Frequently Asked Questions About Pre-Law at Calvin

Calvin's pre-law program works differently than a major or minor program. Pre-law at Calvin is not a major; it's a specialization that you choose to pursue in conjunction with a major in another field. There are no required pre-law courses; instead, students select a major field of study in an area of interest to them as they prepare to attend law school after earning their four-year degree. The courses and experiences that comprise the pre-law specialization emphasize analytic and problem-solving skills, oral communication, political theory, history, ethics and justice. 

Law schools accept undergraduate degrees in a wide variety fields and interests, with specific training in the field of law taking place in law school rather than college or university. Law school graduates become eligible to practice law by satisfying the licensing requirements of the jurisdiction(s) in which they intend to practice. See our majors and programs page for advice about selecting a major that fits your interest in law.

Since pre-law is a specialization, rather than a specific major or minor course of study, students should consider some basic information about both their skills and interests, as well as fields of study which are generally applicable to the practice of law. Law schools accept undergraduate degrees in a wide variety fields and interests, with specific training in the field of law taking place in law school rather than college or university. For this reason, there is no specific major that you must or should take in college to secure a successful career in law.

The American Bar Association (ABA) advises students to:

• Select a major that fulfills their intellectual interests
• Seek out difficult courses and demanding professors
• Take courses that develop core skills of writing, analyzing, problem-solving, researching, organizing, communicating, and listening
• Develop a broad knowledge of history (especially American history), political theory, ethical theory and justice, economics, basic mathematics, human behavior and diverse cultures

Common majors selected by pre-law students

The most common pre-law majors are political science, international relations, business, philosophy, psychology, economics, history and English, but law schools admit students from a wide variety of majors. For example, 2021-22 Calvin University pre-law program students represented more than 36 different majors and minors, and between 1996–2005, the University of Michigan Law School accepted students from 74 different undergraduate majors.

Everyone applying to a law school in the United States or Canada must take the LSAT; during the 2024-2025 testing year, the test will be administered seven times. The schedule is published by the Law School Admission Council. Generally, students are advised to take the LSAT in February or June, a full year before they plan to attend law school. You would then receive your score in the spring, allowing you to make decisions about whether to apply and where. 

You may take the LSAT more than once and most schools now take the highest score. However, some law schools average multiple scores or take the lower of the scores.

Historically, Calvin students do well on the test, with the average score of recently graduated seniors reported in the 71st percentile at a score of 155.9.

Top law schools to which recent Calvin students have been accepted in recent years include:

• Yale
• Harvard
• Columbia
• University of Chicago
• New York University
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Virginia
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Duke University
• Georgetown University
• Northwestern University
• Cornell University
• University of Texas, Austin
• University of Iowa
• University of California, Los Angeles
• Emory University
• Boston University
• University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• Vanderbilt University
• University of Southern California
• George Washington University
• Notre Dame University
• Arizona State University
• University of Florida
• University of North Carolina
• University of Alabama
• William & Mary
• George Mason University