By S.J. Quinney College of Law

The University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law has launched a new early admissions process designed to give candidates who know the U is their top-choice law school a chance to commit to attending law school earlier than previously possible.

If admitted under the college’s newly established Early Decision Program (EDP), students can apply to attend law school for the fall of 2019 by Oct.19, with a decision on whether they will be admitted to attend by early November.

Students who apply to law school under this program option are expected to attend in the fall and are considered contractually obligated to commit to attending the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Students should carefully consider all law school options before making the decision to apply through the Early Decision Program.

“This decision—establishing the S.J. Quinney College of Law as one’s first-choice law school—should be the result of fully researching law school options.  If after investigating law schools and determining that S.J. Quinney College of Law is your first-choice law school, you may then wish to apply through the EDP,” said Reyes Aguilar, the law school’s associate dean for admission and financial aid.

“The establishment of this program is meant to give top candidates who know they want to attend law school in Utah a sooner answer that there is a place for them here, so they can commit to their future as a law student at the S.J. Quinney College of Law,” he added.

Applicants who are admitted under the Early Decision Program are automatically awarded a renewable merit-on-entrance scholarship package. Over a student’s three-year span at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, the value of the scholarship package for Utah residents is $50,000 (and for non-resident students the value is $75,000).

The scholarship package will be disbursed in equal portions for each of the three years of a student’s enrollment at the law school. The only requirement to renew this scholarship is to maintain good academic and behavior code standing.  Admitted Early Decision Program applicants may also be eligible for need-based scholarship support.  That eligibility will be determined as part of financial aid need analysis that requires the submission of a need-based scholarship application.  This need analysis will occur as part of need-based financial aid packaging in spring, said Aguilar.

Candidates who wish to apply to the S.J. Quinney College of Law as part of the Early Decision Program are evaluated using the same admissions criteria employed in the law school’s regular decision process. Applicants are reviewed using a holistic evaluation process which considers a candidate’s demonstrated academic skills as well as an applicant’s life experience, background and interests that will enhance and bring vibrancy and vigor to the law school the community.

For more information on applying to law school, visit law.utah.edu/admissions.