Law School Requirements 2026-27 - The T14 Checklist
T14 law school requirements for fall 2027: LSAT or GRE, letters, statement limits, résumé, addenda, dean's certification and interviews.
Law School Requirements 2026-27 - The T14 Checklist
Every T14 law school requires a bachelor's degree, an admission test, transcripts sent through LSAC, a personal statement, a résumé and at least one letter of recommendation. Everything past that list varies by school: letters range from one to two required, only some accept the GRE, and interviews and dean's certifications apply at some schools and not others.
The tables below give each school's rule in its own words, checked on September 24, 2026 for the fall 2027 entering class. If a school doesn't publish an item on the pages we could read, the cell says so. Virginia's site refused automated requests that day, so its row is limited to its ABA report. Admit rates and medians for the same fourteen schools are on the sibling page, T14 law schools: medians, admit rates and essays.
The floor every school shares
- An admission test. Each school's ABA 509 report says: "Under ABA Standard 503, law schools are required to use a valid and reliable admission test to help assess an applicant's preparedness for the study of law." Most T14 schools accept the LSAT or the GRE. Six also accept the GMAT: Penn, Cornell and Georgetown generally, and Chicago, Berkeley and Michigan only for limited groups of applicants (at Michigan, only students already enrolled in another University of Michigan graduate program).
- A degree by enrollment. Yale's version: applicants "must receive, or expect to receive, a bachelor's degree (or the equivalent)... by the summer of 2027."
- LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Transcripts, LSAT scores and letters go through CAS. Yale notes that "LSAC requires at least one LSAT writing sample... in order to generate your CAS report."
- A character-and-fitness section in every application. What each school asks, quoted, is on law school character and fitness questions by school.
Table 1 — Tests, letters and résumé
The "GRE admits enrolled" column comes from each school's 2025 Standard 509 report (ABA required disclosures). It shows how many students in the fall 2025 class were admitted on a GRE. This is the column to check before you assume GRE acceptance means the school admits many GRE applicants.
| School | Tests accepted (school's words) | GRE admits enrolled, 2025 509 | Letters of recommendation | Résumé |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale | LSAT or GRE, "no preference"; "If an applicant has a reportable LSAT score, a GRE score may not be submitted" | 17 | "requires two letters and will accept up to three"; strongly prefers two professors | Required, "Generally... 1-2 pages," plus separate college and post-college activities sections |
| Stanford | LSAT or GRE; "If you have one or more valid LSAT scores, they must be reported" | 11 | "at least two and no more than four" | "one-to-two-page resume"; no photo |
| Harvard | LSAT or GRE; "We will not consider a GRE score... if you have a valid LSAT score on file" | 37 | "Two letters... are required, but you may submit up to three"; at least one academic strongly recommended | Required, "one or two pages" |
| Chicago | LSAT or GRE; GMAT only for UChicago dual-degree applicants | 4 | "We require two letters... but we will accept up to four"; one academic strongly recommended | "detailed resume," with weekly hours for each activity |
| Columbia | "GRE or LSAT"; all LSAT scores must be submitted even when applying on the GRE | 37 | Two required, up to three; 2025-27 graduates need "two academic letters" | Required; may run longer than one page, "exercise discretion" |
| Penn | LSAT, GRE, or GMAT | 5 | Two required; will accept up to four | "Resume or Curriculum Vitae" |
| NYU | LSAT or GRE | 3 | "Two recommendations are required" (public-service scholarships need one more) | "required to complete your application" |
| Virginia | Not retrieved Sep 24, 2026 | 3 | Not retrieved | Not retrieved |
| Michigan | LSAT required; GRE, GMAT or MCAT accepted "in lieu of an LSAT score" only from applicants "already enrolled in a graduate program in another school at the University of Michigan" | 0 | "one required, three recommended" | Required |
| Duke | LSAT or GRE, "does not prefer one test over the other" | 4 | "Two recommendation letters are required"; ideally one academic, one professional | Required; "does not need to be limited to one page" |
| Northwestern | "either the LSAT or the GRE" | 16 | "a minimum of one letter... up to four" | Required |
| Berkeley | LSAT or GRE; GMAT "For a limited group of applicants" | 6 | "2-4 letters of recommendation" | "no page limit, but generally two pages is adequate" |
| Cornell | LSAT, GRE, or GMAT | 6 | "Submit two letters of recommendation" | Yes |
| Georgetown | LSAT, GRE, or GMAT; evening program test-optional without a valid LSAT | 12 | "requires only one letter of recommendation, but additional letters are welcome" | "no page limit, though we recommend a one to two page resume" |
Two rules in this table matter most. At Yale and Harvard, a reportable or valid LSAT score closes the GRE route. At Stanford, Columbia and Duke, any valid LSAT score has to be reported. If you've already taken the LSAT, the GRE question after a reportable LSAT goes through the rules school by school. How LSAC's letter service works, including descriptions, timing and how long letters stay valid, is covered in the LSAC letters of recommendation guide.
Table 2 — Statement limit, addenda, dean's certification, interview
| School | Personal statement limit | Addenda | Dean's certification | Interview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale | "approximately two double-spaced pages" (plus required 250-word essay) | Optional; "many applicants do not include any" | Not with the application; required from each degree program after an offer is accepted | "select some applicants... an interview is necessary for admission" |
| Stanford | "approximately two pages" (plus required essay and 250-word answer) | Not described on the page checked | Not stated on the page checked | "does not grant interviews" (on request) |
| Harvard | Two statements, "one to two pages" each, "at least one full page for each" | Optional, "a brief addendum" | Not stated on the page checked | Invitation only, on Zoom, "starting in November" |
| Chicago | "no page limit" (FAQ) | Optional; "one page or less is a sufficient length for most" | Not stated on the pages checked | Not stated on the pages checked |
| Columbia | "approximately two pages" | Optional; combine several into one document | Dean's letter at application only if you answer yes to 9.1 or 9.2; Dean's Certification Form required from all admits before matriculation | "by invitation only" |
| Penn | Not published | Covered by an optional essay topic on academic record or test scores | Not stated on the pages checked | "does not interview" for first-year J.D. |
| NYU | "content and length... to your discretion" | "Supplying Additional Information," optional | Not stated on the page checked | Not used "as part of the regular selection process" |
| Virginia | Not retrieved | Not retrieved | Not retrieved | Not retrieved |
| Michigan | No limit; "most personal statements are between two and four pages" | "as many addenda as you need"; required if you answer yes to a conduct question | Not stated on the page checked | "We do not, however, perform evaluative interviews" |
| Duke | "2-3 pages, double-spaced" (plus required short essay) | "Miscellaneous Addendum" for test-score context | Letter from dean or records officer only if you answer yes to the school-conduct question | None; InitialView interview or TOEFL for some international applicants |
| Northwestern | Not published on the pages checked | Not described on the pages checked | Not stated on the pages checked | Kira video interview; the school's interview page says applicants "opt into" it in the form |
| Berkeley | "up to four, double-spaced pages"; "Three pages is recommended" | Required for any character-and-fitness "Yes" | "A dean's certification letter is not required." | Optional video interview, by invitation only |
| Cornell | Respond to at least one of four prompts, "do not exceed a total of five pages" | Not described in the FAQ | "No, a Dean's Certification is no longer a required element." | Kira Online Assessment for applicants the school is "strongly considering" |
| Georgetown | "no minimum or maximum length... we recommend around two pages" | Character-and-fitness statement "if applicable" | Not stated on the page checked | Not stated on the page checked |
What is actually required, and what is folklore
Five beliefs that show up constantly in application advice, checked against the pages above:
- "You need three letters." Michigan requires one, and so do Georgetown and Northwestern. Most of the rest require two. More letters than the minimum is allowed almost everywhere, but it isn't required anywhere in this table.
- "Every T14 school accepts the GRE." Michigan requires the LSAT of everyone except applicants already enrolled in another University of Michigan graduate program, and its 2025 report shows no GRE admits. Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia and Duke accept the GRE, but a valid or reportable LSAT on file still counts under their rules.
- "T14 schools interview everyone." Penn, NYU, Michigan and Duke each say they don't use interviews to evaluate first-year J.D. applicants. Yale, Harvard and Columbia interview by invitation. Northwestern, Berkeley and Cornell use recorded video interviews.
- "You need a dean's certification to apply." Cornell says the requirement is gone and Berkeley says it isn't required. At Yale and Columbia, it comes after admission. A letter from your college's dean is needed at application only if you answer yes to certain conduct questions, and Columbia and Duke both spell out that trigger.
- "Addenda are expected." Yale says "many applicants do not include any." An addendum is for a specific fact that needs explaining. See law school addendum examples and explanatory vs character-and-fitness addenda.
Run this this week
- Test route. For each school, confirm which tests it accepts and whether a valid LSAT on file changes that.
- Letters. Count the highest required number on your list (two, at most T14 schools) and ask for that many plus one. Put every recommender into LSAC now.
- Résumé. Write one résumé that fits within two pages. Chicago wants weekly hours for each activity, and Yale wants separate activities sections, so keep the underlying data on hand.
- Writing. List the distinct documents you need, including the required short pieces in the essay prompt crosswalk. Draft the personal statement first.
- Money. Sort out fee waivers before you submit. Several schools won't refund a fee already paid, and the school-by-school rules are on the law school fee-waiver page.
Once you have a draft, GradPilot's law school personal statement review reads it against the law personal statement rubric. An addendum draft is read against the law application addendum rubric. The free review gives qualitative feedback on the draft. It doesn't predict an admissions decision, and it doesn't replace the school's own instructions. Check each school's certification about outside help first. Michigan's page says applicants "ought not use generative artificial intelligence tools as part of their drafting process," and Columbia's preview application prohibits outside assistance.
FAQ
What are the basic requirements to apply to law school?
A bachelor's degree by enrollment, an admission test the school accepts, transcripts through LSAC's CAS, a personal statement, a résumé, and one or more letters of recommendation. The T14 schools add school-specific essays, addenda rules and interviews, as shown above.
How many letters of recommendation do T14 law schools require?
Most of them require two. Michigan, Georgetown and Northwestern require one. Where a school publishes a maximum, it's three (Yale, Harvard, Columbia) or four (Stanford, Chicago, Penn, Berkeley, Northwestern).
Do T14 law schools require an interview?
No school here interviews every applicant. Yale selects some applicants to interview and says "an interview is necessary for admission." Harvard and Columbia interview by invitation. Penn, NYU, Michigan and Duke say they don't use interviews in first-year selection.
Is the dean's certification required when I apply?
Not at Cornell or Berkeley. At Yale and Columbia, it's required after admission. A dean's letter at application is needed only when your conduct answers trigger it.
Sources
All retrieved September 24, 2026. School pages are linked in the tables. Additional sources:
- ABA 2025 Standard 509 Information Reports ("First Year Class," GRE enrollees): abarequireddisclosures.org
- Columbia Law School Fall 2027 J.D. preview application (PDF)
- Penn Carey Law J.D. FAQs
- Northwestern Pritzker Law admissions interviews
- University of Chicago Law School personal statement FAQ
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