Answers to Frequently Asked Questions for Fall
2006 Law School Applicants
Following
is detailed information which provides answers to
some of the most frequently-asked questions from
applicants to the Juris Doctor program at George
Mason School of Law. Questions are grouped in five
broad areas. We encourage all potential applicants
to review materials on this page prior to contacting
our office with questions. All of the most commonly-asked
questions about admissions are found here.
Note:
The Admissions Office will begin considering applications
for fall 2006 admission approximately October 1. Applications received prior to that time will be held and processed in early fall.
Can you tell me about your law
school and application process?
- LSDAS
- I earned my undergraduate
degree overseas. My university is not on the
LSDAS list of schools and, therefore, I cannot
subscribe to LSDAS. Is there anything I must
do with respect to my foreign degree?
- Does George Mason Require
a Dean’s Certification as part of the application?
- How many letters of recommendation
are required?
- Does George Mason require
that letters of recommendation be submitted through
the Law Services Letter of Recommendation Service?
- May I use my college’s
credential evaluation service and recommendation
forms instead of the George Mason forms?
- May I submit more than two
letters of recommendation?
- Who should write my letters
of recommendation?
- I’ve been out of college
for a long time and may not be able to get letters
of recommendation from college professors. What
should I do?
- May I submit a resume with
my application?
- Is there a preferred topic
for the personal statement?
- My personal statement is
longer than 500 words. Is that a problem?
- Does George Mason give preference
to Virginia applicants or to applicants from
certain parts of the Commonwealth?
- Are personal interviews required?
- Must I disclose information
about prior or pending criminal, disciplinary,
or academic problems in my application?
- I did some stupid things
in high school and college – alcohol violations,
fraternity pranks, etc. Will these past indiscretions
prevent me from being admitted to law school?
- Can I visit the law school
and sit in on a class?
- Does George Mason have any
Information Sessions coming up?
- Admission and Decision to
Attend George Mason
- If I am admitted to George
Mason, how long will I have to decide if I will
attend? Does George Mason require seat deposits?
- Are seat deposits credited
toward tuition?
- Are seat deposits refundable
in whole or in part?
- When is tuition due?
- What if the seat deposit
date is approaching and I am not sure whether
I want to attend George Mason?
- If I am admitted to George
Mason, may I defer my admission to the next year?
- If I begin law school at
another school, may I transfer to George Mason?
- Is financial aid available?
- What forms must I submit
to be considered for financial aid?
- Are federal student loans
available?
- Are private student loans
available?
- What if I have undergraduate
student loans? Can I defer repayment while in
law school?
- Are there any scholarships
available?
- Must my parents disclose
their financial information?
- Do I need to do anything
special in order to be considered for scholarship
money?
- How many students are awarded
scholarship money each year?
- Does George Mason offer in-state
tuition rates for Virginians?
- If I am an out-of-state student for my first
year at George Mason, is it possible for me to
qualify for in-state tuition by my second year?
- Where are George Mason’s
law classes held?
- Can I get to George Mason
Law by Metro?
Can you tell me about your law school and application
process?
As a starting point, it is generally most useful
for prospective applicants to visit our web site
(www.law.gmu.edu) – as
well as the web sites of other law schools in which
they are interested. The time admissions counselors
spend talking with prospective applicants can be
used more effectively if individuals have done some
background investigation beforehand. It is always
better for us to talk with individuals about their
unique situations and interests, rather than reciting
information that is readily available on the web.
Likewise, reviewing the general information posted
often helps prospective applicants formulate specific
questions that are most important to them.
General Information
George Mason University School of Law is a public
law school, being part of the Virginia state university
system. Located in Arlington, Virginia, just minutes
from downtown Washington, D.C., George Mason offers
tremendous opportunities to its students. We have
an outstanding faculty, a state-of-the-art facility,
and a student body whose diversity and talents are
unrivalled.
The best way to learn about any law school is to
peruse information about special programs, course
descriptions, required courses, faculty biographies,
and current events at the law school (guest lectures,
conferences, etc.). By reviewing this information,
one can get a sense of the strengths and weaknesses
of the different law schools, where the schools direct
their resources, etc.
Law & Economics at George Mason
At George Mason, we have a focus on law & economics.
A number of our faculty members have Ph.D.’s
in Economics as well as law degrees. All of our students
are required to take a course during their first
semester titled, “Economic Foundations of Legal
Studies.” This course is essentially a graduate-level
microeconomics course. In addition, many of our professors
will bring economic theory into other substantive
law courses such as Torts and Contracts.
Basic knowledge of economic theory is invaluable
in gaining a sophisticated legal education and in
developing as an attorney. Our students become versed
in public choice theory, cost-benefit analysis and
basic statistical methods. With these tools, our
graduates are ready to take on complex analysis of
legal problems and policies.
Rigorous Legal Research & Writing Program
at George Mason
At George Mason, we have a strong and unique legal
research & writing program. Students take four
semesters of legal research and writing that trains
them in the following: (1) basic legal research tools
(books and electronic resources included); (2) legal
memo writing; (3) trial level writing and oral argument
of a motion; (4) brief writing and argument of an
appeal; and (5) drafting other legal documents, such
as a will, legislation, contracts and other transactional
documents. In addition, as part of our Legal Research & Writing
Program, all students must do two oral arguments
before judges and practitioners from the community.
Most law schools require only one or two semesters
of legal research and writing classes, usually focusing
on basic research tools, memo and brief writing.
At George Mason, we ensure that our students are
exposed to many of the actual types of legal documents
they will see when they enter practice. Our legal
research & writing program equips our students
to hit the ground running when they start their summer
and permanent jobs in law firms, government agencies
or other organizations.
Specialization Programs at George Mason
Law students are not required to specialize in
a specific area of the law. The first-year curriculum
at most law schools is prescribed – students
take required core courses. It is during the second
year that students will begin to take electives and
to focus their legal studies in areas of law that
interest them.
At George Mason students may choose to pursue one
of our specialization programs. We offer specialization
programs in Technology Law, Corporate and Securities
Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Business
Law, Litigation Law, Regulatory Law, Personal Law,
Criminal Law, Legal & Economic Theory, and Tax
Law. Students who choose to specialize will begin
to take the electives that are required in each of
the specialization programs during the second year.
The majority of our students will pursue the General
Law Program, picking and choosing electives as their
interests develop.
Student Population
In any given semester, we generally have between 700-750
students in our J.D. program. There are 209 students in
our fall 2004 entering class; there were 166 in our fall
2003 entering class; and there were 264 in our fall 2002
entering class (the fall 2002 entering class was unusually
large).
We hope to bring in 210-220 new students in our
fall 2006 entering class.
Full-Time and Part-Time Programs
George Mason offers both a three-year full-time
and a four-year part-time program. Although in past
years we have kept the full-time and part-time programs
roughly equal in size, the fall 2004 entering full-time
class is significantly larger than the part-time
class. In the fall 2004 entering class, 138 students
were full-time; 71 were part-time.
Students in the full-time program attend classes
during the day (day classes are scheduled between
the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.). Students in
the part-time program attend classes in the evenings
(evening classes are scheduled between the hours
of 6:00 and 10:00 p.m.).
Is it easier to gain admission to the part-time
program?
No. Our admission standards are the same for the
full-time and part-time programs. However, there
is typically a much greater demand for full-time
seats. Therefore, your chances of gaining admission
to George Mason Law may be improved (to a limited
extent) if you are willing and able to attend law
school on a part-time basis – at least for
the first year.
If I enter the part-time program and want to transfer
to the full-time program after the first year, may
I?
Yes. After the first year, students may transfer
from the part-time to the full-time program, and
vice versa, on a semester basis.
How many credit hours are required?
In order to earn a J.D. at George Mason, students
must successfully complete a total of 84 credit hours.
Full-time students take 12-15 credit hours per semester;
Part-time students take 8-12 credit hours. During
the first year, full-time students will complete
30 credit hours (full-time students carry 15 credit
hours in each of the first and second semesters);
part-time students will complete 23 credit hours
(part-time students carry 11 credit hours during
the first semester and 12 credit hours during the
second semester).
May I take a couple of courses at the law school
prior to being admitted to the J.D. program?
No. Our law school classes are open only to those
students who have been through our application process
and admitted to our degree program.
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General Admissions Information/Application Process
Our fall 2006 application, along with detailed
instructions, is posted on our web site at www.law.gmu.edu/admission/.
You may also apply online through Law Services, using
LSACD on the web. If you wish to receive a hard copy
of our application materials, you should contact
the Admissions Office at fkhan1@gmu.edu or
(703) 993-8010.
What were the medians for fall 2004?
Among those applicants to whom we offered fall
2004 admission, the medians were 165 on the LSAT
and an undergraduate gpa of 3.62.
How many applications did you receive for fall
2004 admission? How many applicants did you accept?
We received 5,039 applications for fall 2004 admission.
We made offers of admission to 758 of those applicants,
or 15.04% of our applicant pool.
When will George Mason begin accepting fall 2006
applications to the J.D. program?
We will accept applications beginning on October
1, 2006.
Does George Mason have rolling admissions?
Yes. We will make decisions on a rolling basis beginning
in late December and continuing into May, June and
July -- until we complete the fall 2006 admissions
process.
Does George Mason have an early decision process?
Yes. Applicants who are confident that George Mason is the law school for them may wish to apply through our Early Decision Program. Applicants who wish to apply through this program must submit, in addition to the application and documents required under standard admission, a signed and dated Early Decision Agreement that contains specific conditions for early decision processing. The deadline for Early Decision is December 15, 2005. George Mason Law will notify Early Decision applicants of a decision no later than January 15, 2006. Applicants who are not admitted through the Early Decision Program will be considered for admission in the standard admissions process.
What is George Mason’s application deadline?
Our fall 2006 application deadline is April 1, 2006. We admit students only to begin in the fall
semester. There are no spring admissions.
Does applying early help one’s chances of
gaining admission to George Mason?
Applying early does not significantly increase one’s
chances of gaining admission. We make admission decisions
very carefully throughout the process. It is not
our goal to fill our fall 2006 entering class in
the early months of the admissions cycle. Rather,
if an outstanding applicant submits his or her application
on the deadline date (April 1, 2006), we will have
space available for that person. We do our best to
admit very strong applicants very quickly; we deny
very weak applicants quickly; and many strong applicants
may be asked to wait until we have had a chance to
see how the entire applicant pool shapes up. Therefore,
many applicants will not receive a final decision
until after the April 1, 2006, application deadline.
On George Mason’s application, I must select
either a specialization program or the General Law
Program. Will my selection be a factor in the admissions
process? Is it easier to gain admission if I select
one specialization as opposed to another?
On our application, we ask that you indicate if
you have a preference for the General Program or
for one of our specialization programs. We use this
information only to keep track of where our applicants’ interests
lie. We do not have quotas in any program; we do
not give preference to applicants who prefer one
specialization over another; indication of a preference
is in no way binding.
What if I’m on the Wait List? What can I
do to increase my chances of gaining admission?
Each year we invite a number of strong applicants
to be on our wait list. We do not rank our wait list.
As we are able to offer admission to applicants on
our wait list, we will review the entire list.
We appreciate that the law school admissions process
can be very difficult and filled with anxiety – particularly
for individuals on the wait list. Therefore, we will
do our best to keep all applicants apprised of how
our decision-making is coming along. If you are an
applicant who has been asked to wait for a final
decision, we will try to send you regular updates
to let you know when we might have a final decision
for you.
If you are on our wait list, you may submit additional
information to supplement your application, but you
should not feel compelled to do so. If you have submitted
a complete application and have nothing further to
add, the only thing you should do is wait.
If you are invited to be on our wait list, please
understand that final decisions for wait-listed applicants
can sometimes come as late as June or July.
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Requirements to Be Considered for Admission
There are a number of requirements that you must
satisfy in order to be considered for admission to
our J.D. program. Please be sure that you carefully
review the instructions that accompany our application
form. You can view this information on our web site.
You will find the link to our application and instructions
at www.law.gmu.edu/admission/onlineapp.html.
Application Form
You must complete and submit our application form,
along with two letters of recommendation and a 500-word
personal statement.
Bachelor’s Degree Required
To be considered for admission to our J.D. program,
you must have completed your bachelor’s degree
or be in the final year of your bachelor’s
degree program. (If you apply and are admitted during
your final year of college, your admission is contingent
upon your completing your bachelor’s degree
prior to the start of fall semester law classes.)
Is there a required or preferred undergraduate
major? Are there courses I must take to qualify for
law school?
Unlike medical school, there is not a required
pre-law major for law school. Law schools admit individuals
who have majored in all different fields – math,
accounting, biology, English, economics, history,
political science, music, engineering. Historically,
many applicants to law schools have had liberal arts
backgrounds. In the past 10 years, we have begun
to see more and more applicants who have backgrounds
in the hard sciences, computer science and engineering,
particularly among individuals who are interested
in pursuing careers in intellectual property law.
What is most important is that you major in a field
of study that you enjoy and that you advance in your
coursework. Students tend to perform better in courses
in which they are interested. Law schools will review
your transcripts to see that you took upper level
courses during your junior and senior years.
Are there any specific courses I should take to
help prepare me for law school?
It will be useful if you take at least a couple
of courses that will require you to write substantial
research papers. (In law school, as well as in the
practice of law, you will do a great deal of research
and writing). Other courses that may help you prepare
for the type of work you will be doing in law school:
logic, accounting, microeconomics, business law (or
any course that is taught by the case method), and
any course that introduces you to the American legal
system. Some colleges also offer courses in legal
research and writing.
My undergraduate gpa is not as high as it should
be. This is because I started in one major and did
poorly. Once I changed majors, all my grades were
high. Will George Mason look only at the last 60
credit hours? Or only at my major gpa?
In the admissions process, we consider your cumulative
gpa – for all semesters of your undergraduate
studies. However, we will review your transcripts
and take note of trends and improvements.
I have an undergraduate degree and a master’s
degree. I did not do very well undergrad, but did
very well in my graduate program. Which gpa will
be considered? Can you consider my graduate gpa instead
of my undergrad gpa?
The undergraduate cumulative gpa for the first
bachelor’s degree earned is the statistic that
is used for admissions purposes. We will receive
copies of all your transcripts, undergraduate and
graduate, with your LSDAS report, and certainly will
evaluate your graduate work and take into account
the course of graduate study you pursued. However,
in terms of the objective, numerical factors, your
undergraduate gpa is the one that will be considered
in our admissions process.
My LSAT or gpa is lower than George Mason’s
medians for fall 2005. Is there any chance I will
be admitted for fall 2006?
A large majority of applicants do not have LSAT
and gpa’s that both exceed our medians. Realistically,
the closer an applicant comes to meeting our medians,
the greater the likelihood of his or her gaining
admission to George Mason. However, we have many
students who have a weak LSAT but a very strong gpa;
we have students who did very poorly at the undergraduate
level but did well professionally and earned a strong
LSAT score; we have students who performed poorly
in college and on the LSAT, but who have strong graduate
records and professional accomplishments. Applications
are reviewed in their entirety. No decisions are
made on the basis of LSAT and/or gpa exclusively.
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The LSAT
You must take the LSAT in order to be considered
for admission. You can get information about the
LSAT at www.lsac.org.
May I take the December 2005 or February 2006
LSAT?
Yes. The latest score we will consider for fall
2006 admission is the score from the February 2006
LSAT. Be sure that you check with each of the schools
to which you intend to apply. The February 2006 score
may come too late for some law schools’ application
deadlines.
Do I need to prepare for the LSAT? Should I take
a prep course? If so, which one?
Your goal should be to prepare as much as you need
to for the LSAT and to take the LSAT only once (and
of course, earn a very strong score).
We strongly recommend against individuals taking
the LSAT cold. The LSAT is a difficult test, and
anyone taking it should do some preparation. There
is no one course or method of preparation that will
work for everyone. It is important for you to investigate
the different prep courses, prep materials available
in most book stores, and/or the availability of individual
tutoring. You can purchase past LSAT tests and practice
on those (go to www.lsac.org for
more information about purchasing past tests). Some
of the prep courses are quite expensive and may not
be the best method for you. You may be a person who
is very disciplined and will do best to do practice
tests and prepare on your own. Or, you may be a person
who needs the structure of a course. As a starting
point, review the information on the Law School Admission
Council (LSAC) web site (www.lsac.org).
Talk with people you know who have taken the LSAT
and get their suggestions. Look through prep materials
in the legal reference or test prep section of a
bookstore.
ecause LSAT prep is really an individual thing, we
do not recommend one prep course over another. You
need to do some independent investigation and determine
what approach will work best for you.
I have already taken the LSAT and did not do as
well as I thought I would. Should I take the LSAT
again?
If your LSAT score is weak and you think you can
improve your LSAT score significantly, you should
consider taking the test again. You should also consider
whether there is a different method of preparation
you should follow in order to increase the likelihood
of raising your score.
If I take the LSAT more than once, will you consider
the high score or an average?
We will receive each LSAT score from LSAC and,
therefore, will see if there has been significant
improvement. However, for statistical purposes, we
will consider the average of any LSAT scores that
you earned in the past 5 years. For fall 2006 admission,
scores earned between June 2001 and February 2006
will be considered and averaged.
Is there a minimum LSAT score I must have to be
a serious candidate?
No. We do not have a minimum LSAT score. We will
consider every application in its entirety. No one
factor is determinative of whether an applicant will
be admitted.
I just don’t do well on standardized tests.
Should I explain that in my personal statement?
We do not recommend that you use your entire personal
statement to explain a poor LSAT score. If you wish,
you may include a separate addendum discussing your
performance on the LSAT.
The LSAT score is a very important factor in the
admissions process at all law schools. It is not
the sole factor that will determine whether you are
admitted, but it is one of the main indicators of
your likelihood of succeeding in law school. Therefore,
your LSAT score will be given very careful consideration.
It seems that some individuals give up on doing
well on the LSAT – even before they take it – because
they believe that they just don’t do well on
standardized tests. We urge you to not do that. There
are individuals who did not do well on the SAT’s
or GRE’s, but who prepared adequately and did
very well on the LSAT. Not having tested well on
prior standardized tests does not necessarily mean
that you will not do well on the LSAT. Prepare and
practice – and take the LSAT with confidence!
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Other Helpful and Useful Information
LSDAS
As part of the law school application process,
you also must register with the Law School Data Assembly
Service (LSDAS) if you earned or are completing your
bachelor’s degree at a college or university
in the U.S. You can get information about LSDAS at www.lsac.org.
You must have your transcripts – undergraduate
and graduate – sent to the LSDAS. LSDAS will
produce a comprehensive report that will be forwarded
to all law schools to which you apply for use in
the admissions process. Do not forward official transcripts
directly to George Mason. They must go through LSDAS
for admissions purposes. If you are admitted and
decide to attend George Mason, you will be required
to send us final, official transcripts prior to beginning
fall semester classes.
I earned my undergraduate degree overseas. My university
is not on the LSDAS list of schools and, therefore,
I cannot subscribe to LSDAS. Is there anything I
must do with respect to my foreign degree?
If you earned your degree overseas, you must have
your foreign transcripts evaluated to show the U.S.
equivalency of your foreign course of study. You
must have earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s
degree in order to be considered for admission to
our law school. Please be sure that you provide a
course-by-course evaluation. You need not provide
us copies or translations of your transcripts.
There are a number of transcript evaluation services.
One that many of our applicants use is World Education
Services (WES). You can get detailed information
at www.wes.org.
Does George Mason Require a Dean’s Certification
as part of the application?
No, we do not require a Dean’s Certification
as part of the application.
How many letters of recommendation are required?
We require two letters of recommendation.
Does George Mason require that letters of recommendation
be submitted through the Law Services Letter of Recommendation
Service?
We prefer that applicants submit letters through
the Law Services Letter of Recommendation Service.
However, if your recommenders prefer to submit letters
directly, they may do so using the letter of recommendation
form on our website at www.law.gmu.edu/admission/onlineapp.html (be
sure to scroll down the page until you reach the
recommendation form).
May I use my college’s credential evaluation
service and recommendation forms instead of the George
Mason forms?
Yes. We will accept individual college credential
evaluation or recommendation forms instead of the
George Mason form.
May I submit more than two letters of recommendation?
Yes – but you certainly are not required
to. Some law schools require three letters of recommendation.
If you submit three or more to Law Services, Law
Services will send all of them to us and we will
consider all of them.
Who should write my letters of recommendation?
We like to see at least one letter from an undergraduate
or graduate professor or instructor. The other letter
can come from a work supervisor or colleague. What
is most important is that the individuals who are
recommending you really know you and can speak to
your abilities, work ethic, character, etc.
I’ve been out of college for a long time
and may not be able to get letters of recommendation
from college professors. What should I do?
We like to see at least one academic recommendation,
particularly if an applicant is just completing college
or has recently graduated. However, if you have been
out of college for a number of years, it is not necessary
that you provide an academic reference. You may submit
two letters from work supervisors, colleagues, etc.
What is most important is that your letters of recommendation
come from individuals who really know you and can
speak to your work abilities, work ethic, character,
etc.
May I submit a resume with my application?
Yes. Please submit a resume if you wish.
Is there a preferred topic for the personal statement?
Your personal statement can be on any topic. The
personal statement gives you the opportunity to tell
the Admissions Committee about yourself – in
addition to the academic and professional accomplishments
listed in your application. Use the personal statement
to help the Admissions Committee learn more about
you.
You may choose to write about why you wish to attend
law school, what your ultimate goals are, and/or
how you came to your decision to pursue a legal career.
You may choose to write about a person who was a
major influence in your life. You may write about
a significant obstacle that you have had to overcome.
What you write about is entirely up to you.
In addition to learning more about you, the Admissions
Committee looks to the personal statement to evaluate
your writing ability. Be sure that you use proper grammar,
good paragraph construction, and convey your message
in a concise manner. Proofread your statement to be
sure there are no typos. And, most importantly, be
yourself in your personal statement. Do not try to
use big words and complex sentences to impress. Write
clearly and concisely to convey your message.
My personal statement is longer than 500 words.
Is that a problem?
We strongly prefer that you stay within the 500-word
limit. However, we do not count words and penalize
applicants for overages. If your statement is 550
or 650 words, that’s fine. If your statement
is 2,000 words, you should try to rework it to get
the word count closer to 500.
Does George Mason give preference to Virginia applicants
or to applicants from certain parts of the Commonwealth?
No. Applications are reviewed in their entirety,
and admission offers are made to the most desirable
candidates without regard to geographic distribution
or residency.
Are personal interviews required?
We do not require personal interviews; we do not
conduct personal interviews as part of the application
process.
Must I disclose information about prior or pending
criminal, disciplinary, or academic problems in my
application?
Yes. It is extremely important that you describe
details of any criminal, disciplinary and/or academic
actions in response to questions 9, 10, 12 or 13
of our application. Failure to disclose this information
can result in serious problems, both in relation
to your law school application (we have revoked acceptances
in the past in cases in which we learned of the applicant’s
failure to disclose information) and in applying
for admission to the bar in any state. State boards
of bar examiners will conduct character and fitness
investigations to determine if you are fit for admission
to the bar. Those investigations typically include
criminal background checks, as well as review of
your law school application, undergraduate record
and law school record. It is critically important
that your disclosures of the type of information
requested in our questions 9, 10, 12 and 13 be complete,
truthful and consistent in your law school and bar
applications.
I did some stupid things in high school and college – alcohol
violations, fraternity pranks, etc. Will these past
indiscretions prevent me from being admitted to law
school?
Many law school applicants – and many practicing
attorneys – do not have spotless pasts. We
see many applicants each year who have been written
up for underage drinking on campus or for silly pranks.
We also see a fair number of applicants who have
been arrested for driving under the influence of
alcohol.
First and most important: Disclose everything about
events that resulted in criminal or disciplinary
actions.
Second: The fact that you were a teenager and college
student who did not use perfect judgment at all times
will not necessarily bar you from admission to law
school or from admission to one or more state bars.
In terms of admission to law school, we will consider
everything in your application. If you have a DUI
in your record, or if you got caught spreading toilet
paper on campus, etc., it is still possible to gain
admission to law school. There are individuals currently
in law school who have such activities in their records.
If you have a pattern of criminal activity, or have
shown a pattern of very poor judgment, that may pose
a problem in gaining admission to law school and/or
to the bar.
If you have been convicted of one or more felonies,
or have abused positions of trust in which you have
been placed, you could have a problem gaining admission
to law school and/or to the bar. In the past, we have
contacted applicants to make them aware of problems
that may lie ahead in terms of gaining bar admission,
and to urge them to contact the board of bar examiners
in the state in which they ultimately wish to practice.
If you have serious criminal convictions in your record,
and if you are an applicant we would like to admit,
we may contact you to discuss your particular situation.
Can I visit the law school and sit in on a class?
Applicants are welcome to visit our law school
for a tour and class visit. Please check our web
site at www.law.gmu.edu/admission/events.html for
the tour schedule.
Does George Mason have any Information Sessions
coming up?
Yes. We have several information sessions scheduled
throughout the year. Please check our web site at www.law.gmu.edu/admission/events.html for
the information session schedule.
Admission and Decision to Attend George Mason
We do our best to help each admitted applicant
learn as much as possible about our law school and
to feel good about his or her decision to join our
law school community. Once you are admitted, you
will receive multiple mailings from us and will be
kept apprised of law school news. We will hold a
number of Open House events in the spring to provide
the opportunity for you to meet some members of our
faculty and student body. You should also stay in
touch with us. Be sure that all of your questions
are answered and that you have complete information
before you make the important decision of which law
school you will attend. Call or e-mail us as often
as you wish. When you call our office, you generally
will not get a recording; we each answer our own
telephone lines (see below for listing of names,
e-mail addresses and direct lines of our admissions
office staff). Our job is to serve our applicants
and students, and to provide whatever assistance
you need.
If I am admitted to George Mason, how long will
I have to decide if I will attend? Does George Mason
require seat deposits?
If you are offered admission to George Mason prior to
April 1, 2006, you will have to make a first seat deposit
in April (the first deposit will be in the amount of $250.00).
You will be required to make a second seat deposit in June
(in the amount of $500.00).
f you are admitted after April 1, 2006, you will have
at least 2-4 weeks to make your seat deposits (the
length of time you will have will depend upon how late
in the spring or summer you are admitted).
Are seat deposits credited toward tuition?
Yes. The seat deposits that you make prior to matriculating
will be credited to your first semester tuition.
Are seat deposits refundable in whole or in part?
No. Seat deposits are completely non-refundable.
If you make your seat deposits and subsequently decide
that you will not attend George Mason, you will forfeit
your seat deposits.
When is tuition due?
Tuition is due on a semester basis, on the first
day of each semester.
What if the seat deposit date is approaching and
I am not sure whether I want to attend George Mason?
You should feel free to keep in touch with our
Admissions Office. The Admissions Office staff members
are here to help you. Call or visit; talk with us;
let us know how we can help you at every step of
the way.
If I am admitted to George Mason, may I defer my
admission to the next year?
We review requests for deferral on a case-by-case
basis. One-year deferrals are liberally granted.
If you are considering requesting a deferral, please
contact Associate Dean and Director of Admissions
Anne Richard to talk about your situation (arichar5@gmu.edu
or 703/ 993-8005) – before you make any seat
deposits. If you make seat deposits and subsequently
defer your admission, your seat deposits likely will
be forfeited.
If I begin law school at another school, may I
transfer to George Mason?
Each year we admit a number of transfer applicants
who have completed one year at another ABA-accredited
law school. Our transfer admissions process is extremely
competitive. For fall 2005, we received more than
100 transfer applications and made offers of transfer
admission to only 25 applicants.
The most important factor considered in the transfer
admission process is performance in the first year
of law school. We also consider LSAT, undergraduate
and graduate work, recommendations, writing ability
and other professional and personal accomplishments.
The deadline for transfer admission is July 1 each
year. We must have your grades for the entire first
year of your legal studies elsewhere in order to consider
you for transfer admission. Decisions on transfer applications
are made in mid-July.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. George Mason students may receive scholarship
funds and loan funds.
What forms must I submit to be considered for
financial aid?
The only form that you must complete for our financial
aid purposes is the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). You can complete the FAFSA form
online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
We do not require that you submit any additional
forms to be considered either for loans or scholarships.
Are federal student loans available?
Most George Mason law students rely very heavily
on the federal student loan programs. Students who
are U.S. citizens qualify to borrow up to $18,500.00
per year in federally-guaranteed loan funds. (Non-U.S.
citizens do not qualify for these programs and must
resort to private loans.)
Of that $18,500.00, up to $8,500.00 may be subsidized.
Interest does not accrue on subsidized loan funds
while students are in school.
If you qualify for the maximum of $8,500.00 in subsidized
loan funds, you may borrow an additional $10,000.00
in unsubsidized loan funds. Interest will begin to
accrue immediately on unsubsidized loans.
If you do not qualify for the maximum of $8,500.00
in subsidized loan funds (the determination of whether
you qualify for the maximum in subsidized funds is
based upon your personal financial situation), you
may still borrow a total of $18,500.00 in subsidized
and unsubsidized funds per year. So, for example,
if you qualify for $2,000.00 in subsidized funds,
you may borrow an additional $16,500.00 in unsubsidized
loan funds, making your total federal loan amount
$18,500.00.
Are private student loans available?
Yes. If you need loans in excess of $18,500.00
per year, you may borrow additional amounts from
private lenders. George Mason University works with
a number of different private lenders. You should
work with your financial aid counselor to line up
private loans during the spring/summer prior to the
start of school.
What if I have undergraduate student loans? Can
I defer repayment while in law school?
Yes. If you have federally-guaranteed student loans,
you may defer repayment of those loans while you
are in law school. Be sure that you obtain a deferment
form from your lender prior to the start of law school.
Once you begin law classes, our law school registrar
will certify that you are enrolled in law school,
and your loans can be deferred.
Are there any scholarships available?
Yes. We have limited scholarship funds available.
We award all of our available scholarship monies
based upon merit (we have no purely need-based scholarship
funds available).
Must my parents disclose their financial information?
No. Only the student’s financial information
must be provided on the FAFSA. George Mason Law does
not require any additional forms from students wishing
to be considered for institutional scholarship funds.
For purposes of obtaining financial aid at George
Mason – either in loan or scholarship form – no
parental information is required. This may not be
the case at all law schools to which you apply, so
be sure to inquire of each law school in which you
are interested.
Do I need to do anything special in order to be
considered for scholarship money?
No. Each applicant who is admitted to our law school
is considered for a scholarship award. We determine
who will be awarded the available scholarship funds
based upon the strength of applications for admission.
How many students are awarded scholarship money
each year?
We have limited scholarship funds available. None
of our current students is being awarded full tuition
for all three or four years (with the exception of
our Levy Fellows – we award two full-tuition
Levy Fellowships each year to individuals who have
Ph.D.’s in economics or a related field). Fortunately,
however, each year we receive more and more funds
from alumni, law firms and other organizations who
become supporters of our law school.
For the academic year 2004-2005, we made scholarship
awards ranging in amount from $1,800 to $7,500 to more
than 40 students.
Does George Mason offer in-state tuition rates
for Virginians?
Yes. George Mason offers lower tuition rates for
individuals domiciled in Virginia. To qualify, you
must have lived in Virginia for at least 12 consecutive
months prior to the semester for which you are seeking
in-state tuition. A person legally capable of establishing
a domicile becomes domiciled in Virginia when present
in the state with the unqualified intention of remaining
indefinitely. Domicile entails more than mere residency
or physical presence in a state. For more detailed
information about domicile, please go to www.registrar.gmu.edu/domicile.
If I am an out-of-state student for my first year
at George Mason, is it possible for me to qualify
for in-state tuition by my second year?
Yes. If you establish your domicile in Virginia
during your first year of study, you may petition
for reclassification of your status. Please note
that living in Virginia for the purpose of attending
law school is not sufficient to establish domicile.
A change of status after one year is neither automatic
nor guaranteed. For more detailed information about
establishing Virginia domicile, please go to www.registrar.gmu.edu/domicile.
Where are George Mason’s law classes held?
Law classes are held at the School of Law, located
at 3301 Fairfax Drive in Arlington, Virginia.
Can I get to George Mason Law by Metro?
Yes. George Mason Law is on the Orange Line of
the Metro – one block from the Virginia Square/GMU
station.
Admissions Office Staff – Contact Information
Anne Richard
Associate Dean and Director of Admission
arichar5@gmu.edu
(703) 993-8005
Kristine McCord
Assistant Dean and Director of Special Programs
kmccord1@gmu.edu
(703) 993-8004
Darrell Jackson
Assistant Dean and Director of Minority
Affairs
ddjackson@gmu.edu
(703) 993-8197
Melissa Ellis Bergsten
Admissions Coordinator
mbergste@gmu.edu
(703) 993-8010
Fozia Khan
Admissions Services Specialist
fkhan1@gmu.edu
(703) 993-8010
last updated:
May 17, 2005
