Northwestern Law
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Contacts
Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
Rubloff 160
357 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-3069
Website: http://www.law.northwestern.edu
Phone: (312) 503-8465
E-mail: admissions@law.northwestern.edu
Admission Requirements
General Notes
- Applicants with at least 2 years of post-college work experience are preferred
- Only full-time day classes offered
- Limit for total J.D. enrollment each year is 240 students
- Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the Admissions Committee
- Registration with the LSDAS is encouraged in the fall
For more information please visit: https://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/applying/
Criteria
GPA
- GPA distribution in 2007: middle 50% range of 3.4-3.8; median of 3.7
LSAT
- LSAT distribution in 2007: middle 50% range of 167-172; median of 170
- Old LSAT scores are valid for up to 5 years
- Repetition is not advised, unless special circumstances exist
- All scores will be considered by the Admission Committee
- LSAT should be taken no later than December
- February LSAT score is still accepted, except available entering class space may be a limiting factor for offers of admission
For more information please visit: https://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/applying/required/lsat.html
Supporting Documents
- Non-refundable application fee of $80 for J.D. applications
- LSDAS report includes the academic college or university transcript(s) of the applicant and his/her results on the LSAT
- Transcripts: mail to LSDAS as soon as possible
- Personal Statement: suggested topics include personal and professional goals, academic or career history
- Letter of Recommendation: only 1 required, but more may be submitted if desired
For more information please visit: https://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/applying/required/lsdas.html
For more information please visit: https://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/applying/required/perstatm.html
Interview
- Applicants are encouraged, but not required to interview
- Purpose of interview is to assess personal and intellectual potential of applicant
- Focuses of interview include speaking and writing skills, judgment and ambition
- Review of application will not begin until the completion of the interview
- Off-campus and on-campus interviews available
- Interviews all weighted equally, regardless of who conducted the interview
- Interviews are conducted between October 1-March 1 for applicants who have not received an initial decision
For more information please visit: https://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/applying/interview.html
Admission
- Modified rolling admission process
- Review of complete applications by the Admissions Committee begins in late November
- Decision made by Admissions Committee usually 6-8 weeks after application has been completed
- Early decision candidates will be notified of decisions by December 31
- Complete applications received by the regular admission deadline of February 15 are notified of a decision by the end of May
- Incomplete applications or those completed after February 15 may be excluded from consideration; if considered, these applicants may not receive a decision until mid-June
- Deferrals reviewed individually and are granted for special circumstances
For more information please visit: https://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/applying/filper.html
Deadlines
- September 1: online requests for off-campus interviews begins
- October 1: applications for admission begins; on-campus interviews begin
- November 15: deadline for completion of mandatory on-campus interviews for early decision applicants
- December 1: deadline for submission and receipt of early decision applications; deadline for requesting off-campus interviews
- December 15: deadline for completion of early application including interviews (if applicable)
- February 15: deadline for receipt of complete JD application
- February 28: on-campus interview period ends
For more information please visit: https://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/applying/dates.html
Tuition
- Tuition is based on the degree rather than the length of enrollment
- JD and 2-year JD degree program tuition for 2007-2008: $42,672 US
- 2007-2008 estimated cost for first-year JD program: $65,748 US (includes books, hospitalization insurance, personal expenses, room and board, transportation, tuition and computer)
- 2006-2007 estimated cost for 2-year JD students: $60,116 US (includes books, hospitalization insurance, personal expenses, room and board, transportation and tuition)
- Financial aid is available for those in need in the form of grants, firm and outside scholarships, writing competitions and loans
- Office of Financial Aid must receive all application documents by February 15
For more information please visit: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/tuitionaid/tuition.html
Statistics
- Applicants interviewed in 2006: 3,823
- Enrolled students in 2006: 233
- 123 colleges and universities and 35 states represented in 2006 student body
- 2006 entering students with 1+ years of work experience: 93%
- 2006 entering students with 2+ years of work experience: 75%
For more information please visit: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/profile/
Other trivia/notes
- Entering class’s median LSAT score is the 6th highest among the nation’s top law schools
- Student body is one of the three most geographically diverse among US law schools
- 6 student-run scholarly legal journals; students are selected based on a writing competition and first year grades
- Joint degree programs offered in association with Northwestern Graduate School, Kellogg School of Management and Medill School of Journalism
- 7 formal study abroad programs available, in addition to International Team Projects
- 2008 edition of US News & World Report’s Best Grad Schools ranked Northwestern Law 12th in the US overall
- Princeton Review 2007 placed Northwestern 1st for “Best Career Prospects”, 8th for “Toughest to Get Into”, 10th for “Best Quality of Life” and “Best Overall Academic Experience”