Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

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Application requirements

Deadline

Jul 01, 2026

Recommendations

2 to 4

Updated for 2025-2026 application cycle

Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School requires all applicants to make a complete and full disclosure to the Character and Fitness questions at time of application. If the answer is "Yes" to one or more of the Character and Fitness questions outlined in the application, applicants will need to upload a written explanation of each incident that includes dates, locations, charges, associated fees, and final disposition.

NOTE: Full disclosure is required for any charges against you, including those that have been dismissed, and those for which you were acquitted, adjudication was withheld or deferred, a conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated, any records were sealed or expunged, you received court supervision, or you pled guilty or nolo contendere to the charge, and regardless of whether you have been previously told that you do not need to disclose any such instance.

In addition, applicants are under continuing obligation to update disclosures and add new occurrences. Failure to make complete disclosure on this application may result in revocation of an offer of admission to Simmons Law School and/or denial of your application for admission to practice law in a particular state. Discrepancies between disclosure on this application and an applicant?s Character and Fitness Application for admission to the bar may result in serious consequences while in law school and when applying to take the bar examination. Therefore, prior to matriculation, applicants are encouraged to seek the specific bar requirements for the state the applicant plans to practice law. In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction.

Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

If you answer "Yes" to any question(s) below, you will need to upload a written explanation of each incident that includes dates, locations, charges, associated fees, and final disposition. For clarification in answering these questions, please contact the Office of Admissions at (618) 453-8858.

Have you ever been reprimanded, placed on probation, disciplined, suspended, sanctioned, dropped, or expelled by any post-secondary institution, professional association or licensing agency for any academic, non-academic or social reason? Include actions arising from academic dishonesty (such as cheating, plagiarism, and similar activities) and instances of behavioral misconduct (including, but not limited to, alcohol or substance abuse, violations of institutional or student conduct codes).
Have you ever been charged or convicted of any crime or offense, including misdemeanors and felonies, or is there now pending against you any indictment, criminal information, or criminal complaint charging a felony or misdemeanor offense, excluding minor traffic offenses? This includes offenses that have been expunged from your record or instances in which the records have been sealed. It includes offenses for which you were charged or convicted when you were a juvenile or adult. Your duty to disclose all offenses for which you have been charged or convicted exists irrespective of any legal advice you receive suggesting you are not required to disclose the offense.
Is there a warrant for arrest pending or issued against you, or has a warrant for arrest ever been issued against you?
Is an order of protection pending against you or has an order of protection ever been issued against you?
By initialling, I certify that my responses to the Character and Fitness questions are true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and I further acknowledge the consequences described above of providing false information.

Contact Information

Office of Admissions
SIU Simmons Law School
1150 Douglas Drive, Mail Code 6804
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
(618) 453-8858
lawadmit@siu.edu

Consideration for Admission

Individuals who have completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent, from an accredited institution in the United States or abroad, by the first day of fall semester class (August 17, 2026), are eligible for admission to law school. There are no prerequisite courses or specific majors required for entry. Students from all disciplines and areas of study are admitted to Simmons Law School.

Application and Admissions Timeline

The Simmons Law School Admissions Committee will conduct a holistic review of each application received. Therefore, while GPA and LSAT are important factors in the admissions process, non-numeric factors are considered. Non-numeric factors include, but are not limited to, the personal statement, letters of recommendation, work experience, community service, and honors or awards reflected through a resume.

Applications for Fall 2026 entry are available on September 1, 2025 through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC.org). The application deadline is July 1, 2026. We will accept any LSAT scores that arrive from LSAC before the deadline.

September 1: Application cycle for Fall 2026 opens.
October: Admissions Committee begins reviewing applicant files.
October through July: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis; decisions posted to the applicant's online status checker.
April 1: First seat deposit due.
May 15: Second seat deposit due.
June 15: Application deadline for international applicants (see below).
July 1: Application deadline for all other applicants, including transfer applicants. Application cycle for Fall 2026 closes.

Application Material Checklist

Below is a checklist for first-year JD applicants. For international, transfer, or visiting JD applicants, please visit www.law.siu.edu for a specific list of requirements. An application will not be reviewed until all application materials have been received. An application must be complete by the application deadline. Once a file is complete, please allow up to six weeks for a committee decision to be reached. All admission decisions are posted to the applicant?s online status checker.

Create a LSAC.org account
Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
Submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts to LSAC
Submit two letters of recommendation to LSAC
Submit 2026 Application, including your personal statement and resume, to LSAC
Pay the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) fee
Request GRE Score Report release to SIU Simmons Law School (School 1751) if you choose to use GRE scores instead of LSAT
If you choose to submit your application before you have taken the LSAT or before the score is available and do not want Simmons Law to consider your application without the score (whether new or a retake), email lawadmit@siu.edu to notify us so that we know to wait. If you do not notify us, your application will be considered without the missing score.

Special note for June LSAT takers

The application deadline is July 1 of each year. Given the date LSAC releases June LSAT scores, applicants who are considering taking the June LSAT should make sure that all other application materials have been submitted before scores are released so that their file is complete by the July 1 deadline. Because LSAT scores for applicants who have requested accommodations are sometimes delayed, applicants with accommodations are advised to take the April instead of the June LSAT to avoid missing the application deadline. Similarly, applicants who have purchased the LSAT score preview option from LSAC should make sure that using this option doesn't delay their score past the July 1 application deadline.

Additional application materials for transfer applicants

In addition to the materials above, transfer applicants (students currently enrolled in another law school) must provide the following:

an official law school transcript from their current law school showing grades earned in all courses sent to LSAC;
a letter of good standing from the law school dean or registrar certifying their good standing;
a letter, transcript or email from the law school dean or registrar indicating their class rank, and
the cumulative GPA needed to graduate from their current law school.

Accepting an offer of admission

To accept an offer of admission, an applicant must pay a seat deposit of $500. If the applicant is admitted before May 15th, the deposit can be paid in two installments of $250 each. Applicants admitted May 15 or later will have two weeks to submit the full seat deposit. Seat deposits cannot be waived and are non-refundable. A portion of the seat deposit is given back to students who are enrolled through the second week of their first semester at Simmons Law School.

Application Fee Waiver

The SIU Simmons Law School does not charge a fee for an application. However, LSAC charges for the LSAT and the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). LSAC offers full and partial waivers to applicants who have an inability to pay for either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the CAS Report. For more information, visit the LSAC website: Apply for an LSAC Fee Waiver | The Law School Admission Council. Because Simmons Law does not charge an application fee, we do not offer CAS fee waivers.

LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

Applicants are required to register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). All undergraduate and graduate transcripts and letters of recommendation must be sent directly to LSAC. For more information on the LSAT or CAS, visit the Law School Admission Council website, LSAC.org. Questions relating to your CAS law school report should be directed to LSAC, Box 2000, 662 Penn Street, Newtown, PA 18940-0998. The candidate referral service phone number is (215) 968-1001.

International Applicants

International applicants are citizens or permanent residents of a country outside the United States (U.S.) that require an F-1 or J-1 visa to enter and study in the U.S. Please note that the application deadline for international applicants is two weeks earlier (June 15) than the application deadline for domestic applicants.

International applicants who are admitted to the School of Law may be required to participate in the Southern Illinois University Center for English as a Second Language Graduate Student English Program or an equivalent program prior to matriculation. To learn more about our admission requirements for international applicants visit the School of Law website, www.law.siu.edu.

Applicants with undergraduate degrees from colleges or universities outside of the United States and whose native language is not English, or who have not obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree in the United States, must provide proof of English proficiency. Applicants may submit a qualifying TOEFL or IELTS English proficiency exam score. Minimum English Proficiency exam scores are 600 (PBT)/100 (IBT) TOEFL or 7 IELTS. Applicants must retake the English proficiency exam if the minimum score is not earned. If you completed a degree in a third-party country where English was the primary language of instruction, this may be considered on a case-by-case basis with documentation from the institution proving English was the standard.

In addition, applicants are required to register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and all academic records must be mailed to LSAC for transcript translation and evaluation.

Personal Statement

Applicants are required to submit a personal statement. Personal statements should be two to three pages in length, double-spaced, and uploaded as an attachment to the online application. In your personal statement, or as a separate attachment, please include answers to both of the following questions:

What are your career plans after law school or areas of interest in the law?
Describe any life experiences that would indicate unusual drive, determination, perseverance, motivation, or leadership characteristics.

Resume

Applicants are required to submit a current resume that includes all post-high school education, employment history, honors and awards, and extracurricular activities including community service.

NOTE: Gaps in an applicant's education or employment history of more than six months should be included in the resume; however, a separate addendum should be included to explain the gap in education or employment. The resume (and addendum, if applicable) should be uploaded with your online application.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants are required to submit two, and may submit up to four, letters directly to LSAC. The School of Law prefers at least one letter from a professor, instructor, or teaching assistant addressing the applicant's academic work. The recommender should detail the applicant's analytical and critical thinking skills, work ethic, maturity, and professionalism.

Character and Fitness Disclosure

SIU Simmons Law School requires all applicants to make a complete and full disclosure to the Character and Fitness questions at time of application. If the answer is "Yes" to one or more of the Character and Fitness questions outlined in the application, applicants will need to upload a written explanation of each incident that includes dates, locations, charges, associated fees, and final disposition. Answering "Yes" to any of these questions does not mean that an applicant will automatically be rejected. Answering these questions honestly may be a factor in your application and in the law school's certification to practice law in any jurisdiction.

In addition, applicants are under continuing obligation to update disclosures and add new occurrences. Failure to make complete disclosure on this application may result in revocation of an offer of admission to the School of Law and/or denial of your application for admission to practice law in a particular state. Discrepancies between disclosure on this application and an applicant?s character and fitness application for admission to the bar may result in serious consequences while in law school and when applying to take the bar examination. Therefore, prior to matriculation, applicants are encouraged to seek the specific bar requirements for the state the applicant plans to practice law. In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction.

Cost of Attendance, Financial Aid, and Scholarships

Educational costs are determined each year by the SIU Board of Trustees. The resulting budgets are used to determine a student's financial need and eligibility for various types of financial aid.

Applicants applying for financial aid must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application online, https://studentaid.gov/. Applicants must include the Southern Illinois University federal school code (001758) to have the FAFSA information sent directly to the SIU Financial Aid Office. In order to receive timely financial aid award information, the School of Law suggests that applicants submit their FAFSA as early as October 2025. For more information on the estimated cost of attendance, law student budget, and financial aid, please visit the School of Law website, www.law.siu.edu.

SIU Simmons Law School has a generous scholarship program including renewable tuition waiver scholarships and annual Foundation scholarships. However, scholarships are limited. As such, applicants are advised to apply early in the application cycle (before January 15) to be considered for all available scholarships.

Tuition waiver scholarships are automatically awarded at time of admission; no additional application is required and are automatically renewed when the terms are met at the end of the second and fourth semesters.

In early spring, Foundation scholarships are awarded and there may be a secondary response required. For more information on financial aid and scholarships, contact the Office of Admissions at lawadmit@siu.edu or (618) 453-8858.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The SIU School of Law follows all applicable laws and regulations relating to students with physical or learning disabilities including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Applicants are not required to identify known disabilities in the application. Academic and programmatic support services are available for students with either permanent or temporary disabilities through Office for Access and Accommodations. Admitted students with a disability who seek an accommodation from the Simmons Law School should immediately contact OAA.

Equal Opportunity Policy

In accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois and the United States, the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and is committed to taking affirmative steps aimed at overcoming historical patterns of discrimination in our society. The Board of Trustees directs that all elements of Southern Illinois University adhere to procedures which promote this policy in all phases of university activities including employment, educational programs, choice of contractors, and relationships with employee organizations. Article VII. Policy on Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statutes of the Board of Trustees of SIU. For more information, visit the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustee Statute, http://siusystem.edu/board-of-trustees/legislation/board-legislation-statutes.shtml#7.

Questions

If you have additional questions, please contact:

Office of Admissions
(618) 453-8858
lawadmit@siu.edu