The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law

Required, and listed on the apply page simply as 'Personal Statement;' among the items that complete a file. NO PROMPT IS PUBLISHED ANYWHERE ON THE SCHOOL'S SITE — the FAQ points at the LSAC application form itself rather than reproducing the question: 'The application clearly states that the personal statement should be no longer than two pages. We do not recommend exceeding the two page limit. If you have additional information you wish to share with the committee, you may include it in a brief addendum.' This is recorded as the site's silence, not as an absence of a prompt; the wording of the question presumably appears inside the LSAC application, which is not publicly readable. Formatting is a recommendation, not a rule: 'Our general recommendation is that your personal statement should look as neat and professional as possible. While we do not have official regulations for font or spacing, we recommend that students use at least a 10-point font and double spacing.' The FAQ's requirements list calls it a 'Two-page personal statement (double-spaced).' The FAQ's deadline answer makes the statement one of three items that must be transmitted by the preferred deadline. The apply page's 'Standards for Admission' section names a 'well-prepared and insightful personal statement' among the holistic factors the Admissions Committee weighs. SOURCE NOW UNREACHABLE: this requirement was read from the admissions FAQ at law.edu/admissions/overview/faqs.html, which returned 404 on 2026-08-31 after the site was restructured, with no replacement FAQ found at /admissions-aid/faqs, /admissions-aid/faq or /faqs. The content is left exactly as it was last verified on 2026-08-18 and its verified_at is deliberately NOT advanced to the 2026-08-31 pass, because it could not be re-checked against any live page. Treat it as last-known-good rather than current, and re-source it if Catholic republishes an FAQ.

Verified 2026-08-18 · source page

Optional and open-ended; no length limit and no list of accepted topics is published. FAQ: 'If you have additional information you wish to share with the committee, you may include it in a brief addendum.' Separately, the apply page's 'Candor in Application' section governs character-and-fitness disclosure without using the word addendum: 'Accurate answers to questions on the application are very important. Past arrests, criminal convictions and disciplinary offenses are assessed individually on factors including applicant's age at the time, time lapse since the event, seriousness of the offense, whether the record suggests an isolated event or a pattern, and surrounding circumstances. Such events are rarely the deciding factor in an application, but rather form an element for consideration in the application. Lack of candor and inaccurate disclosure on the application are serious matters which can result in suspension or expulsion if discovered after admission.' Disability disclosure is invited but never required: 'You are never required to disclose a disability of any kind. If you would like the committee to be aware of your disability, you may submit any documentation you feel comfortable providing' (FAQ); the apply page adds that the procedure 'is intended to enhance applicants' opportunities for admission and will not be used to discriminate against individuals.' The site publishes no GPA-specific or score-disparity addendum invitation. SOURCE NOW UNREACHABLE: this requirement was read from the admissions FAQ at law.edu/admissions/overview/faqs.html, which returned 404 on 2026-08-31 after the site was restructured, with no replacement FAQ found at /admissions-aid/faqs, /admissions-aid/faq or /faqs. The content is left exactly as it was last verified on 2026-08-18 and its verified_at is deliberately NOT advanced to the 2026-08-31 pass, because it could not be re-checked against any live page. Treat it as last-known-good rather than current, and re-source it if Catholic republishes an FAQ.

Verified 2026-08-18 · source page

Required per the FAQ's first-year application requirements: 'Two-page professional resume; if you have more than 20 years of professional experience you may submit a resume up to three pages.' The FAQ's deadline answer confirms it is required, not optional: 'Your application, personal statement and resume must be transmitted by that date.' Worth flagging a gap on the school's own site: the apply page's list of what completes a first-year file (application and fee, personal statement, CAS report, letters of recommendation) does NOT mention a resume, though the same page requires one of transfer applicants. The FAQ is the more specific and more recent source and is followed here. Transfer and international applicants have their own one-page resume limits in the FAQ. SOURCE NOW UNREACHABLE: this requirement was read from the admissions FAQ at law.edu/admissions/overview/faqs.html, which returned 404 on 2026-08-31 after the site was restructured, with no replacement FAQ found at /admissions-aid/faqs, /admissions-aid/faq or /faqs. The content is left exactly as it was last verified on 2026-08-18 and its verified_at is deliberately NOT advanced to the 2026-08-31 pass, because it could not be re-checked against any live page. Treat it as last-known-good rather than current, and re-source it if Catholic republishes an FAQ.

Verified 2026-08-18 · source page

'At least two but no more than three letters of recommendation. All letters must be submitted directly to LSAC.' Identical wording appears on the apply page and in the FAQ. Recommenders need not be academic: 'Academic letters of recommendation are encouraged, but not required. For applicants with extensive professional experience, it's more important that a letter of recommendation be current and speaks directly about the applicant's skills and qualifications.' (Transfer applicants take 1-2 letters, one of which must come from a current law professor; international applicants 1-2. Neither applies to first-year applicants.)

Verified 2026-08-31 · source page

'At least two but no more than three letters of recommendation. All letters must be submitted directly to LSAC.' Identical wording appears on the apply page and in the FAQ. Recommenders need not be academic: 'Academic letters of recommendation are encouraged, but not required. For applicants with extensive professional experience, it's more important that a letter of recommendation be current and speaks directly about the applicant's skills and qualifications.' (Transfer applicants take 1-2 letters, one of which must come from a current law professor; international applicants 1-2. Neither applies to first-year applicants.)

Verified 2026-08-31 · source page

Required through LSAC: 'An official report from the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report containing a transcript analysis and LSAT or GRE score.' The FAQ adds 'Up-to-date undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Must be submitted through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service.' Eligibility: 'an applicant must have received a baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by one of the regional associations.' No specific pre-legal major is required. A narrow three-year exception exists: 'The Columbus School of Law will consider a limited number of Catholic undergraduates for admission after three years of college if they meet applicable admission criteria and if the university will award the appropriate baccalaureate degree upon satisfactory completion of the first year of the day-division program or the first three semesters of the evening-division program.' International credentials: 'Transcripts from colleges and universities outside the United States or Canada must be evaluated by an organization such as World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators. We will also accept international transcripts through the Law School Admission Council's Credential Assembly Service.' English proficiency: 'applicants whose native language is not English and whose undergraduate education was not received in a school where English is the language of instruction, must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The results should be forwarded directly to the Law School'; the FAQ's international section sets the bar at 'A TOEFL score of 100 or higher.' The pages do not mention IELTS for J.D. applicants (the IELTS alternative appears only in the LL.M. requirements) — recorded as silence, not as a rejection.

Verified 2026-08-31 · source page

A test score is required, and both tests are accepted: 'To be eligible for admission, an applicant must have received an undergraduate degree from a college or university accredited by one of the regional associations and demonstrated satisfactory performance on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Records Exam (GRE)' (apply page). GRE scores need not travel through CAS: '(GRE score reports may be sent directly to us).' Multiple LSAT scores are not averaged: 'We see all previous LSAT scores on your LSDAS report, but our policy is to take the highest score, not the average, when considering you for admission' (FAQ). Note an inconsistency on the school's own site: the FAQ's numbered list of first-year application requirements mentions only 'An LSAC Credential Assembly Service report containing your LSAT score(s)' and never names the GRE, while the apply page names the GRE twice — recorded as the FAQ's silence, not as a withdrawal of the GRE option. Timing: 'You may apply at any time, but always indicate a future test date on your application. The committee will not review your application or application materials until your file has all of the above required documents' (FAQ); the June LSAT is the last administration the FAQ contemplates for the cycle. No score-validity window is published, and no minimum score is published. The pages say nothing about JD-Next. The 2025 ABA Standard 509 report shows all 182 first-year enrollees were admitted on the LSAT, so no GRE percentiles exist to compare.

Verified 2026-08-31 · source page

Recorded as not required BECAUSE THE FEE IS WAIVED FOR THIS CYCLE — the underlying published fee is $75. The apply page lists 'The application with a $75 non-refundable application fee (The application fee for the current recruitment cycle has been waived).' The FAQ is unconditional about the waiver but ties it to applying online: 'This year we will be waiving all of our application fees for applicants who apply online through the LSAC service.' The admissions overview page repeats 'the application fee for Catholic Law has been waived.' The school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report (generated 05-15-2026) certifies the application fee as $0. The waiver is described as covering 'the current recruitment cycle' / 'this year,' so it must be rechecked when the site refreshes for the next cycle. If a fee is charged it is not refundable: 'We do not provide application fee refunds. The application fee covers the time and processing expenses that go into every application file.' (Visiting students pay a separate $30 fee.)

Verified 2026-08-31 · source page

Catholic Law does not interview applicants — an explicit statement, not a silence. FAQ: 'Can I schedule an interview at Catholic Law? We do not offer interviews for applicants, but do offer the opportunity to sit down with an admissions counselor to discuss any individual questions and concerns.' The tours, class visits, and admissions-counselor meetings offered from the admissions pages are recruiting and advising opportunities, not evaluative interviews. SOURCE NOW UNREACHABLE: this requirement was read from the admissions FAQ at law.edu/admissions/overview/faqs.html, which returned 404 on 2026-08-31 after the site was restructured, with no replacement FAQ found at /admissions-aid/faqs, /admissions-aid/faq or /faqs. The content is left exactly as it was last verified on 2026-08-18 and its verified_at is deliberately NOT advanced to the 2026-08-31 pass, because it could not be re-checked against any live page. Treat it as last-known-good rather than current, and re-source it if Catholic republishes an FAQ.

Verified 2026-08-18 · source page