Admissions FAQ

Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions. Read these carefully to see if they address your questions or concerns.  If you cannot find the answer to your question here or elsewhere on our website, please feel free to contact us directly.

When is the best time to apply?

Our application for first-year students opens October 1, and we encourage you to apply as early as is practicable. Of course, it would not behoove an applicant to submit a rushed and haphazard application. Take the time you need to make sure that what you are presenting to the Admissions Committee is thought-out and polished. That said, be aware of our deadlines and use them to set (and hold yourself accountable to) goals for submitting your application.

Will you waive my application fee?

Brandeis Law does not charge an application fee, so there's nothing to waive! When you go to apply, you will see the fee listed as $0. We see it as an equity issue and believe there’s no sense in creating an artificial barrier to applying for anyone.

What about my CAS report fee?

We neither assess nor collect any part of the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report fee, so it's not something we have any authority to waive. LSAC charges the fee, so only LSAC can waive it, which it does as part of a tiered fee waiver system that also applies to LawHub Advantage, the LSAT and CAS subscription fees.

When should I take the LSAT?

You must take the LSAT no later than November to meet the Early Bird application deadline and no later than February to meet the regular application deadline. Bear in mind that LSAT scores are not released until several weeks after sitting for the test.

LSAT scores are valid and reportable during the testing year (July to June) in which the test was taken and for five testing years thereafter, so you may opt to take the LSAT in advance so that it does not delay completion of your application.

How should I prepare for the LSAT?

The best way to prepare for the LSAT is a matter of personal preference. Several companies offer courses or tutoring (for a fee, of course), or you can make use of self-study materials available for purchase or at your local library. LSAC, which adminsters the LSAT, offers its own suite of preparatory resources through LawHub, some of which are free of charge. Brandeis Law does not offer LSAT prep, nor do we endorse any particular company or method.

No matter how you choose to prepare, that you prepare and give yourself ample time to do so is nonnegotiable. We highly recommend that you commit at least three months to seriously preparing for the LSAT.

Should I take the LSAT more than once?

It is increasingly common that an applicant has taken the LSAT more than once. If you are dissatisfied with your LSAT score and believe that you can significantly increase your score, retaking the LSAT may be a reasonable option. Should you choose to do so, it is important that you give yourself enough time and opportunity to demonstrate significant improvement.

Law schools must report data based on applicants’ highest LSAT scores, and so we give special regard to your high score. That said, all of your scores (as well as score cancellations and test absences) from the past five testing years are included on your LSAT score report, and the Admissions Committee will consider all such information in reviewing an application.

LSAC sets limits on the repeating the LSAT, but even within those limits, the Admissions Committee may consider the number of times you have taken the LSAT in evaluating your application. Bear in mind that if the last time you took the LSAT was prior to past five testing years, you will need to retake the LSAT, as scores that old are no longer valid and reportable.

If I apply by January 1 but take the LSAT later, will I meet the Early Bird application deadline?

No, if you do not have an LSAT score on file with our office by January 1, your file will not be complete and ready for review by that date and therefore will not have met the Early Bird application deadline. Likewise, applications submitted by April 1 that do not include an LSAT score will not have met the regular application deadline.

This also holds true for an applicant who applies by either deadline and already has at least one LSAT score on file but requests that their applications be withheld from review until a future LSAT score is released. Withholding your file from review beyond a given deadline means that you have chosen not to meet that deadline. For example, if you apply in December with an LSAT score on file but request to withhold your application from review until your January LSAT score has been released, your application will not meet the Early Bird application deadline.

What LSAT score or GPA do I need to be admitted?

The Admissions Committee reviews applications holistically and considers all factors of an application in rendering a decision. As such, there is no set minimum required LSAT score or undergraduate GPA. That said, comparing your credentials to those of our recent incoming classes can offer a sense of how it will be regarded comparatively. Below are the LSAT and undergraduate GPA statistics for our Fall 2024 entering first-year class:

For more detailed statistical information on our recent incoming and graduating classes, please refer to our ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosures.

Who should write my letters of recommendation?

Consider your audience and the purpose of your application when selecting sources for your letters of recommendation. Your recommenders should have significant direct experience with you and should be able to reflect positively on your academic and professional readiness for law school and a future legal career. The Admissions Committee looks to the letters of recommendation both for the insight of the authors and as a test of your judgment in choosing those authors.

For any applicant currently or recently enrolled in a full-time academic program, we strongly encourage at least one letter of recommendation to come from a faculty member who has taught the applicant in a traditional classroom setting. We understand that for some applicants who have been out of school for a substantial amount of time, it may not be feasible for them to request a letter from a former professor. For those applicants, professional letters of recommendation from direct supervisors or employers are perfectly appropriate.

You are strongly discouraged from submitting personal letters of recommendation, including those from friends, family members, religious leaders or others who cannot speak directly to your academic or professional credentials.

What should my personal statement be about?

The personal statement is an opportunity for the Admissions Committee to learn more about you as an applicant. If you have trouble developing a topic, consider the path that has led to your decision to apply. Was there a moment when the idea of law school “clicked” for you? Are there challenges that you have overcome and that have made you the person you are today? Is there an accomplishment or experience that has shaped your worldview or your career goals? These questions might not ultimately be what you choose to discuss in your personal statement, but the answers might help get your gears turning.

The personal statement should share new information about you. A personal statement that simply restates an applicant’s résumé or other submitted materials adds little to the application as a whole. That does not mean that you should avoid discussing an experience that appears on your résumé, but if you do so, you should expand on that experience in a meaningful way.

Whatever topic you choose, your personal statement should be focused, coherent and well-written. Develop a single, centralizing theme and clearly organize your writing so that the Admissions Committee can follow your narrative. Consider having others review your personal statement to offer their feedback and catch any mistakes. This part should go without saying, but your personal statement should be grammatically sound and neatly formatted, and it should adhere to the word limit (500 to 750 words) we have set.

What about the Brandeis statement?

The Brandeis statement is another opportunity to share more about yourself, but this time we've given you a very specific prompt. Your Brandeis statement must address the provided prompt. Be aware that the prompt is not exactly a "Why Brandeis Law?" prompt, and it is certainly not asking you to write a book report on Louis Brandeis!

Remember that while the personal statement and Brandeis statement should make sense together, they should not be redundant of one another. You are being asked to provide a unique second statement, not a rehashed version of the first one. As with the personal statement, your Brandeis statement should be well-written, grammatically sound and neatly formatted. The Brandeis statement is limited to 250 to 500 words, so it need not be quite as long as your personal statement.

How should I format my résumé?

Your résumé should be a clearly organized and visually appealing overview of your qualifications and experiences, especially but not exclusively your education and work history. Other appropriate information for a résumé includes extracurricular activities, awards and recognitions, military service, community involvement and other information that you believe would assist the Admissions Committee in evaluating your application. An objective statement is unnecessary and typically unhelpful.

Please note that our application asks for a résumé, not a curriculum vitae. The grand majority of applicants’ résumés can fit on a single page, especially those for current and recent undergraduates. For applicants with significant work histories, a second page may be reasonable, but résumés longer than two pages are not recommended. The pages of your résumé need not be double-spaced, so take advantage of the space and use it wisely.

What character and fitness issues do I need to disclose?

The questions in the Character and Fitness section of our application require the disclosure of certain information that may be pertinent to your character and fitness to study and practice the law. This includes but is not limited to criminal history, employment discipline and academic discipline. We strive to present the questions as clearly as possible, so please read them carefully, but in the event of any uncertainty, it may be safest to err on the side of disclosure.

The questions are intentionally broad and may require you to disclose information that would in no way call into question your character or fitness to practice law. In fact, most of what applicants disclose may have no bearing on their admissibility to law school or the bar! Still, this is no time to "play lawyer" and try to justify not disclosing something that obviously falls within the purview of our questions.

Most jurisdictions, including Kentucky, require a copy of your law school application to accompany your petition for admission to the bar. Failure to answer character and fitness questions truthfully and completely could affect your eligibility for admission to the bar and could even place your JD in jeopardy. Withholding pertinent information about a relevant incident is often far more damaging to an applicant than the incident itself.

Should I include an addendum with my application?

Including an addendum with your application is up to you, and not everyone has reason to include one. The addendum is intended to address an aspect of your application that you feel calls for further explanation in order for the Admissions Committee to properly regard it. For instance, an addendum might explain an irregular fluctuation in your GPA or a notable gap in your education or work history. Your addendum should be brief and to the point, and it should not be treated as an additional personal statement. It should serve to provide helpful context and should not be written in such a way that it comes across as making excuses for your behavior or performance.

Can I transfer credits from another school?

If you are applying to transfer from another ABA-accredited law school after successfully completing your first year of study, it is possible to receive credit for your previous JD coursework. For more information, please review our section on transfer students. No advanced credit may be awarded toward the JD for any prior coursework or experience outside of the established transfer application process.