For Waitlisted Students
We recognize the time and effort you have invested in the application process and we appreciate your patience and continued interest in Notre Dame Law School. We hope to clarify this process by providing you with recommended next steps and a general timeline, as well as answering your frequently asked questions.
Next Steps
Waitlist Response Form
The Office of Admissions asks that waitlisted applicants fill out the official Waitlist Response Form to indicate their continued interest in being considered for admission.
Waitlist Zoom Sessions
The Office of Admissions will hold Zoom information sessions for waitlisted students on Tuesday, February 21st at 5 PM (EST) and Thursday, March 16th at 12 PM (EST). Admissions officers will present basic information regarding the waitlist and address frequently asked questions. Register for the February session here and the March session here.
Letter of Continued Interest
In addition to submitting the Waitlist Response Form, we also recommend that you email a letter of continued interest (LOCI) to bulletin@nd.edu. Please submit your LOCI as a PDF file. Be sure to include your name and LSAC account number on this document.
You may submit a LOCI at any time but our office has found that such documents are most helpful as we near possible consideration of admission from the waitlist in late-April.
Application Updates
If any information has changed since you submitted your application, please send your updated resume, contact information, test scores, letters of recommendation, etc. to bulletin@nd.edu. Please submit documents as PDF files. Please include your name and LSAC account number, but DO NOT include your Social Security number.
Students in their final school year should ensure their most recent transcript has been sent to LSAC and that an updated CAS report has been issued to NDLS.
Waitlist Activity Timeline
December through late March
The Admissions Committee begins to issue initial admissions decisions before the holidays. Throughout the application cycle, applicants may be admitted, denied, or placed on the waitlist. Admissions decisions are distributed on a rolling basis over the following few months.
Late March
The Admissions Committee begins collecting additional information from applicants on the waitlist. See ‘Next Steps’ above for the recommended documents.
April
After the initial deposit deadline for admitted students passes on April 15, the Admissions Committee has a better sense of size of the incoming class and will determine if there is available space in the class. If there is available space, the Admissions Committee will review the applications of those candidates who have submitted the Waitlist Response Form.
It is highly unlikely any applicants on the waitlist will be offered admission prior to this date.
May
The bulk of any admissions offers will likely occur in April and May. The Admissions Committee may continue to make offers through the summer as necessary.
June-July
Our second deposit deadline is June 1. At that point, the Admissions Committee may begin to release applicants from the waitlist based on the size and composition of the incoming class. Offers from the waitlist at this point forward are rare and occur as deposited students inform the Admissions Committee of changed plans (eg, being admitted off the waitlist at another school).
August
Welcome Week for the Law School is typically the third week of August. While not ideal nor common, it is possible for admission offers to be made during this week if deposited students cancel their enrollment plans at the last minute.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have additional questions beyond those listed below, feel free to contact the admissions office at lawadmit@nd.edu.
Why do you have a waitlist?
The Admissions Committee uses a waitlist because of our rolling admissions review process, because admitted students typically do not inform us of their enrollment intentions until just before our deposit deadline, and because enrollment plans may change for our deposited students after the deposit deadline. The waitlist allows us to reevaluate applicants based on the applicant pool as well as the size and composition of the entering class after we pass our initial deposit deadline.
How many applicants will be admitted from the waitlist?
Each year the number of individuals admitted from the waitlist varies. The number of admission offers - if any - depends entirely on the number of deposits we receive from our admitted students.
How many applicants are currently on the waitlist?
The size of the waitlist varies depending on the year and how many students submit the Waitlist Response Form. Please know that applicants who are offered a position on the waitlist are those whom the Admissions Committee would like to admit if there are enough seats available in the entering class. We must also maintain breadth and depth on the waitlist to fill seats as they become available.
Is the waitlist ranked? Are there priority groups?
Our waitlist is not ranked in any way. Any priority for one set of applicants over another will be dictated by the size and composition of the deposits we receive from our initial wave of admitted students. Those who have submitted a letter of continued interest will be considered first.
How will I be notified of any changes to the waitlist or of a new admissions decision?
The Admissions Office will notify you immediately if your status changes. We will contact you first by email or phone, then follow up with mail if applicable. Additionally, you may receive periodic email updates regarding the status of the waitlist as a whole.
What if I cannot be reached to receive an offer of admission for a reason such as traveling internationally?
We strongly recommend that waitlisted applicants make every effort to keep the Admissions Office updated with their current contact information. Admissions offers from the waitlist may be time sensitive, so if we cannot confirm that you have received our communication within a reasonable time - typically two business days - we will continue to consider other candidates.
What if I need a decision by a specific date?
The earliest that the Admissions Committee may extend offers of admission to waitlisted candidates is after the initial deposit deadline has passed on April 15. We cannot take other deadlines for waitlisted applicants into consideration. If an applicant remains on our waitlist but needs to make a commitment to another law school by a specific date, it is up to their discretion to commit to alternative options.
Should I deposit/commit at another law school while I wait to hear from NDLS?
We advise that you make your deposit/confirmation decision based on the offers of admission that you have at the moment. It will not be detrimental to our consideration of extending an offer of admission from the waitlist to learn that a student is presently deposited at another law school.
When should I send my LOCI? What should be included in my LOCI?
Letters of Continued Interest (LOCIs) are optional and may be sent at any time during an applicant’s time on the waitlist. However, we find that they are most helpful as we approach our evaluation period for waitlisted candidates in early-to-mid April. This also allows the applicant to get a sense of their status at other law schools and where a potential offer of admission from NDLS may compare.
A LOCI can include your motivation for law as a career, your level of interest in Notre Dame for your legal education as well as any specific interests, and/or any new or significant information that speaks to your potential. Please forward these materials in PDF format to to bulletin@nd.edu. Be sure to include your name and LSAC number on any documents sent to this email address.
How often should I send updates?
Other than keeping the Admissions Office updated on recent contact information, test scores, and transcripts, all updates are optional and at the applicants’ discretion. The number of updates that a student submits will not alter their consideration from the waitlist.
Will I be considered for merit scholarship if admitted from the waitlist?
Yes, the Admissions Committee will consider admits from our waitlist for merit-based scholarship based on the availability of funds at that particular time. More information is available in our Tuition & Aid section.
Is there anything else I should do in anticipation of an offer of admission?
If you expect to rely on loan assistance to finance your legal education, please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Please list Notre Dame on the FAFSA (code 001840).
Should I visit campus to demonstrate my interest in NDLS?
Applicants who visit campus are not more likely to receive an offer of admission from the waitlist. We have encouraged applicants to view the purpose of their visit as for their own research on NDLS and potential fit here. Information about our visit programs will be listed on our website as they are scheduled..
I have just been offered a seat in the class, how long do I have to make a decision?
The amount of time a student has to make a decision will depend upon when the offer is made and will be listed in the decision letter. If an offer is made in April/May, the student will typically have about a week to make your enrollment decision. If the offer is made later in the summer, you may have as little as two business days to make a decision. If the offer is made closer to orientation, you may have even less time to make a decision. The length of these decision timelines is dictated by the reality that the Admissions Committee may require additional time to fill a seat if the newly admitted student opts to decline their offer.
Will housing still be available?
On-campus housing may be available through early May. There are many off-campus housing options to consider that will continue to be available throughout the summer.
What if I want to transfer or reapply to NDLS?
Notre Dame Law School welcomes transfer applications and reapplications, especially from students who were on the waitlist as we already determined you presented a strong application. Please visit our Transfer Admissions Process page on our website for detailed information on submitting a transfer application. The transfer application is available starting in February and open through June.
We would be happy to discuss these application processes with individual applicants, especially those who have received a waitlist decision. Please contact our office at lawadmit@nd.edu to connect with an admissions counselor.