Columbia Law School Acceptance Rate: Why It’s So Hard To Get Into Law Schools?

If you have an aim to attend one of the finest and high-ranking law schools in the world, Columbia law school should be your top priority. But Columbia law school acceptance rate has shattered the dreams of many aspiring young students. Being consistently nominated among the top five best law schools in the world, they allow only the brightest of candidates to be a part of such a prestigious institute. That is the reason Columbia law school acceptance rate is so low. And those who make it to Columbia law school, graduate to be business giants, US Presidents, and the Judges of the Supreme Court.

What Is Columbia Law School Acceptance Rate Over The Years?

Institutes all over the world are given a ranking that indicates the competitiveness of that institute. For most law schools in the US, higher rankings mean a lower probability of getting accepted at that school, hence a lesser acceptance rate which would explain Columbia Law school acceptance rate.

In the United States, the average acceptance rate for law schools is somewhere near 45%. However, being a highly ranked and historical institute in the world, Columbia law school acceptance rate has been moving between 16 – 22%. This rate has been changing for a decade, with each year more and more brilliant candidates applying with exquisite skills and qualifications.

In years where the number of applicants is lesser than average the Columbia law school acceptance rate goes slightly upwards to accommodate the definite figure of students. Such as in 2023, 11.42% of applicants were given admission at Columbia law school out of all those who applied.

Although the GPA and the LSAT scores of the candidates pretty much regulate their probability of being accepted at Columbia, there are a few typical metrics that determine Columbia law school acceptance rate each year. In 2020, the recorded acceptance rate for Columbia law was 16.8%, according to the statistics gathered by Public Legal. With such an acceptance rate, it is an honor to call yourself a student or alumni of the outstanding Columbia law school.

What Makes Columbia Law School Acceptance Rate So Low?

Columbia law school acceptance rate reflects exceptional legal training and career opportunities for their students. To provide excellent legal education, the law schools have a limited number of qualified faculty. Because of the limited faculty and seats, admired institutes like Columbia law school can only accommodate a specific figure of candidates. According to experts, another reason for the low acceptance rate for law schools is the huge amount of students trying to get in, which leads to a tough rivalry among the applicants.

Each year thousands of students send out their applications for the Columbia law school and only a small percentage of them get in. The Columbia law school acceptance rate has a lot to do with the average GPA and LSAT scores of the students. For instance, for Columbia law school the typical GPA is about 3.7 which is not so high compared to Yale or Harvard. But they have high average LSAT scores that determine the admission of the candidates.

Columbia Law School Rankings

One of the factors the Columbia law school acceptance rate is low is their sky-soaring rankings in both national and international statistics. It is one of the best law schools in the whole world apart from its numerous national rankings.

• According to the QS World University Rankings 2023, Columbia law school holds the 22nd position in the world.
• According to US News Global University Rankings 2023, Columbia University is ranked in 8th place.

Facilities And Services

Students of Columbia law school relish the finest learning environment with advanced facilities and exceptional faculty. Here is a list of all the facilities and services you get for choosing Columbia Law.

Advanced Curriculum

Columbia law school curriculum is always up-to-date and brings out the best of learning outcomes. The advanced curriculum shapes a rigid academic foundation that aids the future legal career of the graduates. New courses are being added within the field as well as in interdisciplinary fields to broaden the legal mindset of the students.

Expert Faculty

The faculty at Columbia law school is highly renowned for its international recognition in the field of law. Those who teach and train at Columbia law school are experts in legal practices and have diversified skills. They engage students in complex political, social, economic, and legal challenges and try to find solutions to those tasks.

Real-World Learning Experience

Columbia law school is well known for its hands-on legal training for its students. Students have multiple real-world learning opportunities with Columbia moot courts and externships. During the course of the legal learning framework, students are encouraged to interact and work with real clients. This gives them a chance to learn better through the first-hand practices of the legal world.

United Community

The Columbia law community is bound by the written as well as unspoken rules of law which help them work together for the betterment of society. There are numberless possibilities for the students both on-campus and off-campus that bring them together in the form of a unified community. Students with diversified skills and backgrounds engage in legal and public dealings and learn together peacefully.

Countless Career Options

The strong affiliation of the Columbia law school and its faculty with the top-rated law firms, NGOs, business organizations, and educational educations provide a clear career pathway for the Columbia law graduates. Columbia law students are given remarkable career counseling sessions, mentoring, and advice on the legal resources for their future. This not only enables the fresh graduates to land their dream jobs but also helps still in school students to plan their future preferences.

Strong Alumni Web

The Columbia law school students and graduates are bonded by the strong network of alumni from more than 118 countries. The graduates of the Columbia law school turn into future leaders, entrepreneurs, justices of the supreme court, US presidents, and CEOs of giant organizations.

Providing such quality legal education and training is not easier for a larger student population, hence the Columbia law school acceptance rate is low.

How To Get Into Columbia Law School?

Even though Columbia law school acceptance rate is pretty low, hundreds of students from all over the world still apply for it and some of them even get in. If you too are a student aspiring to call yourself a Columbian law graduate, we have gathered all the information you might need to get into Columbia law school.

Programs

There are plenty of programs to choose from for a law student in Columbia. The most commonly pursued program is a four-year J.D. (Juris Doctor), although Columbia Law also offers LLM (Masters of Law), which is a one-year course. Apart from that, there is also a J.S.D (Doctor of Science of Law), which is equivalent to a Ph.D. degree in law.

There are so many areas of study ranging from policy, corporate, business, constitutional law, workplace law, international law, litigation, dispute resolution, social justice, and many more. You can choose any of the areas of study according to your interest and your respective background.

Admissions

An average Columbia law class is made up of 350 individuals with students from all demographics and academic backgrounds. In a typical class, the ratio of males and females is about fifty-fifty whereas, the colored students comprise 45% of the total class. There are about 20% of students who are from different countries and nations. Most of the students in the Columbia law class are political science, economics, and law majors. The new session each year starts around 1st September and the deadline is February 15th.

The acceptance rate for 2023 is 11.42% for this year and the median LSAT score is 171 and the median GPA 3.7. The faculty-student ratio of Columbia law school is 5:2:1. For someone who is still an undergraduate student, try to gain the best possible GPA and LSAT scores to be accepted at Columbia law school. If you are out of college already, having some work experience along with a high LSAT/GPA improves your probability of getting accepted at Columbia.

Columbia law application details are available online, where all the details of the programs and the areas of study are mentioned comprehensively. You start your application by signing up at the LSAC or CAS (Law School Credential Assembly Service, after which different steps need to be completed before you can submit it. The Columbia law school applications are submitted directly through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), before filling out the 9- step application form. In the application section, you will find two different admission tracks, one is Early decision and the other one is Regular admission. Both of the admission tracks start collecting applications from the start of September till the mid of February. Despite the admission you choose, you will need to submit the following documents for a complete application:

• Previous academic reports
• A completed application form with the application fee draft
• A resume
• LSAT score transcript
• Two academic recommendation letters from your previous institute
• Approval from the Dean
• Application Essays, including, two-page personal statement, law school diversity declaration, and any extra material you find useful.

Costs And Scholarships

The initial fee for the Columbia law school is $85 which has to be submitted at the time of admission with the admission form. Columbia law school has many students that have been granted scholarships such as Fulbright. Most of the international students in Columbia law class either on full or partial scholarships.

Tips For Solid Application For Columbia Law School

You can have a GPA of 3.8 and still not get into Columbia law school because of a lousy application form and essay. Fortunately, we have listed some of the best tips to make your application stronger and increase your chances of getting accepted at Columbia law.

Ask Your Professors For Recommendation Letters

Having two recommendation letters is a requirement for the Columbia law school but many applicants don’t even bother to get a hold on one. What happens when students do not request their professors for the letters is that they end up with nothing in hand when the deadline for admission is upon them. If you are certain you wish to go to Columbia law school, start asking your professors for recommendation letters beforehand because it is a long and hectic process.

Write Your Essay Honestly

Many students with high academic performances in their college end up being rejected at the Columbia law school because of artificial essays they write for their applications. The essays that get students in Columbia are written in a natural tone, talking about your true passions and some honest but solid reasons as to why you are choosing Columbia.

Gain Work Experience

According to experts Columbia law school prefers candidates who have some previous work or co-curriculum experience on their application form. You can gain experience by joining clubs at your institute or by working with some legal organization as an internee.