Admissions Process
See also: Admission Information
Request Form, Application Forms,
Financing Your Education, Frequently-Asked
Questions, 2004 Class Profile
General Information
The
admissions process at George Mason University School of
Law is very competitive and highly selective due to the
volume of applications and the limited number of seats in
the entering class. Members of the Admissions Committee
and Admissions Officers review and consider each application
for admission in its entirety. Two of the primary factors
considered in the admissions process are performance on
the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and undergraduate grade
point average.
Other factors that are considered include difficulty of
undergraduate major, undergraduate institution, possession
of advanced degrees, writing ability (as indicated in the
LSAT writing sample and in the personal statement), recommendations,
extracurricular activities, employment experience, demonstrated
commitment to public and community service, leadership skills
and experience, history of overcoming personal or professional
challenges, other academic, personal and professional achievements,
and George Mason University affiliations.
The criteria for admission to the part-time, evening program
are the same as for admission to the full-time, day program.
However, because the full-time program typically fills first,
there may be an advantage in the admissions process if an
applicant is able to accept admission into the evening program.
Non-resident applicants receive the same consideration for
admission as resident applicants.
Before applying for admission to law school, applicants
are advised to investigate the requirements for admission
to the practice of law in any jurisdiction in which they
intend to practice. Some state bars may require registration
at the time of entry into law school. If an applicant has
been a party to any criminal proceedings; been arrested,
summoned, or charged with, or convicted of a crime; been
confined to a mental, penal, or correctional institution;
or undergone mental treatment, the applicant's ability to
be admitted to the practice of law, even after successful
completion of legal studies and graduation from law school
may be severely limited in one or more jurisdictions.
Rolling Admissions and Early Decision Program
First-year students are admitted only in the fall semester.
First-year students are not admitted in the spring semester
or summer term. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling
basis, except for those decisions made under the Early Decision Program. Early decisions will be made no later than January 15, 2006. Applicants who apply but are not admitted on early decision will be considered in the regular admission process.
Click here to access information on the Early Decision Program and the Early Decision Agreement form.
Eligibility
To be eligible to matriculate, an applicant must have earned
a baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited
by a regional accrediting association of the United States.
Alternatively, applicants may present undergraduate work
from an institution outside of the jurisdiction of one of
the U.S. regional accrediting agencies. In such cases, applicants
must have their degrees certified as equivalent to those
acquired in an accredited institution. Applicants who must
have their degrees certified may obtain information regarding
certifying agencies from the Office of Admissions.
Application may be made during the final year of undergraduate
study, and acceptance is contingent upon the applicant's
being awarded a baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation.
All applicants must take the LSAT. In addition, applicants
who have earned or who are in the final year of working
towards their baccalaureate degrees at an institution accredited
by one of the regional U.S. accrediting agencies must register
with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). Applicants
required to submit certification of their degrees must take
the LSAT; however, they are not required to register with
the LSDAS.
Applicants who have previously applied to the law school
must submit a new, complete application package and application
fee and must maintain a current registration with LSDAS.
We cannot reuse previous application materials, including
the LSAT/LSDAS Report.
Graduate International Student
Information Form
Students seeking F-1 or J-1 immigration statuts must submit
a Graduate International Student
Information Form. Immigration documents (I-20 or DS-2019)
required for international students studying full time in
the United States will not be issued until the student has
completed the form (front and back) and returned it along
with a copy of the indentification page of the passport
and supporting documents to: Office of International Programs
and Services, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive,
MS 4C3, Fairfax, VA 22030, U.S.A.
Download the Graduate International
Student Information Form.
Application Procedure
In order to be considered for admission to the School of
Law, applicants must provide the following:
-
Application and Application Fee. All applicants
must provide a completed application form, accompanied
by a $35 nonrefundable application fee in the form of
a check or money order. Please sign and date your application.
-
LSAT/LSDAS Report. All applicants must register
with LSDAS. The George Mason University School of Law
LSDAS Recipient code is 5827. The Law School Report
must reflect (a) all work done at undergraduate institutions,
signifying that a baccalaureate degree has been or will
be awarded prior to the start of the academic year for
which admission is being sought; and (b) the results
of at least one LSAT taken within the period June 2001
through February 2006. It is solely the applicant's
responsibility to meet all of LSAC's requirements. Failure
to register properly, maintain registration throughout
the admissions process, or provide transcripts and other
related materials to LSAC can delay or prevent release
of a report to the School of Law. The School of Law
is not responsible for incomplete or missing reports
and will not contact applicants whose reports are incomplete
or have not been received.
All information and the registration booklet for the
LSAT and LSDAS can be picked up at most colleges, universities,
and law schools. You may also contact LSAC/LSDAS directly
at (215) 968-1001 or www.LSAC.org.
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Personal Statement. Please note that item 14
of the application requires that you submit a 500-word
personal statement on a separate piece of paper.
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Two Letters of Recommendation. Applicants are
required to submit two letters of recommendation. It
is urged that one of those letters be from a professor
or instructor. Please note: We strongly prefer that
all applicants use the LSDAS letter of recommendation
service and follow the procedures outlined by LSDAS.
If you do not use the LSDAS letter of recommendation
service, but are having your recommendations sent directly
to us, you must use our recommendation form which can
be found at www.law.gmu.edu/admission/onlineapp.html.
If a recommendation is submitted directly to the School
of Law, it must be in a sealed envelope and bear the
author's signature across the sealed envelope flap.
-
Application for In-State Tuition. If you believe
you qualify for in-state tuition rates, please complete
and enclose the Application for Virginia In-State Tuition
Rates and include that completed form with your application.
To be eligible, a person must have been domiciled in
Virginia for at least 12 consecutive months before the
start of the term for which in-state tuition is being
sought. A person legally capable of establishing a domicile
becomes domiciled in Virginia when present in the state
with the unqualified intention of remaining indefinitely.
Please note that establishment of domicile entails more
than mere physical presence in a state. See Section
23-7.4, Code of Virginia, or visit the GMU
Domicile Administration site.
Applicants For The Robert A. Levy Fellowship
In Law And Liberty
Applicants for first-year admission who are also applying
for the Levy Fellowship
must, in addition to fulfilling all requirements for first-year
applicants, provide a cover letter with the names of three
references, a curriculum vitae, graduate school transcripts,
and a copy of current research.
Admission of Transfer Applicants
Admission of transfer students is highly selective. The
deadline for applying for transfer admission for Fall 2005
is July 1, 2005.
Only students who have completed one year at an ABA-accredited
law school will be eligible for transfer admission. In
general, transfer credits awarded may not exceed 28 units.
Grades do not transfer. Transfer credit is given only for
work that will be no more than five years old at the time
of graduation. Courses in which a grade of less than C was
earned are not considered for transfer credit.
In evaluating transfer applications, the School of Law
considers, among other factors, the reason the student desires
to transfer, previous law school performance, and available
space. A 3.0 cumulative grade point average is typically
a minimum standard for consideration.
In addition to the application procedures listed above,
applicants seeking transfer admission also must provide
the following:
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A final, official transcript of all law work undertaken.
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A letter from the dean (or the dean's designate) of
the law school attended certifying good academic standing
and eligibility to continue.
-
A certification of class rank.
-
A complete, unofficial copy of the LSAC Law School
Report (including writing sample and transcripts), which
the applicant can obtain from the registrar's office
at the law school from which he or she seeks to transfer.
Please note that we will not request an applicant's
LSDAS report from Law Services unless specifically directed
by the applicant to do so in lieu of receiving an unofficial
copy.
Admission decisions for transfer applications are made
as quickly as possible, between mid-July and mid-August.
Transfer applicants who are offered admission will receive
written notification of the number of transfer credits to
be awarded. They will also be advised of the courses they
will have to take at George Mason to complete their degrees.
The application form for transfer admission is the same
as for first-year admission. Please go to the the JD
section of the forms page for the application.
Visiting Law Students
The School of Law accepts a number of visiting students
each semester, and for the summer term. Students interested
in visiting status at the law school should contact the
Admissions Office at (703) 993-8010 for information and
an application or review the visiting
student information and application forms.
Accepted Applicants
Applicants who have been accepted into the School of Law
will receive a letter setting forth the conditions that
must be met in order to reserve a seat in the entering class.
Such conditions will include making nonrefundable seat deposits
in the total sum of $750 by established deadlines, providing
an Intent Form and Honor Code Certification, and ensuring
that, prior to matriculation, the School of Law receives
official transcripts from each institution at which any
coursework was taken. If an accepted applicant fails to
provide the seat deposits by the established deadlines,
or to provide the Intent Form and Honor Code Certification,
the applicant forfeits his seat in the entering class. Once
forfeited, the seat will be offered to another applicant.
This process continues until all available seats have been
filled.
Admissions Inquiries
Applicants who have questions or who would like to visit
the law school for a tour should contact the Admissions
Office at (703) 993-8010 or via e-mail to arichar5@gmu.edu
. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday; and Tuesday, 9:00 a.m.to 6:15 pm.
