A new program exclusively for undergraduates and alumni of the College will allow students to apply early and to get a leg up on financial aid in U of C Law School admissions.

The Chicago Law Scholars program invites fourth year undergraduate students at the College and alumni to turn in their law school application by September 1, the first date when regular early admission and regular admission candidates can submit their applications. The Law Scholars receive a binding decision by November 1.

The project has been in the works for about a year under the guidance of Debbie Chizewer, the Chicago Careers in Law (CCIL) advisor, and Ann Perry, associate dean of admissions of the Law School. Chizewer and Perry said that they conceived the program out of conversations on how to continue to build a relationship between the Law School and the College.

“The law school shares [the College’s] philosophy of critical thinking and our students come to the Law School very well-prepared for the rigor as well as the discourse in the Law School classroom,” Chizewer said.

The program is a way to streamline the application process for students who already know that Chicago is the place for them and who want to stay in Hyde Park, Perry said.

“They know our product,” she said. “We want to keep the very best and brightest in Hyde Park.”

The program will also give accepted students an advantage in securing financial aid. The applicants will be the first to be considered for the scholarships already available to Law School students, including the David M. Rubenstein full-tuition scholars program, which awards 60 full-tuition merit scholarships at the discretion of the admissions board. The incoming Law class of 2014 last fall was the first class to be eligible for that award.

Perry and Chizewer said that they are excited to see the program kick-off and have only received positive feedback from both students involved in CCIL and alumni who have fond memories of their time at the College. Perry also predicted that early admission would make the rest of their final year at the College less stressful.

Second-year Alida Miranda-Wolff, who helped start the Undergraduate Law Review this year, is excited to see the program start for the security it gives to students. “At least you know you’re in somewhere and somewhere good,” she said.