Southwestern Law School

NO PROMPT, AND SOUTHWESTERN SAYS SO OUTRIGHT: 'Southwestern does not provide a specific prompt or question for applicants to address when preparing their personal statement. An applicant's personal statement may address, but is not limited to addressing, issues such as interests, motivation toward law, personal qualities, academic experience, social background, or other topics not presented on the application form. The subject matter of the statement is up to the applicant, but applicants should keep in mind that the reviewer will be focused on determining their potential to be a successful law student and graduate of Southwestern.' LENGTH AND FORMAT: 'The personal statement should be two to three pages in length, typed, and double-spaced. When applying electronically, applicants must submit the personal statement as an electronic attachment to the application form.' page_limit records the top of the range. A GENERATIVE-AI RULE THAT COVERS EVERY WRITTEN COMPONENT, not just this one — and it draws the line at authorship rather than banning tools outright: 'The thoughts and words contained in the personal statement (and any optional essays, addenda, or required disclosure statements) must be the applicant's own, though applicants may ask for proofreading assistance or general input about refining a draft. Further, we encourage applicants to review Southwestern's Standards for Using Generative AI to Prepare Admissions Materials which can be found on our Institutional Policies page.' That linked standard was not fetched for this file. ONE PROGRAM CHANGES THE PROMPT: J.D./M.B.A. applicants are told 'The personal statement must address why the applicant seeks the concurrent degree.'

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TWO PROMPTS, EITHER OR BOTH: 'Applicants may submit optional statements addressing one or both of the following prompts.' The first is a why-school essay and the second is Southwestern's version of a perspective statement — which is why this file records no separate why_x_essay or perspective_statement row; both live inside one optional mechanism. LENGTH AND THE NO-REPEAT RULE: 'These statements should not be a reiteration of information or insights already addressed in the Personal Statement, and each should be no more than two pages in length, typed, and double-spaced.' page_limit is per statement. The no-repetition condition matters for anyone reusing material across a list — a why-school essay that restates the personal statement fails the school's own instruction.

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FOUR DISTINCT ADDENDA, one required when triggered and three optional. (1) CHARACTER AND FITNESS, required: 'Applicants who respond affirmatively to any of the questions in the Character and Fitness section of the application must provide a detailed statement as described on the application.' (2) THE LSAT ADDENDUM, optional but with a numeric threshold at which it becomes strongly advised — Southwestern states it twice, on the application-file page and again on the LSAT page: 'If you have taken the LSAT on more than one occasion, you may wish to submit an LSAT addendum to address changes in your method of LSAT preparation, conditions during your exam(s), or any other factors that may have affected your performance. While this addendum is optional, for those who have experienced a change in score of +/- 10 points, it is strongly recommended that you submit this addendum. If you have only taken the exam once but would still like to address your score, you may also submit an addendum.' (3) A GRE ADDENDUM: 'Just as with the LSAT, we will accept an addendum to address discrepancies between multiple GRE scores' — with the warning that 'we will not pause review on an otherwise complete application in order to wait for an official GRE score report or GRE addendum.' (4) A GENERAL CATEGORY, listed among optional materials: 'Addenda to address areas of the application for which the applicant believes additional context would be helpful for the admissions committee.' No length limits are published for any of them. The generative-AI rule quoted in the personal_statement entry applies to addenda expressly. A FIFTH DOCUMENT SET applies to anyone with prior law study: 'Applicants who have previously attended any law school must provide a letter of standing, official transcript, and enrollment verification form from each previously-attended law school.'

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'At least one letter of recommendation must be submitted on behalf of the applicant, but Southwestern will accept up to three letters should the applicant desire to submit additional recommendations.' WHO SHOULD WRITE, with a clear preference and an equally clear alternative: 'Southwestern prefers that letters of recommendation be from college professors who can provide a candid assessment of the applicant's potential to successfully complete a competitive professional degree program. For applicants who have been out of school for some time, letters from employers are acceptable, but should focus on addressing the applicant's strengths and abilities as they relate to potential success in a law school environment.' ROUTING IS MANDATORY: 'The CAS subscription includes a Letter of Recommendation Service. Letters of recommendation must be sent via this service.' ONE PROGRAM RAISES THE BAR: J.D./M.B.A. applicants need 'Two letters of recommendation... AND one of the letters must explicitly address the applicant's business experience and suitability for the J.D./M.B.A. program.'

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Required, and Southwestern gives more shaping guidance than most: 'Resumés give the applicant the opportunity to highlight experiences and skills that the applicant may not have had time and space to address in other application materials. Most resumés should be no longer than one or one and a half pages, unless the applicant's educational or work experience is quite extensive. In general, experiences preceding undergraduate school should not be included. CV-type resumés are discouraged.' page_limit is recorded as 2 because the stated norm is one to one and a half pages with an explicit exception for extensive experience — there is no hard cap, and a two-page resume is the practical ceiling implied by 'quite extensive'. Three instructions follow from that paragraph: keep it short, drop anything before college, and do not submit an academic CV.

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Required as part of the 'Official CAS Report containing: Complete undergraduate transcript(s) (all transcripts for all credits earned in pursuit of a Bachelor's Degree), LSAT score(s), LSAT writing sample(s), Letter(s) of Recommendation (up to three).' Graduate transcripts are optional — the CAS report carries 'a summary of all undergraduate academic work and corresponding transcripts (and any graduate work the applicant opts to provide).' Southwestern's LSAC school code is 4703. FOREIGN CREDENTIALS: 'Applicants who have earned an undergraduate degree from an academic institution outside the United States or Canada must have their transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation service.' NO TOEFL, STATED AS AN EXPLICIT EXEMPTION RATHER THAN A SILENCE — rare in this data set: 'Southwestern does not require the TOEFL exam for J.D. admission consideration.' No IELTS requirement either, and no minimum GPA is published. A file is not read until it is whole: 'An application file will not be considered complete, and cannot be reviewed, until all required materials are received.'

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THE LSAT IS MANDATORY AND THE GRE CANNOT REPLACE IT — Southwestern is one of the few schools in this data set that accepts a GRE score purely as a supplement. The GRE is listed under 'Optional Materials', and the rule is stated flatly: 'Applicants can submit official Graduate Records Exam (GRE) score(s) in addition to their LSAT score(s). Please note that the GRE score cannot be used in lieu of or in place of an LSAT score.' HOW THE GRE IS WEIGHED: 'In the review process, special weight is not given to GRE scores. Rather, they are used as additional data points in conducting a holistic review of the application. Competitive GRE scores are those that are comparable in percentile to Southwestern's median LSAT score or higher.' DI code 3933. FULL DISCLOSURE IS ENFORCED WITH AN UNUSUALLY SHARP PENALTY: 'submit via the Educational Testing Service (ETS) an official report of all valid and reportable GRE results for the last five years, including any new results received after the application is initially submitted to Southwestern. Applicants may not choose which results to share... Failure to report all GRE scores may result in the following: withdrawal of your application, the rescission of an admission offer, cancellation of your enrollment and/or Southwestern's referral of you to the Law School Admissions Council for misconduct in the application cycle.' Self-reported scores are refused outright. LSAT MECHANICS: 'The LSAC will provide scores, or cancellation and absence notations, for all LSAT administrations an applicant has registered for in the last five years. Southwestern considers the highest score an applicant receives but is also privy to other scores and notations as provided in the CAS report.' Cancellations and absences are visible, not merely scores. LSAT WRITING IS A HARD GATE: 'Applicants are required by LSAC, and by Southwestern, to complete at least one LSAT writing sample. LSAC will not release an applicant's LSAT score(s) or CAS report if the applicant does not have at least one LSAT writing sample on file... we will not be able to review applications for or admit applicants who are missing any of these components.' TIMING differs by program — see the deadline entry, and note that the published administrations are a cycle out of date. Southwestern's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report reports all 459 first-year enrollees as LSAT admissions enrollees and prints no GRE row and no JD Next row, exactly as an LSAT-required, GRE-supplemental policy predicts.

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'Southwestern's non-refundable application fee is $60. When applying online through LSAC, applicants will be guided through the payment process during the final stages of application submission. Applicants utilizing a paper application may pay the fee by check or money order payable to Southwestern Law School.' Southwestern's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report independently lists the application fee as $60. A WAIVER EXISTS AND HAS TWO ROUTES: 'The application fee will be waived for those who have received a fee waiver from either Southwestern Law School or LSAC' — so an LSAC need-based waiver carries over automatically, and Southwestern also issues its own. No criteria or request process for the school's own waiver is published. Recorded as required: true because the fee is owed by default. Paper applications are still accepted, which is unusual: 'Although online applications are preferred, applicants who wish to fill out a paper application may request a copy by contacting the Admissions Office.'

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INVITE-ONLY IN EVERY CASE, NEVER REQUESTABLE, AND REQUIRED FOR ONE PROGRAM — Southwestern gives interviews their own page, which makes this among the most fully specified interview policies in this data set. The governing rule: 'All offers to interview are initiated by Southwestern Law School. Southwestern does not grant interviews at the request of the applicant.' TWO SITUATIONS PRODUCE ONE. (1) SCALE, where it is mandatory: 'In order to be admitted to Southwestern's SCALE 2-Year Accelerated J.D. program, the applicant must complete an interview. The SCALE Office will contact applicants to initiate the interview process.' The additional-requirements page explains why: 'The interview helps the Admissions Committee identify candidates who are compatible with and likely to succeed in the program and allows applicants to learn more precisely what is expected of SCALE students.' So an applicant naming SCALE as a program preference is opting into a required interview. (2) THE WAITLIST: 'In some instances, a waitlisted applicant may have the opportunity to participate in an interview with a faculty member. Please note that there is no separate request process for this consideration. Interview offers are made based on a review of the applicant's materials and the timing of their application. If contacted for an interview, applicants must respond promptly. Failure to respond within a timely manner could adversely affect the application review process.' WHAT TO DO INSTEAD, which the school volunteers: 'Please know that most applicants do not receive an interview opportunity. In recognition of this, Southwestern will accept additional materials from applicants who wish to enhance their files with additional information not originally submitted with the application... Additional information or documentation should be clearly labeled with the applicant's full name and LSAC account number. Submissions should be emailed to admissions@swlaw.edu.' Recorded as required: false because no interview is required of applicants to the three programs other than SCALE. J.D./M.B.A. applicants face a separate Drucker School interview, also school-initiated.

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