Our Fall Priority Deadline is February 10th, followed by our regular deadline March 24th and our final deadline is May 9th. For our Spring start, our priority deadline is September 24th, and our final deadline December 1st. In order to be considered for our priority deadline (which includes a fee waiver) you will need to submit your application, resume, and personal statement. Your test score and CAS report can be provided following a deadline.
In order to apply to our program you need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and a current LSAT or GRE score, an STCLH application, a personal statement, letters of recommendation, and a resume. All applicants must also register with CAS.
While we require an accredited bachelor’s degree it does not need to be in a specific area or focus.
Yes, our spring class starts in early January. See the above question for deadline information.
We recommend taking the LSAT or GRE when you feel most prepared however by taking it on the earlier side of the application cycle it will allow you extra time should you want/need to retake the exam. Results are sent timely after your exam is taken.
Yes, as long as your application is submitted by the application deadline your application will be considered. Once we receive your score and your file is complete, we will place your application in review.
LSAT/GRE scores are valid for five years. Your most recent score must still be valid at the start of the semester for which you are applying.
We will consider your highest LSAT score as we review your application. However, all LSAT scores will be reported to us by CAS. We will consider all reportable GRE scores and will evaluate each section of the GRE independently. We are required to report to the ABA the highest score achieved.
Yes. All applicants are required to register with the CAS; foreign educated applicants will submit their foreign transcripts to the LSAC JD Credential Evaluation Service for evaluation. For information on CAS go to https://www.lsac.org.
If you would like to take advantage of the application fee waiver you should apply for February 10th (for Fall) and September 24th (for Spring). We have a rolling admissions process and we review applications as they are completed.
We admit students who are below the median and review all applications on a holistic basis. However if your scores or grades are on the lower side your personal statement, letters of recommendation, and resume will be very important.
We do not have a minimum LSAT/GRE score and all test scores will be considered. However, files are reviewed holistically.
We do not have a minimum GPA and like the LSAT/GRE, all files are reviewed holistically.
We will look at them however they are not weighed as heavily as undergraduate grades. Not all applicants earn graduate degrees, so it is better for us to use the undergraduate GPA. Also, we have no context for considering and comparing graduate grades.
Our admissions committee takes the personal statement very seriously. Since we do not offer Admissions interviews you should approach it as an opportunity to interview with the committee. You may write about your skills, strengths, advanced degrees, work experiences, personal struggles you have overcome, and professionally related extracurricular activities. Make sure that you do not restate your resume. In a separate statement of no more than 1 page, you may want to explain any mitigating circumstances in your record. Also, remember to proofread your information very carefully!
It should be 2-3 pages double-spaced.
No, we do not.
No. The Admissions Committee wants to have all kinds of people as part of its law school. As a non-traditional student, you can use your experience as a benefit in your application.
Financial Aid & Scholarship Questions
Once admitted, applicants are considered for scholarships and are awarded them automatically based on their undergraduate GPA and the LSAT or GRE score. There is no separate application. If an admitted student is not awarded a scholarship their first year, they may be eligible for academic scholarships based on their law school GPA for their 2nd and 3rd year.
You can complete the FAFSA after January 1st. That gets the process started. STCLH will not make a decision on your financial aid until you have been admitted into the JD program. We will automatically mail you any additional information that you need to apply. You can complete the FAFSA online at https://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. You should not wait until you have been admitted to complete the FAFSA.
Letters of Recommendation Questions
Yes, at least two letters of recommendation are required, and you may submit up to three. It is more important what your recommenders say versus who they are. However academic or professional recommendations are preferred.
Letters of Recommendation may be addressed to the members of the Admissions Committee and must be submitted using the CAS letter of recommendation service. Go to https://www.lsac.org for more information.
No. We require that you use the CAS recommendation service. If you are unable to submit them during CAS please contact admissions@stcl.edu.
Notification of Status Questions
No. We do not review files until a CAS report has been received.
Decisions are made on a rolling basis, and all decisions will be sent out via email. You will also receive an email once you apply with access to our online portal where you can check the status of your application.
The Admissions Committee will begin to review applicants on the waitlist throughout the admissions process. Please be advised that this review often continues throughout the summer and fall and we may not have a final decision until weeks before the term begins. Candidates on the waitlist will receive a second full-file review by the Committee, so candidates are encouraged to submit additional new information, such as updated resumes and statements of interest. No set number of seats in the entering class are reserved for candidates on the waitlist, and decisions to admit candidates from the waitlist are made on a space available basis.
Yes, while we would like to be notified as soon as possible we understand that circumstances change. The registrar will work with you to update your schedule and academic plan.
We do not offer deferments. If an applicant is interested in being considered for the following application year they will need to submit a new application, resume, and personal statement.
Foreign Student Questions
If you are not licensed in your country, you must definitely get a J.D; however, after your first year of law school, you may be able to receive 30 hours of credit for your prior law school work.
If you have practiced in your country for 5 years of the last preceding 7 years; from a common law country; or have an LL.M., then you may be able to take the bar. Contact the Board of Law Examiners to confirm the rules (512) 463-1621 or https://www.ble.state.tx.us/
Transfer and Visiting Student Questions
To be admitted with advanced standing, a transfer applicant must have earned credit for at least 24 semester hours at an ABA-accredited law school. The college will not award credit for more than 30 semester hours earned at another law school. Transfer applicants are required to submit the following:
A completed application for admission
The $55 non-refundable application fee
An official letter of good standing from the law school from which the applicant is attempting to transfer
Personal statement
Resume
An official transcript reflecting all law grades earned
If you are waiting for your final grades, we ask that you send your application, supporting documentation, and the official transcript before the deadline of June 15 for fall transfer applicants and November 15 for spring transfer applicants or as soon as documents are available. Decisions on transfer files cannot be made, however, until all the above items are received.
A student from another ABA-accredited law school may apply to South Texas College of Law Houston as a visiting student, subject to availability of space. Visiting students must submit the following:
An application for admission
The $55 non-refundable application fee
A letter of good standing from their law school indicating that transfer credit will be accepted towards the student’s degree program.
Visiting students will be required to pay registration fees and tuition in full at the time of registration. Visiting students are prohibited from applying as a transfer student once they have visited at South Texas College of Law Houston.
Only current STCL Houston students and in some cases, STCLH alumni, can audit classes.
Joint Degree Programs Questions
We offer a joint JD/MBA program with Texas A&M University and the University of St. Thomas. https://www.stcl.edu/admissions-aid/admissions/info-for/jd-mba-applicants/
For all of the joint degree program, you need to apply to both our program and theirs and be accepted by both. Admitted students will apply for the MBA program after their first year of Law School.