The Law Building
The D'Angelo Law Library
Welcome to the Windy City
Application Information:
Vital Spreadsheet.
2012-2013 Admissions Cycle General Timeline
The dates below are intended to provide a general overview of the timing of the admissions cycle. Many of these dates are estimates and will vary from year to year. Please only use this as a general guide and admitted students should consult their admitted student communications for specific dates.
August 15
Applicants may begin submitting their applications online through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) electronic application process. All applicants must apply electronically through LSAC; we will not accept any paper application materials.
*The LSAC electronic application is fully accessible to the visually impaired. Disabled applicants in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should contact the Admissions Office at 773-702-9484 or email admissions@law.uchicago.edu with their request.
September 1
Deadline for applications to Chicago Law Scholars Program. Chicago Law Scholars is a binding early decision program available to current University of Chicago undergraduate students and alumni of the undergraduate College.
December 1
Application deadline for the Early Decision program
Late December
Decisions released for Early Decision applicants. Please see the section on Decision Notification Procedures to learn more about how we notify applicants of their decisions.
January - March
Decisions released on a rolling basis for Regular Decision applicants. Please remember that we read applications in the order that they are completed in our office. We will send out scholarship information and financial aid packages approximately 3-4 weeks after admission.
January
Information on admitted student events, financial aid, housing, and other matters will be available on the Admitted Student Website (we will provide the log in and password to admitted students at the time of admission).
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid ("FAFSA") will also become available.
February 1
Application deadline for Regular Decision applicants
Please check the Financial Aid section of our website for important dates related student loans and scholarships.
April 11-13
2013 Admitted Students Weekend
April/May
Deadline for submitting a seat deposit. The specific date will vary from year to year. The Admissions Office will notify admitted students of their deadline in their admission email and on the Admitted Student Website.
Mid-May
Deadline for the FAFSA and University of Chicago Graduate Student Loan Application for priority financial aid processing. These materials must be submitted to the University of Chicago Student Loan Administration (check the website for the specific dates each year).
June
The Admissions Office and Dean of Students Office will notify incoming students of all relevant deadlines early in the summer.
First summer email letter sent to incoming students (will include information on obtaining a University email account and CNetID, laptop computer recommendations, student health insurance and immunizations, first-year orientation, and other essential information).
July
Deadline for submitting photos for the Law School Facebook ("The Glass Menagerie").
Mid-August
Bursar sends out Autumn Quarter tuition bills
Mid-September
Deadline for payment of Autumn Quarter tuition bills
Late September
Incoming J.D. Orientation and Law School classes begin
Application Requirements
1. Application
Each applicant must complete all sections of LSAC Flexible Application; please make sure to complete each section. There is only one application for all applicants to the JD program. You will have the opportunity to indicate whether you are applying Early Decision or Regular Decision in the application.
Character and Fitness. Please note that the application contains a section of questions relating to character and fitness to practice law. There are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar. We encourage all applicants to become familiar with the rules and standards governing admission to the bar in the state(s) in which the applicant believes he or she may want to practice. Many states, including Illinois, require very broad and detailed disclosures in connection with the evaluation of an applicant's character and fitness for admission to practice law.
In addition, please note that an affirmative response to any portion of the Character and Fitness questions on the application will not automatically disqualify a candidate from admission. Rather, in those cases, the Dean of Admissions will review the affirmative response and determine if further review is necessary. If further review is necessary, the Dean of Admissions will convene a committee composed of the Deputy Dean, the Dean of Admissions, the Dean of Students, the Dean of Career Services and the Chair of the Faculty Admissions Committee. The committee will evaluate the facts, seek additional information as appropriate, and determine if the applicant may be considered for admission at the Law School. The Dean of Admissions may also consult as needed with the Office of the General Counsel.
2. All Undergraduate and Graduate School Transcripts
You must provide all undergraduate and graduate school transcripts reflecting a complete history of your academic performance in your undergraduate education and at any graduate schools. We require all applicants to submit their transcripts through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Read our Frequently Asked Questions to learn about how the Committee evaluates transcripts.
If you will be submitting foreign transcripts, please read the Application Instructions carefully and review our FAQs about submitting foreign transcripts.
3. Law School Admission Test
All applicants are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and submit a valid LSAT score. An LSAT score is considered valid if you received it within five years of the date of your application. You must submit all LSAT scores that you have received. Please review the FAQs to learn more about how the Committee evaluates the LSAT and considers multiple LSAT scores.
4. Resume
We require a detailed resume containing your educational history, extracurricular activities, community and volunteer activities, and all full or part-time work experience. Please indicate the time spent each week on each activity or employment position. If your education or employment history has been interrupted for more than a normal vacation period, you should describe your activities during that time. You will be able to upload your resume in the “Attachments” section of the application.
Please see our FAQs for more guidance on the resume.
5. Letters of Recommendation and Evaluations
We require two letters of recommendation, but we will accept up to four. You must submit your letters of recommendation through the CAS Letter of Recommendation Service. Your application will be considered complete once we receive two letters of recommendation unless you notify the Admissions Office and ask us to wait until we have received the additional letters.
We will accept evaluations submitted through LSAC's Evaluation Service, but they will not be required. You may submit up to two evaluations. If you are planning to submit these evaluations, please note that the Committee will not wait until we have received them to complete and review your application. The Committee will proceed once all required application materials have been received and processed.
In reviewing letters of recommendation, the Committee is looking for insight into a candidate's academic promise, as well as personal qualities such as intellectual curiosity, enthusiasm, and commitment. We strongly recommend that you submit at least one academic letter (from a professor or advisor) who can offer an informed assessment of your academic ability. We understand that it may be necessary for candidates who have already completed their undergraduate education to submit letters of recommendation from their employers. For more information on letters of recommendation, please review our FAQs.
6. Personal Statement
The personal statement is an essential part of every application and it is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee. It should demonstrate your contribution to the Law School community beyond simply academics. The Admissions Committee often finds that a personal statement that focuses on a unique personal attribute or experience is usually the most informative (as opposed to a restatement of your qualifications or resume). If there are particular aspects of your background (e.g., racial, ethnic, or religious identification, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation) that you would like to highlight, please include this information in your personal statement. You will be able to upload your personal statement in the “Attachments” section of the application.
For more tips and guidance on the personal statement, please review the FAQs.
7. Application Fee
The application fee is $75 (U.S. funds only) and you must pay the application fee by credit card when you submit your application through LSAC.
Fee Waivers: We waive the application fee for the following individuals: (1) Teach for America participants and alumni, (2) those currently serving active duty in the U.S. military, U.S. military veterans, and members of the U.S. Reserves and National Guard, and (3) students currently enrolled at the University of Chicago. If your fee is waived for one of these reasons, please review this page and scroll to the bottom for instructions on how to proceed.
Law School Transparancy Date: Chicago is current #1 in employment, #4 in federal clerkships according to LSTThe Quarter System
The quarter system is a unique part of the traditional Chicago education. It allows students to take fewer courses each quarter than a semester system, but more courses over their entire legal education. Students also get the advantage of easing into the final exam process—because most classes meet for two quarters, 1Ls only have two exams at the end of both Fall and Winter quarters. Many students find that this makes the adjustment to top-law-schools.com a great deal easier. Finally the quarter system allows each 1L to take electives such as Public International Law, Health Law, Economic Analysis of Law, and Copyright in the Spring Quarter. Students choose from a list of seven to nine 1L-appropriate courses, many of which provide good foundations for both upper-level course work and summer jobs.
Perhaps most importantly, the quarter system at the Law School is the same as the quarter system at the rest of the University of Chicago, making it simple for students to take advantage of the huge variety of courses the University has to offer. Nearly the entire University is an easy walk from the Law School, and students may take up to four classes anywhere else in the University during their second and third years. Students often take these classes in the Booth School of Business, the Harris School of Public Policy, the School of Social Service Administration, the Pritzker School of Medicine, and a variety of graduate departments.
When the school funded rate is removed from the employment statistics of every school Chicago is #2 behind Stanford (89% vs. 87%)
LSN Admissions Outcomes:
2012 Entering Class LSAT and GPA
LSAT 25th/75th Percentile: 167/173
GPA 25th/75th Percentile: 3.65/3.96
LSAT Median: 171
GPA Median: 3.90
Status Checker Journey
Here is the path that you will take through the Status Checker:
Recive Status Checker in "Received Email"
Status #1: Application Received
Status #2: Complete
Status #3: Under Review
Status #4: Invited to Interview
Status #5: Interview Scheduled
Status #6: Under Review (After the interview has happened it is returned to Application Under Review mean the next step will be..)
Status #7: (Decision)??
Emails that you will receive:
#1: Application Received (Here is where you will receive your Staus Checker)
#2: Application Complete
#3: Invitation to Interview
#4: Registration Confirmation (Registration for the interview sign-up service)
#5: Interview Confirmation (Confirms the time and date of the interview
#6: Decision??