University of Illinois

IL · Public · East North Central

Acceptance rate: 33% (2,153 applicants)
Median LSAT: 166 (middle 50%: 160–168)
Median GPA: 3.81 (middle 50%: 3.55–3.92)
Tuition: $46,500 (per year, nonresident)
Bar passage: 93.2% (+11.9 pts vs. state average)

Deadlines

Application deadline: March 15, 2027

Essays

Personal statement (2 to 3 pages, double-spaced)

Include a typed personal statement of 2 to 3 pages, double-spaced. There is no formula for a successful personal statement, and different applicants will have different approaches and topics for their essays. At Illinois Law, we look beyond test scores and grades to find the applicants that are best suited for success. We encourage you to discuss significant life experiences; meaningful extracurricular activities; why you have chosen to pursue a career in the law; significant obstacles met and overcome; particular political, philosophical, or religious beliefs; prior careers; or experiences relating to disadvantage of any kind. Any of these subjects, and countless others, could be appropriate for your personal statement and will assist the committee in selecting the best individuals to study at Illinois Law.

Why Illinois

Please describe why you are interested in attending the University of Illinois College of Law. This statement should address how Illinois Law is uniquely situated to help you reach your academic and professional goals. This could include specific academic programs or professional outcomes; it could include family and personal obligations.

Supplemental 1: setback (Under 500 words)

Describe a challenge, failure, or setback you have faced and overcome, whether long-term and systemic (e.g., socioeconomic, health, or complex family circumstances) or short-term and discrete (e.g., a workplace scenario or a particularly demanding course). How did you confront it? What, if anything, might you do differently?

Supplemental 2: quality or skill (Under 500 words)

Describe a quality or skill you have and discuss how you expect it will help you in your legal career.

Supplemental 3: changed your mind (Under 500 words)

Tell us about a time in the recent past when you changed your mind about something significant.

Supplemental 4: collaboration (Under 500 words)

Our law school culture is one of encouragement, cooperation, and collaboration. We actively seek out students who exhibit those characteristics, even when it is not convenient or easy. Describe a recent experience when you exhibited any or all of these characteristics.

Supplemental 5: lived experience (Under 500 words)

One of the goals of our admissions process is to enroll students who will enrich the quality and breadth of the intellectual life of our law school community and the legal profession. How have your lived experiences and perspectives positively shaped who you are today in a way that contributes to our admissions goals?

Supplemental 6: outside view (Under 500 words)

Think of someone who knows you in an academic or professional setting, but doesn't know you well (i.e., not a family member or a close friend). How would they describe your work ethic, written or oral communication skills, and/or professionalism? Would their description be accurate? Why or why not?

Supplemental 7: community (Under 500 words)

Provide insight into your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect in which scholars with varied perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and collaborate productively and positively.

Addendum (250 words or less)

Please address any concerns you may have in your application. If, for example, you do not believe that your academic credentials demonstrate your true capabilities, please explain why. Also, describe any gaps in your academic career and work experience or any extenuating circumstances in your profile of which the admissions committee should be made aware.

Editor's notes

Apply by January if you can. March 15 is only a preferred deadline, but Illinois says late applicants face a class that's mostly spoken for, and it denies some people each year who would have been admitted earlier.
Numbers drive the biggest money here. The Dean's Scholarship pays full tuition to admits above the target LSAT and GPA medians (166 and 3.81 for the Class of 2028), and every Illinois scholarship is guaranteed for three years. Know where you stand before you decide whether to retake.
Be choosy with the supplements. You may send one or two of seven, never more. Pick the prompts that show something your personal statement doesn't, and let the why-Illinois answer carry the school-specific detail.
Write your own words. The Fall 2027 certification says your essays can't be substantially drafted by another person or by AI, and you sign that when you submit.