If your law school of choice is Stanford, you’ve come to the right place.
Stanford Law is one of the most competitive law schools out there and to get accepted, you need to have a strategy in place. And today, I’ll show you the exact steps to get accepted.
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
How hard is it to get into Stanford Law School?
I’m not going to lie: It’s not easy to get into Stanford Law School.
Stanford Law School has an acceptance rate of just 6.9%.
For context, the admissions office says that the school receives more than 4,500 applications each year and admits just 180.
Why do so few people get in?
Because Stanford Law is consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in the country. In fact, the US News and World Report ranked it as the best law school in America in 2023.
So, unsurprisingly, competition is steep.
However, you can still get in. Not necessarily just based on your GPA and LSAT scores – the right application can make or break your chances of getting accepted.
For now, let’s move on to the types of programs and degrees that are available at Stanford Law School.
What programs does Stanford Law School offer?
There’s no question that Stanford’s degree programs set students up for success. Several have gone on to clerk for US Supreme Court justices, on Wall Street, at prestigious universities, and more.
Stanford Law School has five degree programs available:
- Juris Doctor (JD)
- Master of Laws (LLM)
- Stanford Program in International Legal Studies (SPILS)
- Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
- Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD)
The school also offers the following joint degrees:
- JD/Master’s
- JD/MD
- JD/PhD
Today, we’ll be discussing the JD program and how to get in. Keep reading to find out.
What qualifications do you need to get into Stanford Law School?
With such a low acceptance rate, you might be wondering about the kind of qualifications the admissions office is looking for.
Let’s talk about what it takes to get the attention of Stanford Law’s admissions team.
Who gets into Stanford Law School?
In 2022, there were 178 first-year law students attending Stanford Law. Of those:
- 46% were people of color
- 48% were White
- 14% were Hispanic
- 13% were Asian
- 7% were Black or African American
- 54% were women
- 46% were men
What GPA do you need for Stanford Law School?
The most recent GPA scores for Stanford Law are:
- 75th percentile: 3.99
- 50th percentile: 3.92
- 25th percentile: 3.84
In other words, the median GPA among first-year students at Stanford Law is 3.92.
A 3.99 GPA is considered to be high, while a 3.84 is considered to be low.
What LSAT score do you need for Stanford Law School?
The most recent LSAT scores for Stanford Law are:
- 75th percentile: 176
- 50th percentile: 173
- 25th percentile: 170
The highest LSAT score among first-year students at Stanford is 176, while the median Stanford student scored a 173.
Your LSAT scores don’t have to be as high as these to get into Stanford Law. While yes, they can’t be much lower, you don’t necessarily need to have a 170 LSAT score to get in.
Keep reading to find out how to get into Stanford even with a lower GPA or LSAT score.
How do you get into Stanford Law with a lower GPA or LSAT scores?
Believe it or not, you can get in with lower scores – you just have to be strategic in your application.
Don’t believe me? Let’s take a closer look at the scores we just talked about.
At Stanford, the lowest accepted GPA was 3.84. That’s almost an entire point below the average of 3.92.
The lowest accepted LSAT score was 170, which is three total points below the average score of 173.
I know these point differences don’t seem like much.
But they really go to show that as long as your scores are at least within reach of the median, you can still be accepted into Stanford Law.
How?
By finding a way to prove that you’re a well-rounded student, a good fit for the program, and have what it takes to make it to graduation.
The school itself even says that there are two main things they look at when making their admissions decisions.
The first is a student’s “intellectual ability and aptitude.” The second is the diversity of the class as a whole.
That’s the same reason why several of my clients have had low scores but still gone on to get into their first choice of law schools.
For instance, I had a client who was accepted to Berkeley Law with an LSAT score that was 6 points lower than the median of 169.
And another, who I’ll call D.C., was accepted into Georgetown with a 3.6 GPA – far lower than the 3.85 median.
So, instead of relying solely on your GPA or LSAT score, try to focus instead on creating the most impactful application you can.
I’ll tell you how to do that in later sections, so keep reading!
But first, we’ll talk about how to submit your application to Stanford.
How do you apply to Stanford Law?
Along with the application itself, you will also need to submit the following for consideration at Stanford Law School:
- Resume (one to two pages)
- Personal statement (two pages)
- Essay (one to two pages, optional)
- Up to two personal short essays (optional, prompts provided)
- Letters of recommendation (at least two, no more than four)
- Standardized test scores (LSAT or GRE)
- Right of access to recommendations
- Credential assembly service report
- $85 admission fee
Applications to Stanford Law become available on September 15 and are due by February 15. Your application will only be considered complete when you’ve submitted all necessary documents.
Stanford Law’s admission process is done on a rolling basis. In other words, your application will be reviewed and decided upon in the order it’s received.
A few applications get held until all applications are submitted. They get reviewed again in April to fill the remaining class spots.
You should hear back from the Office of Admissions by the end of April.
For more information on the application process, including the deadlines, requirements, materials, and deposit, check out the JD Application Process page.
Unlike some other law schools, Stanford’s Admissions Committee doesn’t conduct interviews with applicants. If you have the chance, you’re encouraged to visit campus and get to know the faculty and staff.
But if you can’t do that and don’t get to have an interview, it’s more important than ever to make sure that your application materials will help you stand out.
We’ll talk about how to make them powerful in the next section.
Write a personal statement
Writing a powerful personal statement is one of the most important components of your law school application.
What exactly makes for a powerful personal statement?
Most importantly, find out what the school is looking for in your personal statement.
Stanford Law is looking for personal statements that speak to the “aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character [that] would help you make a distinctive contribution to Stanford Law School.”
There are a few key things to remember when writing your personal statement.
Most importantly, don’t write a personal statement in the same way that you would write a cover letter.
After all, your resume is submitted with the rest of your application materials. That’s where you’ll have the chance to speak to and illustrate your background.
Instead, you should write your personal statement about a single topic. The topic should be informative, support your application, and not require too much information or explanation.
When choosing your topic, choose one that allows you to speak to a few different experiences that not only changed you but set you on the path to becoming a lawyer.
I let you in on the secret to writing a great personal statement in this free guide:
Stanford Law also requires you to submit at least two letters of recommendation.
We’ll touch on that process in the next section.
Get letters of recommendation
Along with the rest of your materials, Stanford Law requires that you submit at least two letters of recommendation with your application.
Your letters of recommendation are your chance to do two things.
The first is to show that you have what it takes to be successful as a student at Stanford Law School.
The admissions team wants to know that you’re skilled at critical thinking, have the ability to write well, and can thrive under the pressures that come with a law school curriculum.
The other thing your letters of recommendation should do is give the admissions team a clear picture of who you are and why you’ve chosen to go to law school.
It’s important to note that the Stanford Law admissions team says that the letters should be written by your previous educational instructors.
Of course, some law school applicants have been out of school for a few years.
If that’s the case, or if you’re just having trouble securing a recommendation from a former teacher, don’t worry! A letter from your employer or even a coworker is fine.
While you’re required to submit two letters of recommendation, Stanford does allow for you to submit up to four.
I always suggest that you try your hardest to secure letters from three recommenders. Doing so will give Stanford a chance to get a well-rounded idea of who you are.
Remember, focus on recommendations from those who can provide depth over notoriety. It’s not about who you know; it’s about who you are.
A lot of my clients have been apprehensive about this part of the application process. To learn more about asking for letters of recommendation, take a look at my guide to the process.
You’ll also need to include a law school resume. You’ll learn how to write one in the next section, so keep reading!
Write a law school resume
Remember that your law school resume isn’t the same as a standard resume, and so it should be written differently.
Your main headers will include the following:
- Education
- Professional Experience and/or Employment
- Accomplishments
- Activities
- Community Engagement
- Skills/Interests
Once you’ve filled out those sections, you’ll then move on to highlighting the qualifications and experiences that make you a viable candidate.
Think about things such as your:
- Analytical and writing abilities
- Leadership
- Community engagement
- Work ethic
- Experience self-financing your education
I’ll show you how to write the perfect law school resume, step-by-step, in this guide.
Next steps
There you have it: everything you need to know about how to get into Stanford Law School.
Even though it’s one of the most competitive law schools in the country, you could be one of the 6.9% who get accepted. You need the right kind of application, though, – and that’s where I come in.
I’ve been teaching clients everything they need to know about getting into the law schools of their choice, and I can help you, too.
Apply to work with me for admissions consulting here.
Read more:
What Law School Can You Get Into?
How to Get Into Columbia Law School
