​Direct Admissions Program

The ABA has approved an extension of the Direct Admissions Program for Fall 2024 admission. The Direct Admissions Program allows eligible University of San Diego undergraduate students to waive the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) or GRE Test application requirement when applying to the USD School of Law.

Eligibility and Application Requirements

USD undergraduate students may apply to the USD School of Law Direct Admissions Program if they meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Scored at or above the 85th percentile on the ACT or SAT during the cycle in which they took the exam; and
  2. Achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.80 in at least six semesters of academic work while enrolled at USD[1]; and
  3. Will graduate from USD in the Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 semester.

Prospective students who have already taken the LSAT or GRE are not eligible to apply as part of the Direct Admissions Program, however, they are welcome to apply to our regular JD Program. The USD School of Law Direct Admissions Program will enable USD undergraduate students who are interested in attending law school to have their applications considered by the School of Law on a priority basis. The cumulative GPA criterion is admissions cycle-specific and is subject to change between admission cycles.[2]

 

The ABA Rules limit the number of applicants who may be admitted under this program. All USD students admitted through the Direct Admissions Program will be guaranteed scholarship funding.

Applicants to the Direct Admissions Program will also need to submit the Direct Admissions Agreement and Certification Form to the Office of Admissions in order to complete their JD application. Forms may be mailed or turned into the office directly.

Interested applicants may contact:

USD Law School Admissions Office

(619) 260-4528

jdinfo@sandiego.edu

 


[1] Only completed semesters may be factored into the cumulative GPA evaluation, and this criterion does not require that each individual semester's GPA be at least 3.80. Additionally, these six semesters do not need to be consecutive; they can be accumulated across the duration of your undergraduate enrollment at the University of San Diego School.

[2] Undergraduate students are encouraged to visit the Direct Admissions Program webpage at the start of each academic year for updates to the cumulative GPA criterion, if any. There should be no reliance on a prior year's stated cumulative GPA remaining static and applicable to the current admissions cycle. 

 

Interested applicants may contact:

USD Law School Admissions Office

(619) 260-4528

jdinfo@sandiego.edu