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Frequently Asked Questions
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The Enrolled Class
Q. What are the LSAT and GPA medians of recently enrolled students?
A. The median LSAT score and undergraduate GPA for the Fall 2012 entering class was 161 and 3.59.
Q. From what schools does the Levin College of Law accept students?
A. The Levin College of Law accepts students from a wide variety of undergraduate institutions throughout the United States and overseas. University of Florida undergraduates are not at any particular advantage or disadvantage over students from other institutions. The Fall 2012 entering class of 287 students represented 68 undergraduate college and universities.
Q. How many UF Law students admitted each year are state residents and how many are non-Florida residents?
A. In recent years, students qualifying as state residents have made up about 85-89 percent of the entering class. UF Law does not have a cap on out-of-state students. Of those who enter as non-residents, the vast majority will gain residency status after the first year.
Q. How many students are enrolled at UF Law each year, and what is the total enrollment?
A. Between 290 and 310 new students are expected to enroll each fall. The average annual student body size is about 975 JD students.
Q. How diverse is the Levin College of Law student body?
A. Our student body is our biggest asset, and our goal is to admit an extraordinary mix of students with varying backgrounds and experiences who — individually and collectively — will respect and learn from each other. The composition of the Fall 2012 enrolled class is: 59% men, 41% women, 25% minority.
The Application Process
Q. How do I obtain a Levin College of Law application?
A. All applicants are required to apply using the UF Law LSAC Electronic Application Process.
Q. What is the application fee?
A. The application fee is $30 for all applicants. The Levin College of Law will waive the $30 application fee for candidates who received an LSAC Fee Waiver. The $30 application fee will automatically be waived for LSAC fee-waived candidates upon submission of the online LSAC electronic application.
Q. Do you offer application fee waivers?
A. The Levin College of Law will waive the $30 application fee for candidates who received an LSAC Fee Waiver. The $30 application fee will automatically be waived for LSAC fee-waived candidates upon submission of the online LSAC electronic application.
Q. When should I take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)?
A. We recommend you take the June or October LSAT prior to the year for which you are applying. LSAT test scores are valid for five years. The latest LSAT that UF Law will accept is the February LSAT.
Q. In addition to the LSAT, what else is required to apply to UF Law?
A. UF Law requires that you submit an academic admissions statement and a resume. This statement should focus on academic skills and experiences. The statement may include, but need not be limited to, information regarding academic interests, academic experiences and scholarly activities. Academic information should focus on undergraduate and post-graduate work and may include relevant experiences gained in a professional work setting. Examples of academic information include research experiences and projects such as lab research projects and extensive research papers, senior or graduate theses or dissertations. The applicant’s academic experiences and academic skills should be the dominant theme of the statement.
Q. Are letters of recommendation and LSAC Evaluations required?
A. The Levin College of Law strongly encourages candidates to submit up to four letters of recommendation. Recommenders should evaluate in detail the applicant’s academic performance and skills, academic activities, community service, and/or employment.Please note that the Levin College of Law does not consider personal recommendations (for example, those from family, friends or persons who have never taught or supervised the applicant in a professional setting). The Levin College of Law will also accept up to four LSAC Evaluations.
Letters of recommendation and evaluations are not required; therefore, action will proceed with or without these items once all required materials are received. While the Levin College of Law is unable to acknowledge receipt of letters, candidates may verify receipt of documents using the Applicant Status Online.
Candidates have two options for submitting letters of recommendation:
Letters of recommendation and evaluations are not required; therefore, action will proceed with or without these items once all required materials are received. While the Levin College of Law is unable to acknowledge receipt of letters, candidates may verify receipt of documents using the Applicant Status Online.
Candidates have two options for submitting letters of recommendation:
- 1. LSAC Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Service: The Levin College of Law strongly prefers that letters be submitted through the LSAC LOR Service included with the CAS registration.
- 2. Submit letters directly to the Levin College of Law: Letters submitted directly to the Levin College of Law should be on letterhead and accompanied by the cover form available in the “Forms” tab of the LSAC electronic application web site.
Q. When should I apply and when will I receive my decision?
A. Application materials become available online at www.lsac.org on September 1 of each year for the class entering in the following fall. The application filing and completion deadline for the JD program is March 15. Applicants are notified of a decision as early as November and notifications continue through late April. The Admissions Committee uses a modified rolling admissions process. Files are reviewed in the order in which they are completed, but decisions are not necessarily made in the order in which applications are received and reviewed. With a volume of nearly 2,900 applications, the Levin College of Law uses a holistic and comparative review process, and many files are held for additional review throughout the admissions cycle.
Q. Are there advantages to applying early?
A. Applying early allows for the possibility of receiving a final decision much earlier in the process and for applying for financial aid in a timely manner. It also allows time to correct possible problems with the initial application. However, it does not necessarily increase the probability of being admitted.
Q. What if my application is submitted after the application deadline?
A. We strongly recommend that applicants submit their applications by the March 15 application filing and completion deadline. Applications received after this date will be reviewed after all other on-time applications are reviewed and are not guaranteed a timely decision. Applying after the deadline may also affect an applicant’s eligibility for scholarships or grants since funding is limited.
Q. What if I have a disciplinary record?
A. It is always best to answer questions concerning your disciplinary record fully and openly, and to provide explanations. Disciplinary records are not necessarily detrimental to potential admittance to law school. Information that is inaccurate or omitted from the application, however, may be detrimental not only to a law school acceptance but also to certification by a State Bar authority.
Q. Are all applications read?
A. Yes. Each application is carefully evaluated by the UF Law Admissions Committee.
Q. What if I have other questions or concerns about the application process?
A. The Admissions Office can answer your questions at informational sessions and tours offered during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. You may contact Admissions by e-mail at admissions@law.ufl.edu or toll-free at (877)429-1297.
The Admissions Process
Q. If I take the LSAT more than once, which score will be used?
A. Multiple LSAT scores are all reported by the LSAC in your LSAT Law School Report and are considered by the Admissions Committee. Applicants are encouraged to explain differences in multiple scores in an addendum.
Q. What should I do if I did not do well on the LSAT?
A. The Admissions Committee bases its selection not only on an applicant’s academic credentials (LSAT score, GPA, level of writing skills, breadth of studies), but also on other criteria, including, but not limited to, an applicant’s work and other life experience, leadership experience, depth of particular interest, and any other aspect of an applicant’s background suggesting a suitability for the study and practice of law.
Applicants who feel that they did not perform well on the LSAT, may re-take the LSAT, and/or may also explain their score in an addendum. Applicants are encouraged to explain any factors that they feel may have been detrimental to their testing. (For example, applicants may give evidence that in the past they have outperformed predictions based on performance on other standardized tests).
Applicants who feel that they did not perform well on the LSAT, may re-take the LSAT, and/or may also explain their score in an addendum. Applicants are encouraged to explain any factors that they feel may have been detrimental to their testing. (For example, applicants may give evidence that in the past they have outperformed predictions based on performance on other standardized tests).
Q. Are there minimum GPA and/or LSAT requirements applicants must meet for consideration for admission?
A. There are no “cut-off” GPAs or LSAT scores below which an applicant will not be considered. Our review process attempts to rigorously evaluate students based on a variety of characteristics, not on computational methods or mechanical shortcuts.
Q. When will my application be reviewed?
A. Once your application is received and your file is completed, it will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and assigned a status. The Committee, composed by faculty and professional staff, will review applications only after all required materials are on file. It is important to understand that the Committee evaluates every aspect of a file, so it is a slow and thoughtful process. Once review of an application is completed, the applicant will either be admitted, held for further review, or denied admission. We will notify applicants of any mandatory documents are missing.
Q. How will I know about my admission status?
A. You can check your status through the Applicant Status Online. This site allows applicants to view their current application status, contact information, receipt of materials such as the resume, admissions statement, and letters of recommendation, and provides applicants with a record of announcements from the UF Law Office of Admissions.
In addition, the Admissions Office will e-mail reminders and newsletters to keep applicants informed of the application process.
In addition, the Admissions Office will e-mail reminders and newsletters to keep applicants informed of the application process.
Q. What are key words I should look for when checking my Applicant Status Online (ASO), and what do they mean?
A:
Application Received: Your application was received and Admissions is currently verifying documents.
Processing Application and Documents: These files were either recently received and are being processed or are missing required items. This status will change once all of the required items are received and processed.
All Required Documents Received: All required documents have been received and the application will soon move to the Admissions Committee for review.
Under Initial Review by Committee: The file is complete and the Admissions Committee is currently evaluating the file.
File reviewed, no decision reached: The Committee has reviewed the file, however, a decision has not yet been made on the file. The file will continue to be evaluated as other applications are received. Applicants who have updates to their files such as transcripts and LSAT scores will be re-evaluated by the Admissions Committee based on the new information. Final decisions will be made no later than the end of April, but it is possible that some candidates may hear earlier.
Final Decision Reached, Notice Issued: The Committee has reached a final decision on your application and a decision notice was issued. Usually the decision notice will be received by the applicant within 3-10 days.
Transfer/Visiting Students
Q. What are the eligibility requirements for transfer applicants?
A. To be eligible to apply to UF Law as a transfer applicant, candidates must be attending a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. In addition, a transfer applicant’s academic rank must be in the upper third of their class or higher after completion of the required first-year curriculum.
Q. How many credits may be transferred?
A. UF Law will accept up to 29 credit hours.
Q. What are the application requirements for transfer applicants?
A. Transfer applicants must the UF Law LSAC Electronic Application Process. with the required documents electronically attached (résumé and admissions statement), ensure that their LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is current, and submit a completed UF Law transfer certification form and an official law school transcript.
Q. What are the eligibility requirements for visiting students?
A. To be eligible to apply to UF Law as a visitor applicant, candidates must have completed two years of study at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. In addition, applicants must also be in good academic standing at their current institution, be eligible to return to that school, and have permission from their current law school to visit at UF Law.
Q. What are the application requirements for visitor applicants?
A. Transfer applicants must use the online application available at www.lsac.org and should attach all required documents electronically (résumé and academic admissions statement). In addition, transfer applicants must ensure that their LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is current and must submit a completed UF Law transfer certification form and an official law school transcript.
Q. How will I know about my admission status?
A. You can check your status at our Online Application Status Check. This site allows applicants to view their current application status, contact information, receipt of materials such as the resume, admissions statement, and letters of recommendation, and provides applicants with a record of announcements from the UF Law Office of Admissions.
Q. Are admitted transfer students eligible to participate in Law Review and other journals?
A. Yes, admitted transfer students may participate in Law Review and journals.
Q. Are admitted transfer students eligible to participate in the Fall On-Campus Interview (OCI) program?
A. Yes, admitted transfer students are eligible to participate in Fall On-Campus Interview (OCI) program if their applications for admission complete in a timely manner.
Q. Are admitted transfer students eligible for merit scholarships and need-based grants?
A. Admitted transfer students are not eligible for merit scholarships and need-based grants.
Q. Are admitted visitor students eligible to apply for or participate in financial aid, merit scholarships, Law Review, other journals, or the On-Campus Interviews program?
A. Admitted visitor students are not eligible to apply for or participate in financial aid, merit scholarships, Law Review, other journals, or the On-Campus Interview program.
About UF Law Grads
Q. What is the Bar exam passage rate?
A. The bar pass rate for first-time takers on the 2011 Florida bar exams was 89.3%. This exceeds all first-time takers by 9.3%.
