Admissions & Financial Aid

Admissions Requirements

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• First-Year Admission
• Reapplying
• Transfer Admission
• Transient Admission
• Foreign-Educated Students

First-Year Admission

In order to be considered for admission, a candidate must have or expect to have a bachelor's degree from a fully accredited college or university by the date of enrollment in the School of Law or be a participant in the University of South Carolina Honors College Integrated Education Plan. All applicants are required to take the LSAT and to register with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service. While the School of Law will accept the February 2010 test score, applicants are strongly advised to take the test earlier in order to be considered for admission to the Class of 2013. An LSAT score is considered valid for five years.

To receive priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, an applicant's completed admissions file (including all supporting material) must be received in the Office of Admissions by February 1, 2010. All applications and supporting material should be received by the School of Law by March 1, 2010.

We encourage applicants to submit the application through the Law School Admission Council's electronic application service. It is your responsibility to read all application instructions to ensure that each question is answered accurately and completely.

Applicants for First-Year Admission must submit the following:

1. A completed application form, including a personal statement and a resume. The application and all required materials should be received in the Office of Admissions by March 1, 2010.
2. A nonrefundable $60 application fee submitted directly through LSAC.
3. A complete LSAC/CAS Report forwarded directly from the LSAC. Instructions for obtaining the LSAC/CAS Report are contained in the LSAT registration packet available from the LSAC. A transcript from each college and university attended should be sent directly to:
   
   Law School Admission Council
   Box 2700, 662 Penn Street
   Newtown, PA 18940-0981
   215-968-1001
   
   The LSAC/CAS will analyze and duplicate student transcripts and will send a copy to the School of Law with student LSAT scores. It is the responsibility of the applicant to see that all transcripts are mailed directly to the LSAC/CAS.
   
   Students who are admitted and enroll will be required to provide to the School of Law an official transcript from each degree-granting college or university.
4. Two letters of recommendation are required. To be useful, recommendations should address the applicant's ability to study law and should be from persons in a position to assess, from personal knowledge, the applicant's analytical abilities, personal character, and motivation. Applicants recently completing undergraduate or graduate work are advised that at least one letter of recommendation should be from a faculty member who can attest to the applicant's ability to enter a competitive professional program.
   The School of Law advises that letters of recommendation be submitted through the LSAC service that serves all member schools. This service is included in the LSAC/CAS registration subscription. The letters will be copied and sent to the USC School of Law, along with the LSAC/CAS Report, or as the LSAC/CAS Report is complete. Directions for submitting letters are outlined in the LSAC Registration and Information Book. Each letter writer should receive a letter of recommendation form from the LSAT Registration and Information Book.
5. Foreign-educated applicants are reminded to follow the application procedures set forth in the application instructions.

To be considered for admission, completed applications, the application fee, and all supporting materials should be received by March 1, 2010. Notification of receipt of an application and of information needed for its completion will be provided via e-mail. Each applicant should provide a current e-mail address and promptly advise the Office of Admissions of any change. The applicant is responsible for ascertaining that required materials are received by the Office of Admissions by the applicable deadline.

Reapplying

An applicant who reapplies must submit a new application, application fee, an updated personal statement, an updated resume, and one new letter of recommendation.

Transfer Admission

An applicant who has successfully completed at least one year of law study at an American Bar Association-accredited law school may apply as a transfer student to the USC School of Law. In considering transfer applications, the Admissions Committee takes into account criteria similar to those considered for admission to the first-year class (i.e., leadership, work-experience, diversity, etc.). In addition, the committee heavily weighs the transfer applicant's law school GPA and class rank.

Transfer applications must be postmarked no later than May 30, 2010, and files must be complete by June 30, 2010. The Admissions Committee meets in early-July to review transfer applications and to make decisions regarding offers of acceptance. In order for a file to be considered complete, grades for two complete semesters, approximately 30 credit hours, must be available for review.

The School of Law accepts a maximum of one year's credit toward a J.D. degree for work completed at another law school. During the first year at the School of Law, a transfer student will have no class rank. Upon completion of two full semesters at the School of Law, a cumulative GPA and class rank will be computed according to School of Law policy on the basis of all law school grades earned. Based on the cumulative GPA, transfer students will be eligible for all University and School of Law awards.

Please note that transfer students may encounter scheduling problems during their first semester.

Applicants for Transfer must submit the following:

1. A completed application form, including a statement of why a transfer is desired. The application, if mailed, must be postmarked by May 30, 2010. The completed application and all supporting materials described below must be received by June 30, 2010.
2. A nonrefundable $60 application fee; a check or money order made payable to "University of South Carolina."
3. An official transcript of all work completed at the law school previously attended and a statement of class rank or percentile in class. This information should be provided upon completion of the second semester of the first year of law school.
4. A complete LSAC Report sent directly from the LSAC or the applicant's law school. If the applicant previously applied to the School of Law, a copy of the LSAC/CAS Report should be in the original application file.
5. A letter from the dean of the law school previously attended certifying good standing, class rank, and eligibility to return. This letter should be sent upon completion of the first year.
6. One letter of recommendation from a law faculty member.
7. A final official undergraduate transcript sent directly from the applicant's undergraduate school to the School of Law.

Transient Admission

A student currently enrolled at another ABA-approved law school may apply to attend the University of South Carolina School of Law and receive credit toward the J.D. from his or her law school. Transient applications must be postmarked no later than May 30, 2010, and files must be complete by June 30, 2010. Decisions regarding transient applications are typically made in mid-July.

Applicants for Transient (Visiting) Admission must submit the following:

1. A completed and signed application form, including a statement of the reason for visiting. The application must be postmarked by May 30, 2010. The completed application and all supporting materials described below must be received by June 30, 2010.
2. A nonrefundable $60 application fee; a check or money order made payable to "University of South Carolina."
3. Official transcripts from all law schools attended, mailed directly from the law school to the USC School of Law.
4. A letter of good standing from the dean of the law school currently attended. The letter should provide information regarding academic standing, eligibility to return, and a statement granting permission to attend the USC School of Law. Any information relating to the courses to be taken, credits earned, or other requirements should also be included.
5. One letter of recommendation from a law faculty member.

Foreign-Educated Students

The School of Law requires that foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service (CAS). If you completed any postsecondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign work through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a US or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript.

This service is included in the LSAC/CAS subscription fee. A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your LSAC/CAS Report. If we determine that you need to submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, you must contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL code for the JD Credential Assembly Service is 0058. Your score will be included in the Foreign Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your LSAC/CAS Report.

To use the JD CAS, log in to your online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts.

Questions about the JD Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at 215.968.1001, or lsacinfo@lsac.org.