UMass Dartmouth

MA · Public · New England

Acceptance rate: 52% (1,311 applicants)
Median LSAT: 152 (middle 50%: 149–155)
Median GPA: 3.36 (middle 50%: 3.10–3.69)
Tuition: $41,565 (per year, nonresident)
Bar passage: 62.6% (-20.7 pts vs. state average)

Deadlines

Application deadline: June 30, 2027

Essays

Personal statement (2 to 3 typed pages)

You are also required to submit a resume and a brief (2-3 pages) typed personal statement explaining your reasons for wishing to study law. This statement should also include any other information that you feel might assist the committee in its review of your application.

Editor's notes

Think about the fellowship before you write anything. The Public Interest Law Fellowship pays half your tuition and fees, and you apply for it with your admission application. The catch is four years of public interest practice after you graduate. If you want that path, your personal statement should make the case in concrete terms, because the fellowship is highly competitive.
Your statement has room, so use it on reasons. Two to three pages is more than most schools allow, and UMass Law asks for one thing: why you want to study law. Build it around what you've done, and use the extra space to explain context the committee says it weighs, like work history, economic hardship or a grade trend.
Plan your letters around your history. UMass Law wants a faculty letter, plus one from a supervisor if you've been working. If you've been out of school for years, get that employer letter. It's the one the instructions ask for.
Rolling admission runs to June 30, but don't wait. Decisions come within a few weeks of a complete file, and merit scholarships are announced with the acceptance, so an early file gets you a full offer sooner.

UMass Dartmouth

Deadlines

Essays

Personal statement (2 to 3 typed pages)

Editor's notes

Sources