The Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law Application Page 1 of 18 Application Instructions INSTRUCTIONS: PENN STATE LAW If you have any questions regarding admissions and/or financial aid, please contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at 1.800.840.1122 or visit our website: www.law.psu.edu Please provide all information requested. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. While the admissions office attempts to notify candidates whose files are incomplete, it is ultimately the candidate's responsibility to assure timely completion of his/her application. NEW BUILDINGS Lewis Katz Building The Lewis Katz Building in University Park, Pennsylvania opened its doors to students at Penn State Law for the start of classes January, 2009. The $60 million Lewis Katz Building is designed for modern education and reflects the serious academic nature of the study of law, with a state-of-the-art library, classrooms, and gathering spaces that enhance students' opportunities for learning, discussion, and debate. Carlisle Building The recently completed Carlisle facility opened its doors to students for the start of classes January, 2010. Lewis Katz Hall, the centerpiece of the Carlisle facility, features state-of-the-art classrooms, a new courtroom/auditorium, an exterior courtyard, and an environmentally friendly vegetated green roof. Renovated Trickett Hall houses the law school's unified H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library and boasts a reading room that overlooks the green roof. CITIZENSHIP U.S. Citizen (either by birth in the U.S. or through naturalization) U.S. Permanent Resident (a.k.a. immigrant; resident alien, green card holder), Asylee, or Refugee Neither U.S. citizen nor U.S. permanent resident ETHNICITY (to be completed by U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents) Federal law requires that institutions of higher education gather the following information regarding the ethnicity and race of their students. Your individual information will be kept strickly confidential. The law only requires institutions to report aggregate totals for each category. The standard Federal Government ethnicity and racial definitions are described below: Ethnicity Definitions Hispanic/Latino (Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin) Race Definitions White (an individual having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa) Black or African American (an individual having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa) Asian (an individual having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam) American Indian or Alaska Native (an individual having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America [including Central America], and who maintains a tribal affiliation or community attachment) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (an individual having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands) The Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law Application Page 2 of 18 APPLICATION FEE A $60 nonrefundable application fee is required. Credit card submission of payment is required. ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES A current résumé and/or addenda to address any previous employment, professional experiences and extracurricular activities, skills and/or interests is required for your application to be considered complete and should be uploaded with your application. Any changes to your application or additional documents that you would like to include after submission of your application must be forwarded as email attachments to [email protected]. PERSONAL STATEMENT(S) A personal statement is required to complete your application. The statement should address: factors that have been significant in your development and identity; experiences or circumstances that may distinguish you from other candidates; or any special achievements or accomplishments. You should feel free to discuss a topic or topics of your choice. Please limit your submission to two pages of double-spaced type. A brief second statement outlining your specific interest in Penn State Law is preferred, but not required. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Penn State Law requires two letters of recommendation submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service (LOR) to complete your application. If you graduated from your undergraduate institution within the last two years or are still in the process of earning your undergraduate degree, at least one recommendation from an academic instructor is preferred. Professional recommendations are also welcome. Penn State Law will accept evaluations, but prefers letters of recommendation. Any additional recommendations sent after submission of your application may be submitted through LSAC or sent as email attachments to [email protected] CHARACTER AND FITNESS All applicants should note that there are character, fitness and other qualifications for admission to the bar. All applicants are encouraged to determine what those requirements are in the jurisdictions in which she or he intends to practice. More information about bar exams and bar examiners in various states can be found at www.NCBEX.org. Admission to Penn State Law does not guarantee admission to any bar. INTERNATIONAL AND FOREIGN-EDUCATED APPLICANTS Penn State Law requires that your foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service. If you completed any postsecondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign work through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the Credential Assembly Service registration fee. An International Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your Credential Assembly Service Law School Report. If English is not your first language, or you received your degree from a foreign institution, you are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. Applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement if they have received a baccalaureate degree from an educational institution in a country where English is both the language of instruction and the only official or native language. The Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law Application Page 3 of 18 To submit a TOEFL score, you must contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL code for the Credential Assembly Service is 8395. Your score will be included in the International Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your law school report. IELTS score reports should be sent electronically to the Law School Admission Council. To use the Credential Assembly Service, log in to your online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts. Questions about the Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at 215.968.1001, or [email protected]. FINANCIAL AID APPLICANTS If you are applying for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, you must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid Form) available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Penn State's school code is: 003329. If you are applying for institutional grant aid, you must also complete the Penn State Law Financial Aid application, available after January 1 on our website, www.law.psu.edu. For those applicants who will use private loans, information regarding those lenders will be forwarded to admitted students during the mid- to late-spring. The deadline for submitting the FAFSA form and the Penn State Law Financial Aid Application is March 1, 2013. CHECKLIST: FIRST-YEAR STUDENT APPLICATION Did you remember to: ____ Complete and transmit your application by April 30, 2013; ____ Pay $60 application fee by credit card (if the fee has not been waived); ____ Include a Personal Statement; ____ Upload résumé; and ____ Upload required and optional supplementary documents/addenda? Have you: ____ Requested letters of recommendation? (Letters of Recommendation must be sent through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service.) ____ Requested official final transcript(s) from all undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools you attended and asked them to be sent to LSAC? ____ Arranged for payment for your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report? ____ Completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available at www.fafsa.ed.gov? FAFSA must be completed by March 1 for consideration for need-based aid. The Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law Application Page 4 of 18 ____ Completed the Penn State Law Financial Aid Application, available from the Penn State Financial Aid web page, http:// law.psu.edu/financial_aid/need_based_grants after January 1? March 1