Admissions

 

Admissions Information

Thank you for your interest in our programs!  We are an accredited evening program through the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State of California Bar. In addition to our flagship program, Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.), we also offer a Masters of Legal Studies (M.L.S), a concurrent J.D/M.L.S degree and a Masters of Laws (LL.M.). Students can earn their degree through the traditional residential program or our established Hybrid Online enrollment option, which is a blend of our residential and online platforms.

Through our flagship campus, Monterey College of Law (MCL), we are accredited and authorized by the State Bar of California Committee of Bar Examiners.  We offer four locations to earn your law school degree: our branch campus in San Luis Obispo, CA; our branch campus in Bakersfield, CA; our branch campus in Santa Rosa; and the main MCL campus in Seaside, California.

Guaranteed Tuition Rate through Degree Completion

We believe we were the first law school in California to initiate a policy of protecting students from tuition increases during their course of study. As long as you remain continuously enrolled and in good academic and financial standing, your tuition rate will not increase.

You can learn more about our history, programs and course requirements in our Admissions catalog.

We admit for Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters.  Applications must be submitted by the deadlines below to be considered on time for review.  Additionally, all supporting documentation, including required official transcripts, must be received by the date specified below in order for an application to be considered complete and eligible for review by the admissions committee.  We practice a firm deadline process.  If your application is not complete by the deadline dates, you may not be considered for that term.  You can be considered for the next academic term (up to two terms).

Application Deadlines:

 

* The Enrollment Non-Refundable Fee is due no later than two weeks prior to the beginning of your admit term.  If it is not received, you may be enrolled in the following academic term.

Filling out the correct Application Form

We have three different types of application forms.  Please select the one that applies to you.

1. Regular Admissions: students applying for regular admission to our programs who have completed, or will complete by the time their admit term starts, an undergraduate program or at least 60 credits in a non-vocational program.  This application is for Fall, Spring or Summer admission.
2. Transfer Application: students who are currently, or recently enrolled, in a law school program and want to transfer to our programs should complete this application.  This application is for Fall semester start only.  We only admit transfer students for the Fall term. Transfer applicants can upload an unofficial current law school transcript into the application for review purposes, but official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended will be required to complete the application process.  Transfer students also need to submit a personal statement that addresses the transfer request, and written confirmation of good academic and financial standing from their current law school.
3. Visitor Application: this application is for students who are currently enrolled in another law school program and have permission from their home institution to take one or more of our classes to fulfill their degree requirements.  This is for visiting students only and not regular admission.

 

Application Requirements

Regular Admission Application Requirements

• Application Form (submitted by the deadline mentioned above)
• Application Fee - a $75 non-refundable application fee is required for your application to be considered complete.  A payment URL will be at the bottom of the application form
• Personal Statement - a 500-word, well-written essay about your educational and/or personal background and reasons for pursuing a law degree.  It can also be used to explain any deficiencies in your academic record
• Resume- please upload your most current resume in Word or PDF format
• LSAT exam within the past five years. LSAT is not required to apply, and the requirement may be waived entirely for such reasons as:
  • • Active or Veteran military status
    • Having earned an associates or bachelor degree (or higher)
    • Five years, or more, of relevant work experience
• Official Transcripts (Required) - Transcripts should be sent directly to our school from your previous institution’s registrar.  Sending unofficial transcripts is acceptable only for review, but all admission offers are contingent upon official transcripts being received directly from an institution.
  • Hard copies can be sent to:

Monterey College of Law
Attn: Admissions
100 Colonel Durham St.
Seaside, CA 93955

• E-transcripts can be sent  to:
  
  • Monterey - admissions@montereylaw.edu (also our Parchment Account)
• Letter of Recommendation - while not required, we highly recommend submitting one to be the most competitive you can be in the applicant pool

Transfer Admission Application Requirements

• Transfer Application Form (submitted by same deadlines as regular admission)
• Transfer Applicants will be asked to verify that they are in good academic AND financial standing at their current or previous law institution
• Application Fee - a $75 non-refundable application fee is required for your application to be considered complete.  A payment URL will be at the bottom of the application form
• Personal Statement - a 500 word essay explaining why you are requesting transfer admission to our school and your legal career goals
• Unofficial Law School and Undergraduate Transcripts - in the Transfer Application, you will be asked to upload your unofficial transcript from your current law school and undergraduate degree institution.  This helps us start a credit evaluation prior to or during your application review.  
• Official Transcripts - if admitted to the school, it will be contingent upon receiving your official transcript from your current law school and previously attended institutions.  Official transcripts are required in accordance with State Bar Rules.  

We admit students without regard to age, color, creed, ethnic origin, nationality, physical handicap, race, religion, sex or sexual preference.