Admissions Process

Complete our online application. 

Application requirements include:

• Background Information. This includes mailing address and phone number, date of birth, academic degrees earned, professional experience, and life experience information on our application for admissions.
• Essay. All applicants are required to write and submit an original, personal essay (500-1,000 words) addressed to the Academic Acceptance Committee. Describe your background, indicate why you are interested in attending St. Francis School of Law, and how you intend to use the law degree. Consider this your opening statement. Your truth. Tell us who you are and who you want to be.
• Official Transcripts. St. Francis must receive an official transcript showing applicant’s bachelor degree(s) awarded and official transcripts from all institutions attended. In order for a transcript to be deemed official, it must be sent directly to St. Francis by the other institution, either electronically or by postal mail.
  • Admissions Office
    St. Francis School of Law
    Document Processing Center
    PO Box 185
    Owosso, MI 48867
    admissions@stfrancislaw.com
• Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) (optional). The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is not required, but applicants who have taken the test must provide their scores.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (optional). The GRE General Test is not required, but applicants who have taken the test may choose to have their scores shared.
• Letters of Recommendation/Employee Letter of Endorsement (optional).  Letters of recommendation help the Academic Acceptance Committee gain a deeper understanding of activities, work, or academic qualifications that demonstrate your strengths, motivation, personal characteristics, work ethic, analytical skills, and other relevant qualities. We accept up to three letters of recommendation. Recommendations can be professional, academic or personal, but please submit only one letter per category. For example, if one letter is a professional or employer recommendation, the second should be either personal or academic. The best sources for recommendations are your direct managers who can give insight into your work as an employee, professors who are familiar with the quality of your academic work, or personal references who can vouch for your integrity and character.
• Technical Requirements. Applicants must meet St. Francis’ minimum technical requirements.

Admissions will contact you after your application is received to acknowledge receipt. Once all required admission items are received and you meet our key benchmarks, we’ll schedule a phone interview to learn more about your personal background and better assess your candidacy as a St. Francis online student. Our goal is to interview as many applicants as possible; however, not all applicants are assured of an admissions interview.

The Academic Acceptance Committee reviews and considers applications as a whole, including how well the applicant meets law school prerequisites. No one factor is decisive; your education, personal and career goals, experience, and achievements are all given equal weight. The process is designed to ensure that each applicant will fit in well with our student body and succeed in our curriculum.

Three key areas are carefully evaluated:

• Scholarly achievements.
• Professional development.
• Character and personal development.

Scholarly Achievements

Academic background is a key factor in an applicant’s ability to succeed at St. Francis. The Academic Acceptance Committee considers:

• The institutions attended, including the difficulty of curriculums studied, and overall intellectual aptitude.
• Undergraduate and graduate degrees.
• Professional certifications and licenses, regardless of whether they relate to the field of law.
• LSAT scores. Though not required for admission, these scores can reflect academic potential, and may be particularly helpful if professional experience is limited.

Professional Development

The depth and breadth of an applicant’s professional development offers insights into how he/she stands out among associates and colleagues.

To gain a better understanding of distinguishing characteristics such as ambition, commonsense, creativity, and the ability to achieve a realistic work-life balance, we examine four key areas—experience, goals, teamwork and sponsorship.

• Breadth of experience is more important than any professional title, and the learning that comes from failures is as important as successes. We look not only at where you are today, but also at the paths that led you to this point.
• Knowing your short-term and long-term goals and why you have chosen to attend a competitive online law school to achieve those goals will help us tailor our program to the interests and needs of each class.
• Experience working as part of a team—as a member or a leader—is valuable, not only within St Francis, a close-knit community in which lifelong connections are built and nurtured, but throughout your career. We consider your communication and interpersonal skills, and your ability to work effectively with diverse personalities.
• A sponsorship from your employer or organization is a strong endorsement of your skills and potential. We give sponsorships tremendous weight.

Character and Personal Development

The experiences that have shaped your character and personal development—whether it was living in a foreign country, joining the Peace Corps or the military, or volunteering in your community—show us more about who you are, the perspectives you will bring to classroom discussions, and how the St. Francis community as a whole can benefit from your participation. We take into consideration:

• Extracurricular and volunteer activities that reflect your interests and contributions within your community and your ability to balance work with play.
• Your responses to difficult or new situations that offer insights into your emotional intelligence and moral character, including ethical integrity, listening skills, empathy, and communication skills.

Count on a decision from the Academic Acceptance Committee via email within two weeks following the completion of your admissions file and admissions interview.

Take the first step in joining a network of experienced, educated professionals. Learn how St. Francis can help you move ahead in your career.