Difference between revisions of "Cornell Law"

Revision as of 15:12, 28 September 2008

Contacts

Cornell Law School Admissions
Myron Taylor Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-4901

Website: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 255-5141
E-mail: lawadmit@lawschool.cornell.edu

Admission Requirements

General Notes

• Only 190-195 JD students are accepted each year
• Applications may be completed online or mailed to the Cornell Law School Admissions Office
• Applications received before November 1 are considered as early action; those received after this date are considered in the regular decision process pool
• Early action applications are evaluated under the same standards as regular decision applications
• Some applications are audited at random each year to ensure that decisions are based on factual information

For more information please visit: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/index.cfm

Criteria

Required Classes

• A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university
• Only rarely are applicants admitted that have only completed 3 years of undergraduate education

GPA

• No cut off
• Median GPA for entering Class of 2006: 3.67

LSAT

• Last available time to write is February of the entering year (2008)
• Oldest accepted score: June 2004
• No cut off
• If written more than once, take the better score if it is higher than 3 points
• Median LSAT score for entering Class of 2006: 167

For more information please visit: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/FAQ/applying.cfm

Supporting Documents

• Personal statement
  • Choice of subject matter and content is left to the applicant’s discretion
  • Purpose is to include factors that cannot be ascertained from the application itself which may be relevant in the admission decision
  • Suggested limit of 2 pages
• 2 letters of recommendations
  • For current undergraduates: letters must be from faculty members who have taught the applicant
  • Primary interest is in the recommender’s judgment of the applicant’s academic abilities and the future potential for success in law
  • Recommendations may be sent through the letter-of-recommendation service that is a part of the LSDAS registration process
• Dean’s certification/recommendation form
  • To be completed by the dean of students at the college or university where the applicant received his/her baccalaureate degree
• $70 non-refundable application fee

For more information please visit: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/apply/index.cfm

Interview

• Generally interviews are not conducted, although under some circumstances one may be requested by the Admissions Committee
• Those applicants on the waiting list may request an interview with a member of the Admissions Committee if desired

For more information please visit: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/apply/index.cfm

Admissions

• Decisions are made on a rolling basis; there is no universal acceptance date
• Application status check system is available online
• Early action applicants will receive a written decision by mid-late December
• Regular decision applicants will receive a written decision 8-12 weeks after the application deadline of February 1
• Non-refundable deposit of $250 US is required for the acceptance of the offer of admission; a second partially refundable deposit of $450 is also required
• Deferrals of admission are allowed if the deferment policy is followed

For more information please visit: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/apply/index.cfm

Deadlines

• November 1: applications due for early action consideration
• November 15: all required supporting documents due for early action application, including LSDAS report
• February 1: all applications and supporting documents due for regular decision admission

For more information please visit: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/apply/index.cfm

Tuition

• Estimated 2007-2008 tuition and living costs for first year: $60,970 US (includes tuition, room and board, books, personal/travel expenses and health insurance)
• Institutional grants, outside scholarships, and federal or private loans are available for those in need of financial aid
• All financial aid applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFS), which can be done online
• Only US citizens and permanent residents are eligible for federal loans
• March 15: all analyzed financial aid information due

For more information please visit: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admissions/tuition/index.cfm

Statistics

• Total JD enrolment: 590 students
• JD applications received: 4,172
• Entering JD students: 188
• 102 colleges and universities represented among the entering student population
• 35% of entering students are straight from college
• 22% admission rate
• GPA 75th / 25th percentiles: 3.81 / 3.53
• LSAT 75th / 25th percentiles: 168 / 166

For more information please visit: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/about/facts_stats.cfm

Other trivia/notes

• Faculty to student ratio is 10.8:1 - one of the lowest ratios in legal education
• Percentage of students employed within 6 months of graduation: 98%
• New York State Bar Passage rate is the highest in the state at 94%
• One-year Master of Laws (LL.M.) program is also offered, along with a wide variety of joint degree programs
• International dual degree programs are offered in association with foreign law schools such as the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, the Humboldt-Universität in Berlin and the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Paris)