February 9, 2005

Cooley Again Breaks Application Record        

Cooley Law School has once again set a new record for applications. In January 2005, over 900 candidates submitted their applications to Cooley, beating the school’s previous record by nearly seven percent.

January's record intake continues a three-month trend for Cooley in breaking application records. In both November and December 2004, the law school topped the 500-mark, beating all previous high totals.

According to the president of Cooley Law School, Don LeDuc, the 2,568 applications received during the first five months of the current academic year exceeded total annual applications reported for 101 of the 187 law schools in the United States. The January 2005 record alone beat the annual applications total for 19 of those schools as indicated in 2004 official ABA data.

So, why are so many people turning to the law for their first, or in many cases, a new profession? One reason appears to be a desire to make the world a better place.
Commented Stephanie Gregg, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Cooley, "It is heartening to know from reading personal statements that there are many candidates with a commitment to working within the justice system to help people," she said.
And they're turning to Cooley for some very practical reasons.

"Cooley's commitment to providing people flexible scheduling options, including classes offered in the morning, afternoon, and evening, as well as weekend schedule options, helps people reach their goals," Gregg explained. "With classes starting three times per year, in May, September, and January, applicants can get started sooner rather than waiting for the fall."

Cooley's year-around schedule, combined with its practice of rolling admissions, allows students some additional flexibility. Cooley is able to accommodate prepared students who experience a sudden change in plans.

Gregg noted, "I spoke with an Honors Scholar whose job opportunity fell through. He will be starting law school in our May class rather than waiting until September. He will have a full semester of work completed by the time he would have started, had he waited until September. During a time of unemployment, people are pleased to be able to get started on their law school careers."

Another draw for Cooley is its practice of rewarding scholarship. "The same student who accelerated his entrance to Cooley," Gregg said, "was also pleased to learn that his scholarship will cover the majority of his tuition."

Founded in 1972, Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the country. Cooley has the second-largest enrollment of African-American students of any law school and the highest number of minorities overall in the United States. Cooley has three campuses across Michigan; its main campus in downtown Lansing, its downtown Grand Rapids/Western Michigan University campus in west Michigan, and its Rochester/Oakland University campus in southeast Michigan. In addition to the J.D. program, students at Cooley can also pursue an LL.M. in Tax or in Intellectual Property.