Congratulations on deciding to pursue a J.D. at Santa Clara Law! Our Admissions and Financial Aid team is looking forward to guiding you through your law enrollment journey. A degree from Santa Clara Law will set a strong foundation for your future and give you the power to make a tremendous impact on the world. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about law school, the application process, and what makes Santa Clara special.
Applications for Fall 2026 are now Open!
What do I need to apply?
All prospective students must submit their application through Santa Clara Law’s designated application page through their LSAC account.
- 1-3 page (12 point font, double-spaced) personal statement.
- Resume
- A valid LSAT or GRE score, dated no more than 5 years from the date of your application submission.
- Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report
- This is where you must submit all undergraduate and graduate level transcripts. You can learn more about this process at the official CAS site.
- Optional Letters of Recommendation
- Santa Clara Law will accept up to 3
Dates and Deadlines for Fall 2026 Applications
We review applications and award scholarships on a rolling basis. Applications are recognized as "complete" and sent to our review committee once all required material is received, and there are no standardized test scores outstanding. To support the timely review of your application and to ensure the maximum consideration for scholarships, we recommend applying as early as possible. Important dates are included below:
- Applications for Fall 2026 will open in September
- Early Review Deadline: November 30
- Completed applications submitted and received by November 30th will receive an admissions decision on or before January 15th.
- Priority Deadline: February 15
- Completed applications submitted and received by February 15th will receive full consideration for admission and merit-based scholarship awards.
- To maximize your chances of being considered for admission to our Cohort Certificate Programs (the Public Interest J.D. program and the Tech Edge J.D. program), submit a completed application by February 15th.
- Final LSAT score accepted: April 2026
- We may consider June 2026 scores on a case-by-case basis. Contact the LawAdmissions@scu.edu to inquire.
Alert icon Santa Clara Law PLEDGE Scholarship Santa Clara Law will be offering the PLEDGE Scholarship, a renewable, guaranteed $16,000 tuition scholarship to every full-time student and $12,500 to those in the Flex J.D. program for students admitted and deposited by April 15th! For more information on the PLEDGE Scholarship, please check out our Press Release and our Scholarship FAQs.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are obligated by our accreditor (the American Bar Association - "ABA") to require an entrance exam and we are not allowed to waive this requirement. At Santa Clara Law we accept the LSAT or the GRE. We can accept prior scores issued within five years of the date of your application.
During our holistic application review process and during evaluation for merit-based scholarship opportunities, our reviewers will utilize the ETS GRE Comparison Tool for Law Schools to assign GRE applicants an estimated LSAT score that will be used in admissions decisions and awarding scholarships.
All students admitted to the School of Law for Fall 2026, who pay their deposit by the standard April 15 deadline will be offered the PLEDGE Scholarship.
In addition to the PLEDGE scholarship, during application review, all students are automatically considered for admissions scholarships. Our scholarships are merit-based awards and calculated based on your highest LSAT / GRE score and your undergraduate GPA. We do not take immigration status or country of nationality into consideration when awarding scholarships. Because we do not use any subjective criteria when awarding scholarships, all amounts, terms, and conditions of scholarships are our best offer. We do not negotiate the amounts, conditions, and terms of our admissions scholarships, so you can be confident you are receiving the fairest and best offer.
As we offer admissions and scholarships on a rolling basis, the matrix we use to calculate scholarship amounts and determine which band of LSAT and GPA is offered scholarships could be adjusted throughout the application cycle. As we get later into the cycle the scholarship amounts and the ranges of LSAT and GPA that are automatically offered scholarships could shift. If you would like to improve your chances of admission and of obtaining an admissions scholarship, make sure you are confident your highest LSAT score is a true reflection of your abilities and apply as early as you are able.
Unfortunately, Santa Clara Law does not accept applications (as incoming 1Ls or as transfers) from students who have been previously academically disqualified at another law school.
Have more questions?
We are happy to answer any questions you have about the application process. You can reach our team by emailing LawAdmissions@scu.edu, calling (408) 554-5048, or by scheduling an advising appointment or law school tour.