Cooley Law School

MI · Private · East North Central

Acceptance rate: 53% (1,323 applicants)
Median LSAT: 147 (middle 50%: 145–151)
Median GPA: 3.09 (middle 50%: 2.67–3.45)
Tuition: $47,400 (per year)
Bar passage: 51.5% (-22.9 pts vs. state average)

Deadlines

Application deadline: May 1, 2027
Application deadline: Sept. 1, 2026

Essays

Personal statement (2 to 4 pages, double-spaced, 1-inch margins)

Please provide a personal statement no longer than 2-4 pages double spaced (1 inch margins) on a topic of your choice. This is your opportunity to discuss anything that you believe would be relevant for the admissions committee to consider when reviewing your application.

Impact statement (optional) (No limit stated)

Cooley's story is one of transformation, of people and of impact. In a world that needs minds ready to navigate the legal landscapes of tomorrow, our students emerge from law school confident and future-ready. You are invited to discuss any experiences or aspects of who you are that may enhance the legal community. This could include the impact law has made in your desire to attend law school or the impact you want to make in the legal field with your degree.

LSAT or GPA addendum (optional) (No limit stated)

Applicants may include a written statement regarding LSAT score and/or GPA.

Editor's notes

If you want a September start, apply early in the cycle. Cooley reads on a rolling basis and says the fall class can fill by April or May. Treat early spring as your real deadline.
With no letters of recommendation required, the personal statement carries more weight than usual. Use it to show you can read closely and write clearly, and read the LSAT Writing sample as a second writing sample, since Cooley says it sometimes scores it.
Your scholarship is set mostly by LSAT and GPA, and Cooley uses your highest LSAT if it arrives before your first day. A retake can pay for itself. After that, class rank is the only way to raise an award below 50%.
Read the disclosure page before you answer the character and fitness questions. Cooley requires you to disclose sealed, expunged and juvenile matters, and it warns that the bar will compare your answers later.