LEAP FAQ
LEAP Main Page
What is LEAP?
LEAP is the Legal Education Accelerated Program. It is a “3+3 program” that permits students to complete both college and law school in just six years. After completing the third year of college (in Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), LEAP students who meet the admissions requirements for the law school will enroll in Hofstra Law School. The first year of law school will therefore also count as the fourth year of college.
When do students apply to LEAP?
Students must apply to LEAP as part of the college application process. Students applying to Hofstra College will have received information about LEAP in their application packets and must apply to the program as part of the undergraduate admissions process. Students already enrolled at Hofstra cannot apply to LEAP.
When will students know whether they have been accepted to LEAP?
A committee made up of representatives from the Admissions Office, Hofstra College, and the Hofstra Law School meets in early April to review the records of applicants to LEAP. Those accepted to the program will receive letters of acceptance later that month.
What are the advantages of participating in LEAP?
Completing both college and law school in just six years will prove a challenging intellectual experience. Students particularly eager to begin their professional careers will be able to do so one year earlier. In addition, because LEAP students will complete both college and law school in just six years, they will save one year’s college tuition costs.
What are the requirements for admission to LEAP?
Normally, students admitted to LEAP rank in the top 15% of their high school graduating class and have received a score of at least 1200 on the verbal and math sections of the SAT (or 27 on the ACT). However, there is some flexibility with regard to these criteria, so students who fall slightly short of meeting them should nonetheless feel free to apply.
Do LEAP students take courses different from those taken by other students in Hofstra College?
There are no special courses associated with the LEAP program and students are free to select any of the majors available in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, so long as they lead to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Students with majors in the School of Business, the School of Communication, the School of Education, and New College are not eligible to participate in LEAP.
What courses must LEAP students take during their three years in Hofstra College? LEAP students must complete all requirements for the B.A. degree in Hofstra College. This includes the College’s requirements in English composition and foreign language, and distribution courses in the College’s three divisions. In addition, every student must complete a Hofstra College major. Careful planning in conjunction with an academic advisor is needed from the outset of students’ careers to assure that they will be able to complete all of these requirements within the allotted three year period. faq-p2When do LEAP students receive their B.A. degree?
LEAP students receive their B.A. degree upon successful completion of the first year of law school (29 semester hours). Together with the 95 semester hours completed previously in Hofstra College, these 29 semester hours will add up to the 124 semester hours required for the B.A. degree. Upon successful completion of the first year of law school, LEAP students will be invited to participate in the Hofstra College commencement exercises and to receive their college diplomas.
What are the requirements for admission to Hofstra Law School after three years in LEAP?
LEAP students will normally be permitted to enroll in the Hofstra University Law School after completing their junior year, if they have earned a total of 95 semester hours (94 of them in the liberal arts), met all Hofstra College liberal arts requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, achieved a grade point average of 3.4, and received an LSAT score in their junior year that is no lower than the median LSAT score for the prior year’s entering class at the Hofstra Law School.
Can LEAP students be admitted to Hofstra Law School in fewer than three years if they have entered Hofstra University as first-year students with college and/or AP credits received while enrolled in high school?
LEAP students are eligible for admission to the law school in the fall semester that follows their completion of 95 semester hours (including college or AP credits earned while in high school) and of all their liberal arts requirements (i.e., English 1 and 2, the foreign language requirement, distribution course requirements, and all requirements for their major). Because the law school only enrolls entering students in fall semesters, students completing their college requirements in a fall semester would need to wait until the fall of the following year before being allowed to take courses at the law school.
What is the admissions process for LEAP students making the transition from the college to the law school?
In order to make the transition from the college to the law school, LEAP students must:
- Register for and take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC Web site: LSAC.org).
- Register for the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) through LSAC
- Submit all undergraduate transcripts to LSDAS
- Submit one letter of recommendation to LSDAS
- Complete the Hofstra J.D. application including the personal statement
- Comply with all applicable deadlines as stated on the Hofstra Law School Admissions Web site (law.hofstra.edu).