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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 10/04/23
If you’re interested in attending a law school known for producing agents of progress and innovation, read on to learn more about Wake Forest Law School.
Wake Forest Law School has been around since 1894 and has grown in prominence and rank. With over 100 faculty members, six experiential learning clinics, and diverse course offerings, Wake Forest students receive the highest support, experience, and education.
This guide will go over what it takes to join Wake Forest Law to reap all of its benefits, how much it’ll cost, and how to increase your chances of admission!
The Wake Forest Law School acceptance rate is 33%. This indicates that the school is moderately competitive to get into.
While its acceptance rate is much higher than Ivy League law schools like Yale, it’ll still take dedication and diligence to be considered a competitive candidate at this school!
Take a look at how Wake Forest’s acceptance rates have fluctuated over the last few years.
As you can see, Wake Forest Law School’s acceptance rate has been inconsistent in recent years, suggesting that some years were more competitive for admissions than others.
Getting into Wake Forest Law School can be moderately competitive. While it's not as tough as Ivy League law schools, you'll still need to be dedicated and diligent to stand out. The acceptance rates have gone up and down in recent years, so the level of competition can vary.
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Here’s what you’ll need to apply to Wake Forest Law:
Wake Forest Law’s median GPA is 3.79, which you should aim to maintain or surpass to be an attractive applicant. You’ll need an undergraduate degree from an accredited university to apply to any law school. There is no perfect major to pursue that will increase your chances of getting into Wake Forest Law.
Choose a major you have a passion for to maintain high scores and enjoy your undergrad! You’ll have less opportunity to choose electives from different disciplines during your JD, so ensure you take interesting courses throughout your bachelor’s.
It’s always a good idea to begin developing essential legal skills such as writing, reading, analytical and critical thinking, communication, and research during your undergrad to prepare you for your JD and eventual legal career.
The average LSAT score of Wake Forest Law School is 165. Those of you who dread writing the LSAT have the option to write the GRE instead. As these exams test different skills, ensure you thoroughly understand both before deciding which one you should write to get the highest score possible.
If you write the GRE, you shouldn’t also write the LSAT. Your LSAT score will always be favored over your GRE.
Wake Forest Law School only recently began accepting the GRE, so there aren’t any statistics on accepted students’ median scores as of yet. However, there is a handy conversion tool you can use to see what your GRE would convert to as an LSAT score.
According to this tool, you would have to score 160 on both the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections to receive the equivalent of a 165 LSAT score.
This data equips applicants with valuable insights to tailor their applications and boost their chances of admission.
Your GPA and standardized test scores can only give the admissions committee insight into how well you perform on exams and your academic potential. But committees understand that intelligence alone won’t necessarily make you a good attorney!
This is where your personal statement comes into play. This statement will tell the admissions committee more about who you are as a person, your accomplishments, goals, and potential to succeed in law.
That being said, ensure you do not simply use your personal statement to list your qualifications and accomplishments! You’ll already be submitting a resume as part of your application, so use this space to tell the committee more about what makes you unique, why you chose to pursue law, and why you chose Wake Forest in particular.
As we mentioned, you must also submit a resume detailing any relevant work or volunteer experience, extracurriculars, awards, publications, and certifications you received during your undergrad.
This resume should be approximately one to two pages long.
You’re required to submit at least one letter of recommendation, and up to three, as part of your application. These letters should be written by academic faculty who can attest to your academic potential and know you well enough to make these letters highly personal!
While you may have been aiming to meet Wake Forest Law School’s LSAT and GPA medians, life sometimes gets in the way of our plans. If this is the case and you have a legitimate explanation, not an excuse, for lower scores, you can use an addendum to share this with the committee.
Keep your addendum simple and straightforward. Take responsibility for your lower scores and explain your circumstances in a factual way, without attempting to evoke pity from the admissions team. If written well, an addendum can make the committee review your application with more leniency.
Wake Forest Law School is rated #22 among the best law schools in the nation, which is a high ranking. In addition, it also excels in several law school specialty areas, including a noteworthy #5 ranking in Legal Writing, making it a strong choice for those interested in this field of study.
Now that you know what’s required of you to apply to this law school, you may want to also keep note of the important deadlines associated with your application:
Source: Wake Forest Law School
The majority of your application, including your transcripts, LSAT scores, and letters of recommendation, will be submitted through LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which you’ll have to purchase through LSAC.
The rest of your application must be submitted through Wake Forest’s application portal.
The cost of Wake Forest Law’s tuition and fees is $57,050 a year. With all additional personal costs, the estimated total budget per school year is $83,996.
Luckily, Wake Forest offers extensive scholarships to ease the financial burden of these high costs. Every entering student is considered for a scholarship, and more than half of these students are granted them.
Wake Forest University's law school achieved a first-time bar passage rate of 89.84% in 2022, surpassing the state's overall pass rate of 69%.
To better understand how well Wake Forest University performs in terms of bar exam success, check out the table below, which provides data from 2022.
This data demonstrates Wake Forest University’s focus on preparing students for bar exam success.
The employment statistics for Wake Forest University School of Law's Class of 2022 showcase a variety of job outcomes ten months after graduation. Nearly 179 graduates got jobs that required passing the bar exam, which is essential for lawyers. Another 16 got jobs where having a JD degree helped.
A few were in graduate studies, and some postponed their job start dates. They landed jobs in law firms, businesses, government, public interest, clerkships, and education. Interestingly, none were in positions funded by the law school or university.
Most found jobs in North Carolina, with some in Florida and Washington, D.C., showing diverse job opportunities for Wake Forest's Class of 2022.
To increase your chances of gaining admission into this law school, follow these three tips.
While you’re allowed to submit more than one letter of recommendation, you should do so cautiously.
One stellar letter of recommendation from a professor you built a great relationship with is all you need! The admissions committee will be more convinced of your candidacy through this one letter than they would be with three generic letters from professors you rarely interacted with.
If you’re certain Wake Forest is the perfect law school for you, submitting a binding application can increase your odds of gaining admission.
Binding applications require students to forfeit any acceptances from other law schools and agree to attend Wake Forest if they’re accepted into it. These applications are generally reviewed with more leniency because you’ve already proven you’re dedicated to this school and are eager to contribute to it!
Even if you absolutely hate writing essays, you need to spend an adequate amount of time on your personal statement to ensure it stands out.
Consider using the climax of an interesting experience as your opening line to hook your reader. Then, spend the rest of the essay explaining the context and relevance of this story to your anticipated legal career.
Additionally, if you have lower scores, you should definitely write an addendum! While it’s an additional essay to spend time on, it can ultimately change the committee’s “maybe” to a “yes”!
For any remaining questions on how to get into Wake Forest Law School, read on to find your answers.
You should aim to score 165 or higher on the LSAT to be considered a competitive applicant.
Wake Forest’s median GPA is 3.79. You should aim for a GPA in this range or higher to maximize your chances of admission.
Wake Forest Law School ranks 22nd in the nation.
Despite Wake Forest not being a top 20 law school, it can still provide you with the resources and education to become a successful lawyer! It has a long history of producing powerful advocates and offers its students diverse experiential learning to make them stand out to employers.
Additionally, Wake Forest offers its students a range of extracurriculars, including student-run organizations, journals, moot courts, trial teams, and pro bono opportunities to complement their learning and help them build strong professional relationships with their peers, alums, and faculty.
Yes, Wake Forest Law is one of the many schools now accepting the GRE instead of the LSAT.
To sum it up, Wake Forest University School of Law is a well-respected institution that truly equips students with thriving legal careers. Its competitive admissions and remarkable bar exam performance make it a reliable route to success in the legal profession.
Whether you're aiming to become a lawyer or simply seeking an excellent legal education, Wake Forest Law School should definitely be on your radar as a practical and promising choice.
