Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Item 7 of the twelve-item list under 'Your file is complete when you have submitted'. The prompt itself sets the two-page length; no font, spacing, or margin formatting is published. Loyola does not run a separate 'why Loyola' essay — the closest thing is the clause inside this prompt asking how you believe the program will help you meet your goals. The pages say nothing about generative AI.

Verified 2026-08-18 · source page

Loyola labels this item 'Optional Essay' (item 8 of the file-completion list), not a perspective or diversity statement; it is typed perspective_statement here because its subject — 'background, perspectives and experiences' — is the post-2023 perspective statement described in docs/DATA.md, and it is the school's only optional statement. No word or page limit is published for it, and no formatting guidance is given. Related context from the same page's Admissions Policy section: 'Loyola Law conducts a holistic review of each applicant... Applicants are also welcomed to share their stories of diversity and overcoming challenges that have shaped their lives and their desire to enroll in law school,' with other factors listed including work experience and career achievement, community or public service, career goals, ability to contribute to law school programs and specializations, evidence of and potential for leadership, language ability, unusual life experiences, and socioeconomic or first-generation background.

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Two distinct invitations. (1) General addendum, optional and capped at one page: 'If you believe any item in your application requires clarification and/or you would like to provide additional context to the admissions committee, you are welcome to submit a brief addendum (no more than one page). Please be sure to label each addendum with your name, LSAC account number and document type (i.e. GPA addendum).' The FAQs (luc.edu/law/admission/apply/jurisdoctorjd/faqs/) add the examples: 'Examples of addenda include GPA, LSAT or hardship statements. Please upload addenda in the designated spot on our application form.' (2) Character and fitness explanation, required when triggered and not covered by the one-page cap: 'You must complete all questions in the character and fitness section of the application. If you answer affirmatively to any questions, you must provide a detailed explanation or your application will be considered incomplete.' The application's own instruction: 'If you answered "yes" to more than one question, please include all explanations in one document, identifying each. You must include in the explanation(s) the date, year, location, circumstances of the violation and the fine and/or sanctions or remedial measures imposed... Do not provide official documentation in lieu of a written explanation of circumstances.' The four C&F questions cover college discipline (including alcohol or substance-abuse misconduct), professional or business-conduct discipline, criminal convictions or accepted responsibility for a citation other than a minor traffic violation with a fine of $200 or less (arrests without charge, and dismissed, expunged, or sealed matters, need not be disclosed; pending matters must be), and driver's license suspension. A continuing duty to disclose applies after submission and throughout enrollment.

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Only one letter is required — unusually low. 'We require one letter of recommendation, which you can submit through LSAC. Your recommender should address your ability to successfully complete law studies.' Letters travel in the CAS report. No maximum number of letters is published anywhere on the JD admission pages, so no count_accepted is recorded — that is the pages' silence, not a limit of one.

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'A current resume or curriculum vitae can be uploaded through the online application.' Recorded as required because it is item 6 of the list introduced by 'Your file is complete when you have submitted' and is not flagged optional, unlike item 8 (the Optional Essay) — but note the permissive wording ('can be uploaded'), which the school never restates as a requirement. No page limit or formatting guidance is published.

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'All applicants are required to register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) through the LSAC website. The CAS report will include your LSAT score(s), LSAT Writing, letter(s) of recommendation, and official transcripts. We are unable to waive CAS report fees.' Separately: 'You must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended through LSAC's CAS.' Per the FAQs (luc.edu/law/admission/apply/jurisdoctorjd/faqs/), the baseline eligibility is 'A bachelor's degree from an accredited undergraduate institution or its foreign equivalent and an LSAT score'. Foreign coursework: 'If you completed any postsecondary work outside of the United States or Canada (except for study abroad coursework), regardless of the language of the instruction or transcript, you must submit your transcripts through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service Authentication and Evaluation.' English proficiency: 'An official TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. The minimum acceptable total score on the Internet-Based Test (IBT) of the TOEFL exam is 100. The minimum acceptable total score on the IELTS exam is 7.0. This requirement is waived for those who have completed a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree program or for those who are citizens of or have completed a bachelor's degree at a recognized institution at which the language of instruction is English in these countries: Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.' On pandemic-era grades, the FAQs say pass/fail marks from spring 2020 are weighed case by case in the context of the entire academic career. Effective academic year 2023-2024, the law school grants no transfer credit for hours earned in an LLM or other non-JD program, and LLM/non-JD students applying to the JD must take the LSAT and apply through the regular JD process.

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LSAT ONLY, stated explicitly rather than by omission: the JD FAQs read 'A bachelor's degree from an accredited undergraduate institution or its foreign equivalent and an LSAT score are the basic requirements to apply for law school. Loyola is unable to accept the GRE in lieu of an LSAT score.' The apply page: 'All applicants must take the LSAT, which is administered by LSAC several times a year. We will consider your highest score from the past 5 years.' Multiple scores: 'The admission committee will see all your LSAT scores in the CAS report provided by LSAC. We generally take into account the highest LSAT score for both admission and scholarship consideration.' LSAT-Flex scores 'will be considered in the same way as traditional LSAT scores.' LSAT Writing arrives as part of the CAS report. Applicants may submit before testing: 'Yes, you can submit your application before you take the LSAT. Your application will be held from entering the review process until your LSAT score is received. Please note, if you have an LSAT score on file and are registered for a future LSAT date, your application will also be held. To remove the hold and have your application reviewed without your future LSAT score, please send an email to law-admissions@luc.edu.' Neither the apply page nor the FAQs mentions JD-Next, and the school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report reports no JD-Next or GRE enrollees (all 296 first-year enrollees are LSAT admissions enrollees). No minimum LSAT score is published. The FAQs' last-acceptable-administration answer is stale as of 2026-08-18 — it still names the April 2026 exam for the 2025-2026 cycle.

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There is no application fee. The apply page states, under the application form step: 'Our online application form is available through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). There is no application fee to apply.' Loyola's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report independently lists 'Application fee 0'. Nothing to pay and no waiver process to pursue. LSAC's own CAS report fees are a separate charge Loyola will not waive: 'We are unable to waive CAS report fees.'

Verified 2026-08-18 · source page