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| Prospective Students |
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Frequently Asked Questions by Prospective Students1. What minimum pre-law education must I have to be eligible to apply for admission? At minimum, an applicant must have either a bachelor’s degree (B.A./B.S.) or and associate degree (A.A./A.S.) or 60 units of college credit that are transferable toward a four year degree at a regionally or nationally accredited university. 2. Must I have a minimum GPA?Applicants are generally required to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or the grade average is at least equal to that required for graduation from the institution attended. 3. Must I take the LSAT?The LSAT is a reasonably accurate predictor of successful performance in law schools at the high end and is far less so at the middle and lower percentile ranges. Those with at least a bachelor’s degree are exempt from the LSAT. Applicants with an associate degree or 60 transferable units are required to take the LSAT and score within the 31st percentile within six months of registration. 4. Could I be admitted to law school if I don’t have a bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree or 60 units of transferable credit?On very rare occasions we admit so-called “special students.” These are applicants who have taken and passed the College Level Equivalency Program (CLEP). Applicants must have a passing score of at least 50 or higher in English Composition with or without essay and, a passing score of at least 50 in any two general areas like Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences and History. Additionally, these special students must score at or about the 50th percentile on the LSAT. All CLEP and LSAT scores must be on file at the time of making an application for admission. Further, in order to advance into the second year of law studies and receive credit for first year law courses, these special students are required at the end of their first year of law school to take and pass the First Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSX-Baby Bar). The FYLSX is administered by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. In the history of our law school, we have admitted only four special students and all are currently members of the State Bar. 5. What must I do to apply?You may download our application form and mail it with the requisite application fee to our main administrative offices located at: 877 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93003. 6. When do I send my pre-law transcripts to you?At the latest, we require that we receive official copies of all pre-law education no later than 45 days after actual registration. If not received within this 45-day period under the Rules of Accreditation promulgated by the Committee of Bar Examiners you will be subject to exclusion and, the Institute will retroactively nullify your acceptance to law school. 7. Can I apply for the Fall Term? Spring Term? Summer Term?We take admissions in for Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms. Our regular academic year begins in the Fall Term (late August) and continues through the Spring Term. All first-year courses are two-semester courses. For example, you will have Contracts I in the Fall Term and Contract II in the Spring Term which begins in January and ends in April. However, in the Spring and Summer Terms, the school offers Pass/Fail courses that are in the nature of introductory classes. The credit units earned in these courses will be computed as part of the overall 84 semester units required for graduation. 8. Do you require academic counseling prior to admission?Although not required, all prospective applicants are very strongly urged to set up a one-on-one appointment with the Dean or an academic counselor to fully and comprehensively review the academic program and be apprised of the major time commitment and discipline needed to successfully complete the course of study. 9. Do I need to provide letters of recommendation?No. We dispensed with this requirement a while ago to streamline our admissions process. While such letters of recommendation are welcome it is not a pre-requisite for admission. 10. Am I eligible for admission if my undergraduate degree is from a foreign college or university?You will be eligible for admission only if your degree or study at a foreign college or university has been evaluated by an evaluation service approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners. Further, this credentialing service must determine that your foreign degree or study is the equivalent of at least a four or two year degree obtained from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. 11. What is the average class size?We are the smallest accredited law school in California with class sizes averaging less than 35 students and in some class as small as 20 students. Our total combined enrolled for our campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura is under 125 students. 12. How long is the Program?We have a 4-year program. Classes meet ONLY three evenings per week usually on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The regular Academic Year runs from the end of August to the end of April. 13. Do I have to take summer law school?Yes. During the regular Academic year a total of 18 units are earned. You earn 9 units in the Fall Term and 9 units in the Spring Term. Thus in 4-years a student obtains 72 required units. Since we require 84 units for graduation, additional 12 units are needed for graduation. These 12 units may be earned through summer law school, working on directed research projects and/or clinical study as interns for judges, working under attorney supervision for non-profit entities, or with the district attorney or public defender’s offices. 14. What is the total cost of tuition for your program?We are the most affordable state bar accredited law school in California with the current cost of tuition at $380.00 per unit. Since we require 84 units for graduation in our 4-year program, your total tuition cost is a little over $32,000.00. 15. Are your students eligible for federal tuition loan programs? And if not, what loans if any are available?Since we are a California-only accredited law school, our students are not eligible for any federal tuition loans. Avoid Student Debt 16. Is your law school approved for veteran education benefits?Yes. We are approved by the Department of Veteran Affairs for this purpose. 17. Do you have a tuition payment plan?Yes. Our academic calendar is based on a 15 weeks Fall Semester and a 15 weeks Spring Semester. Payments are made on a monthly basis of 9-units of academic credit per Semester. At $380.00 per unit, with the fees for Registration, SBA Dues, and WestLaw (a total of $150.00) AND the Deferred Payment Plan fee of $80.00 (optional), this totals $3760.00 per semester. A semester consists of 15-16 weeks. Under our payment plan this averages to one of four monthly payments of $940.00 per semester. The first tuition payment is due at the time of registration. 18. What kind of law degree do I receive?Upon successful completion of the program, all students receive the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. For those admitted with only an associate degree or 60 units of transferable credit, you may complete a Bachelor of Science in Law (B.S.L.) degree and the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree as well. 19. Upon graduation may I qualify to take the bar examination in another state?Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination, or be admitted to practice law in jurisdictions other than California. A student who intends to seek admission to practice law outside of California, should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding its education and admission requirements. 20. Do you accept transfer students from other law schools and if so on what basis?Yes. We accept transfer students and award appropriate transfer credit only if the student is in good academic standing at the prior law school. The maximum credit for work completed at another law school is 42 semester units. 21. Do you accept students who have been academically excluded from another law school?No. On rare occasions if a student has waited out a 2-year period since academic exclusion and shown a greater potential for the study of law in this interim period we will consider an application for admission as a new student. 22. Would my legal education at SCIL alone be enough to pass the CA Bar Examination (GBX)?No. As in nearly all law schools passing the GBX require additional "test-taking" skills that are geared to the particular format, content, and structure of the 3-day GBX. Almost all students take commercial bar preparation review courses to enhance their prospects at the GBX. Further, we join several law schools and organizations who believe that a nexus between quality legal education and GBX pass rates is open to serious question. For information relating to bar pass rates, on this school and other CBE-accredited law schools you may consult www.calbar.ca.gov/admissions. 23. What are the requirement for earning a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree?Students enrolled at the Southern California Institute of Law will, upon graduation, receive the Degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) only upon compliance with all of the following conditions. At the time of graduation, a student: 1. Must have received an overall grade point average of 70 or higher, completed at least 84 units of law study; 2. Must have paid all fees and tuition due; 3. Must have complied with the Rules and Regulations of the Institute including attendance, the payment of graduation fees, and have no pending charges under the Institute’s Honor Code; 4. Must have complied with all required course and examination requirements as stated in the Student Policy Manual; and 5. All students must take and pass a final Simulated three-day General Bar Examination as a condition for receiving the Juris Doctor degree. The passing score shall be within a score range as determined by the Academic Standard Committee. 6. Students who do not meet any of these conditions may be permitted to “walk” at graduation but will not receive the J.D. degree and the Institute shall not certify such students to sit for the California General Bar Examination.
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