online status checker and subsequently sent via postal mail. We do not give decision information either over the phone or in person at the request of the applicant. 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 email using the Contact Form available at the bottom of this page, via fax at 215.898.9606, or mail to the University of Pennsylvania Law School, 3400 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6204. LSAT AND CREDENTIAL ASSEMBLY SERVICEQ. If I take the LSAT more than once, does the Admissions Committee consider the average or the higher LSAT score?All available LSAT scores are noted by the Admissions Committee and are part of the application evaluation. If there are circumstances that you believe affected your performance on a prior test, we encourage you to provide a supplemental essay 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 single canceled LSAT score has no impact on the evaluation of an application. If you want to explain the circumstances that led to the score cancellation, we encourage you to provide a supplemental essay with your application. Q. Will Penn Law consider my February 2010 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. Q. Does Penn Law accept letters of recommendation via LSAC or a college or graduate school credentials service?You must submit your letters of recommendation through LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service. Please do not send letters of recommendation directly to our office. Q. Is a recommendation form needed for each letter of recommendation?Letters sent through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service should be accompanied by the LSAC letter of recommendation form. Penn Law does not have a separate letter of 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 must be sent via the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. Transcripts must be sent via LSAC. If you completed your study outside the United States, Puerto Rico or Canada, you must use the JD Credential Assembly Service through LSAC and have all official academic transcripts sent directly to LSAC. Q. Do you accept faxed or emailed copies of supporting documents?Yes. We will accept supporting documents by email (preferred method) at contactadmissions@law.upenn.edu or by fax at (215) 898-9606. Supporting documents include corrections and/or additions to application questions, addendums to personal statements or supplemental essays, and updated resumes. As noted above, we do not accept emailed or faxed transcripts and letters of recommendation. JOINT DEGREE PROGRAMSQ. Does Penn Law offer joint degree opportunities?Yes. Information about Penn’s cross-disciplinary programs can be found at www.law.upenn.edu/academics/crossdisc. Q. What is the application process for joint degree programs?Students must submit a separate application for each school to which they apply and consequently sit for any standardized testing required by each program. If and when accepted to both programs, the University will assist in combining the coursework, saving the student 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 full-time 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 Instructions for further information on applying as a transfer or visiting student at 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. Your application must be complete by August 1. 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. Q. Are admitted transfer students eligible for graduation honors?Yes. Transfer students are eligible for graduation honors, though these honors take into account only second- and third-year grades. Q. May admitted transfer students participate in write-on journal competitions?Yes. A write-on competition is held just for transfer students in early August. All journals-including Law Review-participate in this process. Q. Are transfer students at any disadvantage when it comes to registering for courses or participating in on-campus recruiting?No. Transfer students are in the same position as other incoming second year students when registering for courses. Similarly, many steps are taken to greatly facilitate on-campus recruiting and secure a substantial number (and wide variety) of interviews. Q. When will decisions be made on transfer applications?The bulk of decisions will be made between mid-June and late July. 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 (JD CAS) 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 LSAT/Credential Assembly Service 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 LSAT/Credential Assembly Service 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 for LSAC to receive and process foreign transcripts. Q. If I hold an LL.M. or LL.B. 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?International students may 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 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 for admission to or matriculate at any other law school while holding deferred status with Penn Law. FINANCIAL AIDQ. How much is tuition?Tuition and fees for the 2009-2010 academic year are $46,514. Penn Law affords students the opportunity to take up to four courses - related to legal study - at other graduate and professional schools in the University. Students can take these courses as part of a joint degree program, a certificate program, or an ad hoc program of study. Tuition includes the tuition transfer for up to, but no more than, four courses. Students who take courses in excess of four will be charged a pro-rated tuition for these additional courses. Students pursuing a joint degree or certificate program will incur an administrative charge ranging from $200-$400. This fee will be applied at the start of a certificate program, and at the end of the third year of study for joint degree candidates. 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: Room $8,280.00 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?Merit scholarships do not require a separate application. If you are admitted to Penn Law, you will be considered for all merit scholarships. Please refer to the following website for additional merit scholarship information www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/jd/scholarsprogram.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 spousal (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 online financial aid 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 spousal (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, 2010 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. Most 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 Toll Loan Repayment Assistance Program (TollRap) that offers assistance in loan repayment to our graduates who choose public sector work. Since its inception, our TollRap 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, go to our website at http://www.law.upenn.edu/cpp/prospective/publicinterest/tollrap.html 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 usually includes a class visit, guided tour of the law school, and an admissions and financial aid question and answer session. 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 only offers guided tours of the Law School as a part of 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. 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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