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This ultimate guide will teach you everything you need to know about how to get into Stanford Law School, admissions requirements, writing the Stanford Law essays, and more.
Ranked as the nation’s second-best law school by U.S. News World and Report, Stanford Law is one of the most sought-after institutions for future lawyers. We’ll outline how to get into Stanford Law, the school’s requirements, how to write the Stanford Law essays, and how to maximize your chances of acceptance.
Alongside the traditional JD program, Stanford offers numerous law degrees pathways at the graduate and doctorate levels:
Joint degrees, including JD/Master’s, JD/MD, and JD/PhD in 21 subject areas
You can apply to Stanford Law using the LSAC application. The Stanford Law School requirements are as follows:
1. Application Fee: An $85 application fee or a Stanford Law School (SLS) fee waiver.
2. Resume: A one or two-page resume detailing your academic, extracurricular, and professional experiences.
3. Personal Statement: A personal statement (approximately two pages) sharing important or unusual information not stated in your LSAC application.
4. Optional Diversity Statement: Although admission is primarily based on your academic achievement, Stanford Law accepts a diversity essay if you want the admissions committee to learn more about how you'd contribute to the class through your:
5. Optional Short Essays: If you wish, you can choose two essay prompts from a list of four: each response may be 100 to 250 words.
6. Two Recommendation Letters: You must send at least two letters and no more than four recommendations with your application. Stanford Law prefers academic recommendations, or you can substitute them with professional recommendations if you've been out of school for a while.
Stanford highly appreciates school-specific recommendations: we suggest finding at least one recommendation meant directly for Stanford
7. LSAT or GRE Scores: You must submit either LSAT or GRE scores. You must report your LSAT scores if you've taken the LSAT and GRE.
8. Credit Assembly Service Report: You must register for the CAS via LSAC to have your transcripts sent to LSAC.
Your application is considered complete once you've fulfilled all of these Stanford Law admissions requirements.
While there are no concrete Stanford Law School GPA requirements or cutoffs, a high GPA gives you a better chance at admission. The undergraduate GPA of first-year students at Stanford Law is:
Based on these three data points, we can estimate that the Stanford Law School average GPA is approximately 3.9 (although it may be slightly higher or lower depending on all student GPAs).
If your sights are set on Stanford Law, your GPA should be as close to 3.9 or 4.0 as possible for your best shot at acceptance.
Most of Stanford Law’s incoming class submitted LSAT scores for consideration:
Based on these three data points, the Stanford average LSAT score would be approximately 172, but this number may be higher or lower since we don't have access to all student scores.
Stanford Law’s class profile data shows no data points for students who submitted GRE scores. However, the ETS has an online tool to predict LSAT scores based on GRE scores. Using this tool, scoring 166 on each GRE section predicts a score of 172 (Stanford’s median score) on the LSAT.
The Stanford Law essays and personal statement are your application's most critical qualitative elements. Getting into Stanford Law School requires essays to show why you're an excellent candidate by demonstrating your motivations, passions, and providing the admissions committee the opportunity to learn more about you.
Stanford’s personal statement prompt is: “Enclose a statement of about two pages sharing important or unusual information about yourself that is not otherwise apparent in your application.”
Writing law school personal statements can be challenging, but these tips can help your writing be more concise, creative, and compelling.
Brainstorming is a great way to start gathering some creative ideas that can be used to tell your unique story. You might want to jot down answers to some big questions like:
Your answers can help you pull out relevant events in your life before law school that can make a compelling application narrative.
While you may not explicitly answer these questions in your personal statement, your writing should show the Stanford Law admissions committee:
Think about the traits you believe a good lawyer should possess. Are they fair? Compassionate? Knowledgeable? Whatever qualities you choose, try to identify experiences where you emulate them.
It's one thing to say you have a strong commitment to justice; it's another to show it. Remember, use your experiences to demonstrate qualities found in great lawyers!
There are many directions you can take a personal statement; there really is no "correct" way to write one. However, you should emphasize quality over quantity where you can: simply rehashing your resume with one experience after another doesn't make writing compelling.
Quality experiences can include “life-changing and impressive personal experiences such as military service, outstanding extracurricular accomplishments, meaningful employment, significant leadership, and success coping with adversity.”
At the same time, try to have some chronology to your story: some applicants like to focus mainly on the past (their background, identity, and what inspired them to go to law school) or the present (their current projects, work, educational pursuits). Stellar personal statements mix past, present, and/or future!
Although some law schools, such as Yale Law School, say there’s no need to make your personal statement school-specific, there is no statement like that on Stanford’s website.
Getting into Stanford Law School requires research: your penultimate or final paragraph can be a great place to show you Stanford will help you further your career and how you hope to contribute and explore if accepted.
Stanford Law tends to change its optional essay topics annually. The recent prompts are:
You can choose up to two prompts to show the admissions committee more about you. These tips can help you select a topic and ensure your optional essays are well-received.
Stanford Law will notice if your essays are less than 100 words or more than 250. Keep your writing focused and edit for concision when you’re finished. To ensure your response is over 100 words, reflect on your answers: don’t just answer the prompt!
Consider your application narrative before approaching these topics. What is the overall theme of your application? Is it overcoming hardship? Or did your application focus mainly on your leadership and resilience?
While you don't have to state a connection explicitly, consider which experiences and qualities you referenced in your personal statement and see if there is any way you can use these optional Stanford Law essays to build upon that common thread.
While these Stanford law essays may seem more light-hearted than your personal statement, don't construct your answers based on what you think admissions officers want to hear. Admissions committee members are individuals: it's difficult to predict what they want to see.
The best writing is honest, professional, and meaningful to you. For example, don't write that you would add Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Great Gatsby to a library if you don't much care for classics. Remember, be honest but make the content meaningful!
A snapshot of the Stanford Law class profile can show the school's selectivity and diversity. Stanford Law released the following information about the ethnicities of incoming students:
Stanford Law received 5,685 applications and offered admission to 357 applicants in a recent admissions cycle. The Stanford Law acceptance rate is 6.28%.
The national law school average acceptance rate is 44%. Stanford Law’s acceptance rate is exceptionally low in comparison to this average. It’s hard to get into Stanford Law School, but try not to get too hung up on the acceptance rate. A polished application will always boost your chances!
To apply to Stanford Law, you must apply through LSAC and register for the CAS. These are the important dates you should know, including the Stanford Law School application deadline.
These FAQs can provide more information about the school and how to get into Stanford Law School.
While there is no exact Stanford Law GPA that you need to gain admission, you should shoot for an undergraduate GPA close to 3.9 - 4.0 for a stronger profile.
While there’s no surefire way to guarantee your acceptance, a high GPA, solid test scores, and a well-written personal statement can help you gain admission to Stanford Law.
While there are no exact LSAT score cutoffs, you should aim for an LSAT score between 172 - 180 to be a more competitive applicant.
Yes, Stanford Law accepts GRE scores; however, you'll also need to submit your LSAT scores if you've taken the GRE and the LSAT.
Beyond academic excellence, good writing skills, passion, and displaying your motivation for attending law school can help improve your chances.
Yes, Stanford Law has rolling admissions. While the admissions committee reviews applications as they receive them, some applications are held until they can review all applicants. The second review occurs in April, although some students may be admitted as late as the summer before the cycle starts.
Even if Stanford Law is one of your “reach” schools, admission is within your grasp. While admission is competitive, there are ways to ensure your application reaches the top of the pile.
Remember to spend extra time on your personal statement, complete the Stanford law essays, and ensure your application is polished to perfection. Good luck with your Stanford Law application!
