University of Minnesota Law School
Office of Admissions
FAQs

1. What are your admission deadlines?

Dates for applications to the 2010-2011 academic school year are as follows:

September 1, 2009 – Applications are accepted
November 15, 2009 – Deadline for early action applicants
January 15, 2010 - Decision received by early action applicants
April 1, 2010 – Application deadline

2. What are your admission requirements?

Detailed information on admissions requirements and the application process can be found at http://www.law.umn.edu/prospective/application.html. The application Web page also includes application information for foreign students and visiting students.

3. How can I tell if my undergraduate university or law school is accredited?

4. For international applicants, is there a minimum TOEFL score for admission?

No. However, a score of 630 or higher on the pencil-and-paper test or a score of 267 or higher on the computer-based test is looked upon by the admissions committee positively. Earning these scores does not guarantee admission.

5. Does the Law School require work experience before applying for admission?

No. However, approximately 70% of our entering classes have work experience before enrolling. The average length of work experience is 2-4 years.

6. Are deferrals granted if I’m accepted but want to attend a year later?

Deferrals are not routinely granted and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Admitted students may contact the Director of Admissions to request a deferral of up to one year.

7. What is the profile of your last entering class?

8. Are there minimum test or GPA requirements for admission?

No. No minimum score requirements or cut-off scores are used for the LSAT scores or GPA scores.

9. Will other test scores be accepted in lieu of the LSAT score?

No. Applicants must register with LSAC and have LSAT test scores sent (along with other admission requirements) in order to be considered for admission. This requirement is NOT waived for international applicants or international lawyers.

10. Can I take a course at the Law School if I’m not a currently enrolled student?

All students in Law School classes must be graduate level, degree-seeking students at either the Law School or another graduate school at the University of Minnesota. Enrollment for other students will be subject to availability and the approval of both the professor and the registrar.

Early Action Program

1. Do you have an early action program?

Yes. The application requirements, process, and review of early action applicants are identical to the regular admission process, except that a decision is guaranteed by January 15.

2. Is admission through early action binding?

No. The early action program only provides a faster decision than compared to other times of the application cycle.

3. How do I ensure my application is included for early action?

All applications postmarked by November 15 are automatically considered in the early action program. No other designation is required.

4. Is there an advantage to applying before the early action deadline?

No. Although we encourage all applicants to submit their materials as soon as possible, we receive the majority of our applications after our early action deadline. The early action program provides our Admissions Committee with a slightly more balanced flow of applications for review, which helps to make the review process a bit faster.

5. Do you have a rolling admissions process?

Yes, we have rolling admissions, so we continuously evaluate and admit applicants as we receive their applications. Therefore, it is to your benefit to submit your application early. However, do not be discouraged if you submit your application after the early action deadline, because the majority of our applications are received after the early action deadline.

Early Decision Program

1. Do you have an early decision program?

Yes. The application requirements, process, and review of early action applicants are identical to the regular admission process, except that a decision is guaranteed by December 1.

2. Is admission through early decision binding?

Yes. Applicants to the University of Minnesota’s binding early decision program commit themselves to matriculating at Minnesota if admitted pursuant to the early decision program. An early decision applicant may apply to other law schools on a non-binding basis, but once admitted to the University of Minnesota as an early decision candidate, the applicant must notify the other programs and immediately withdraw all other law school applications. No new law school applications may be initiated. The University of Minnesota reserves the right to provide other law schools with the names of applicants admitted to the University of Minnesota under the binding early decision program.

3. How do I ensure my application is included for early decision?

Complete the separate application titled, “First Year Admission Binding Early Decision Agreement.”

Transfer and Visiting Students

1. How do I apply to transfer?

2. Can an LL.M. student apply to transfer into the J.D. program?

Only those students with an LL.M. degree from the University of Minnesota are eligible to apply as J.D. transfers. In order to apply to transfer into our J.D. program, an LL.M. student must complete the same procedure as other transfer students.

3. How do I apply to be a visiting student?

1. What are the current tuition and fees?

2. What is the laptop fee or laptop program?

3. Are scholarships merit-based or need-based?

Scholarships are based on the entirety of the application for admission.

4. How do I apply for scholarships and what are the criteria for scholarship awards?

All admitted students are reviewed for scholarship award at the time of acceptance. No separate application for scholarship is required.

Scholarships range from $5,000 to full-tuition waivers. Approximately 66% of the fall 2008 entering class received a Law School scholarship.

5. How do I apply for other financial aid?

6. What are important dates for financial aid?

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) may be submitted after January 1, 2010. You may obtain your loan eligibility approximately two weeks after submission. In early August 2010, after the final tuition for the 2010-2011 year is determined by the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, you will be asked to accept or decline your financial aid package.

7. How do I apply for private loans?

1. Can I visit the Law School?

The University of Minnesota Law School welcomes visits by admitted and prospective students. Admitted students are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions directly to schedule a visit, and all visitors are encouraged to make an appointment two weeks in advance of their visit.

Information sessions provide the most comprehensive visit to the Law School and are provided at various times during the week. They include a presentation by a member of the admissions staff, a tour of the Law School guided by a current student, and an opportunity to sit in on a class (approximately 3 hours total).

To register for an information session, call the Office of Admissions at 612-625-3487 go to our Web site (www.law.umn.edu) and click on Prospective Students. On the day of your scheduled visit, to go the Admissions Office, Room 290, on the second floor of the Law School.

If you are unable to attend one of our information sessions, self-guided tours are available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

2. Do you have interviews for applicants?

No. An interview is not part of our admissions process and a visit with our admissions staff will have no bearing on your application. Applicants are encouraged, however, to visit the Law School so that they are able to make the best possible decision if admitted.

3. Can I contact a current student?

4. Will representatives from the University of Minnesota Law School visit my school or attend a law school fair near me?

1. How do I establish residency?

All residency decisions are made by the University of Minnesota Residency Office, not the Law School. Although all residency requests are reviewed by the Residency Office on a case-by-case basis, factors that have been known to help establish residency include:

• Employment and paying taxes in Minnesota
• Owning a home in Minnesota
• A Minnesota driver’s license
• Having a spouse or partner also living and working in Minnesota

2. How does reciprocity work?

Resident tuition is offered to qualifying residents of South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Manitoba. For questions about reciprocity, the student’s home state makes the reciprocity determination.