Get Accepted to Cornell School of Law [Episode 590]

Admissions Straight Talk

This week, Linda Abraham welcomes Dean Shane Cooper, Senior Associate Dean for Admissions, Financial Aid and Student Services at Cornell School of Law. Dean Cooper shares insights into the admissions process at Cornell Law School, emphasizing the mutual goal of finding the right fit between the school and the applicant. We discuss the benefits of small class sizes, close faculty interaction, and strong international programs. Despite its Ithaca location, the school offers abundant opportunities for experiential learning. Dean Cooper explains that Cornell accepts LSAT, GRE, or GMAT scores without preference, with financial aid linked to the strength of these scores. He highlights the importance of diverse experiences and well-rounded characters in applicants, and we explore how interviews, re-applicant growth, and the Why Cornell essay play significant roles in the admissions process. Dean Cooper underscores Cornell Law’s commitment to opening doors for students and making a positive impact on the legal community.
Mentioned in today's episode:

• Cornell Law School JD Program
• Are You Ready for Law School?, Accepted's Free Law School Admissions Quiz

Related Admissions Straight Talk episodes:

• How to Get Into George Washington School of Law
• How to Get into Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
• How to Get into USC Gould School of Law
• JD-Next: A Great Option for Law School Applicants
• How to Get into the University of Chicago Law School

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1. Dean Cooper, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. (00:00:00)

2. Can you give an overview of the more distinctive features of the Cornell JD program? (00:02:41)

3. How would you respond to an applicant concerned that Ithaca is far from any major city and they might fear the location could limit opportunities for experiential learning or internships? (00:04:25)

4. Applicants can apply to Cornell with the LSAT, the GRE or the GMAT. Is there any preference? Do you find them equally predictive of success in law school? (00:06:57)

5. Is there any difference in the likelihood of receiving financial aid if you take the LSAT or GRE? (00:08:03)

6. Are you anticipating any changes to the application process for the 2024/25 cycle? (00:08:28)

7. What kind of experience are you looking for in applicants? Full-time work experience? Specific volunteer experience? Legally related experience? Do you have any preferences? (00:09:14)

8. As you mentioned, Cornell has some very specific prompts in lieu of their traditional personal statement. I'm going to focus on prompt number two. Can you give listeners some tips for that? (00:11:39)

9. Since you mentioned it, let's touch on the “Why Cornell?” essay. (00:18:00)

10. If applicants had a bad semester, drop in grades, took the LSAT more than once, should they write an addendum? Are there other reasons that you would encourage people to write an addenda? (00:19:04)

11. The Cornell Law website says that, "Interviews are at the request of our admissions committee only." What percentage of admitted students are interviewed, and why would you request an interview if it's less than a hundred percent? (00:21:46)

12. What transforms a competitive application into an accepted application? (00:25:39)

13. Does Cornell Law consider update letters at any point in the process? (00:28:27)

14. Do you have any advice for re-applicants to Cornell Law? (00:29:55)

15. What advice do you have for transfer applicants to Cornell Law (00:32:19)

16. What advice would you have for somebody who's not planning to apply this cycle but is planning to apply in 2025 or 2026. (00:33:44)

17. What would you have liked me to ask you? (00:35:39)

18. Where can listeners learn more about Cornell Law? (00:39:53)