J.D.
Thank you for your interest in applying to Villanova University School of Law. The admissions process is designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your full abilities. Although selection to the School of Law is highly competitive, the wide range of numerical scores of each year’s matriculating class indicates a class selected using a variety of criteria. If you are interested in the J.D./LL.M. in Taxation, or the J.D./M.B.A. program, you must apply and be accepted to both the J.D. and the other degree program.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply, you must have successfully completed your baccalaureate programs before matriculation at the School of Law. Those with other or advanced degrees, lacking baccalaureate degrees, will be considered on an individual basis.
- As a general rule, the School of Law will summarily deny your application to enter the first-year class if you have matriculated at another US law school and either were academically excluded from that school or else completed any first semester course or exam that was graded. If this situation applies to you, please contact the Admissions Office prior to applying to discuss whether there are special circumstances that would persuade the Admissions Committee to consider your application.
- Admission is only for the fall of each year and only a full-time program is offered.
The Credential Assembly Service
- You must participate in the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and be registered with Credential Assembly Service during the application year. Through this service, you are required to send the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) official transcripts (including single course or summer school transcripts) from all colleges, universities, junior or community colleges, and graduate or professional schools that you have attended.
- If you have completed more than a year of undergraduate work at an international institution or if you have earned degrees from international institutions, you are also required to utilize the Credential Assembly Service. There is no extra cost for this service, other than the standard fees for registration.
LSAT
- You must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), administered by LSAC, before the end of February 2013. If you are submitting a later score, you must request, in writing, consideration of a later score, giving an explanation of the relevant extenuating circumstances. Your application may be submitted prior to taking the LSAT.
- If you have substantially different scores on multiple testing dates, you should provide reasons for disregarding the lower score(s). The decision to disregard any test score is at the sole discretion of the School of Law.
For International Students
- If you are an international student (a non-resident alien), you are required to submit a letter of financial backing from a financial institution, as international students are not eligible for some scholarships, grants, or other financial aid.
The Application
- The Admissions Office requires that you apply online. You may also access the application electronically through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service.
- You must complete all sections of the application. Applications with unanswered questions will remain incomplete and subsequently denied. You must also update information on your application if any information changes throughout the process.
- The $75 non-refundable application fee can only be paid online by credit card.
- Villanova Law does offer merit, service, and need-based fee waivers. Applicants who qualify for an LSAC need-based fee waiver will automatically have their fee waived. Applicants who have a compelling financial circumstance should email admissions@law.villanova.edu, describing their reasons for requesting a waiver (include all pertinent documentation). They are considered on a case-by-case basis. Merit-based waivers are automatically made available through queries to the LSAC Candidate Referral Service. Service-based fee waivers are available for alumni and current members of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Teach for America, and the United States Military. You must provide documentation of your participation.
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Your application should not be submitted until after October 1, 2012, and may not be accepted after April 1, 2013. If your application is received after April 1, it will be considered on an individual basis at the discretion of the School of Law.
- Should you require access to a PDF or hard-copy of the application, please contact the Admissions Office at 610-519-7010.
- When completing the application, you should provide an e-mail address that will remain current and accessible through August 2013. The Admissions and Financial Aid Offices will use that e-mail account to contact you throughout the admissions cycle. You should not use an e-mail account of a school from which you are graduating unless you are sure your account will remain accessible after graduation.
- Out of fairness to all applicants, the Law School evaluates each application on the basis of materials contained in each application, any supplementary written materials provided by the applicant, the Credential Assembly Service report, and any recommendations provided for the applicant.
- Only in the rarest of circumstances will the Admissions Committee consider information provided in an interview. Therefore, interviews are only granted if initiated by the Admissions Committee. However, members of the Admissions Office are happy to meet with you to answer any questions you may have regarding the School of Law or your prospects for admission. You are also encouraged to visit the School of Law and to sit in on classes.
Additional Requirements
- A personal statement is required. The personal statement may be written on any topic and is preferred to be in an 11-point font size or larger, double-spaced, and two to three pages in length. The personal statement may be used to describe your interests and qualifications.
- A résumé detailing all employment (including employment during the academic year as an undergraduate) is required. The résumé should also include extracurricular and community service activities.
- Any supplemental information/documentation that cannot be sent through LSAC, should be sent as PDF attachments to admissions@law.villanova.edu. Be sure to include your full name and LSAC account number on each attachment.
References
- Letters of recommendation are strongly recommended but are not required. If you wish to include letters of recommendation with your application, we prefer that you use the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service.
- In lieu of letters of recommendations or in addition to, you may utilize the LSAC Online Evaluation Service. This tool provides a simple way for recommenders to provide feedback on specific cognitive factors which will help the committee assess your aptitude for law school.
- Letters or evaluations should be provided by persons with personal knowledge of your abilities, qualifications, motivations, and integrity, and when received in a timely fashion, are considered. If you are completing or have recently completed undergraduate or graduate studies, recommendations or evaluations from professors or other teachers who can speak to your intellectual abilities are particularly helpful.
- The Admissions Office prefers that letters of recommendation and/or evaluations be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service instead of being sent directly to the School of Law. Any letters sent directly to the Law School should be sent as PDF attachments to admissions@law.villanova.edu.
For questions concerning applying to Villanova University School of Law, please contact the Admissions Office.
