B.A. TO J.D. PROGRAM 
The accelerated B.A. to J.D. program offered jointly by Shimer College and Chicago-Kent College of Law offers students the opportunity to pursue a first-rate liberal arts education followed by a law curriculum that encourages and develops each student's individual strengths. Shimer students learn to think, reason, discuss, and listen in a way that few can, and are well prepared to join a law school noted for its programs in legal writing, trial advocacy, intellectual property law, and labor and employment law.
Students in the joint B.A. to J.D. Program may accelerate their studies by substituting their first-year law school courses for the final 30 credits of Shimer electives. The Shimer B.A. degree will be awarded upon completion of the first year of law school provided that the student has fulfilled all of the other requirements for the B.A. degree, including all required comprehensive examinations and a Senior Thesis.
Students in the program may reasonably complete the combined degrees in six years, receiving the Shimer B.A. after the fourth year and their Chicago-Kent J.D. after the sixth year. Students interested in pursuing the six-year program should work closely with their advisors to ensure the appropriate courses are taken in the proper sequence. Qualified Shimer students who wish to defer enrollment at Chicago-Kent until they have completed all requirements for their Shimer degree will be permitted to do so. Any student who is admitted to the Chicago-Kent College of Law will be considered for scholarship awards from Chicago-Kent, but Chicago-Kent is not obligated to continue any financial aid awarded by Shimer to undergraduate students.
Applications for the B.A. to J.D. Program will be reviewed by admission committees from Shimer and Chicago-Kent as well as the Shimer College Dean's Office. Applicants must meet the following admission requirements:
- A high school GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
- An ACT composite of 26 or an SAT score of 1800
To apply to the BA to JD program please submit:
- Shimer's application for admission online (check the B.A. to J.D. option)
- The $25.00 application fee
- Official high school transcripts
- Required essays
- An academic letter of recommendation
- ACT or SAT scores are required for admission to the B.A. to J.D. program
- An interview, in person or by phone after all of the above documents are submitted
B.A. to J.D. students are guaranteed admission to Chicago-Kent College of Law provided they meet the following criteria:
- Maintain a GPA of 3.00 in all undergraduate work attempted
- Take the LSAT exam by February of the third undergraduate year and obtain a score that is equivalent to or higher than the median score for the prior year's Chicago-Kent entering class
- Complete a law school application by April 15 of the third undergraduate year
- Fulfill the 85 credits in core requirements specified by the Shimer B.A program, plus an additional 10 credits in electives at Shimer
- Maintain a record that the law school director of admissions determines to be consistent with the character and fitness requirements of the bar examining authorities
Students who participate in the program but do not meet the academic standards for guaranteed admission are invited to apply through the regular competitive application process for admission to Chicago-Kent College of Law after three or four years of undergraduate study.
