We will begin accepting applications on September 1st of each year. You must apply online via the LSAC website.

The deadline to apply for the incoming 1L class is February 1st of each year.

USC Gould School of Law offers several application fee waivers to assist students who are interested in applying to the JD program. We offer merit-based fee waivers, hardship/need-based fee waivers and Teach for America fee waivers. Additionally, if you have received an LSAC fee waiver, USC Law will automatically waive your application fee - you do not need to take any additional action.

Please read the instructions below and submit the necessary documentation for the fee waiver you seek. Please note: the fee waiver process beings anew each application cycle and the information below is in effect at the beginning of each cycle and a fee waiver is only valid for that particular cycle.

Candidate Referral Service (CRS) Merit Fee Waiver

USC Law offers merit-based fee waivers by invitation only to applicants whose profiles typically meet or exceed both the median LSAT score (167) and the median GPA (3.69) for our entering class. Candidates who wish to be considered for a CRS Merit Fee Waiver must register for LSAC's Candidate Referral Service (CRS) before applying to our law school. Invitations will be emailed/mailed to those candidates who meet our profile criteria and are registered for CRS. All CRS Merit Fee Waivers will reflect automatically on the electronic USC JD application at the payment window as the fee is connected to your LSAC account number. No fee waiver code is required if a CRS Merit fee waiver is awarded.

USC Trojan Fee Waiver

As part of the Trojan family, any current student or graduate of the University of Southern California qualifies for a USC Law application fee waiver. In order to receive the fee waiver, you must opt-in to the LSAC Candidate Referral Service (CRS). Throughout the application cycle (September - January), we will send out periodic emails confirming the award of a USC Law Trojan fee waiver to those candidates who are currently registered with LSAC and have signed up for the CRS. All USC fee waivers granted through the CRS program will reflect automatically on the candidate’s electronic USC JD application at the final payment window as the waiver is linked to the candidate’s LSAC account. No fee waiver code is required if a USC fee waiver is awarded. USC fee waiver questions may be submitted to feewaiver@law.usc.edu.

Hardship/Need-Based Fee Waivers

USC Law offers hardship/need-based fee waivers. We review requests for hardship/need based fee waivers on a weekly basis. There are several options under which someone can qualify for a hardship/need-based fee waiver.  Candidates who wish to be considered for a fee waiver will need to do the following:

a) Hardship/Need-based: Candidates who wish to be considered for an economic hardship fee waiver will need to do the following:

• Complete the electronic 2011-2012 Fee Waiver Form.
• If you are currently in school and are a financial aid recipient, submit a PDF copy of your financial aid award letter from your undergraduate/graduate institution.
• If you are experiencing other economic hardship, then submit a copy of your (or parent's income tax return if they claim you as a dependent) most recent Federal Income Tax return (this can be EITHER a completed 2010 return or an estimated 2011 return).
• Please send an email with all your documents attached as a PDF to feewaiver@law.usc.edu.
  
  
  

b) Teach for America: Candidates who are currently participating in a Teach For America program will need to do the following:

• Complete the electronic 2011-2012 Fee Waiver Form.
• Provide an official letter of employment from your Teach for America program coordinator.
• Please send an email with all your documents attached as a PDF to feewaiver@law.usc.edu.
  
  

Once we have received and reviewed your completed documents we will email a response to you (typically on Friday after receiving your documents). If you are approved, the fee waiver will reflect automatically on the USC JD application at the payment window as the fee is connected to your LSAC account number.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have submitted a fee waiver request, do not submit the online application fee payment ($75) before hearing from us. We will not be able to offer you a refund if you are later approved for a fee waiver.

USC Law admits a law class once a year for the fall semester only.

USC Law is accredited by the ABA as a full-time law school only. We do not have accreditation to offer a degree earned on a part-time basis. The law program at USC is a three year program, offered exclusively at the Gould School of Law on the University Park campus. We do not offer online programs.

USC Law does not offer an early decision program.

The required components of our application are:

• Application
• $75 non-refundable application fee
• Personal statement
• Minimum two letters of recommendation (we will accept up to 2 additional letters)
• CAS Report (formerly LSDAS Report)
• LSAT score
• College transcripts (submitted directly to LSAC)

You may also submit a resume, diversity statement or socio-economic statement for your file. These supplemental materials must be submitted as electronic attachments to your application.

USC Law does NOT require a Dean's letter except where noted in response to the conduct section.

USC Law operates on a rolling admissions basis, with decisions going out on an on-going basis, typically from December until mid-May. All decisions are sent via regular mail only. We do not disclose admission decisions over the phone or via email. Candidates can check the status of their application by clicking here.

The admissions process at USC Law is highly competitive as each year we receive more applications than we have space for. Our Admissions Committee employs a comprehensive review process, including evaluation of your undergraduate GPA, LSAT score, personal statement, letters of recommendation and other supplemental materials. Please keep in mind that we do not use minimum or "cut-off" scores. For your reference, the median GPA for the fall 2011 entering class was 3.69, and the median LSAT score was a 167.  The 2011 Class Profile will be available shortly for more specific information on the composition of the most recent entering class.

USC Law does not require the TOEFL exam when applying to the JD Program.

The Law School does not require applicants to take any specific undergraduate major or college course work, but looks favorably on students who have selected intellectually challenging courses of study. Whatever the discipline, the student should concentrate on developing strong written and analytic skills. Courses that require active participation in classroom dialogue and intense research projects will also be helpful in the study of law. The top majors for members of the entering class of 2011 are: Political Science, History, Economics, Philosophy, Psychology, English, Business, Communications, and International Relations.

We do not make recommendations to prospective students with respect to the undergraduate institution they attend. The decision to attend a particular college or university is a personal one, and each student's decision will vary depending upon his or her desired major, location, and/or career specialization.

The LSAT is offered four times a year for each admission cycle. USC Law will accept all four administrations of the test. However, because we admit on a "rolling" basis, applications which are not complete by our February deadline are at a tremendous disadvantage. February test scores are usually available in March; by this time there are fewer spaces available in the entering class (this means the process is particularly more competitive for these applicants).

We understand that applicants may have limitations in their schedule that necessitates taking the LSAT exam after December. As such, you may still submit your application (by the February 1st deadline) and we will hold your file until it is complete (which includes your February LSAT score). Although you may still apply, we want you to be aware of the general nature of the pool at this late point in the process.

We report the highest LSAT score to the American Bar Association and other organizations. However, all scores (not averaged) will be considered in the admissions review process.

If there is a significant discrepancy in your scores (five or more points), we encourage you to submit an addendum in order to put the variance into context for our Admissions Committee.

LSAC will compute your undergraduate GPA as part of your LSDAS report. We will also take note of the university calculated GPA reported on your transcripts. We will not include your GPA from graduate level work as part of your GPA. We encourage you to submit your graduate transcript to LSAC for inclusion in your LSDAS report. The Admissions Committee will consider the graduate level coursework in the review process, even though the GPA will not be a part of the overall cumulative GPA.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are unfortunately unable to grant interviews. Instead, we encourage you to use your personal statement as a vehicle for relaying information about yourself which is unique. We understand there are often personal and sometimes extraordinary circumstances associated with particular applicants. Therefore, we strongly suggest you pay particular attention when crafting your writing, so that it may appropriately serve as your voice when the Admissions Committee reviews your file.

USC Law highly encourages visits to our campus. Sitting in on a class, touring our facilities, speaking with current students and staff are invaluable ways to better familiarize yourself with USC Law.

Tours are offered year round. Each tour is guided by one of our Student Ambassadors or an admissions staff member. Each tour will run approximately 45 minutes, depending upon the number of questions guests may have. To view the current schedule of tours, please visit our law school tour website.

Class visits are available to prospective applicants. A listing of classes and our on-line reservation form may be found on our website at http://law.usc.edu/admissions/visit.cfm. Class visits are by appointment only as space is limited.

During the fall semester information sessions are also available. Our team of administrators will provide information from various departments: Admissions, Career Services, Student Services and Financial Aid. For a complete list of dates available, please visit our info session website

USC Law believes that one of the best resources for you is our current law student. We have five student admissions ambassadors (2nd and 3rd years), who are available to speak with prospective students. You may contact them via email, by phone or during their on-line chat hours. Click here for information about our student ambassadors, including a brief bio of each.

USC Law offers graduate housing on a limited basis to incoming law students. Our Terrace Law Housing program provides space for 46 incoming JD law students each year. Students are assigned to a two bedroom apartment, with each student having his/her own bedroom. As we admit 200 students on average per class, about a quarter of candidates are selected for housing at Terrace. Only admitted students are eligible to apply for the housing program

For students not selected for housing in Terrace, we provide an opt-in roommate matching service and we provide information on local housing options.

Tuition for USC Law's 2011-2012 academic year is $48,832. After tuition, fees, books, room/board, transportation and other factors are combined, we estimate students should budget $72,314 for the full academic year. More information on costs can be found on the financial aid web pages.

As a private institution, USC Law charges a flat tuition rate, with no distinction between in-state and out-of-state residency. Tuition and fees are set annually and are subject to change.

USC Law provides a vigorous scholarship and financial aid program, with 80% of our student body receiving some kind of financial aid. Scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year ranged from $5,000 to full tuition. Additionally, once a scholarship is awarded, it is guaranteed for all three years of attendance. USC Law also participates in several federal low-interest loan programs for students. Some of these loans are need-based, while others are not. Visit our financial aid website for more information on your options can be found here.

Yes. We recommend that you submit a current admissions application and make sure your CAS subscription is current. We also recommend you evaluate your personal statement and other supplemental information and revise or update these materials as necessary. We recommend at least one new letter of recommendation. The LSAT should have been taken within five years of the date you plan to matriculate at USC Law (e.g. applicants to the incoming 2011 class should have taken the LSAT no earlier than Feb 2006).

USC Law maintains application files from previous years. The Admissions Committee will have access to your previous file and will refer to it in the review process. Therefore, you should not simply send in a new application form, without updating any other part of your file.