Visiting Student Information

Thank you for your interest in USC Law. Visitor applications may be obtained by applying online via the LSAC web site. Application materials may be submitted no earlier than May 1, 2012 and no later than the priority application deadline of June 15, 2012. Students who are enrolled in schools that are approved by the American Bar Association may apply for admission as visiting students. Visitors take their third year of courses at USC in order to transfer credit to their own law schools. The following guidelines apply:

• Applicants must be in good standing and eligible to continue at their current law school, and must have completed two full years of law study.
• Visitors are not eligible to receive the J.D. degree from the University of Southern California.
• Scholarship funds are not available to visiting students.
• Visitors are expected to coordinate all administrative details regarding bar certification with the Registrar of the visitor's degree-granting law school.

Application Procedures for Visiting Students

Visitor application files will not be complete until the following materials have been received by the Admissions Office:

• Application
  Complete the Application for Admission and be sure to check the "VISITING" box at the top of the form and submit the required application fee of $75.00 (nonrefundable).

• Personal Statement
  Include a personal statement which explains the reason why you wish to spend your final year of law study at USC Law.

• Law School Transcript
  Arrange to have your law school send an official copy of your transcript reflecting all of your law school work directly to USC Law. We can only accept official copies sent directly to us. Please do not have a copy sent to CAS.

• Certification from the Dean or Registrar of your law school
  Request a letter from the Dean or Registrar of your law school which certifies that you are in good standing and that credits earned at USC will be transferable to your law school.

• CAS Report
  You must re-subscribe to the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). For more information, contact the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) at 215-968-1001. We will request a copy of your current CAS Report directly from LSAC. If you do not re-subscribe to CAS, we will not consider your application.

• Letters of Recommendation
  Although letters of recommendation are not considered in the review process for a visitor applicant, you must select one of your letters to be included with your CAS report. It can be any letter of recommendation you have on file with LSAC, including an old letter that was submitted with your initial law school application. In order for LSAC to release your application to us, one letter must be activated. Again, we will not review the letter. If you have additional questions, contact LSAC at 215-968-1001.

The Admissions Committee meets in the summer to evaluate visitor applications. Application files that are missing any of the documents listed above will not be reviewed by the Committee. Admissions decisions are mailed in late July and early August.

Financial Aid for Visiting Students

The processing of federal financial aid for visiting students is handled through the student's home institution. USC Law has no scholarships or other financial aid available to visiting students. In order to receive federal loans, a consortium agreement will have to be completed and signed by both institutions. Please submit this document to the USC Law Office of Financial Aid for completion. It is the student's responsibility to ensure all requirements from their home institution have been met and to be knowledgeable of the costs and tuition deadlines for USC Law. For additional information, please visit the Financial Aid Office’s website or contact their office at (213) 740-6314.

Visitor transcripts and certification letters should be mailed to: