Transfer Applicants

Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 Applicants

There is no application fee.

Chicago-Kent welcomes transfer applications from students who have previously enrolled for at least one year at another ABA-accredited law school. Transfer students may seek admission as either full- or part-time J.D. students, and may also seek admission into the certificate programs in business law, environmental and energy law, intellectual property law, international and comparative law, labor and employment law, legal innovation and technology, praxis, and public interest law. If space is available, transfer students may also seek admission into the certificate programs in criminal litigation, litigation and alternative dispute resolution (LADR), and workplace litigation and alternative dispute resolution (Workplace LADR).

The Admissions Committee will consider transfer applicants for admission based upon their law school performance in addition to Chicago-Kent's other admissions standards. Particular emphasis is given to first-year law school performance. Students who are not currently in good standing at another law school are not eligible for transfer admission and will not be considered.

Application Procedure

We recommend that you submit the Chicago-Kent online application, which is available through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). There are separate application forms for fall and spring transfer admission. If you are not able to complete the application online, please contact the Office of Admissions at (312) 906-5020 or admissions@kentlaw.iit.edu to request a PDF of the application form.

Please be certain to read each question carefully and make certain that you have completed every item on the application so that review of your application is not delayed. All materials submitted with, or in support of, an application become the property of Chicago-Kent and are not returnable.

It is your responsibility to make sure that all statements that you make on the application are accurate and complete. You are required to inform us, in writing, of any changes in the information you have provided. Any failure to supply accurate, complete, or updated information may result in a filing of applicant misconduct with LSAC, withdrawal of any offer of admission, or cancellation of registration, and may be a violation of the Chicago-Kent College of Law Code of Conduct. It may also jeopardize your eventual admission to the bar.

Information on sex, age, ethnic origin, and citizenship status that Chicago-Kent is legally required to collect in order to comply with applicable federal regulations pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended by Executive Order 11375 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Part 86, 45 C.F.R. is not mandatory. All information is confidential and will not be used to discriminate in admission to or participation in any of the educational programs or activities offered in the colleges of Illinois Institute of Technology.

An application is considered complete only when we have received all of the documents described below. There is no application fee.

Application Steps

Transfer students may apply to begin their studies in either the fall or spring semester. Although there is no absolute deadline for transfer applications, we suggest that you submit your application to the Office of Admissions by December 1 for spring admission or July 15 for fall admission.

A personal statement is required of all applicants. The Admissions Committee believes that all relevant factors should be considered when evaluating each application. You may want to use the personal statement to elaborate on significant personal or professional accomplishments, to describe your reasons for pursuing a law degree, to discuss the social, physical, or economic obstacles you may have had to overcome, to explain a particular part of your transcript or application, or to provide supplemental information that will help the Admissions Committee evaluate your application. The statement should be written in your own words and should be approximately two to three typewritten pages in length. 

A résumé and addendum may accompany the personal statement. You may also submit an optional essay of no more than one page describing the reasons for your application to Chicago-Kent.

Applicants to the part-time day division must also submit a Part-time Day Supplemental Statement in addition to the personal statement. This statement may be submitted in section 1 of the Chicago-Kent online application.

Letters of recommendation play a useful role in the selection process, and the Admissions Committee requires all applicants to submit at least one letter. You may submit a maximum of two letters of recommendation with your application. The most helpful letters are written by law school professors or other professors who have taught you in substantive, upper-level college or postgraduate courses, and who can provide candid and thoughtful evaluations of your academic ability and potential for the study of law. If you are unable to obtain an academic recommendation, letters from employers or others who have worked closely with you will be helpful.

We recommend that your letters be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service that is included in your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) subscription. To use this service, follow the directions for submitting letters outlined on LSAC's website. If you choose not to use the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service, you may use the Chicago-Kent College of Law Letter of Recommendation Form. You do not need to use the Chicago-Kent form if you use the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service.

Federal law gives students in attendance at Chicago-Kent the right to review letters of recommendation submitted on their behalf unless that right is waived. While applicants are not required to make such a waiver, they are advised that some people may not be willing to provide a recommendation in its absence. The letter of recommendation forms have a place to mark your preference. Please mark them before giving them to your recommenders. Any additional letters submitted on your behalf must contain a statement regarding your waiver preference.

All candidates must register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and have official transcripts sent directly to LSAC from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended. Further information can be obtained from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).

International Transcripts

Applicants who have completed more than one year of postsecondary work outside the United States (including its territories) or Canada must have their academic records translated and evaluated, at their own expense, and sent to Chicago-Kent. Applicants must submit their transcripts through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Applications will not be reviewed without a complete CAS report.

Applicants are exempted from this requirement if the total amount of work completed at all international institutions combined is the equivalent of one year or less of undergraduate study in the United States, its territories, or Canada. This exemption includes international work completed through a study-abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution, where the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript.

Chicago-Kent may grant advanced standing to applicants who hold a first degree in law from a non-U.S. law school. Chicago-Kent may grant up to 29 credit hours based on the applicant's prior legal study. For further information, please see the International JD Applicants webpage.

All transfer applicants must submit the results of either an LSAT or GRE exam.

Applicants who take the LSAT will have their test results reported as part of their Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report. Applicants who take the GRE must arrange for an official score report to be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to Chicago-Kent. The institution code for Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent's parent university) is 1318. No department code is required.

If an applicant has taken the LSAT, that score will be the primary test for admissions purposes and the GRE score (if provided) will be considered as supplemental information. If an applicant has only taken the GRE, the Admissions Committee will consider each individual section score with particular weight given to the quantitative score.

If an applicant takes the LSAT more than once, the Admissions Committee may consider the average score, the more recent score, or the higher score, depending on individual circumstances. Preference is typically given to the highest score earned.

If an applicant takes the GRE more than once, the Admissions Committee will consider each individual score with preference given to the highest score earned. Applicants who are applying with only a GRE score must submit the results of all GRE exams taken within the past five years.

All transfer applicants must submit official law school transcripts and letters of good standing from all previously attended law schools directly to the Office of Admissions. Photocopied documents and unofficial copies provided to the applicant by the law school are not acceptable and will not be considered.

Decision Notification and Transfer Credit Analysis

Each applicant will have access to Applicant Status Online (ASO), which provides real-time access to check the status of the application throughout the admissions process. The ASO portal is integrated with each applicant's existing LSAC.org account and does not require separate login credentials. Applicants are responsible for making sure that their files are complete and should check ASO to confirm that all required application documents have been received. The Office of Admissions also uses email as one of the primary methods of communicating with applicants. Please be sure to check your email regularly.

Admissions decisions are announced in writing only and will be released both online through ASO and by email. Information about applicants is not released to third parties. Completed transfer applications are reviewed beginning in November, and decisions are made continuously until all completed applications have been read. The Admissions Committee does not review applications that are incomplete.

Transfer decisions are generally made after the record of all law school work is submitted. However, the Admissions Committee may, at their discretion, conditionally admit applicants before receiving a record of the applicant's final semester at the school from which they are transferring. In this case, acceptance is conditional based upon satisfactory academic performance in the applicant's final semester. Applicants generally will be informed of the admission decision by mid-July for the fall semester and mid-December for the spring semester.

Admission is subject to approval by the dean, pursuant to policies established by the faculty of the law school and the officers and trustees of Illinois Institute of Technology.

Transfer Credit Analysis

The extent of transfer credit will be decided on an individual basis at the time of enrollment by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Determinations are based upon review of the student's law school transcript and the credentials report, and review of the specific coursework completed, in order to ensure that the student's educational experience was sufficient to justify the granting of advanced standing. Eighty-seven credit hours are required to earn the J.D. degree. Absent extraordinary circumstances, transfer students must take a minimum of 54 credits at Chicago-Kent in order to receive their degree.

Reapplication for Admission

Applicants who wish to reapply for admission must submit the current application form, an updated personal statement and all other required application materials. The LSAT/GRE need not be retaken if the test was taken within the last five years. However, applicants must have an active subscription with the LSAC Credential Assembly Service and purchase a new report, making certain that the report includes an analysis of all undergraduate credits earned.

Rights Reserved

Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology reserves the right to change without notice any statement in this application or its instructions concerning, but not limited to, rules, policies, tuition, fees, curriculum, and courses. Changes will be duly published.

Questions

If you have questions about the admissions process, we encourage you to contact the Office of Admissions by phone at 312.906.5020 or by email.