College of Law
Northern Illinois University
Office of Admission & Financial Aid
Swen Parson Hall, Room 151
DeKalb, IL 60115
The application fee is $50, paid electronically through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Web site.
To apply to the NIU College of Law, you must have your bachelor's degree by the fall semester for which you are applying. You will need to: 1) complete the application; 2) pay the application fee; 3) write a personal goal statement; and 4) register for LSDAS. Submit your undergraduate degree transcripts, two (2) letters of recommendation, and a résumé to LSAC.
1559.
You can contact LSAC via their website at www.lsac.org or by calling (215) 968-1001.
Yes, the NIU College of Law does accept the June LSAT prior to August entry. However, since we do not receive the scores until late July, people taking this option should have all documentation submitted to LSAC well in advance of taking the test. This will ensure that as soon as your scores are available, they can be acted upon by the Admissions Committee. If possible, all financial aid forms also should be submitted well in advance of the test. For more details, visit www.lsac.org.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - External Programming (not part of the College of Law) at NIU offers a prep course for the LSAT. You may contact them by calling toll free (800) 345-9472.
This is an individual decision. The most important advice we can give you is to make sure you take several weeks to prepare for the LSAT. Take the test as if you could only take it once. There are prep materials available for self-study with sample exams. You must ultimately decide if you are a good "self-study" or if you need the more structured environment of a prep program.
LSAC "encourages" all law schools to use the average score for multiple test takers. If there is a "significant" difference in the scores, often the Admissions Committee will give the applicant the benefit of the doubt.
Yes, we do accept applications after the May 15th priority deadline. Obviously, we encourage applicants to get the application in as early as possible so we can start advising them about financial aid, etc. The main negative with getting an application in this late in the process is that the class may already be filled and many of the scholarship opportunities are no longer available, though loans are still available.
One important thing to remember - your file will not go to committee until it is complete. It is your responsibility to make sure your application is complete. Once complete, your file is first reviewed by the Director of Admission & Financial Aid and then it normally goes to the Admissions Committee. The review process can take anywhere from two to five weeks.
When an individual is placed on the Wait List, this is an indication that the Applicant is not clearly admissible, but that there is some indication that this individual may have the potential to be a law student at our institution. We take individuals off the Wait List periodically up until two weeks before classes start depending on the fluctuation in the seats available. Individuals on the Wait List are not ranked. When the decision is made to select someone from the Wait List, all files are reviewed. We almost always offer some seats in the class to Wait Listed individuals.
Yes. Though all requests are reviewed on an individual basis and there is no guarantee that a deferment will be offered, most requests are approved. To be considered for a deferment, admitted applicants must submit a letter of request to the Director of Admission & Financial Aid indicating why they wish to defer their admission before the start of Orientation Week. If the deferral is granted, a full deposit is required to hold your seat for the next year's class.
Yes. Just submit your application and required materials again through LSAC.
At Northern it normally takes only 6 months. An individual who has residency from a state other than Illinois must have proof that they have been residing within the state limits 6 months prior to the next beginning semester. Normally the "proof" consists of, but is not limited to, such items as a driver's license, a lease, etc. The final determination of residency is not made by the College of Law, but the main university Office of Registration and Records.
The part-time option is normally between four to five years and only 10 people per class are permitted into this option. You will need to take at least 9 credit hours each semester. Full-time students can become part-time and vice versa during their educational career. An applicant is first admitted to the full-time program and then considered for the part-time option. Early application is encouraged.
The majority of the NIU College of Law's classes are during the day. Some elective courses are taught in the early evening.
The first-year class is divided into two main sections and each of these sections is divided into three or more writing sections. There are approximately 55 students in each main section. First-year students are assigned randomly to either main section. For a current course schedule, email a request to lbaie@niu.edu.
In addition to the LSAT, which everyone must take, international students must take the TOEFL unless they are from an English-speaking country. The only exception to this rule is an international student who has obtained the bachelor's degree in the USA.
You must register for LSDAS at www.lsac.org.
Yes. Prior to or during Orientation students can obtain their personal NIU e-mail address from Information Technology Services.
The University is ringed by various apartment complexes. They vary widely as to price and type of accommodations. We do encourage anyone considering this option to ask the complex management if they have a "quiet or graduate student" complex so you are not interrupted by the "activities" of undergraduates who might not be as dedicated to their studies.
As a student at Northern, you can ride for free on the Huskie Line bus service. It travels all over campus as well as all over the city of DeKalb, including surrounding shopping facilities. See http://www.huskieline.com/ for more information.
The College of Law does not encourage any first-year law student to work on anything other than their studies. ABA regulations state that any full-time law student should not work more than 20 hours per week.
Northern offers a J.D. and simultaneous enrollment options, but not an LLM program.
Normally, after the completion of the first-year of law school or 30 semester hours, a student can be considered for transfer. A transfer student must complete at least 45 hours at Northern Illinois University College of Law. If a transfer student is currently in classes, we cannot make a decision on transferability until we receive a transcript with all classes and grades indicated. Most times decisions on transfer students are not made until summer for admission in the fall. Mid-year transfer is a possibility, but applicants should consult the Office of Admission & Financial Aid about their options. Transferability of credits is evaluated after admission has been determined by the College of Law.
A visiting student is requesting to take courses at our institution, but intends to apply those credits to the law degree they are earning at another law school. Normally this is a student who is in their third year of law school.