The Ultimate Guide To YALE

For would-be lawyers, studying at Yale Law School is the ultimate aspiration. Yale is America's highest ranked, most competitive law school with distinguished professors, tiny class sizes, an unconventional grading system, and access to many of the most brilliant and influential alumni in all walks of life, including two former Presidents, three current Supreme Court Justices, and numerous other movers and shakers of politics, academia, business, and the media.

If you aspire to have your name included among Yale Law School alumni, chances are you already know that you'll need top-notch undergraduate grades and standardized test scores, exceptional personal essays, and that little, elusive, essential something extra to be a competitive candidate.

Yale Law School programs

Most students looking to practice law will be interested in earning a Juris Doctor (JD) degree. In addition to its JD program, Yale Law School also offers a few other graduate degrees: Master of Laws (LLM), Doctor of the Science of Laws (JSD), Master of Studies in Law (MSL), and PhD in Law.

Yale Law School also allows JD students to take joint degree programs with several other Yale graduate programs on a case-by-case basis. Although students can apparently suggest a dual-degree course of study in any program that will complement their law studies, most typical are JD-MBAs or JD-MA programs in Global Affairs. If you're interested in a joint degree program, depending on the particular program you have in mind, you'll either be applying to your non-JD program simultaneously with your application to Yale Law or you'll apply in your first year of law school.

Yale Law School admissions figures

While there is no minimum GPA or LSAT score for those applying, the lowest GPA and LSAT score achieved by a member of Yale Law School's class of 2026 was 3.25 and 158, respectively. Students who were admitted with very low scores probably have some other part of their applications that is exceptional.

In order to enter Yale Law School, you ought to spend your undergraduate years putting in extra effort to get high grades. You ought to put in a lot of time studying for the LSAT in order to target a score of at least 175, better still 176 or higher. Keep in mind that although it is definitely possible to gain admission with a lower score, 50% of accepted applicants scored 175 or higher.

Note: Starting from the 2019-2020 cycle, Yale started accepting GRE scores in lieu of the LSAT. Moreover, students can send in scores of the LSAT-Flex or the GRE General Test at Home. Although Yale does not prefer one test over the other, you can only send in one test score; you can't send both an LSAT score and a GRE score.

Letters of Recommendation

Yale Law School requires at least two letters and will accept up to three letters of recommendation. They strongly prefer letters from at least two professors with whom you have studied who can speak to your academic performance and who have had a chance to personally evaluate significant aspects of your academic work. Letters from employers, college deans, coaches, chaplains, colleagues, and others may be helpful but are not preferred. If possible, they should not replace letters from two faculty recommenders.

Applicants who have been out of school for some time or who are otherwise unable to obtain two faculty recommendations may substitute letters from employers or others who know them well. These letters should address the qualities that academic recommendations typically address, for example, the applicant's ability to write and think critically, as well as their overall suitability for the study and practice of law.

 Yale School of Law Application Requirements

• Online application and application fee
• LSAT or GRE
• Bachelor’s degree from an approved university
• Undergraduate transcript
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• 250-word essay
• Statement of activities
• Optional diversity statement and addenda

250-Word Essays

The Law School is a vibrant intellectual community where students are expected to engage academically with faculty and fellow students. In no more than 250 words, applicants must write about an idea or issue from their academic, extracurricular, or professional work that is of particular interest to them. The idea or issue you choose does not have to be law-related; this is an opportunity for readers to learn more about how you would engage intellectually in the Law school community. The 250-word essay should be double-spaced, formatted in a professional 12-point font, and include your name, LSAC number, and "250-Word Essay" in the header.

Conclusion

Even though your grades matter abundantly in the eyes of YALE, it's your creativity and zeal to think outside the box that make you stand out of the crowd. If it's your dream to be a shining star at YALE, then don’t be a part of the rat race; rather, start your own marathon to success.

The ultimate path to YALE is nothing but honest, true and raw hard work.