Most Illinois law schools require students to complete a bachelor's degree prior to entry. Various majors may be accepted besides pre-law, such as political science, English, chemistry, economics, foreign language and business. Although cumulative grade point average (GPA) affects your chances of being admitted, schools strive for a diverse student body and consider an applicant based on more than just the undergraduate major and GPA. Students at Northwestern (northwestern.edu) in Chicago, for instance, between 2008 and 2010 possessed median GPAs of approximately 3.7, and applicants to The John Marshall Law School (jmls.edu) in Chicago possessed GPAs between 3.05 and 3.59 in 2010.
Potential students must take the LSAT, Law School Admission Test, for Illinois law school admission. Just like undergraduate grades, LSAT scores are just part of the criteria used to determine which students gain admission. The LSAT measures logic, analytical ability and reading comprehension. Northwestern law students in 2008-2010 tend to score between 166 and 172 while applicants to The John Marshall Law School scored in the 150s.
Most Illinois law schools require applicants to submit transcripts through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). You can submit transcripts for high school and all colleges you attended through this service. Students also typically need to submit at least two letters of reference. As the University of Illinois (Illinois.edu) law school in Champaign suggests, these letters should indicate the applicant's potential for success in law school through dedication and intellectual curiosity from the viewpoint of academic or legal professionals. Some schools, such as Northern Illinois University (niu.edu) in DeKalb, also require a resume and a personal statement indicating your reasons for applying to the school, explaining what you will contribute to the campus environment.
Some law schools such as The John Marshall School offer master of laws (LLM) and master of science (MS) programs. LLM programs allow attorneys to specialize their legal education, such as in tax law or estate law. MS programs are designed for students who don't wish to become practicing attorneys but obtain advanced legal education. To enter these programs, you don't need to take the LSAT, and entrance requirements may be less rigorous. For instance, you must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to apply to John Marshall's MS program.