Frequently Asked Questions

Attend an information session or send us an email.

The program is for current college students as well as college graduates who are planning to apply to law school in the fall of 2025, with the goal of enrolling in law school in the fall of 2026. Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.3 and be 18 years old by the time the program begins.

The program is open to applicants from all backgrounds, but we especially welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including individuals who are (or will be) the first in their families to graduate from college, individuals from low-income backgrounds, members of racially and ethnically underrepresented groups, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and veterans or military service members.

Scholars will be selected based on their potential for academic excellence, leadership potential, engagement with their communities, and ability to work collaboratively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and with diverse perspectives.

Applications for the 2024-2025 cycle are now open and will be accepted until May 1, 2024 at 11:59p.m. ET. Applications must be submitted online through our application portal. For more information on our application timeline and relevant dates, please refer to our application timeline.

We invite interested applicants to attend an information session and complete our inquiry form. 

Recommendations from a faculty member are preferred or, if a recommendation from a faculty member is not feasible, a former or current manager or supervisor. Your recommenders will be asked to complete an electronic version of this recommendation form.

We recommend that your resume be no longer than 1–2 pages.

Applicants should be prepared to answer the following questions (each response should be no more than 300 words):

1. Please discuss why you are interested in law school and a legal career, including any specific issues or subject areas you hope to focus on as a student and lawyer. 

AND

2. Discuss a difficult decision you had to make or a challenge you faced in a leadership role (which can include informal leadership roles). Please explain what you did in that situation and the resulting outcome.

Additionally, applicants may choose to answer the following optional question (in no more than 300 words):

• Please describe any socioeconomic, educational, familial, cultural, or physical circumstances that have shaped your decision to pursue a career in the legal profession, including any other relevant background, experiences, or perspectives that will contribute to the diversity of the Launchpad Scholars class.

Applicants selected for the second round must complete an interview to remain eligible for the program. For the 2024 application cycle, interviews will be conducted by a member of the selection committee from June 10-12, 2024, and we encourage interested applicants to block off a few times during those dates for a 20-minute, virtual interview.

For the 2024 application cycle, applicants will be expected to complete a diagnostic LSAT between May 30 and June 6, 2024, and we encourage interested applicants to block off sufficient time during those dates. The LSAT diagnostic is requested so that we can better understand applicants’ starting point with respect to testing. There is no minimum score requirement.

While we strongly encourage applicants to complete the diagnostic LSAT, we understand that circumstances may make it infeasible to do so. Those who are unable to complete the diagnostic LSAT during the time requested will be permitted to explain the circumstances that prevented their ability to complete this component of the application process.

Applicants who are selected for the second round will be asked to submit a brief proposed weekly study schedule that can be implemented if selected for the Program. A template will be provided to selected applicants.

There is no cost to apply to, or participate in, the program. Travel, lodging, and food expenses for in-person programming in New York City and New Haven will be covered. In addition, Scholars will receive a $3500 stipend for their participation in the program. The stipend will be paid in two installments of $1750 following active participation in the Welcome Summit and Saturday Academies (first installment) and in the LSAT Program and Residential Institute (second installment).

Note that payment for travel expenses will generally be limited to transportation within the 48 contiguous states. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may include the possibility of partial flight reimbursement.

No. All expenses of the LSAT preparation program are covered. 

In the event a Scholar is unable to secure a Tier 1 LSAC fee waiver, the Launchpad Scholars Program will pay for the following items (or the difference in the event that a Scholar receives a Tier 2 LSAC fee waiver):

• LSAT registration fee for two test administrations
• Registration for Credential Assembly Service
• Six Law School Reports
• LSAC’s Official LSAT Prep Plus
• Score Preview

The Launchpad Scholars Program will cover the costs of up to six law school application fees to the extent they are not already covered by an LSAC fee waiver.

All Scholars are required to stay in the lodging arranged by the program during the Welcome Summit in New York City and the Residential Institute at Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, including applicants who may be local to each destination. Scholars will have an opportunity to let us know if they require any specific accommodations, and we will ensure that reasonable accommodations are provided.

The program will run from August 2024 through August 2025. 

The weekly time commitment will vary depending on the time of year. In general, while the core LSAT course is in session (January through June), Scholars will be expected to commit between 10–15 hours per week to the program (including proctored tests and review sessions on select weekend days). Scholars who decide to take the August LSAT will also be expected to continue their preparation through the August exam.

During the two-day Welcome Summit (August 8-9, 2024) and week-long Residential Institute (June 22–27, 2025), Scholars will be expected to treat both programs as full-time commitments and are encouraged to make any necessary arrangements to ensure their full participation during those timeframes. To offset any lost income during these dates, Scholars will receive a $3500 stipend for participation in the Launchpad Scholars Program.

Participation in the Launchpad Scholars Program will not provide a preference in the Yale Law School admissions process.