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How many reference letters do I need? – Law schools place a great deal of emphasis on strong reference letters. Most law programs require two or three reference letters for admission, although they may accept more than just three. While references from faculty members are ideal, law schools may seriously consider nonacademic references as well, especially if applicants have been out of school for several years.
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How many letters of recommendation do you need for Harvard Law School?

Online Application The application for Fall Term 2023 enrollment is now available through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website, Application Fee or Fee Waiver We require a nonrefundable application fee of $85.00, payable to Harvard Law School. If payment of the application fee would pose a financial hardship, we recommend applying for the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Fee Waiver Program. HLS will waive its application fee for LSAC fee waiver recipients. LSAC Fee Waiver Program To request a need-based fee waiver directly from HLS, please complete the HLS Fee Waiver Request Form. The HLS Fee Waiver Request Form for those applying for Fall Term 2023 enrollment will open on September 1, 2022 and will close on February 1, 2023, We cannot accommodate any fee waiver requests made outside of this window. No application for admission will be considered before the application fee has been paid or a fee waiver has been granted. HLS Fee Waiver Request Form Resume We require a resume as part of the application. Please limit your resume to 1 – 2 pages in length. The following links are to sample resumes from successful applicants in prior years. You do not have to follow the formatting used in these resumes, but all three are examples of well-organized, easy-to-read drafts.

Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3

Personal Statement The personal statement provides an opportunity for you to present yourself, your background, your ideas, and your qualifications to the Admissions Committee. Please limit your statement to two pages using a minimum of 11-point font, 1-inch margins, and double spacing. We expect applicants to use the full two pages in crafting their statement. The personal statement is intended as an opportunity to give the Admissions Committee a better sense of who you are as a person and as a potential student and graduate of Harvard Law School. In many instances, applicants have used the personal statement to provide more context on how their experiences and strengths could make them valuable contributors to the Harvard and legal communities, to illuminate their intellectual background and interests, or to clarify or elaborate on other information in their application. Because applicants and their experiences differ, you are the best person to determine the content of your statement. LSAT or GRE Score Pursuant to ABA Standard 503, all applicants to the J.D. program must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) reports all LSAT scores from the past five years. Similarly, applicants who choose to submit a GRE General Test score (instead of, or in addition to, the LSAT) are required to report all valid test scores from the previous five-year period. Applicants who apply with an active LSAT test score may elect to submit valid GRE General Test scores as well, but are not required to do so. To report GRE General Test scores to HLS, applicants should log into their ETS account and select Harvard Law School as a recipient of results using the school code 2135. CAS Report Submit a current copy of your LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report, which may be ordered from the Law School Admission Council, Information for Foreign-Educated Applicants Harvard Law School requires that your foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). If you completed any postsecondary work outside the US (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 US or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the Credential Assembly Service subscription fee. An International Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your Credential Assembly Service report. Questions about the Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at [email protected], Transcripts We require official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work. Final official transcripts, with degree and conferral date (if applicable) displayed, from all undergraduate and graduate academic institutions listed on your LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report are required. Transcripts submitted to LSAC during the application process are sufficient to meet this requirement unless they were in-progress at the time of submission to LSAC. In those cases where an in-progress transcript was submitted to the LSAC, we will require a final version sent to our office. Letters of Recommendation Two letters of recommendation are required, but you may submit up to three. We strongly recommend that at least one letter of recommendation come from an academic source. Our experience is that two thoughtfully selected recommenders are likely to be more effective than several chosen less carefully. Your application will be treated as complete with two letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. Optional Statement The Admissions Committee makes every effort to understand your achievements in the context of your background and to build a diverse student body. If applicable, you may choose to submit an optional additional statement to elaborate on how you could contribute to the Harvard Law School community. We ask that you limit your optional statement to one page, double spaced, using a font size that is comfortable to read (not less than 11 point). If an optional statement runs over one page, it will be read. However, we ask that you use your best judgment to determine whether or not your optional statement should exceed the one-page allotment. Additional Information We encourage you to provide any relevant information that may be helpful to us in making an informed decision on your application. Any information that you believe to be relevant to your application is appropriate. Examples of information that may be relevant to individual cases include unusual circumstances that may have affected academic performance, a description or documentation of a physical or learning disability, an explicit history of standardized test results accompanying a strong academic performance, or a history of educational or sociological disadvantage. It is very helpful for you to provide as much information as possible on the online form itself before referring the reader to additional materials. Character and Fitness Your application to Harvard Law School includes a set of Character and Fitness Questions. 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 in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners, Interview During the application review process you may be invited to interview. These interviews will happen throughout the admissions cycle, starting in November. The Admissions Office will contact you directly to set up an interview. Interviews are conducted using Zoom. As always, we will accommodate individuals who may be unable to conduct their interview in this manner. If there is a reason that Zoom will not work for you, we will work with you to find an alternative. However, our expectation is that video will be used for the majority of the interviews we conduct.

Apply for Admission The application for Fall Term 2023 enrollment is now closed. We expect the application for Fall Term 2024 enrollment to be available through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website in September 2023. Submission Deadline The application for Fall Term 2023 enrollment closes on February 20, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET, Decision Release The J.D. Admissions Office will begin releasing decisions for Fall Term 2023 applicants in January 2023. We aim to notify all applicants of their admission decision by early April. Applications are reviewed approximately in the order in which they are completed. We appreciate your patience with the process of providing individual consideration to each application. Visit our blog for more information on important dates for the 2022–2023 application cycle.

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Who should write letters of recommendation for law school?

Who should I ask for a letter of recommendation? – College professors and instructors are the best recommenders for law school. Law schools are most interested in academic letters of recommendation and some will specifically indicate that the letters of recommendation must be academic.

Even if the schools don’t specify, academic letters are preferred. If you have been out of undergraduate work for under fewer than five years, law schools may still require academic letters. If you are certain you want to apply to law school after a gap year or two, you may want to request letters before you graduate from Penn State.

Letters from employers or internship supervisors can include valuable information for law schools but they do not take the place of academic letters unless you have been out of school and in the workforce for a significant number of years. If you have two academic letters, consider an employer or internship supervisor for a third or fourth letter.
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What is the maximum number of letters of recommendation?

What Else Do I Need? – Familiarize yourself with the different requirements among schools and pay close attention to their instructions. Most colleges will ask for up to three letters of recommendation, so keep that in mind and don’t overdo it. If a school wants two recommendation letters, only submit two.

1. The goal is to maximize your chances of being accepted, so it’s important to keep the admissions officer in mind and avoid doing anything that makes their job harder.
2. Also, remember that the people who write your letters of recommendation are doing you a big favor, so make sure to thank them and show your gratitude.

Hand-written thank you cards are always appreciated! If you follow these tips, you’ll be able to maximize your potential and turn your dream school into a reality. Now that you know what you need for your letters of recommendation, it’s time to start sending applications.
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How many letters of recommendation do you need for law school in Canada?

Reference Letters How many reference letters does Western Law require? We require two reference letters, one of which must be academic (from a university instructor). The second letter may also be academic or it may be non-academic, e.g., from an employer, coach, or someone else who can provide an objective assessment.

You should avoid letters from family members, friends, or peers as they are perceived to be not as objective as other references. If you are a you may submit two non-academic references if you cannot obtain an academic reference. Can I provide more than two reference letters? OLSAS permits this, but if more than two are submitted, our Admissions Committee will read only two of them, selected at random.

How are reference letters submitted? References are submitted online as part of the application process. Once you add your referee’s information in your application, click Save and Continue, You will then see a list of Actions appear. You must select “Send Email” to notify your referee about completing their online reference in a secure environment.

1. If you provide an email address for your referee, they are required to complete the reference online.
2. Ensure that your referee is prepared to use the online form before entering an email address.
3. If the referee does not have an email address, download the form and forward it to them.
4. They must then send the form with their accompanying letter, to OLSAS using regular mail.

When are reference letters due? All materials are expected to be received by OLSAS by November 1 for first-year applications and by May 1 for upper-year applications. Contact your referees early so as to give them sufficient time to prepare and submit the letter before the application deadline.

Internal combined-degree applicants should have their referees send their letters directly to the Law Admissions Office, Room 222 Faculty of Law, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7. They can also submit their letters via email to, What should my referee include in the reference letter? While this is entirely up to your referee, we do have some suggestions.

A reference letter should include how the referee knows you, for how long, and in what capacity. Academic referees can discuss how your academic performance compared with other similarly-situated students they have taught or supervised, your strengths and specific evidence of those strengths based on personal observation, and personal knowledge of other aspects of your personality, character, or work ethic that demonstrate skills, habits, or qualities that would be helpful in legal study.
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How many letters of recommendation do you need for Yale Law School?

The 250 Word Essay – The 250 word essay is an opportunity to write about an idea or issue from your academic, extracurricular, or professional work that is of particular interest to you. Although there are many ways to approach this essay, one option is to write about a time when you changed your mind about an idea or issue that is of interest to you.

The idea or issue you choose does not have to be law-related; the essay is simply another opportunity for faculty readers to learn more about how you would engage in the Law School community. You will have the opportunity to include a diversity statement and optional addenda to your application if any are necessary for a full representation of your candidacy.

Yale Law School welcomes, but does not require, a diversity statement, which many applicants submit to help us learn more about them and how they would contribute to our community. Other applicants choose not to include diversity statements, especially if they have otherwise covered key aspects of their backgrounds and experiences in their applications.

• One way to decide whether to include a diversity statement is to consider those aspects of your identity that are core to who you are, and make sure they are represented in your application.
• Separate from a diversity statement, you may include optional addenda, for example, explanations related to test scores or transcripts.

It is not necessary to include any, and many applicants do not include addenda. Yale Law School requires at least two letters of recommendation. We strongly prefer letters from at least two professors with whom you have studied who can speak to your academic performance and who have had a chance to personally evaluate significant aspects of your academic work.

Letters from employers, college deans, coaches, chaplains, colleagues, and others may be helpful, but are not preferred. If possible, they should not replace letters from two faculty recommenders. Applicants who have been out of school for some time or who are otherwise unable to obtain two faculty recommendations may substitute letters from employers or others who know them well.

These letters should address the qualities that academic recommendations typically address, for example: the applicant’s ability to write and think critically, as well as their overall suitability for the study and practice of law. A tip sheet for your recommenders can be found here,

• All letters of recommendation must be transmitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service, which is included as part of your CAS subscription.
• We will begin review of your application as soon as we have received two letters of recommendation.
• We will not hold your application in order to wait for additional letters.

To ensure that all of your recommendations are available for consideration, please verify that they are on file with LSAC prior to applying to the Law School. Applicants are required to submit a statement of activities to help us understand what you did during your undergraduate education and after graduation (if applicable).

The college activities section asks three questions: 1) what you did during those terms when you were not in school, including summers and any other terms off (e.g., employment, internships, or study abroad); 2) what you did during the terms while you were also taking classes (e.g., extracurricular activities, employment, or internships); and 3) a catch all question where you may briefly describe any other activities that you consider relevant (e.g., a significant thesis or capstone project, or significant personal or familial responsibilities).

If it has been more than three months since you attended college, you must also describe what you have been doing since graduation in any format you choose. You should include graduate or professional education, paid or unpaid employment, as well as any other activities that you consider relevant.

The activities in these sections should be listed in order of their relative importance to you. For each activity, you must provide a brief description, state the approximate start and end dates, estimate the weekly hourly commitment, and note whether the activity was paid or unpaid. Please note that we anticipate significant duplication between these sections and your résumé.

These sections should be brief, and, in general, applicants should answer the college activities questions in no more than 1–2 pages and the post-college activities question in no more than one page. Yale Law School accepts results from the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test,

Additionally, the Law School accepts results from the LSAT-Flex and the GRE General Test at Home, We do not have a preference among these standardized tests. However, you may submit score(s) from one standardized test only. If you have a reportable LSAT score, you may not submit a GRE score for consideration.

If you choose to apply with the LSAT, you must take the LSAT no later than January 2023. LSAC automatically reports all LSAT scores from the past five years. The oldest LSAT score we will accept is June 2017. If you have taken the LSAT since June 2017, you do not have the option not to report your score(s) to the Law School—your score(s) will be included in the information that we receive in your CAS report from LSAC.

LSAC requires at least one LSAT writing sample, taken either at the time of the LSAT examination or via LSAT Writing, in order to generate your CAS report. Yale Law School requires only one LSAT writing sample. Applicants who take the LSAT more than once do not need to submit multiple writing samples.

It may take up to three weeks for LSAC to process and report your LSAT Writing. Therefore, you should complete your LSAT Writing no later than January 25, 2023 to ensure we receive it by Yale Law School’s application deadline. If you choose to apply using the GRE General Test, we must receive your GRE scores from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) by our application deadline, February 15, 2023.

Because it may take up to 15 calendar days for ETS to transmit your scores once you complete the exam, you should take the GRE no later than February 1, 2023. Applicants who have taken the GRE can log into their ETS accounts and select Yale Law School as a recipient of GRE results using the school code 4542.

To maintain parity between our evaluation of LSAT and GRE results, applicants who apply using the GRE must submit all GRE scores from the past five years. When reporting your GRE scores to Yale Law School, please select the option to report your entire testing history.

Selecting this option will report all of your GRE scores for the past five years. Additionally, please ensure that the GRE score report submitted with your application is generated on or after the date you submit your Yale Law School application. A failure to comply with these policies may prevent the review of your application or result in the withdrawal of an offer of admission.

Yale Law School does not require a dean’s certification form as part of the initial application. In the event an offer of admission is extended to you and you choose to accept that offer, you will be required to submit a dean’s certification form from each college or university degree program in which you are, or have been, enrolled, regardless of whether a degree was awarded.
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Can I get into Harvard Law with a 173?

What undergraduate GPA do I need to get admitted to Harvard Law School? – If you want to learn how to get into Harvard Law School, the process starts with you earning the best grades possible during your undergraduate program. The 2022 class profile for Harvard Law School reports the following undergraduate GPAs for the middle 50% of the class:

25th percentile – 3.79 50th percentile – 3.89 75th percentile – 3.96

Just like with the LSAT score percentile ranges, you should strive to achieve an undergraduate GPA at the upper end of the percentile range reported by Harvard Law. My tips for achieving the best grades possible during your undergraduate studies are simple.

Work hard at all times. There is no substitute for hard work. While it might be nice if there was a way to slack off and still get the types of grades that you will need to get into Harvard Law School, that is not true. You will have to work harder than other people do if you want to get into a top school like Harvard Law.

While it might not seem like much fun to skip going out to study for a test, doing so might allow you to have a better future. If you are struggling in a class, you need to get help early. Don’t wait. If you miss learning some fundamental concepts in a core class, you will be in trouble.

Take advantage of your professor’s office hours and ask for help when you need it. Hire a tutor and do what you need to do. If you do not understand a subject, as time goes on, you will end up having problems in higher-level courses. Getting good grades involves being prepared to work hard, getting help early, and get solid foundations.

If you do those things, you will do well an will get the types of grades that you will need to be competitive for a top school like Harvard Law.
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What is a strong letter of recommendation law school?

The most effective letters of recommendation are written by professors or work supervisors who know you well enough to describe your academic, personal, or professional achievements and potential with candor, detail, and objectivity. Letters that compare you to your academic peers are often the most useful. Most schools do not consider general, unreservedly praiseworthy letters helpful.
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Who are the best people to ask for letters of rec law school?

Who Should Write My Law School Letters of Recommendation? You are responsible for compiling most of your law school application, but when it comes to letters of recommendation, you’ll need to invite a few people who know you best into the process, T hink of them as star witnesses build ing your case for being a top prospect.

Make sure your recommender is the right fit. Who can best describe you? Who can speak to your personal, professional and/or educational experiences? Who can d etail the traits you embody that are important to the study and practice of law, like academic prowess, grit, time-management, and work ethic ? Those are the people you should ask to writ e letter s on your behalf,

It helps for r ecommenders to include instructors you’ve worked closely with during your previous coursework, If you have not had recent contact with past professors (say, the last five years), think about requesting letters from employers and/or colleagues.

1. Never submit recommendation s from relatives or family friends,
2. M ost admissions committees will not consider them.
3. Also, be wary of asking professors from college who can’t personalize the letter (for instance, a n instructor from a large seminar class with whom you had minimal interaction ).
4. Help your recommenders help you.

G ive your recommenders advance notice to prepare the letter (at least a month), This allows them adequate time to write a thoughtful, impact ful letter, and saves you from worrying about completing your application on time, To help your recommenders tailor the letter to your skills and experience, send them your resume and transcript as a reference,

1. Remember to include any instructions the school you’re applying to has provided for submitting the letter.
2. Prioritize quality over quantity.
3. F ollow the application guidelines on how many letters you can submit – most schools will state the minimum and maximum number.
4. Eep in mind that these letters can greatly enhance or detract from your application, so quality is better than quantity.

Two glowing letters from people who meet all the criteria of a great recommender are much better than four lackluster letters from loose connections. : Who Should Write My Law School Letters of Recommendation?
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How many letters of recommendation do you need for NYU law school?

The Admission Process – Is there any particular undergraduate coursework that the Committee on Admissions values highly? The Committee looks for a broad range of courses, some of which are analytically demanding and others that require heavy reading loads and develop research and writing skills.

What are the grade point averages and range of standardized test scores of your students? For more information about our current 1L student body, please review our class profile, How does the Committee view pass/fail grades on transcripts? T he Committee considers the circumstances; were such courses required or optional, how many and in which subjects are such grades, etc.

Please include any narratives or course evaluations of such transcripts with your application if they are available. Applicants who selected to take courses pass/fail or were required to do so during the spring 2020 semester will not be penalized. The context in which your spring semester grades were earned will be taken into consideration and will be incorporated as part of our holistic review process.

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. An applicant holding a graduate degree does not necessarily have a competitive advantage over an applicant who does not have a graduate degree.

What is the average age of an NYU School of Law student? For the fall 2022 entering class (accurate as of October 2022), approximately 81% of the students had taken at least one year off prior to entering law school. Approximately 13% of the students had been out of college for five years or more.

• The average age of the students in last year’s entering class was 24.
• How many letters of recommendation do you require? Two letters of recommendation are required to complete your application.
• Candidates applying for the Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship must submit at least one additional recommendation that addresses the candidate’s commitment to public service and those applying to the Furman Public Policy Scholarship must submit a letter of recommendation that speaks to the candidate’s interest in public policy.

By what method may I submit a recommendation? The Committee on Admissions prefers the use of the LSAC Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Service. NYU School of Law does not use a recommendation form. If I have been out of school for a while, from whom should I get letters of recommendation? A professor or an employer or anyone who can speak to your ability to succeed in a rigorous law school program.

Academic letters on file that are several years old may be helpful to the Committee as well. Do you grant interviews for admission? Interviews and/or meetings with members of the Committee on Admissions are not granted at any point during the regular application process. Applicants are encouraged to consult published and online NYU School of Law informational resources for answers to their questions.

Applicants are invited to contact the Office of JD Admissions via email or via phone at 212-998-6060 with any remaining questions. If I am a foreign educated applicant, how can I submit my transcripts? Foreign transcripts must be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service.

Applicants who completed any post-secondary work outside of the US (including its territories) or Canada, must use this service for the evaluation of foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is foreign work completed through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a US or Canadian institution, and where the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript.

Please visit www.lsac.org for details. Foreign applicants must take the LSAT or GRE; however, foreign applicants to the JD program need not take the TOEFL. Foreign-trained lawyers should apply for the LLM Program. What role does citizenship play in the admission process? NYU Law welcomes applications from all individuals, regardless of citizenship status, including: individuals who have been granted deferred action under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), individuals who have applied for deferred action under DACA, and individuals who are undocumented.

All applicants must take the LSAT or GRE no later than January and apply by February 15. All admitted students, regardless of citizenship, are eligible for scholarships awarded by NYU Law, Those applicants who are unable to pay the application fee and are not eligible to apply for a fee waiver through LSAC due to their citizenship status should contact the Office of Admissions for instructions on how to apply for a NYU Law application fee waiver.

Does having prior involvement with the criminal justice system, such as an arrest, charges, or conviction, or answering “yes” to any of the other Character and Fitness questions on the JD Application, preclude me from being admitted to NYU Law? No. NYU Law strives to ensure that students in each incoming class bring with them a diversity of experience.

1. All individuals, including those with previous criminal convictions and other prior involvement in the criminal justice system, are encouraged to apply.
2. Please be advised that in addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S.

jurisdiction. Bar examiners consider prior criminal legal history as part of the character and fitness evaluation. This may include charges, convictions, arrests, and other forms of involvement in the criminal justice system. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction.

1. The National Conference of Bar Examiners provides addresses for all relevant agencies and a Guide to Bar Admissions Requirements,
2. Applicants who plan to seek New York Bar admission may petition the State bar for an “advance ruling” on the effect of a felony or misdemeanor conviction upon their character and fitness evaluations.

Applicants seeking such a ruling are encouraged to contact the Appellate Division of the New York State Unified Court System in which you reside; if you do not reside in New York State, please contact the Attorney Admissions Office of the Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department.

Applicants who expect to practice in New York State also are encouraged to review Are You Fit to Be a Lawyer, published by the New York State Lawyer Assistance Trust. NYU Law will use information shared in the Character and Fitness section of the application to advise and support admitted students. The Law School’s Office of Career Services and Public Interest Law Center will provide counseling to students who have questions on how a criminal legal history may impact a legal career.

How can I make sure that my application is complete and can I check the status of my application? NYU Law maintains an online status check function through which you may monitor your application. Please note that the Office of Admissions will not release any information to anyone except the applicant.

Further, the Office of Admissions does not give admissions decisions by email, telephone or fax. This policy helps to protect the confidentiality of every applicant. Do you have a part-time or evening JD program? We do not offer a part-time or evening JD program. Students matriculate in the fall semester on a full-time basis only.

Can I enroll in the spring? We do not offer spring enrollment. How can I reapply to NYU School of Law? If a candidate previously applied to the Law School and has decided to reapply for the fall 2023 admissions cycle the candidate must complete the fall 2023 application form (including the personal statement and a letter of recommendation).

You must also pay the appropriate application fee, register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and send updated transcripts to LSAC for all academic work (undergraduate, graduate and/or professional) undertaken since your last application. Please note that the Law School Admissions Council has extended its service to applicants for five years requiring a $30.00 report fee to have the LSAT score report and undergraduate transcripts sent through Credential Assembly Service to the NYU School of Law.

For more information, visit www.lsac.org,
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Should I submit 3 or 4 letters of recommendation?

How many letters of recommendation should I send to residency programs? – We recommend sending four letters of recommendation, even if three is conventional. That additional letter, assuming it’s as strong as the others, will make you a more competitive applicant.
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Should I do 2 or 3 recommendation letters?

C. Recommendation Letters –

Most graduate schools require 3 letters of recommendation. However, you should double-check how many each school requires, and do NOT send more than asked for, Sending too many letters or information not requested by the school, can actually HURT your candidacy. Carefully decide who would be in the best position to assess your work in the field for which you are applying. Ideally, obtain letters from faculty members who know you well. You should have received an “A” in these professors’ classes and be able to approach them to discuss your graduate school plans. In a less ideal situation (and it happens to all of us!), approach lesser-known faculty members who are specialists in the field for which you want to apply. Not having recommendations from someone in the field you want to study is a big red flag for many schools! The next best letters would be faculty in other departments. You should NOT seek personal recommendations from family and friends. Give recommenders enough time to draft your letters ; two to three months is a good amount of time. You should also provide them with a CV or resume and a one-page write-up of your research interests, goals, and experience. These documents will give them additional information they can use to write their recommendation letters. You will probably need to provide them with login information and other instructions about how to use any applicable online recommendation services or complete any required forms. As a rule of thumb, don’t ask your recommenders to prepare more than 3 letters, Periodically check in with your recommenders to make sure they’re on track to complete letters by the deadline. However, don’t annoy them! Checking in once every few weeks should be sufficient. Generally, you can either waive the right to see a copy of the recommendation letter or not. We recommend that you always waive the right to access the recommendation letters, since this will give schools more confidence that the recommenders are writing honestly about their opinion of you. Therefore, make sure you choose people who will write positive recommendations! Sometimes, you might unintentionally learn of negative comments about you in one of the recommendation letters; or, perhaps you get waitlisted and the school tells you that you have received a negative recommendation. Don’t panic! You can look for two additional people to write you a positive recommendation. These references don’t need to be faculty members, but they should be able to provide a reasonably objective opinion. If you know which specific issues were raised in the negative review, you can ask the two new recommenders to address these point, Recommendation letter editing is recommended for referees whose native language is not English.

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Is it OK to have 3 letters of recommendation?

Who should you ask? – Letters of recommendation should not come from just anybody who knows you well; you want your letters to come from people who can honestly speak to why you are a good fit for a graduate program. Asking a professor for a letter even though you’ve never really spoken with that professor is probably not a great idea no matter how high your grade was in their class.

Much of the wisdom out there on letters of recommendation claims that a lukewarm letter is just as harmful to your application as a negative letter. You want undoubtedly positive letters, so ask people who you have built a good relationship with! If a potential writer is not comfortable with this favor, they will likely let you know.

However, if you do not receive a direct no but do receive a lot of hesitation, that may be a sign that this person is not the best fit, either. Most graduate program applications ask for three letters of recommendation. If you are currently enrolled in college, your letters of recommendation are likely going to come from three of your professors.

• More specifically, you ideally want to ask professors who are in or related to the field of your graduate program.
• If you are applying to a master’s program in engineering, then the professor of the art history class you took as an elective may not be the best letter writer for this occasion, regardless of how well they may know you.

However, you do typically have three letters to acquire, and some of the professors who know you best may very well be from unrelated fields. If need be, it is okay to ask a professor from an unrelated field for a letter of recommendation if they are able to speak about skills you have that they believe make you a good fit for the field you wish to go into.

If a professor does not feel comfortable writing a letter for you because their expertise does not align with the grad program of your interest, they will likely be honest and let you know. Ideally, though, you should get letters from professors whose own focuses align with your programs of interests to some degree.

If you are not currently enrolled in college, then past professors may not be the clear choice for your letter writers. For professionals who are currently applying to graduate school, your professional contacts, such as your boss or a mentor, are great candidates! A boss or mentor-figure can certainly speak to your work ethic, drive, and other skills and qualities that will color your potential for success.
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How many letters of recommendation does Mcgill require?

Letters of reference/recommendation – The terms “Letter of reference” and “Letter of recommendation” are used interchangeably. Below are general guidelines for letters of recommendation. Departmental or program-specific requirements regarding letters of recommendation may vary.

• Normally, two (2) letters of reference/recommendation are required.
• You must identify your referees who are familiar with your work and are willing to write letters of recommendation in the application portal. You must provide a valid institutional/organization e-mail address for each referee.
• Each referee you identify on the application form will receive an automated email from the application portal (McGill University) asking for a reference in support of your application for graduate studies. Referees will be invited to login to a secure portion of the McGill website where they can upload the letter(s) of reference and if applicable, complete some standardized questions.
• In the event a referee may decline the request; you will be advised by email if your selected referee declines, and you will be asked to provide an alternate.
• You will be able to make changes (in the application portal) such as updating email addresses and replacing referees or adding a new referee should one decline the reference request.
• It is your responsibility to make sure your referees submit their letters of reference on time. In the application portal, you may ‘Send a Reminder’ to prompt them to complete the process. Alternatively, email them directly and politely remind them when the letter of recommendation is due.
• When your referee submits their letter of recommendation, you will receive an automated email confirmation. Your application checklist will also be updated.

Letters must meet the following conditions:

1. The program the student has applied to must be clearly indicated and the letter should include information that would aid an admissions committee in making an informed decision.
2. Letters must be dated and not be more than 12 months old.
3. The referee must indicate his/her position/title and full contact information at the institution/organization they work for.

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Can you reuse letters of recommendation?

Who Can Write a Letter of Recommendation?  – Anyone who can attest to your character, drive, experiences, and potential contributions at a new school can write your letter of recommendation. Ideally, though, it will be someone who knows you well, is willing to endorse you, and is considered a leader or authority figure.

Since you want to present a well-rounded picture of who you are, you should ask a few different types of people to write your letters if possible. To start, it always makes sense to ask a high school teacher with whom you have a good relationship. When choosing that teacher, think about the major you’re applying for.

For instance, a recommendation from an English teacher can go a long way if you’re applying to an English program. It can also be helpful to work on getting one of your letters from a teacher who teaches a core subject. Sure, letters from elective teachers are fantastic.

• But sometimes, endorsements from core teachers hold more weight.
• Next, a teacher or mentor for an extracurricular at your school is another great person to ask.
• You should choose an extracurricular you’ve been involved with for a while, if possible, hopefully having done something integral to support the group.

Alternatively, a counselor at your school could fill in here if you don’t have extracurricular participation to rely on. Finally, if you need a third letter, consider asking a community leader who knows you well. That could be a church leader, someone at an organization you volunteer with, or even someone you’ve worked for during your summer breaks.

• Asking for a letter of recommendation can feel awkward.
• But know that most teachers view students asking them for a recommendation as a positive — you trust or think highly of them, so much so that you want them to be a part of your college application process.  Moreover, you’ve got exciting plans and dreams for your future, which speaks to the success of the teachers and mentors in your life.

That said, they’re doing you a favor. They’re not required to write college letters of recommendation. Nor are they required to write positive recommendations. So, you’ll want to be upfront, courteous, and thankful in addition to following these essential tips: The time you need to will vary depending on the context.

1. But in general, be thoughtful and think about ways to give and connect before asking for their help.
2. Asking in person demonstrates respect and thoughtfulness.
3. So, try to catch the person one-on-one and in private to make the request.
4. If you’re asking one of your teachers, you should schedule a brief meeting with them during their planning time.

What? You’re probably surprised to hear that or wondering exactly how long letters of recommendation take. Most high school counselors tell us they can take between three and eight weeks. Counselors tend to have more letters to write, so they usually take a little longer to complete them than teachers do.

Remember, you probably aren’t the only student asking for a letter, but you can be the most thoughtful by requesting yours early and being patient. (Requesting them late in the spring or right before summer break of your junior year can be a smart way to demonstrate your organization and planning) Tell them when your earliest application is due, answer all their questions, and offer to send additional information in an email.

Then, in that email, share your legal and preferred name and pronouns, why you asked them to write your letter, and the majors and colleges you plan to pursue. Your recommenders may also ask if there’s anything specific you want them to talk about in the letter.

For instance, if you’re entering an English program, perhaps they can write about a great argument you made in your last essay. It’s also helpful to provide your recommenders with cool and notable things you’ve done, maybe in the email we mentioned above. We know you’re busy, but it’s essential to take the time to thank the people who write letters for you.

So, grab a thank you card the next time you’re at the store, or write a brief note expressing gratitude. It will be worth your time – we promise. Definitely! Reusing one teacher’s recommendation for multiple colleges can save you much time and is an intelligent way to handle the process.

Depending on how you’re filling out the applications – whether on the college or university’s site or an application platform, you’ll have to deal with each situation differently.  You may need the person sending the letter of recommendation to submit it separately each time. The easiest way to reuse letters of recommendation is usually on an application platform, where the letters are automatically used as often as you apply to colleges.

FERPA is a complicated law, so we’ll stick to the basics here. Essentially,, including but not limited to your college application and all attached components.  Signing a FERPA Waiver means that, should you request your college records at a later date, you will not be given access to your letters of recommendation.

Yes, you should sign the FERPA Waiver. It indicates to colleges and universities that the letters associated with your application are truthful and unchanged. But what about reading your letters of recommendation first? Some recommenders have no problem showing students their letters of recommendation before they send or seal them.

On the other hand, many won’t agree to write a letter if you insist on seeing it before it’s sent or choose not to sign the FERPA agreement. Colleges want to see unfiltered thoughts about their applicants, and recommenders are more likely to speak honestly about a student if they know the student is not going to see what they say before the letter is sent. All of this explains why choosing the right people to write your recommendations is crucial! The Common Application, or, makes the process of getting letters of recommendation easy.

• Mainly because it’s all handled right on the platform.  Common App gives you four recommendation types: Personal, Professional, Academic, and High School Official.
• You can invite recommenders and provide them with context, i.e., “I was in your AP English class last year as a junior.
• I did a presentation on The Portrait of Dorian Gray that received an A (plus extra credit! Thank you!), and I would love it if you could work this into the recommendation.”  You can also monitor the status of your letters of recommendation.

Once they’re all in, you can easily assign letters of recommendation to any (or all) schools you apply to.  You may want to send those notifications out post-haste, but make sure you always ask for letters of recommendation separately from the Common App platform FIRST. It isn’t polite to send a request through platform without first speaking to the person ahead of time.

Moreover, it will not reassure them that you deserve a positive recommendation. So be sure to make the formal request before submitting the Common App request. By following the advice above, you’ll easily navigate the process of asking for and receiving your letters of recommendation. Just remember to start the process early and be thoughtful and organized with your communication.

Still, you may be wondering if going through this effort is worth it and which schools you should prioritize in the application process. With the Cappex College Acceptance Calculator, you can calculate your chances of getting into any college, Find out where you rank for the schools you are considering.
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Can I get into law school with a 2.7 GPA Canada?

FAQs – 1. Which law school in Canada is the easiest to get into? Based on admission data, the University of Windsor is the easiest law school to get into in Canada. Compared to other schools, the University of Windsor has the lowest accepted GPA and LSAT scores among its matriculants.2.

• What are my chances of getting into law school in Canada? The average acceptance rate for law schools in Canada is around 11.4%, which means getting into law school in Canada is extremely competitive, even at the less competitive schools.
• Even so, the factors affecting the difficulty of getting into Canadian law schools include more than rigorous admission requirements such as the limited number of spots and a preference for in-province applicants.3.

What GPA do I need for law school in Canada? To beat most of the competition in the admissions pool to Canadian law schools, you should have a GPA of at least 3.7 and above.4. What LSAT score do I need for law school in Canada? For most law schools in Canada, you should have an LSAT score above 150.

To get into the most competitive schools, your LSAT score should be above 160 at least.5. Is law school in Canada hard to get into? Law school in Canada is tough to get into, due to the limited number of schools and open seats, and the rigorous admission requirements. The average acceptance rate for Canadian law schools is around 11.4%.6.

What are the requirements for law school in Canada? The admission requirements for law school in Canada vary a bit by school and province, but in general you will need to complete an undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0, take the LSAT and submit an application through the proper application system.7.

How do I increase my chances of getting into law school in Canada? To increase your chances of getting into law school in Canada, you should achieve above average GPA and LSAT scores, ace the admission interview, write a great personal statement, and submit a complete application package. Your application should include a law school resume, at least two letters of recommendation and any supplemental documents such as a law school addendum, cover letter or a law school optional essay.8.

How many law schools are there in Canada? There are 24 law schools in Canada, offering JD programs in both French and English. To your success, Your friends at BeMo
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How many letters of recommendation do you need for Stanford law school?

Application Process at a Glance – The first step to admission to Stanford Law is a thoroughly completed application. It is your responsibility to make certain that all items arrive at the Office of Admissions. We will consider your application complete and proceed with an admissions review as soon as we receive all required documents.

Application for Admission. You must complete the entire application form and submit it electronically through LSAC. Application Fee. Your nonrefundable application fee of $85 must be submitted by credit card through LSAC. If you are unable to pay the fee, please review the SLS Fee Waiver Application Instructions, complete the SLS Application Fee Waiver Form, and submit it to the Office of Admissions as soon as possible so that we may process your fee waiver request. You must submit your fee waiver request prior to submitting your SLS electronic application. Allow 5-7 business days for a decision and factor in this timing to ensure you adhere to the application deadline. Please note that our fee waiver criteria and process are distinct from that of LSAC. Resume. Stanford requires a one-to-two page resume describing your academic, extracurricular and professional activities. The resume must be submitted electronically with your electronic application. Personal Statement. Enclose a statement of about two pages sharing important or unusual information about yourself that is not otherwise apparent in your application. This statement must be submitted electronically with your electronic application. Optional Diversity Essay, Although admission to Stanford Law is based primarily upon superior academic achievement and potential to contribute to the legal profession, the Admissions Committee also considers the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class important to the school’s educational mission. If you would like the committee to consider how your background, life and work experiences, advanced studies, extracurricular or community activities, culture, socio-economic status, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or other factors would contribute to the diversity of the entering class (and hence to your classmates’ law school educational experience), you may describe these factors and their relevance in a separate diversity essay. Optional Short Essays. From a list of four essay questions, you may provide up to two responses of 100 to 250 words each. Two Letters of Recommendation. Stanford requires that at least two and no more than four letters of recommendation be sent directly through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service, Letters sent directly to the Office of Admissions will not be accepted. Recommenders should be instructors who have personal knowledge of your academic work, preferably those who have known you in a seminar, small class, tutorial program or the like. If you have been out of school for a significant period you may substitute one letter from an employer or business associate. Sometimes these applicants find it difficult to obtain even one academic recommendation; in that case, you may submit two nonacademic letters. Please advise recommenders that should you choose to apply for a joint degree and/or other programs at Stanford University, the letters of recommendation may be forwarded to that program for review. Right of Access to Recommendations. Federal law provides a student, after enrollment, with a right of access to, among other things, letters of recommendation in the student’s file (if maintained). This right may be waived, but such a waiver may not be required as a condition for admission to, receipt of financial aid from, or receipt of any other services or benefits from Stanford Law School. Please indicate your choice by checking the appropriate box on the LSAC Letter of Recommendation form before giving them to your recommenders. Standardized Tests. All applicants are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. If you have one or more valid LSAT scores, they must be reported as part of your application. If you also take the GRE, you may submit all valid GRE scores, but you may also choose to submit only LSAT scores. The only circumstance where you may apply without providing us with an LSAT score is if you have only taken the GRE. If you are admitted to the Law School with a GRE and, after admission, take the LSAT, the Admissions Committee will consider this new LSAT score and will re-evaluate our offer of admission. LSAT. If you choose to apply with the LSAT, you must take the LSAT no later than January 2023. This deadline is based on the time needed by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to get your scores to us by our application deadline of February 15, 2023. LSAC will report scores directly to us. If you do not indicate the January 2023 test date on the application but plan to take that test at a later date, you should notify the Office of Admissions in order for the score to be considered. Scores received on tests taken prior to June 2017 will not be considered valid. Note that all applicants using the LSAT are required to submit at least one writing sample. This sample can either be taken at the time of the LSAT examination or at a later date. If taken at a later date, note that it may take several weeks for LSAC to process and report your writing sample so plan accordingly keeping our February deadline in mind. GRE, If you choose to apply with the GRE, you should take the exam no later than February 1, 2023. This deadline is based on the time needed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to get scores to us by our application deadline of February 15, 2023. You must arrange with ETS to have all valid GRE scores sent directly to us. Log into your ETS account and select Stanford Law School as a recipient of GRE results using the school code 4993. Scores received on tests taken prior to June 2017 will not be considered valid. Credential Assembly Service Report. Transcripts from each college or university you have attended should be forwarded to LSAC, which will prepare and transmit a Law School Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report to Stanford Law School. To register for the CAS service, please visit LSAC, The report furnished to the school will include copies of all transcripts sent to LSAC. If you have received academic credit for coursework taken abroad while enrolled as a full-time student, and if grades for that period of study are not clearly indicated on your home transcript, you must send that foreign study transcript directly to LSAC or to Stanford Law School. All non-US/Canadian transcripts listed during registration for the Credential Assembly Service are forwarded to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), where they will be authenticated and evaluated, except in cases where it is clearly marked on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the CAS registration fee. The data is assembled into a credential evaluation document that contains AACRAO’s summary, copies of the transcripts and translations (where applicable), and will be sent to the Office of Admissions. Any updated transcripts must be sent directly to LSAC. Please note that should you choose to apply for a joint degree and/or other programs at Stanford University, the CAS report may be forwarded to that program for review.

When the documents described above have all been received, your application is considered complete. However, until the application has been finally acted upon (and until the first day of attendance, if you are accepted and enroll), you are obligated to advise the school of any changes in the information previously furnished.

• In particular, you should promptly report to the school any additional grades received and any other facts that would have required a different answer to the questions asked in the application.
• Such changes may be reported informally by e-mail to the Office of Admissions; if official verification is required, you will be so advised.

You must have received, or expect to receive by the Summer of 2023, a bachelor’s degree (or the equivalent) from an approved college. All offers of admission are conditional upon graduation.
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How many letters of recommendation do you need for UCLA law school?

UCLA School of Law requires that applicants submit two letters of recommendation. At least one letter should be from someone familiar with the applicant’s academic work, if at all possible. The Law School strongly prefers that letters be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service.
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Can I get into Harvard Law with a 3.0 GPA?

What LSAT and GPA do you need for Harvard Law School? While Harvard Law School claims there are no numerical cut-offs for score or GPA, the reality is that most admitted applicants have LSAT scores in the top percentiles and exceptional undergraduate academic records.

Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States. HLS provides unmatched opportunities to study law and related disciplines in a rigorous and collaborative environment. Harvard Law School has the largest class size of any law school ranked in the top 150 with approximately 560 students per class.

In fact, HLS has nearly twice as many law students as Yale Law School and Stanford Law School combined. The first year class is broken into seven sections with approximately 80 students per section, who will take the majority of their 1L classes together.

Harvard Law School’s scope is measured in its unparalleled breadth and depth of courses and clinics, its wide array of research programs, its diverse student body drawn from across the nation and around the world, and its extensive network of distinguished alumni including the 44th president of the United States Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama—former president candidates, Mitt Romney, Michael Dukakis and Ralph Nader—U.S.

senators Ted Cruz, Mike Crapo, Tim Kaine, Jack Reed, Chuck Schumer, Tom Cotton and Mark Warner. Additionally, fourteen of the school’s graduates have served on the Supreme Court of the United States, more than any other law school. Four of the current eight members of the Supreme Court are graduates of Harvard Law School, including Chief Justice John G.

1. Roberts Jr.
2. And associate Justices, Anthony M.
3. Ennedy, Stephen G.
4. Beyer and Elena Kagan, who served as the dean of HLS from 2003 to 2009—will be five of nine if Donald Trump’s nominee Neil Gorsuch is confirmed.
5. Ruth Bader Ginsburg attended Harvard Law School for her 1L year before transferring to Columbia Law School.

Past Supreme Court Justices from HLS include David H. Souter, Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan Jr., Louis Dembitz Brandies, Felix Frankfurter, Lewis F. Powell Jr., Harold Hitz Burton, Edward Terry Sanford, William Henry Moody, Henry Billings Brown, Melville Weston Fuller, Horace Gray, Benjamin Robbins Curtis, Oliver Wendall Holmes Jr., and Antonin Scalia.

1. Harvard Law School also boasts the most Fortune 500 CEOs of any law school and second most of any school behind only Harvard Business School, including the current chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein.
2. Gaining admission to HLS is extremely competitive with only 16.5% of applicants offered admission to the class of 2019 (average for all law schools ~52%).

Not surprisingly, of those students lucky enough to be offered admission, 62% enrolled, which is one of the highest percent yields for all law schools (average for all law schools ~27%).

• So let’s take a look at what it actually takes to have a chance of being admitted to the most prestigious and preeminent law school in the world.
• Here are the Harvard Law School class profile statistics for the past three years:
• Class of 2019 Profile

GPA 75th/ 50th/ 25th percentiles: 3.94 / 3.86/ 3.76 LSAT 75th/ 50th / 25th percentiles: 175 / 172 / 170

1. Number of Applications: 5,485 Number of Admission Offers: 908 Percentage Offered Admission: 16.5%
2. Newly Enrolled 1Ls: 562
4. Class of 2018 Profile

GPA 75th/ 50th/ 25th percentiles: 3.96 / 3.86 / 3.75 LSAT 75th/ 50th / 25th percentiles: 175 / 173 / 170

• Number of Applications: 5,207 Number of Admission Offers: 931 Percentage Offered Admission: 17.8%
• Newly Enrolled 1Ls: 560
• Class of 2017 Profile

GPA 75th/ 50th/ 25th percentiles: 3.95 / 3.87 / 3.75 LSAT 75th/ 50th / 25th percentiles: 175 / 173 / 170

1. Number of Applications: 5,973 Number of Admission Offers: 918 Percentage Offered Admission: 15.4%
2. Newly Enrolled 1Ls: 560

As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School. If you have a GPA of 3.94 or higher and above a 175, you are pretty much a lock for admission, particularly given the class size of ~560.

• When will the HLS application materials be available?
• Harvard Law School’s electronic application becomes available in mid-September.
• When does HLS begin accepting applications?

Applications to HLS are accepted as soon as the application materials are made available. Like most law schools, admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, which means you can expect a decision anytime between December and May.

1. How are applications to HLS submitted?
2. All applications to HLS must be submitted electronically through LSAC.
3. Does HLS have an “early admission” or an “early decision” process?

No. HLS exclusively uses a rolling admission process. This means that applications are reviewed in the order they are completed, which means all required materials have been received and processed.

• How much is the application fee and when is the deadline?
• Application deadline: February 1st Application fee: $85.00
• Financial aid deadline: April 15th
• Does HLS grant interviews?

Yes, but evaluative interviews are available by invitation only. All interviews are conducted via Skype. The rumor is that every single admitted student is offered an invitation to interview, so if you do not receive an interview request from HLS, you shouldn’t hold your breathe. Try Risk Free ✓ No card required ✓ 1 minute setup : What LSAT and GPA do you need for Harvard Law School?
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Is a 3.9 good for Harvard Law?

Getting into Harvard with a Low LSAT Score – If you hope to have a good result when applying to Harvard Law with an LSAT score around the 25th percentile of 170, it certainly helps to have a high GPA of 3.9 or better to make up for the low LSAT score.

• With an acceptance rate of only 13%, Harvard is incredibly selective, so anything you can do to stand out from the crowd and improve your odds will help.
• If all this seems daunting, remember that Harvard is one of the country’s most selective and prestigious law schools.
• The Harvard name commands universal respect and probably exceeds Yale Law School in its reputation among laypeople, so it is no surprise that they cull from the strongest applicants to law schools in a given year.

However, Harvard is serious when they say they look beyond the numbers. Many schools essentially auto-accept almost all applications with LSAT & GPA numbers at or above a certain range. On the other hand, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and (to a lesser extent) other Top 6 law schools typically receive more applications with numbers within their target LSAT/GPA range than they can accept.

This tends to make Harvard’s admissions decisions a little more difficult to predict because they’ll look to factors beyond the numbers to choose between the over-abundance of well-qualified applicants. This makes Harvard what is called in the admissions game a Black Box. The likelihood of admission to a black box school so hard to predict is that it’s difficult to say exactly what a school is looking for when making decisions based on ‘soft factors.’ Suffice to say, impressive work experience and other unique, standout credentials will certainly be helpful when applying to schools at this level.

If your heart is set on going to Harvard law, be sure to check out the following recommended reading to help you max out your chances of a favorable decision. If you want to get into Harvard Law, make sure that you maximize your LSAT score by studying with the right LSAT prep books.
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How many recommendations does Harvard accept?

How Many Recommendation Letters Does Harvard Require? – On their website, Harvard specifically asks for letters of recommendation from two teachers in different academic subjects. Students can submit additional letters of recommendation if they wish. The University also requires one letter of recommendation from a school counselor.
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Can I get into Harvard Law with a 170?

What LSAT score do you need to get into Harvard Law? Over 3 years ago, I was fortunate enough to get into Harvard Law. While I’ll never know exactly what part of my application pushed me over the edge, my conversations with admissions officers (both at Harvard and other schools) and other admitted students since then have revealed just how much my LSAT score likely helped.

Here, I’ll break down everything I learned about how Harvard Law and other AdComs look at your LSAT score. Medians: When talking about how your LSAT score plays into your admission chances, our most important guide is a law school’s LSAT median. The median represents the “middle” LSAT score of a school’s first-year class.

Let’s say the Apollo School of Law had 3 incoming students with LSAT scores of 153, 155, and 156. If we put those scores in order from lowest to higher, the “middle”, or median, score would be 155. Now, if Apollo admitted 2 more students with a 151 and a 152, their incoming class now looks like this: 151, 152, 153, 155, 156 The median (middle score) is now 153.

Note that it doesn’t actually matter how far below median the accepted students are – even if both scored 130, the middle (median) number would still be 153:130, 130, 153, 155, 156As you can see, schools have a very strong reason to care if you’re above or below median, and a weaker one to care how far above or below median you are.

Therefore, the simplest answer to the question posed in the title of this post is found by looking at Harvard Law’s median LSAT score. As of the most recent application cycle, Harvard Law’s median LSAT score is 174. Assuming the rest of your application is perfectly “average” for Harvard Law, if your LSAT score is below 174, your chances of getting in are below average.

1. If it’s above 174, your chances are above average.
2. This process obviously doesn’t just apply to Harvard Law – you can find out any ABA-accredited law school’s medians with a quick Google search.25th and 75th percentiles In addition to their medians, every law school also publishes their 25th and 75th percentile LSAT scores.

If a school’s 25th percentile LSAT score is 158, for example, that means that 25% of their incoming class has a score at or below 158. If their 75th percentile score is 164, that means 75% of their incoming class has a score at or below 164. As of this year, Harvard’s 25th percentile LSAT score is 170, and their 75% percentile LSAT score is 176.

If your score is above the 75th percentile, your application will be very competitive (assuming the rest of your application is strong). If it’s below the 25th, you’re in the bottom quarter of matriculating students, which means the rest of your application will need to be much stronger to make up for it.

What’s the minimum LSAT score you need to get into Harvard Law? We’ve already established that if your score is below 174, you’ll have a harder than average time getting in, and if it’s below 170, you’re facing an especially uphill battle. Once your score is below 170, though, things get muddier.

Just like medians, 25th percentiles aren’t affected by outliers – meaning that accepting a 140 will pull down Harvard’s 25th percentile LSAT score just as much as accepting a 169. This means that when considering its group of sub-170 applicants, Harvard Law is using LSAT scores less as a tool for moving up in the rankings and more as predictors of law school success.

Because of this, things get far more unpredictable in this pool. I know students in my class with scores in the mid-160s who got in on the strength of their GPAs and/or incredible personal stories. So, the short answer to the above question is that there is no “hard” minimum.

The lowest scores I’ve heard of getting into Harvard Law tend to be around the mid-160s, but there’s no reason they can’t dip below that for a truly once-in-a-lifetime candidate. How does GPA play into this?/ What GPA do you need to get into Harvard Law? Stories of students with “lower” (by HLS standards) LSAT scores getting into Harvard Law are real, inspiring, and surprisingly common.

After all, 25% of Harvard’s incoming class has a score at or below 170, by definition. However, keep in mind that these students got in despite their LSAT scores, not because of them. Barring those students with incredible personal stories or accomplishments, the one thing that the vast majority of sub-170 scorers admitted to Harvard Law have in common is exceptional GPAs.

Here’s the golden rule of law school admissions: If both your LSAT and your GPA are above the medians at a certain school, you have a great shot at getting in. If only one of them is above the median and the other is below, it’s a toss-up. If both your LSAT and your GPA are below the median, your chances of getting in are slim.

Bringing it back to Harvard: if your undergrad GPA is above 3.92 (median GPA at Harvard Law), you have some leeway on your LSAT, meaning you can fall in the 25th percentile to median range (170-174) and still have a strong chance at getting in. If your GPA is below 3.92, your LSAT should ideally be above median to keep you competitive – 174+.

1. Ultimately, while law school admissions are very numbers-driven, remember that admissions committees aren’t vending machines – you can’t put in a certain combination of numbers and get a guaranteed outcome.
2. The best you can do is get the highest LSAT score (and GPA) possible, then craft a compelling application around it that showcases your unique personality and strengths to the admission committee.

Want help finding your own path to Harvard Law? We can help! : What LSAT score do you need to get into Harvard Law?
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How many references does Harvard require?

Q8: How many references are required to list? A: As best practice, a candidate should expect to provide 3-5 references, with at least one reference being a current manager. Many schools and units at Harvard use an on-line reference checking tool called Skill Survey.
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How many letters of recommendation do you need for Ivy?

3. Make sure you have good recommendations – With the importance they place on the individual, the letters of recommendation play a crucial role in applications. Almost all universities will ask for one or two letters of recommendation, but you will usually have to provide three for an Ivy League application.
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