The admissions process at the Penn Carey Law School is highly selective. Last year, we received over 6,000 applications for the approximately 250 places in the first-year class. Students who apply to Penn Carey Law come from every state in the nation, from many countries around the world, from more than 200 undergraduate institutions, and from a broad range of academic, ethnic, cultural, professional, and economic backgrounds.
There is no pre-law educational requirement or even a specific recommended course of study for admission to Penn Carey Law. Strength of character, breadth of knowledge, and intellectual maturity constitute the base upon which our legal education builds. As such, Penn Carey Law seeks to enroll individuals who have demonstrated outstanding academic success, who are intellectually curious, and who possess superior writing, oral communication, and analytical skills. Importantly, we also seek individuals who will positively contribute to the Penn Carey Law community, and ultimately, to the legal profession, based on their diverse personal and professional experiences and any challenges or obstacles that they may have overcome.
The Admissions Committee considers numerous factors in the admissions process, including the student’s academic record, course selection and grade trends, standardized test score, letters of recommendation, leadership, community service, extracurricular activities, professional and life experiences, and the applicant’s examples of written expression (standardized test writing sample, personal statement, and optional essays). Importantly, the Admissions Committee bases its decision on all material submitted on behalf of each candidate. Though an applicant’s academic record and standardized test score are significant factors in the review process, they are not the sole factors. We do not have numerical “cut-offs” in the application process nor do we employ the use of an admissions index.
Application must be received by the Office of Admissions.
By December 1
Application file must be complete with all required documents.
By December 31
Decisions will be sent.
Round 2:
By January 7
Application must be received by the Office of Admissions.
By January 15
Application file must be complete with all required documents.
By January 31
Decisions will be sent.
September
Application available in early September.
By March 1*
Application must be received by the Office of Admissions.
*Application file must be completed with all required documents by March 15 for consideration by the Admissions Committee.
By Mid-May
All decisions on completed files will be sent, though you may receive a decision much earlier since decisions are sent on a rolling basis beginning in December.
Application must be received by the Office of Admissions.
By June 30
Application file must be complete with all required documents.
For the Spring Semester:
October 1
Earliest date to submit an application.
By November 15
Application must be received by the Office of Admissions.
By December 1
Decisions will be sent.
For the Fall Semester:
May 1
Earliest date to submit an application.
By June 15
Application must be received by the Office of Admissions.
By June 30
Application file must be complete with all required documents. All decisions on files completed earlier will be sent, though you may receive a decision much earlier.
Application Fee Waiver Note: LSAT/Credential Assembly Service Fee Waiver recipients; members and alumni of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Teach For America, and Teach For China; and active members and veterans of the United States Military receive automatic application fee waivers. Please see the FAQs or Application Instructions for further information.
An application will be considered complete and put into the queue for Admissions Committee review when the following items are received by the dates specified in the Application Instructions:
Completed application form with electronic signature
Application fee in the amount of $80.00 or an approved Penn Carey Law or LSAC fee waiver
Transfer applications will be considered only when the student has successfully completed the courses required for the full-time 1L year at the Law School. The number of credits transferred will equal the number of credits successfully completed in that program; transfer students who are deficient in any 1L courses required at the Law School (Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, and Torts) will be required to complete those courses as part of their upper-level coursework upon transfer.
The law school from which the applicant seeks to transfer must be able to certify that the applicant has completed all requirements and credits for that school’s full-time first-year program. Applicants must fulfill the first-year course requirements at their host law school by the completion of the Spring semester. Transcripts reflecting grades for all courses taken must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by June 30.
As of Spring 2020, any transfer applicant will not be adversely affected in the admissions process if their academic institution has implemented a mandatory pass/fail system for the Spring term or if the applicant chooses to participate in an optional pass/fail system for the Spring term.
We require applicants to submit using the following method:
Online Application through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC):
To learn more about the use of the LSAC Electronic Application, please visit www.lsac.org
Please note: Students enrolled in a part-time or evening division program at any time during their first year of study are not eligible to apply for transfer to Penn Carey Law.
Transfer applicants are not eligible for need-based financial assistance (grants) or the Law School’s merit scholarships.
Applicants for advanced standing are required to provide the same documents that are required for first-year applicants:
Completed application form with electronic signature
Application fee in the amount of $80.00*
Undergraduate transcripts from all schools attended
Graduate transcripts from all schools attended
Credential Assembly Service Law School report
Official score reports for all standardized test scores (LSAT, GRE, or GMAT)
Two letters of recommendation (preferably from law professors, must be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service)
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Personal statement
Letter of good standing from a law school dean at the current law school
*Transfer applicants are not eligible for an application fee waiver.
Applicants for advanced standing must be able to prove that they are in good standing at a law school that is both a member of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) and approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) with a letter of good standing from the dean or an appropriate administrator. The Law School does not provide a form for the letter of good standing; the letter can be generated in whatever format the home law school uses. The letter of good standing is not the same as a dean’s certification letter or letter of class rank.
Please have law school transcripts either sent directly from your home institution to LSAC or sent directly to the Law School at contactadmissions@law.upenn.edu via an approved electronic transcript service. We will not accept emailed copies of transcripts nor will we accept transcripts mailed by postal mail or courier service.
Applications for advanced standing are available beginning May 1. We do not start processing transfer applications until June, and decisions are made on a rolling basis starting in mid-June.
All applicants for advanced standing must apply by June 15. Applicants for advanced standing will not be reviewed until the transcripts for both Fall and Spring semesters of the first year of their law school are received by the Law School. Therefore, applications must be complete by June 30 with all required documents.
In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction for which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction directly.
The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty and staff with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected class status in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints regarding this policy should be directed to the Executive Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, Franklin Building, Suite 421, 3451 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6205; or (215) 898-6993.
The University’s annual security and fire safety report is available at http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/. The University of Pennsylvania must reserve the right to change policies, fees, curricula, or any other matters announced in publications or on the website.
Connect With Us
The Penn Carey Law Admissions team looks forward to connecting with you! Most recruiting events for the 2023 - 2024 application cycle will be virtual. Connect With Us through a variety of events to speak with members of the JD Admissions Office and/or current law students. Student-led tours are offered during the fall 2023 semester only (no tours offered during spring 2024). Additionally, applicants are welcome to visit the Law School to take a self-guided tour. Please view our visit page for hours and additional information.
