Wait List - Frequently Asked Questions

The number of applications we receive varies from year to year, and although we have a general sense of how many offers we should make to fill our entering class, we have to wait to see how many of those applicants who were initially offered admission submit a deposit and reserve their seat.  Even after the first and second deposit deadlines have passed, we may hear from some students that their plans have changed and they will not be enrolling at Temple. When seats become available in the class the Faculty Admissions Committee will begin to look at applicants on the waiting list.

Wait list offers can be made at any time from May until the first week of classes in August.  Judging from past experience, wait list offers are more likely to occur after our second deposit deadline of June 15^th.

No.  If you are sincerely interested in attending Temple Law School this fall and wish to remain on the waiting list, you should complete the online Wait List Confirmation Form.

No, we do not rank candidates on the wait list. All wait list applicants who have submitted a Wait List Confirmation Form are considered for any seats which may open in the incoming class.

The number of candidates on the wait list varies from year to year, however, on average there may be up to 150 candidates on the wait list at any time.  The number of wait list candidates who are accepted depends on the needs of our incoming class and each year is very different.  In recent years there have been no candidates admitted from the wait list, and in other years there have been more than a dozen.

Yes. You should feel free to submit any additional materials or information that you think would assist the Admissions Committee in their effort to evaluate the unique merits of your candidacy. Additional documentation can be emailed to LawAdmis@temple.edu. These documents will then be attached to your application for the faculty admissions committee to review. Typically, the Admissions Committee is interested in offering admission to applicants who have expressed a commitment to Temple.  A statement describing your specific interest in and commitment to attending Temple Law School would be especially helpful.

Updated grades, typically from your final spring semester which were not part of your original application, can show a rising grade trend. You should submit those grades through the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS), which will update your application materials.

Additional letters of recommendation generally are not helpful but will be added to your application file if received in our office.

We typically contact candidates on the wait list by either email or by phone. Please be sure to provide us with a phone number where you can be reached during both the day and evening hours. You should provide us with a reliable email address which you check regularly. Make sure to contact us if your email address or any other contact information changes.

It depends on the timing of the offer. If you are admitted from the wait list early in the spring/summer, you would have 10  days to make a decision and submit an admissions deposit.  Wait listed candidates who are admitted closer to the start of classes in late July or early August are typically given only a few days to make a decision and submit a deposit.

Yes, if you otherwise qualify, receiving federal or private loans should not be a problem. You should make sure that your FAFSA and supporting documentation have been received by the Law School Financial Aid Office so that we can begin to process your loan application as soon as you have been accepted. If you have already been approved for loans at another law school, it is relatively easy to have those loans cancelled and recertified for you by the Temple Law School Financial Aid Office.

No, the deferral option is not available to candidates admitted from the waiting list.

If you decide at any point that you are no longer interested in being on the wait list please let us know so we can remove your name from any further consideration for a seat in the class.

We advise all wait list applicants to review these frequently asked questions and the Temple Law website. If you have any additional questions or would like to schedule a visit please call us at 215-204-5949 or email us at LawAdmis@temple.edu.

Yes, previously wait-listed applicants may apply to Temple Law as a transfer student after completing their first year at a different law school.  You can find more information on the transfer application process on our website.