INSTRUCTIONS: PENN STATE UNIVERSITY, THE DICKINSON SCHOOL OF LAW

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1 INSTRUCTIONS: PENN STATE UNIVERSITY, THE DICKINSON SCHOOL OF LAW If you have any questions regarding admissions and/or financial aid, please contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at or visit our website Please provide all information requested, as incomplete applications will not be reviewed. While the admissions office attempts to notify candidates whose files are incomplete, it is ultimately the candidate's responsibility to assure timely completion of his/her application. CAMPUS SELECTION The law school maintains two completely unified, interconnected campuses; one in Carlisle, PA, the law school's home of 174 years, the other in University Park, PA, the location of Penn State's flagship campus. Information about both locations is available in the "Selecting Your Campus" segment of the "Prospective Student" portion of our website ( Please indicate your first-year campus selection by checking the appropriate box on our application. Admission decisions are made without regard to your campus selection. NEW BUILDINGS Construction currently is under way on two beautiful new signature facilities for our law school, one in Carlisle, the other in University Park. Occupancy of our new University Park building is scheduled for December, Occupancy of our new Carlisle building is scheduled for early spring semester The law school occupies exceptional transition facilities in both of our locations while our new buildings are under construction. You may view our new building designs, construction as it occurs, and our transition facilities on our website ( CITIZENSHIP US Citizen: Either citizen by birth in the US or those who have paperwork proving naturalized citizenship. US Permanent Resident: Immigrant Visa; also known as resident alien, immigrant, or Green Card Holder, Asylees and Refugees Non-Immigrant Visa: Individuals who are neither US citizens nor US Permanent Residents ETHNICITY/RACE The standard Federal Government ethnicity and racial definitions are described below: Ethnicity definition Hispanic/Latino: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. Racial definitions

2 White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains a tribal affiliation or community attachment. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. APPLICATION FEE A $60 nonrefundable application fee is required. If applying electronically, you may pay with a credit card or you may print the Certification Letter and enclose a check or money order payable to The Pennsylvania State University. ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES You may submit a résumé and/or supplementary sheets to address your extracurricular, community, or professional experiences. If applying electronically, use an electronic attachment. If you submit additional pages be sure to put your name and LSAC account number on each page for identification purposes. PERSONAL STATEMENT The Admissions Committee requires a personal statement to complete your application. The statement should address factors that have been significant in your development and identity, something that may distinguish you from other candidates, or highlights any special achievements or accomplishments. As such, you should feel free to discuss a topic or topics of your choice. However, please limit your submissions to TWO PAGES OF DOUBLE-SPACED TYPE. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Two letters of recommendation submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service or mailed directly to the law school are required. If you are currently in undergraduate school, both letters should come from an individual who is/was an academic instructor. You might also wish to submit a third letter from another

3 individual who is familiar with your academic abilities, extracurricular endeavors, or employment experiences. If you have been out of school for a year or more, and are not able to obtain academic recommendations, you may obtain letters from current or former employers or professional colleagues. INTERNATIONAL AND FOREIGN-EDUCATED APPLICANTS Penn State Dickinson School of Law requires that your foreign transcripts be submitted through the LSAC JD Credential Assembly Service. If you completed any postsecondary work outside the US (including its territories) or Canada, you must use this service for the evaluation of your foreign transcripts. The one exception to this requirement is if you completed the foreign work through a study abroad, consortium, or exchange program sponsored by a US or Canadian institution, and the work is clearly indicated as such on the home campus transcript. This service is included in the LSDAS registration fee. A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), which will be incorporated into your LSDAS report. If English is not your first language, you may want to consider taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). To submit a TOEFL score, you must contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL code for the JD Credential Assembly Service is Your score will be included in the Foreign Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your LSDAS law school report. To use the JD CAS, log in to your online account and follow the instructions for registering for the service. Be sure to print out a Transcript Request Form for each institution and send it promptly to them. More time is usually required to receive foreign transcripts. Questions about the JD Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at , or LSACINFO@LSAC.org. FINANCIAL AID APPLICANTS If you are applying for the Federal Stafford Student Loan Program you must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid Form) available at If you are applying for institutional grant aid, you must also complete the Penn State Law Financial Aid Application. This form is available online at For those applicants who will use private loans, information regarding those lenders will be forwarded to admitted students during the mid- to late-spring. The deadline for submitting the FAFSA form and the Penn State Law Aid Application is March 1, 2009.

4 PENNSTATE The Dickinson School of Law 100 Beam Building. University Park, PA , Phone: ; Fax: South College Street, Carlisle, PA , Phone: ; ; Fax: Website: APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION FIRST-YEAR STUDENT Please type or print clearly the information below. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Mr. Ms. Last (family name) First Middle Previous Last Name, if any SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (Last 4 digits only) LSAC ACCOUNT NUMBER: L Are you a Reapplicant If yes, list year of previous application FIRST-YEAR LOCATION: University Park Carlisle Note: You may elect to change your campus location for your 2nd and/or 3rd years. Date of Birth - - mm/dd/yyyy Place of Birth City/State/Country High School (optional) Name City State Country Please review the government-mandated requirements regarding citizenship and ethnicity and race in our application instructions to insure the accuracy of your responses to the following questions. CITIZENSHIP STATUS: I am a U.S. Citizen U.S. Permanent Resident Non-Immigrant Visa Visa Type: Country of Citizenship ETHNICITY/RACE: Federal law requires that institutions of higher education gather the following information regarding the ethnicity and race of its students and employees. Your individual information will be kept strictly confidential. The law only requires institutions to report aggregate totals for each category (Federal Register, Volume 72 Number 202, pp : access gpo gov/2007/pdf/e pdf) Select the appropriate responses regarding your ethnicity and your race: 1. Is your ethnicity Hispanic/Latino (Cuban, Mexico, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin)? Yes, Hispanic/Latino No, not Hispanic/Latino 2. What is your race? White Black or African American Asian American Indian or Alaska Native Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS Street Address Address valid until: mm/dd/yyyy City State/Province Country, if not U.S.A. Zip/Postal Code Daytime Telephone Number Evening Telephone Number Cell Phone Number Preferred Address PERMANENT ADDRESS Street Address County (if Pennsylvania) City State/Province Country, if not U.S.A. Zip/Postal Code Daytime Telephone Number Evening Telephone Number LSAC E-APP page 1 of 4

5 ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES Have you taken the Law School Admission Test? YES NO If yes, please provide the date(s) and scores. Date: Score: Date: mm/yy mm/yy If no, or if you plan to take the test again, please provide the date(s) you plan to retake the test. Score: Date: mm/yy Date: mm/yy Do you want us to wait to make a decision on your application until we have received the new LSAT score? YES NO Have you previously attended another law school(s)? YES NO IF YES, Name of School If yes, you must provide Penn State Dickinson School of Law with a complete and official transcript and a letter of good standing from the dean's office of your previous law school indicating your current academic status. List and briefly describe the major extracurricular, community, and professional activities that have been most important to you. Please use the space provided below to respond to this question. You are strongly encouraged to include a resume or additional page(s) to supplement this section. If applying electronically, use an electronic attachment. Please list, in chronological order starting with the most recent, current employment and any significant employment during your college years, including summers. List period of employment, number of hours worked per week, position held and name of employer. Please use the space provided below to respond to this question. You are strongly encouraged to include a resume or additional page(s) to supplement this section. If applying electronically, use an electronic attachment. DATES (mm/yy-mm/yy) EMPLOYER NATURE OF WORK HOURS PER WEEK REASON FOR LEAVING Please list in chronological order, with the most recent first, all colleges and universities in which you have enrolled and/or attended. (If you have not yet received a degree, indicate the degree and the date you expect to receive it.) If applying electronically, use an electronic attachment. DATES OF ATTENDANCE (mm/yy-mm/yy) SCHOOL MAJOR DEGREE AND DATE (mm/yy) You may include an addendum addressing any economic, cultural, societal factors, your academic record, or LSAT results, which would provide the admissions committee with additional insight into your admission application. If applying electronically, use an electronic attachment LSAC E-APP page 2 of 4

6 OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS The Pennsylvania State University The Dickinson School of Law To complete your application, the Admissions Committee requires a personal statement. If applying electronically, use an electronic attachment. Your statement should address factors that have been significant in your development and identity, something that may distinguish you from other candidates, or highlights any special achievements or accomplishments. As such, you should feel free to discuss a topic or topics of your choice. However, please limit your submission to TWO PAGES OF DOUBLE-SPACED TYPE. Two letters of recommendation are required: one must be of an academic nature. The Admissions Committee prefers that you send them to LSAC so they may also be included with your LSDAS/LOR report. Please do not submit more than three such letters. Please list the names and titles of the people from whom you will be submitting a letter of recommendation Please indicate the programmatic areas that may be of interest to you (check no more than five). Administrative Law & Government Affairs Agricultural Law Civil Rights Commercial and Corporate Law Constitutional Law Criminal Law Dispute Resolution Environmental Law Family/Elder Law Health Law Human Rights and Immigration Law Intellectual Property and Media Law International and Comparative Law Labor and Employment Law Property and Real Estate Law Public Interest Law Tax Law Other Co-curricular Programs Arts, Sports, and Entertainment Law Clinic Disability Law Clinic Elder Law Clinic Family Law Clinic Miller Center for Public Interest Advocacy Concurrent Degree Programs J.D./M.B.A. Smeal College of Business Administration J.D./M.P.A. Public Administration J.D./M.S.I.S. Information Systems J.D./Master of Environmental Pollution Control (M.E.P.C.) J.D./Master of Engineering in Environmental Pollution Control (M.Eng.) J.D./Master of Science in Environmental Pollution Control (M.S.E.P.C.) J.D./Master in Counseling, Shippensburg University In order of importance (1-most influential; 12-least influential), what or who influenced you to apply? On-campus recruiting LSAC Forum Law school visit Alumnus Current student Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools Prelaw advisor Contact with an admissions representative Law school publications Family U.S. News and World Report Penn State Dickinson Web site Please list other law schools to which you are applying (optional) Are you applying for financial aid (loans, grants, or scholarships)? YES NO (If yes, please refer to the Financial Aid Section in the application materials.) NOTE: Your response to this question has no effect on the admissions decision. The question is asked to provide the office with information useful for planning purposes. Applicants are advised that financial aid awards are not made at the time of acceptance. LSAC E-APP page 3 of 4-3 -

7 PERSONAL INFORMATION (Family background optional) Father's name Occupation Address Level of education Institution Institution Mother's name Degree Degree Occupation Address Level of education Institution Degree Institution Degree Has anyone in your immediate family received a degree from Penn State Dickinson School of Law? If the answer is yes, please fill in the information below. YES NO NAME RELATIONSHIP GRADUATION DATE (mm/yy) DISCLOSURES (Failure to complete will delay processing of your application) 1. Have you ever been subject to any disciplinary action, placed on academic probation, dismissed, suspended, expelled, asked to withdraw for academic reasons, or been subject to any action for misconduct or honor code violation at any school, college, university, or graduate/ professional school, or is any such action pending or expected to be brought against you? YES NO If yes, you must explain the relevant facts in a supplementary statement, including the nature of the offense and dates. If applying electronically, use an electronic attachment. 2. Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime or infraction other than a minor traffic violation? YES NO 3. Are there criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you? YES NO If yes, to either "2" or "3," you must explain in a supplementary statement with complete details and dates. If applying electronically, use an electronic attachment. Note: Although a conviction may have been sealed or expunged from the record by an order of the court, it nevertheless should be disclosed in answer to this question. 4. Were you ever separated from any branch of the armed forces of the United States under conditions other than honorable? YES NO If yes, please explain the relevant facts of your discharge in a supplementary statement. If applying electronically, use an electronic attachment. CERTIFICATION (Failure to sign will delay the processing of your application) By signing this application, or by transmitting it electronically, I certify that this application is complete and accurate. I will inform Penn State Dickinson of any occurrences subsequent to the date of this application that would change the answers to any of the questions asked on this application. I understand that any omission, misstatement, or inaccuracy in this application or any supporting material submitted by me, whenever discovered, may result in the voiding of my registration, in which event I will receive no credit for any attendance at the school. Furthermore, I understand that the law school may be required to disclose information that I provide in my law school application to bar examiners of the jurisdictions to which I apply for a license to practice law after my graduation. Date Signature Note: if you elect to submit this application electronically rather than printing and mailing it, you may either complete the electronic certification screen OR sign the Certification Letter and send the letter, along with the fee, directly to the law school. SUBMIT THIS APPLICATION ON OR BEFORE MARCH 1, WITH A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER IN THE AMOUNT OF $60, PAYABLE TO THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY. IF APPLYING ELECTRONICALLY, YOU MAY PAY BY CREDIT CARD. THE APPLICATION FEE IS NOT REFUNDABLE. ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS AND ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE SHOULD BE SENT TO THE CARLISLE LOCATION: 150 SOUTH COLLEGE STREET, CARLISLE, PA LSAC E-APP page 4 of 4-4 -

8 CHECKLIST: PENN STATE UNIVERSITY, THE DICKINSON SCHOOL OF LAW FIRST-YEAR STUDENT APPLICATION DID YOU REMEMBER TO: Complete and transmit application by March 1, 2009; Pay $60 application fee by check, money order, or credit card; Upload or directly submit supplementary documents/addenda; and Include personal statement? HAVE YOU: Requested letters of recommendation (may be sent through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service (LOR) or submitted directly)? Requested official final transcript(s) from all undergraduate schools you attended and asked them to be sent to LSAC? Arranged for payment for LSDAS Report? Completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available at FAFSA must be completed by March 1 for consideration for need-based aid. Completed the Penn State Law Financial Aid Application, available at by March 1 for consideration for needbased aid? SUBMIT APPLICATION MATERIALS ELECTRONICALLY; SUBSEQUENT DOCUMENTATION SHOULD BE SENT TO: The Pennsylvania State University The Dickinson School of Law Office of Admissions 150 South College Street Carlisle, PA 17013