General Criteria

The number of applicants for admission to the UK College of Law greatly exceeds the College's resources, resulting in a competitive admissions process. Candidates for admission are evaluated carefully in order to allocate the limited number of spaces available in each entering class. Many applicants who may be qualified cannot be accommodated. The goal of the College of Law is to admit a talented and diverse student body that enhances the educational process at the College while serving the needs of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the legal profession.

Numerical Factors. In measuring academic potential for admission to the College of Law, the Committee relies heavily on your undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and your performance on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Studies over the years have shown that the numerical predictors provide substantial statistical correlation with law school performance.

Other Academic Factors. Other factors considered for their relevance to your potential academic performance in law school include: writing skills; the trend of college grades; letters of recommendation; the interval between college graduation and your law school application; the performance of students from your undergraduate school; college grading and course selection patterns; and the effect that outside work or significant extracurricular or community involvement may have had on your undergraduate performance.

Non-Academic Factors. In addition to the above academic factors, there are other factors which are unrelated to the prediction of law school academic performance, but which nonetheless influence selection for admission because they relate to professional performance and the College's goal of enriching its academic environment with a diverse student body. These factors include: geographic diversity, both within and outside the Commonwealth of Kentucky; unusual cultural backgrounds; achievements and leadership positions; perseverance and accomplishment under adverse circumstances; diversity of reasons for attending law school; and the potential for providing legal services to under-served segments of the population. However, these factors will be considered only after you have demonstrated the requisite academic ability to succeed at the College of Law.