ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½

FAQ

What is LEAP?

The Legal Education Accelerated Program (LEAP) is ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½'s 3+3 program that allows ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ to complete requirements for both the Bachelor of Arts and the juris doctor in just six years. After completing the third year of college (in Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ who meet the admission requirements for the law school will enroll in The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½. The first year of law school will therefore also count as the fourth year of college.

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 ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ will complete both college and law school in just six years, they will save one year’s college tuition costs.

How do ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ apply to LEAP?

Students who are interested in participating in LEAP must complete the LEAP Supplemental Application. Students must declare an interest in LEAP on their ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ Application in order to receive this additional application.

What are the requirements for admission to LEAP?

Normally, ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ admitted to LEAP have combined SAT scores of 1290 or better on the evidence-based reading and writing + math (or an ACT score of 27) and an overall GPA of 3.5 (or be in the top 15 percent of their high school graduating class.) However, there is some flexibility with regard to these criteria.

Can transfer ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ apply to LEAP?

No, only incoming first-year ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ can participate in LEAP.

When is the deadline to apply for LEAP?

The application process for LEAP is rolling and therefore does not have a deadline. However, it is recommended that ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ submit the LEAP Supplemental Application by April 1.

When will ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ know whether they have been accepted to LEAP?

A committee made up of representatives from the Office of Undergraduate Admission, Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ School of Law meets on an ongoing basis to review the records of LEAP applicants. Those accepted to the program will receive letters of acceptance later that month.

Which majors are available for ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ in LEAP?

LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ can select a BA track within the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Are there additional scholarships available for ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ who participate in LEAP?

While there are no additional scholarships for ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ in LEAP, these ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ are eligible for the traditional merit based scholarships which are offered at the time of admission to the University. All merit based awards are four year scholarships and as such the undergraduate scholarship will be applied toward the first year of law school tuition (the fourth year enrolled at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½). Students may also be eligible for need-based scholarships upon submission of the FAFSA form.

Do LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ take courses different from those taken by other ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ in Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences?

There are no special courses required of ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ within the LEAP program, and ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ are free to select any of the majors available in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, so long as they lead to the Bachelor of Arts degree. However, ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ in LEAP are encouraged to participate in a law-oriented First-Year Seminar which is offered in the fall of the first year.

What courses must LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ take during their three years in Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences?

LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ must complete all requirements for the B.A. degree in Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 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 of Liberal Arts and Sciences major. Careful planning in conjunction with an academic advisor is needed from the outset of ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½â€™ careers to assure that they will be able to complete all of these requirements within the allotted three year period.

When do LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ receive their BA degree?

LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ receive their BA degree upon successful completion of the first year of The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ (29 semester hours). Together with the 95 semester hours previously completed (94 of them in liberal arts) at Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, these 29 semester hours will add up to the 124 semester hours required for the BA degree. Upon successful completion of the first year of law school, LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ will be invited to participate in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences commencement exercises and to receive their college diplomas.

What are the requirements for admission to The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ after three years in LEAP?

LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ will normally be permitted to enroll in The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ after completing their junior year, if they have earned a total of 95 semester hours (94 of them in liberal arts), meeting all requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.4 in course work toward the BA, and achieving an LSAT score in their junior year that is no lower than the median LSAT score for the prior year's full-time entering class at The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½. Matriculation at The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ takes place at the end of junior year; the BA is then granted after satisfactory completion of the first 29 semester hours of law school course work.

Can LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ be admitted to The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ in fewer than three years if they have entered ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ as first-year ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ with college and/or AP credits received while enrolled in high school?

No. It is our expectation that ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ will complete three years of undergraduate work at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½'s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences prior to enrolling in The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½. Students may use college and/or AP credits to lighten their workload in any given semester, but ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ will not be admitted to the law school without having completed three years of undergraduate work at Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This is to assure that ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ entering The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ possess the requisite intellectual and emotional maturity deemed necessary for success in the study of the law.

What is the admission process for LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ making the transition from Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½?

In order to make the transition from Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½, LEAP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ must:

• Register for and take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) administered by the
• Register for the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) through the
• Submit all undergraduate transcripts to LSDAS
• Two letters of recommendation (optional)
• Complete the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ including the personal statement
• Comply with all applicable deadlines as stated on the site

For more information, please contact Francesca Olivo, Associate Dean of Admission, at leap@hofstra.edu or 516-463-6700 or Dr. Rosanna Perotti, professor of Political Science, at 516-463-5619 or rosanna.perotti@hofstra.edu.