This program allows undergraduate students enrolled at Indiana University–Bloomington to apply for admission to Indiana University Maurer School of Law without taking the LSAT. This program is open to prospective law students with exemplary academic records who have identified Indiana Law as their first choice for obtaining a legal education. (Please note: this program is intended for those who have not taken an LSAT. If you have taken an LSAT, we request that you apply through our standard application process.) According to American Bar Association (ABA) Standard 503 (Interpretation 503-3), a maximum of 10% of an entering class may be composed of students admitted under this program.
How to apply
The information and forms below are for Fall 2026 applicants. For Fall 2027 applicants, information will be posted January of 2026.
Eligibility
To facilitate a streamlined application process and forge an early connection with future students who are already familiar with Indiana University, the Law School will waive the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) requirement for Indiana University–Bloomington students. To be eligible to apply, students must:
- Have an overall GPA of 3.85 or above (according to the Law School Admission Council’s Credential Assembly Service grade calculation), and expect to maintain that GPA upon graduation. This GPA is based on grades from all credits that contribute to the undergraduate degree (including those taken outside Indiana University–Bloomington).
- Have an ACT or SAT score at the 85th percentile or above* (Indiana Law uses one composite score from one test, we cannot use a Superscore). For the SAT, we use the National Representative Sample percentile.
- At the time of application, be a currently enrolled undergraduate student at Indiana University–Bloomington. For Fall 2026 admissions, Direct Admit Candidates must complete the undergraduate degree between December 2025 and August 2026.
*This score requirement is mandated by the American Bar Association. Applicants meeting the GPA requirement but not the ABA-mandated standardized test score percentile are encouraged to apply if adverse circumstances in their personal backgrounds may have affected their score. Applicants should submit an addendum bringing those circumstances to our attention. Applicants without an ACT or SAT score should submit an addendum explaining your admittance to IU-Bloomington without a standardized test score. Contact our office at the email or phone number above if you have any other questions about this requirement.
Required application materials
Direct Admit application
Please download, complete, and submit the desired Direct Admit Application and Direct Admit Program Agreement below, along with a copy of the SAT or ACT Score Report, Résumé, and Personal Statement to: lawadmis@iu.edu.
Résumé
Please submit a current résumé which outlines your professional and volunteer experience, academic accomplishments, and other pertinent aspects of your background you wish to share with the Admissions Committee.
Personal statement
Please submit a 2-3–page personal statement that provides insight about you, describes your motivation to attend law school, and/or highlights your interest in Indiana University Maurer School of Law. A compelling statement will be clearly written, well organized, and highlight the special strengths and experiences that you would bring to our Law School and the legal profession. These may include, but are not limited to, demonstrated evidence of leadership, creativity, commitment to justice, service to others, cross-cultural competency, and significant work or volunteer experience. This statement should include the reason(s) why you are interested in continuing your education at Indiana University–Bloomington. The personal statement must be a maximum of three pages, double-spaced, using 12-point font with one-inch margins.
Standardized test scores (ACT or SAT)
Please submit a copy of your score report with the application materials.
Undergraduate transcript(s)
Applicants must request an official undergraduate transcript from any institution where college credit was received that counts toward the Indiana University-Bloomington undergraduate degree including courses listed as transfer credits on the Indiana University-Bloomington transcript (excluding high school Advanced Placement credits). The transcript(s) must be sent by each institution directly to the Office of Admissions at lawadmis@iu.edu.
Letters of recommendation
Two letters of recommendation must be submitted to our office from faculty members who are familiar with your academic strengths. While preference is given to letters from faculty, we gladly welcome letters from employers or individuals who know you professionally. Letters should attest to your potential success as a law student and as a member of the legal profession. Additional letters of recommendation will not be accepted. Recommenders must submit letters directly to lawadmis@iu.edu.
Adversity Statement (Optional)
IU Maurer recognizes that some applicants have faced and overcome significant adversity in life. In this optional essay, you may share any information about adversity or challenges that you would like us to consider which may have limited your educational opportunities or negatively impacted your academic performance. This may include social, economic, or educational obstacles, exposure to bias, health issues, disability, immigration status, surviving abuse, experiencing discrimination or complex family circumstances like incarcerated parents, homelessness, or being raised in foster care. This is not an exhaustive list; it's an opportunity to share any additional aspects of your background that may provide the admissions committee with a better sense of your strengths as a student and classmate. The adversity statement should not exceed three pages, double-spaced, using 12-pt font with 1-inch margins.
Addendum (Optional)
The ACT or SAT score requirement of 85th percentile or above is mandated by the American Bar Association. Applicants meeting the GPA requirement but not the ABA-mandated standardized test score percentile are encouraged to apply if adverse circumstances in their personal backgrounds may have affected their score. Applicants should submit an addendum bringing those circumstances to our attention. Applicants without an ACT or SAT score should submit an addendum explaining your admittance to IU-Bloomington without a standardized test score. If you answered 'Yes' to any question under the Character and Fitness section of this application, you must submit an addendum to explain each incident.
Deadline
The application fee is waived for students applying to the Direct Admit Program. Our deadline for fall 2026 is May 1, 2026, as Direct Admit applicants must be currently enrolled undergraduate students at Indiana University–Bloomington at the time of application submission. Note: Though the deadline is not until May 1, 2026, we have often reached the maximum number of admitted students allowed for this program by January (the ABA-mandated maximum is 10% of the previous year's entering class).
Admission
- Direct Admit applicants will be notified of a decision on a rolling basis after a complete application including all required materials is received.
- All Direct Admit applicants who are accepted will be considered for a scholarship up to 50% of tuition.
- Direct Admit applicants must sign and submit a form confirming enrollment for Fall 2026 by the date stated in the letter of admission.
- Direct Admit applicants who are accepted and confirm will be responsible for submitting their final official transcripts (including the final degree conferred transcript), directly to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) as part of their Credential Assembly Services (CAS) report. Indiana Law will give admitted Direct Admit applicants a voucher to cover the cost of the CAS registration and report fees.
Admission to the Law School through this program does not require the submission of an LSAT score—this program is intended for those who have not taken an LSAT. Direct Admit applicants who elect to take the LSAT must inform the office of Admissions immediately and should be aware that their score could affect their admission and/or scholarship offer. Direct Admit applicants not chosen for the program may apply to Indiana University Maurer School of Law through our regular admissions process.