When the Top 50 Law Schools Start Accepting Applications

*Please note, schools can change these dates, it is possible when we called to ask them that they gave us the dates applications open rather than are accepted (although we were very careful to clearly articulate when can you submit), etc. But this should be highly accurate to the extent we can control it.

Please also note, just because they accept by a certain date doesn't mean they start reading on that date. FAR FROM IT, in most cases. These are good to know but September and October are considered very early in the cycle. We supply this information so you can plan, but please don't let it freak you out (okay, for some it still will). We had a client two cycles ago apply to a top 3 law school in June (e.g. well past their application submission deadline by months) and still get it. Mostly, because he was calm about it.

With all of that said, have at it!*

August 15

  • U Chicago
  • Washington & Lee

September 1

  • Columbia
  • NYU
  • U Penn
  • Berkeley
  • U Michigan
  • UVA
  • Duke
  • Cornell
  • UT Austin
  • Vanderbilt
  • UCLA
  • WUSTL
  • USC
  • Boston U
  • U Iowa
  • Emory
  • U Minnesota
  • Notre Dame
  • IU Bloomington
  • U Alabama
  • UC Irvine
  • UC Davis
  • William & Mary
  • U Georgia
  • U Wisconsin
  • U Arizona
  • UIUC
  • SMU
  • U Florida
  • U Maryland
  • UC Hastings

September 2

  • Stanford

September 15

  • Harvard
  • Northwestern
  • Georgetown
  • GWU
  • Ohio State
  • Fordham
  • FSU
  • Temple

September 30

  • BYU

October 1

  • Yale
  • U Washington
  • UNC
  • U Colorado
  • George Mason
  • U Utah
  • Tulane
  • U Houston

Exact Date TBD

  • Boston College (mid-September)
  • Wake Forest (mid-September to early October)
  • Arizona State (September)