Ever heard of a conditional acceptance letter to law school? Think of it as a stepping stone for those who aren’t yet quite prepared for law school, but show the potential to perform well as a law student.
What is a conditional acceptance letter to law school?
If your law school application isn’t strong enough for schools to offer you outright acceptance, they might still offer you something that’s known as conditional acceptance. If you enroll as a student under conditional acceptance, you must successfully fulfill requirements of a pre-enrollment program prior to joining the law school’s incoming class.
How can you apply?
Generally, there is no separate application for conditional acceptance. Admissions officers review files in the general pool of applicants to decide who will be a match for the program.
What type of applicant receives a conditional acceptance letter to law school?
Students considered for conditional acceptance typically have low GPAs and/or test scores, lower than the schools’ 25th percentile ranges. However, schools might decide that a subset of these students have otherwise strong applications. Oftentimes, admissions committees will give the following groups of students particular consideration:
• Students who show a history of low standardized test scores, but strong academic performance in the classroom
• Students with a history of poor academic performance, but generally strong standardized test scores
• Students with above-average work experience
• Non-traditional applicants with poor undergraduate academic records (and many years standing between college and law school school)
• Students who have completed other advanced degrees
• Students from disadvantaged backgrounds
How can you fulfill program requirements to earn full acceptance?
Students who are offered conditional acceptance can demonstrate their readiness for law school by completing a law school course, as well as remedial courses in reading and writing. Note that each program is different, so if you’re interested in learning more, LSAC recommends that you contact individual schools to identify program requirements. Law schools will reevaluate your candidacy after you fulfill program requirements. Remember, you won’t be a true law student at that law school until you receive a full offer of admission.
Which law schools offer conditional acceptance?
A number of private, public, and religiously affiliated law schools offer this kind of program. Check out the comprehensive list below.
• Arizona Summit Law School
• Charlotte School of Law
• University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
• University of the District of Columbia—David A. Clarke School of Law
• Drake University Law School
• Florida Coastal School of Law
• The John Marshall Law School (Chicago)
• Lincoln Memorial University—John J. Duncan, Jr. School of Law
• Michigan State University College of Law
• New York Law School
• North Carolina Central University School of Law
• Nova Southeastern University—Shepard Broad College of Law
• Oklahoma City University School of Law
• Saint Louis University School of Law
• St. Mary’s University School of Law
• St. Thomas University School of Law (Miami)
• The University of South Dakota School of Law
• Texas A&M University School of Law
• Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School
• Widener University Commonwealth Law School
• Widener University Delaware Law School
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