Tram Nguyen ’13
State Representative, 18th Essex District, Massachusetts
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PlusJD
PlusJD — Northeastern’s Fast Track to Law School
Designed for academically outstanding, motivated and resourceful students, the PlusJD Program selects highly qualified Northeastern University students to begin their first-year law school courses during their last year of undergraduate study. Credits earned in the shared year are applied toward both their bachelor’s and law degrees. As a result, students can complete both degrees in as little as six years, saving a full year of time and tuition.
| Timeline/Steps for PlusJD — Northeastern’s Fast Track to Law School | |
|---|---|
| Freshman and Sophomore Years | Students meet with academic advisor to ensure that they are on track to complete all undergraduate curricular requirements that must be satisfied before entering the law school. Specifically, prospective PlusJD students will need to have only open electives remaining in their undergraduate coursework for their final year of the bachelor’s degree. If necessary, students should make curricular adjustments. |
| Summer Prior to Junior Year | Students prepare for LSAT exam. |
| Fall of Junior Year | Students: • register for the LSAT and take the exam no later than January. The LSAT is typically administered every June, July, September, October, November, January, February, March and April • register with LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) • determine who will provide faculty recommendation |
| Spring of Junior Year | Students: • send undergraduate transcripts to LSAC CAS • ask faculty recommender to submit a letter of recommendation directly to LSAC CAS (instructions online at LSAC.org) • complete and submit law school application via LSAC.org no later than March 1 • if admitted, submit deposit by date specified on letter of admission |
Admission Requirements
Successfully meeting the LSAT and GPA requirements does not guarantee admission to the School of Law. The School of Law reserves the discretion to select candidates for the PlusJD program. Applicants denied admission as PlusJD students may still apply as traditional law school candidates at the completion of their undergraduate degree. Applicants are eligible for consideration for admission as PlusJD candidates if they meet admissions guidelines and academic standards, which include:
Applying for Fall 2024 Entry and Beyond:
- Fulfillment of undergraduate requirements
- A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA must meet the 75th GPA percentile for the prior year’s entering 1L class
- An LSAT score of at least the 75th LSAT percentile for the prior year’s entering 1L class
Applicants interested in the PlusJD Program are kindly requested to complete this form to be considered for the program.
Logistics
Grades during final year of bachelor’s degree:
The School of Law does not use letter or numeric grades. Students receive narrative evaluations from faculty and may receive Honors or High Honors for strong academic performance throughout all three years of law school. Therefore, during the simultaneous final year of the bachelor’s degree/first year of the JD program, the undergraduate transcript will show School of Law grades with no numerical equivalents and the undergraduate GPA will not include these grades in the cumulative GPA calculation — the undergraduate GPA prior to entering the School of Law will be the bachelor’s degree final GPA. In addition, students will not be eligible for undergraduate honors or other GPA-based recognitions in their first law school year.
Financial Aid:
Undergraduate Years 1-3
Undergraduate tuition and fees will be charged through the exclusively undergraduate years; participants eligible for federal aid will be awarded aid as undergraduate students during their first three years of their undergraduate program. Federal loans will be based on undergraduate limits, and Pell Grant and state scholarships will be available to those who qualify.
Law School Year 1
Law school tuition and fees will be charged beginning in the fourth year of the undergraduate program/1L year of the JD program. Northeastern University undergraduate scholarship funds will continue during the 1L year at Northeastern University School of Law. Beginning in the fourth year of the undergraduate program/1L year at Northeastern University School of Law, loan limits will reflect graduate student status. Once enrolled in their fourth year of their undergraduate program/1L year, students are not eligible for Federal Pell Grants or state scholarship.
Law School Years 2-3
Students in the PlusJD Program are eligible for School of Law scholarship awards during their second and third years of the JD program. These awards will include, at a minimum, the Double Husky Scholarship, which is a 25 percent tuition merit scholarship, or any other law school scholarship for which students qualify.
What happens if a student is denied admission to the PlusJD Program?
The student would devote their final year to taking the undergraduate courses necessary to fulfill their remaining degree requirements and would then graduate with their bachelor’s degree. A student denied admission to the PlusJD Program remains eligible to apply directly to the School of Law’s JD program as a senior or in later years; if such a student is admitted upon direct application, the student would need to complete the bachelor’s degree before matriculating as a JD student.
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The information on this webpage applies only to undergraduate students in the Fall 2017 or Fall 2019 entering classes who were invited to participate in the 3+3 Program. Students entering after Fall 2019 – or current Northeastern undergraduates who were not invited to join the 3+3 Program – should view the PlusJD information above.
About the 3+3 Program
The 3+3 Program selects highly qualified first-year students in eight qualifying majors within the Colleges of Arts, Media and Design (Communication Studies and Journalism), the Bouvé College of Health Sciences (Health Science), College of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (English, Criminal Justice, History, Philosophy, and Political Science), who are interested in pursuing a degree in the law.
Students in the 3+3 Program begin their first-year law school courses during their fourth year of study and apply those credits toward both their bachelor’s and law degree. As a result, and with appropriate academic progress, students can complete this rigorous and rewarding full-curriculum law degree program along with their bachelor’s degree in six years instead of seven. Northeastern’s 3+3 students will save a full year of tuition and enjoy a competitive advantage over their peers in traditional law programs by getting a jump-start in today’s job market.
The Guidelines for the 3+3 Program
- Students will be considered and selected for admission to the 3+3 Program by the undergraduate admissions committee at the point of first-year admission.(1)
- Admission to the juris doctor portion of the program is dependent on the academic standards and admission guidelines defined by the School of Law. (2)
- Students must complete the 3+3 JD Commitment Form and meet character and fitness requirements. No additional university application fee will be required for admission to the 3+3 Program.
- Students must decide to participate in the 3+3 Program before they begin their third year of undergraduate study. If a student decides at some point to pursue only the undergraduate portion of the 3+3 Program, all regular undergraduate program and course requirements will apply.
- Students in the 3+3 Program who complete all necessary requirements will earn a bachelor’s degree following completion of their fourth year of study (first year of law school).
- Undergraduate tuition and fees will be charged through the first three years; law school tuition and fees will be charged when students enter into the law school in year four. Undergraduate scholarships and grant aid will continue during the fourth year to be consistent with the Northeastern Promise, guaranteeing aid through eight semesters of study.
- Students in the 3+3 Program are eligible for School of Law scholarship awards during their fifth and sixth years. These awards will include, at a minimum, the Double Husky Scholarship, which is a 25% tuition merit scholarship, or any other law school scholarship for which students qualify. Participants eligible for federal aid will be awarded aid as undergraduate students for the first three years; federal loans will be based on undergraduate limits and Pell Grant and state scholarships will be available to those who qualify. Beginning in the fourth year, loan limits will reflect graduate student status.
(1) Participation is by invitation only.
(2) In order to move into the 3+3 Program from undergraduate student to law student, students must meet CSSH, CAMD, COE and Bouvé undergraduate requirements. Students must also meet the minimum GPA requirement of 3.60 and score at least 161 on the LSAT and meet character and fitness requirements. Admission to the juris doctor portion of the program is dependent on the academic standards and admission guidelines defined by the School of Law. Students who do not meet the LSAT and GPA requirements may still be considered for admission to the law program on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the School of Law.
