Admissions Policies and Procedures

Penn State Law Admissions Policies

Penn State Law conducts a holistic review of applications and does not utilize weighted formulas when evaluating applicant files. However, we put considerable emphasis on test scores and academic record. An admissions test score is required for all applicants. Penn State Law will accept LSAT or GRE for all applicants. Penn State undergraduates meeting all requirements may apply with an SAT or ACT. A GMAT score will be accepted in limited circumstances.

Penn State Law does not prescribe a particular course of study for undergraduate education. Rather, we consider the rigor, depth, and breadth of an academic program; grade trends; advanced coursework; and evidence of aptitude for reading, writing, and analysis. Applicants must have earned, or will earn by the time of enrollment, an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university (with an exception for applicants applying via an established 3+3 agreement between Penn State Law and their undergraduate school).

The Admissions Committee also considers work history, leadership, and service of the applicant. Applicants who have overcome hardships or obstacles to education or who have had unique experiences are invited to share their stories. We seek applicants who will positively contribute to the law school and legal communities and support our mission of diversity, intellectual engagement, and service. Penn State Law also places significant emphasis on letters of recommendation from faculty instructors, employers, and internship supervisors.

Applicants admitted to Penn State Law are required to disclose any information that would change their responses to any questions on the application, including and especially disclosure questions regarding arrests and criminal history, disciplinary action, pending criminal charges, and professional misconduct. This obligation to disclose continues through matriculation.

Once matriculated at Penn State Law, students have an ongoing obligation to disclose any information that would change their responses to any questions on their application for admission, including but not limited to: disclosure questions regarding arrests and criminal history, disciplinary action, pending criminal charges or investigations, and professional misconduct. Once students matriculate to Penn State Law, this obligation to disclose continues through graduation.

Penn State Law places high importance on the integrity, maturity, and candor of applicants. Applicants are required to update the Office of Admissions in a timely manner of any circumstance that may alter their response to any question on the application. Penn State Law reserves the right to revoke an offer of admission if the Admissions Committee determines that an applicant has engaged in behavior that brings into question their honesty, maturity, moral character, or fitness to practice law. Penn State Law may revoke an offer of admission if the Admissions Committee determines that the applicant has provided false, incomplete, incorrect, or misleading information during the admissions process, or if new information is not provided in a timely manner. Applicants determined by the Admissions Committee to have provided incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in their applications may be reported to LSAC's Committee on Misconduct or Irregularities in the Admission Process.

Application Questions About Ethnicity/Race

Penn State Law collects ethnicity and race data on our application. Like all accredited law schools, Penn State Law is required to report ethnicity and race data on all applicants, admitted applicants, and matriculated students to the American Bar Association (ABA) as a condition of our accreditation. This aggregated ethnicity and race information is available publicly in the ABA’s Standard 509 reports, which are available on our website and on the ABA’s Required Disclosures website at https://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/disclosure509.aspx.

Penn State Law continues to conduct holistic application review, considering multiple factors before making a decision on an application. In compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in the matters of SFFA vs. Harvard and UNC, Penn State Law will shield the individuals who review applications from applicants’ responses to questions about ethnicity or race. Applicants are invited but not required to discuss, in their responses to questions or in an additional optional statement, how they will bring a unique perspective to the law school or how their personal, lived experiences have shaped their perspective and/or desire to join the legal profession.