Willamette University

OR · Private · Pacific

Acceptance rate: 61% (858 applicants)
Median LSAT: 154 (middle 50%: 151–157)
Median GPA: 3.48 (middle 50%: 3.22–3.70)
Tuition: $56,600 (per year)
Bar passage: 64.6% (-12.1 pts vs. state average)

Deadlines

Application deadline: Aug. 15, 2026

Essays

Personal statement (No length stated)

A personal statement is required as part of your application. This is your opportunity to tell your story, highlight your motivations for pursuing a legal career, and how Willamette aligns with your aspirations.

Immigrant Justice Scholars addition (Brief, within the personal statement)

If interested, please include a brief explanation of your passion for immigration law in your personal statement.

Editor's notes

Early decision here is a straight trade: a binding commitment by Dec. 1, 2026 for a $10,000 scholarship and an answer in January. If Willamette is your first choice and you'd enroll without comparing offers, that's real money. If you want to compare packages, skip it. The final deadline is Aug. 15, 2027.
Don't take the GRE as a backup. If you have both scores, Willamette looks only at the LSAT from the past five years, so a GRE can't cover a weak LSAT.
Answer the why-Willamette part of the personal statement. The page asks how Willamette aligns with your aspirations, and Salem is a government town: the school sits across from the Capitol and state courts. If you want public law, state government or immigration work, say so and connect it.
If you'll work during law school, read the reduced-credit rules first. Classes are daytime only, and the school says it can't promise first-year schedules around a job, so talk to admissions before you commit.