Admissions Guide

Step-by-Step Process

The Colleges of Law offer rolling admissions and are now accepting applications for Fall of 2012.  Early applications are strongly encouraged to determine eligibility to attend Introduction to Law sessions and other priority events beginning in the Spring.  Please contact campus admissions for individual guidance regarding the application process and how to get started early.

The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law Admissions Office - 805.765.9304

Upon receipt of an application form and required fee, we open an application file for each prospective student. As applicable, each applicant must submit certain additional items, as explained below. Shortly after the prospective student's file is complete, the Admissions Committee reviews the file and notice of its decision is mailed, generally within two weeks.

Click here for a pdf file of our Admissions Guide, which covers many aspects of our program.

Application and $50 Fee

Complete a web-based application or you may also download an application form. Please print the form and, after answering all questions fully and truthfully, mail the form with a check or money order for the nonrefundable $50 application fee.   

Personal Statement

Each applicant is asked to submit a three-page, typed, double-spaced personal statement detailing the applicant's academic background, reasons for wanting to attend law school, and experiences (work and life) relevant to the study and practice of law. This statement is used in evaluating the applicant's writing skills, motivation, and suitability for the study of law.

Letter(s) of Recommendation

We require at least one letter of recommendation from a person qualified to comment upon traits that make the applicant a good candidate for law school. (A "special student" applicant must submit two letters.) The letter should specifically address the applicant's suitability for law study. We suggest that you seek a letter from a supervisor (job or volunteer), a former instructor, an attorney or other legal professional, or another unrelated person who knows you well.

Certified (Official) Transcripts

These are needed to establish that an applicant has met "pre-legal" education prerequisites to law studies, as required by State Bar regulation. If you have completed the prerequisites, but need more time to obtain certified transcripts, contact the Admissions Office. Unofficial transcripts can be used to make a preliminary evaluation of your qualifications, but your application is not complete, and you cannot be admitted, until the Colleges receive certified transcripts in a sealed envelope from the school(s) where coursework was attempted. We require official transcripts or evaluations as follows:

• An applicant with a bachelor's degree: a certified transcript from the school awarding the degree and for any graduate studies.
• An applicant without a bachelor's degree: A certified transcript from each college or university attended.
• An applicant educated outside the United States:  An evaluation from a Credential Evaluation Service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. This must be a detailed report, combining general and course reports by providing a categorized listing of courses with individual grade equivalents and overall grade point average.

Test Scores: Some applicants are required to submit scores from standardized tests during the admission process, to assist us in evaluating their suitability for the study of law. If you have taken a test but need additional time to obtain your score, contact the Admissions Office.

• LSAT (Law School Admission Test): Designed to measure aptitude for law study, this multiple-choice reasoning test is given by a national testing service four times per year. In most cases, where potential for success at the College is indicated by an applicant's undergraduate record, work and life experiences, an LSAT score is not currently required for admission. In other instances, an applicant must submit an LSAT score before the Admissions Committee will give further consideration to an application. All applicants may wish to take this test because there is a correlation between LSAT scores and law school grades. We recommend, however, that the LSAT test should only be taken with adequate planning and preparation.

• CLEP Tests (College Level Examination Program) are taken by applicants who have not completed enough undergraduate academic units to otherwise qualify for admission. Further information on these college-equivalency tests is available at the Admissions Office.