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October 19, 2020

Top 100 Law School Application Deadlines and Latest Acceptable LSAT: 2021 Edition

Top 100 Law School Application Deadlines: 2021 Edition

The LSAT you take—or retake—can have a great impact on your admission chances. Some of you may be asking, “Is the January LSAT too late? Are the February or March LSATs too late?” We survey top law schools yearly with those exact questions to find out admissions deadlines and the latest LSAT each school will accept.

Many of the top law schools are still requiring a January LSAT deadline. But, as you’ll see in the chart below, the February and March LSATs are definitely viable options for test-takers. A quarter of the schools still allow for a June or July test result, however, they admit that they will not review your application until scores are in. Because of this, spots are limited or may not even exist at that time. If you need help with any part of your application, we’ve got expert admissions consultants you can work with!

Categories We Use

  • Rank: The rank for each school was drawn from the US News & World Report Best Law Schools 2021 rankings. We listed schools in numerical order by rank.
  • School Name: This one is obvious—this column identifies the name of the school! For this post, we stick to the top 100.
  • Application Deadline: The deadline is the date after which the school will not consider or review newly received applications. Having said that, several schools mentioned that the number of unfilled spaces affected how they view their “deadline” date. If they still have spaces available in their classes, they might accept applications after the deadline. The law schools we surveyed said chances of admissions are lowered once the deadline passes. Though unlikely, this certainly makes the deadline less concrete.
  • Latest Acceptable Test Date: For some schools, this is a “strongly recommended”. Schools that accept the June or July LSAT have been highlighted. To clarify, these schools will accept this test as the first and only LSAT you’ve taken. Note: LSAC hasn’t released the June and July test dates as of this posting and schools are waiting for the score release dates before agreeing to accept those tests.
  • Notes: To compile this list, we pulled data from US News, visited the schools’ websites, and contacted a majority of the admissions offices on this list. In some cases, the admissions folks had additional thoughts or considerations about the deadline or use of the June or July LSAT, and we added those thoughts in this column.

Let’s take a look at the list! If you have any questions or comments, please post below. If you plan to apply to any of these schools, we strongly encourage you to contact them directly to ask about their deadlines. We’ve seen deadlines change just in the last month, so let us know if you notice something we missed!

2021 RankLaw School nameApplication DeadlineLatest Acceptable LSATAccept the GRE?Notes from the University
1Yale University2.15.2021Jan 2021YesUnder our review process there is no advantage, in terms of the likelihood of admission, to applying earlier in the application cycle.
2Stanford University2.15.2021Jan 2021No
3Harvard University3.1.2021Jan 2021YesPriority deadline is 2/1/21
4Columbia University2.15.2021Jan 2021Yes
4University of Chicago3.1.2021Jan 2021Yes
6New York University2.15.2021Jan 2021Yes
7University of Pennsylvania3.1.2021Feb 2021Yes
8University of Virginia3.3.2021Jan 2021YesWill accept and review late applications and scores, but no guarantees.
9Northwestern University2.15.2021Feb 2021Yes
9University of California - Berkeley2.15.2021Jan 2021No
9University of Michigan - Ann Arbor2.28.2021Jan 2021No
12Duke University2.15.2021Jan 2021YesWill continue to accept applications after these dates, but it is very late in the process.
13Cornell University3.1.2021Jan 2021Yes
14Georgetown University3.1.2021Jan 2021Yes
15University of California, Los Angeles2.1.2021Jan 2021Yes
16University of Texas Austin3.1.2021Feb 2021Yes
17Washington University, St. Louis8.13.2021Jun 2021*YesWe accept applications until August 13 this cycle. Will accept July results if scores are scheduled to be released prior to deadline.
18University of Southern California4.1.2021Feb 2021Yes
18Vanderbilt University4.1.2021Mar 2021No
20Boston University4.1.2021Jan 2021Yes
21University of Minnesota6.1.2021Apr 2021No
22University of Notre Dame3.15.2021Feb 2021Yes
23George Washington University3.1.2021Feb 2021No
24Arizona State University8.1.2021N/ANo3.1.2021 is their Priority, or preferred, deadline
24Emory University3.1.2021Feb 2021No
24University of Florida7.15.2021Jun 2021No
27University of Iowa5.1.2021Jun 2021NoWhile the application must be submitted by May 1, you can indicate that you're taking the June LSAT and we will process your application and place a hold on it until we have received your June LSAT score.
27Fordham University3.15.2021Feb 2021No
27University of California - Irvine3.15.2021Apr 2021Yes
27University of North Carolina Chapel Hill5.1.2021Mar 2021No
31University of AlabamaN/AJun 2021YesThere is no application deadline for Fall 2021. However, the committee begins admitting applicants before December and by the end of May, most final decisions have been made.
31Boston College3.31.2021Mar 2021Yes
31University of Georgia6.1.2021Jun 2021No
31University of Illinios3.15.2021Feb 2021No
31Washington and Lee University2.1.2021N/ANo
31William and Mary Law School3.1.2021Jan 2021No
37Brigham Young University6.30.2021Apr 2021Yes
38Indiana University - BloomingtonN/AJun 2021YesWhile there is no firm admissions deadline, the committee begins admitting applicants before the December recess.
38Ohio State University7.1.2021Feb 2021NoJune or July test scores will usually not be accepted–except in rare cases in which taking the February LSAT was not possible due to factors outside the applicant’s control, e.g. natural disasters.
38University of California - Davis3.15.2021Mar 2021Yes
38University of Wisconsin - Madison4.1.2021Mar 2021No
42Wake Forest University3.1.2021Mar 2021YesApplications must be submitted by 3/1, complete by 4/1.
42George Mason University4.30.2021Apr 2021Yes
42University of Washington3.15.2021Jan 2021No
45University of Utah3.10.2021Jan 2021No
46University of Colorado - Boulder4.1.2021Feb 2021No
47Pepperdine University4.15.2021Mar 2021Yes
47University of Arizona7.15.2021Jun 2021No
47University of Maryland4.1.2021Jun 2021Yes
50Baylor University3.19.2021Feb 2021No
50Florida State University7.31.2021Jun 2021Yes
50University of Connecticut4.30.2021Mar 2021No
53Yeshiva University4.1.2021Feb 2021Yes
54Tulane University3.1.2021Mar 2021NoApplicants are encouraged to submit applications between September 15 and March 1. Later applications will be considered, but space and scholarship opportunities may be limited.
54University of Richmond3.1.2021Jan 2021No
56Temple University3.1.2021Apr 2021NoWill accept April 2021 LSAT scores as long as your application is transmitted by the March 1, 2021 application deadline.
56Southern Methodist University3.1.2021Jan 2021Yes
56University of Houston2.15.2021Jan 2021No
59University of California, Hastings4.15.2021Apr 2021Yes
60Pennsylvania State University3.31.2021Feb 2021Yes
60Texas A&M5.1.2021Apr 2021Yes
62Loyola Marymount University2.3.2021Jan 2021No
62Pennsylvania State University3.31.2021Feb 2021Yes
62Seton Hall University4.1.2021Feb 2021Yes
62University of Nevada Las Vegas3.15.2021Jan 2021No
62Villanova University4.1.2021Mar 2021No
67Northeastern University3.1.2021Feb 2021No
67University of Miami7.31.2021Jun 2021No
67University of Missouri3.15.2021Feb 2021No
70Loyola University Chicago5.1.2021No
70University of Kansas4.1.2021Feb 2021No
70University of Kentucky4.30.2021Apr 2021No
70University of Tennessee Knoxville8.15.2021N/ANo
74St. John's University3.16.2021Feb 2021No
74University of Denver3.1.2021N/ANo
76American University3.1.2021Mar 2021Yes
76Case Western Reserve University4.1.2021Feb 2021No
76Georgia State University6.1.2021Apr 2021No
76Rutgers University5.15.2021No
76University of Nebraska3.1.2021Jan 2021No
76University of Oklahoma3.15.2021Apr 2021Yes
76University of Pittsburgh4.1.2021Feb 2021No
83Brooklyn Law SchoolN/AJun 2021Yes
83Chicago-Kent Law School3.15.2021Jan 2021Yes
83University of Cincinnati3.15.2021Feb 2021No
83University of San Diego7.31.2021Jul 2021No
83Wayne State University6.20.2021Jun 2021No
88University of Oregon8.13.2021Jun 2021*NoWe strongly encourage applicants to apply by our priority deadline of March 1st and to take the LSAT that will allow students to recieve score prior to March 1st. Last year we accepted both the June and July LSATs, since the scores for those tests were released prior to August deadline.
88University of New Hampshire3.15.2021Feb 2021Yes
90Florida International University7.31.2021Jun 2021Yes
90Saint Louis University9.16.2021Jun 2021No
90University of Arkansas4.15.2021Feb 2021No
93Drexel University8.1.2021Jun 2021NoWe recommend submitting your application by 4/1. Will hold off on reviewing applications that have a future LSAT registration in their file, so if you're retaking in June, you should still submit the application by April 1st.
93Lewis & Clark College (Northwestern)See noteN/ANoDue to the many and varied impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we will continue to accept applications throughout the summer.
93Michigan State University4.30.2021Apr 2021No
96University of South CarolinaSee noteJun 2021YesOur priority deadline for complete applications is March 1, but we welcome applications through early summer. Spring LSAT recommended. We will accept a score from the summer tests, but we will have begun to fill places in the entering class by the time your LSAT score is received, which can affect your chances of admission.
96Louisiana State University7.1.2021Jun 2021No
96University of Hawaii4.1.2021Mar 2021Yes
99University at Buffalo - SUNYSee noteJun 2021YesWhile we suggest applying by March 1, we welcome applications beyond this date and accept the June LSAT.
99University of Louisville (Brandeis)4.15.2021Mar 2021No
99University of New Mexico3.1.2021Jan 2021No
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Posted by PowerScore Test Prep / Law School Admissions, LSAT Prep / Choosing a Law School, Law School, Law School Admissions, Law School Applications, LSAT Prep 7 Comments

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Comments

  1. Andrew says

    January 28, 2021 at 10:00 pm

    Thanks for the response Dave! What I meant by the reply I made on my first comment was **I** should have said “schools that will accept LSAT scores from these months” not “schools that will **only** accept…” because in my first comment the “only accept” in my original comment totally changed my question (I feel like I’m analyzing an LR with tricky language question right now lol!).

    I am still a bit confused by the “first and only” in the original bullet, so I will restate my intended question: Will the schools that accept the 2021 June/July LSAT this year disallow a score from June/July 2021 if I take the February LSAT and cancel my score and then retake in June/July and submit that score?

    The first and only makes it sound like you are only eligible to submit the June/July score if it is not a retake. Am I mistake in my understanding of first and only?

    Thanks again Dave!

    Reply
    • Dave Killoran says

      January 30, 2021 at 2:48 pm

      Ahh, gotcha! And yes, it like an LR question 🙂

      To your questions, good news: no, they won’t disallow it. If you take February and then cancel, June (etc) is still open to you. The “first and only” means that at those schools, students can wait as long as June (etc) before taking their LSAT. Thus, if June was your first LSAT then at those schools it would be just fine 🙂 Retakes are not being factored into the chart at all, because they don’t matter; if a school accepts a certain LSAT, it does not matter if it is a retake or the first time. The bottom line being is that we are trying to let students know how late of an LSAt they could take and still be in the running.

      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Andrew says

    January 27, 2021 at 1:58 am

    “Latest Acceptable Test Date: For some schools, this is a “strongly recommended”. Schools that accept the June or July LSAT have been highlighted. To clarify, these schools will accept this test as the first and only LSAT you’ve taken. Note: LSAC hasn’t released the June and July test dates as of this posting and schools are waiting for the score release dates before agreeing to accept those tests.”

    I’m a bit confused by this bullet. Are you saying that schools that will only accept LSAT scores from these months only if they are the first and only test you have taken? For example if I take the test Feb 2021 for the first time and use the score preview to cancel a score I don’t like, will those schools disqualify me if I retake on June/July and submit that score?

    Reply
    • Andrew says

      January 27, 2021 at 2:02 am

      Should say “schools that will accept LSAT scores from these months” not “schools that will **only** accept…”

      Reply
    • Dave Killoran says

      January 28, 2021 at 1:11 pm

      Hi Andrew,

      Thanks for the message! This is a case where the category name contains really critical information. As per the title, you are looking at the last date of each cycle that a school will accept. Now, for many schools that date is a hard deadline, but for others it’s more of a soft deadline, which is noted in the very first line of this description. But, in every case, as this is a the “last acceptable,” it means schools would accept results from that test and all prior tests.

      So, for example, let’s use Yale. Their last acceptable was January 2021. That means if you took your first LSAT in January 2021 and kept it, you are in the clear and can apply. If you took any prior LSAT to January 2021 and received a score, you are in the clear. If you took your first LSAT in January 2021 LSAT and cancelled, then you are out fo the running at Yale; they don’t take later LSATs and January 2021 was the last acceptable.

      Now let’s use Arizona. Their last acceptable is June 2021. That means if you took your first LSAT in June 2021 and kept it, you are in the clear and can apply. If you took any prior LSAT to June 2021 and received a score, you are in the clear. If you took your first LSAT in June 2021 LSAT and cancelled, then you are out of the running at Arizona; they don’t take later LSATs and June 2021 is the last acceptable (that can always change, so we recommend checking with the school when new LSAT dates come out in a few weeks).

      The “first and only” simply means you can take that late LSAT as your only and be fine; it’ doesn’t have to be that specific month; if you took a test earlier one you’d be fine too. Think of it as a timeline window that opens int he fall, and then goes for various lengths depending on the school. Some close that window early (Yale), others much later (Arizona). So, aased on the name of the category, the description is actually correct here and requires no change–it’s accurate as stated.

      Thanks!

      Reply
  3. Harry Wise says

    January 22, 2021 at 5:22 am

    Hi, I took the LSAT back in my Junior year of college in 2017. I did average on the test and know scores are valid for 5 years. I am strongly considering law school again after obtaining real world engineering experience and would pursue IP Law. Looking at acceptance dates now and knowing I would want to retake the LSAT, I am unsure the best course of action. The closest LSAT available now is the April test due to registration dates. I am unsure the best course of action. Apply to schools with my current test and denote I plan to register and take April? Otherwise, hold off, and limit the quantity of schools that will accept scores/applications following that test?
    I appreciate the help and advice.

    Reply
    • Dave Killoran says

      January 22, 2021 at 5:17 pm

      Hi Harry,

      Thanks for the question! to answer accurately, I need a sense of the schools you’d be looking at. Are they in the Top 10? Top 50? Etc.

      Thanks!

      Reply

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