Vermont Law School

VT · Private · New England

Acceptance rate: 59% (1,553 applicants)
Median LSAT: 152 (middle 50%: 148–157)
Median GPA: 3.25 (middle 50%: 2.81–3.61)
Tuition: $0 (per year, nonresident)
Bar passage: 67.9% (-7.5 pts vs. state average)

Deadlines

Early Decision: Nov. 15, 2026
Regular Decision: April 15, 2027

Essays

Required essay: goals

Describe the goals that are motivating you to pursue a JD degree. How do you think the skills and experience you will gain at Vermont Law and Graduate School will help you achieve these goals?

Optional essay 1: community

Vermont Law and Graduate School's motto is Law for the Community and the World. In what ways would you contribute to and/or support VLGS' commitment to communities?

Optional essay 2: effecting change

How have you tried to effect change in relation to an issue of personal, local, or national significance?

Mission Scholarship essay: environmental stewardship (800 words)

Discuss your environmental commitment and goals for using a law degree in environmental advocacy, the experiences that have most significantly influenced your goals, or any other points relevant to your qualification for the scholarship.

Mission Scholarship essay: social justice (800 words)

Discuss your history of public service and connect that service to what you hope to do as a lawyer. Include in the essay what in your life has led you to the decision to pursue the public interest service you identify and what you anticipate will be the greatest challenges and rewards.

Editor's notes

Choose your track before you write. Residential, accelerated, extended and Online Hybrid students all apply through the same LSAC application, but tuition, scholarship math and daily life differ a lot. Your goals essay should make sense for the format you pick.
The goals essay has a school-specific second half, and this school is built around environmental, energy, food and agriculture, animal law and restorative justice programs. If one of those is your reason, say so and name the clinic or center. If it isn't, explain what else draws you here.
If you're headed for public interest or environmental work, write the Mission Scholarship essay and send it by March 15. It adds a $3,000 internship stipend and mentoring on top of the automatic Scholar award.
Apply before the Nov. 15 early decision date or early in the regular cycle. Admission is rolling, and the school says early applicants get the most scholarship consideration. Ask admissions whether early decision is binding before you use it.