What it takes to LEAD.

LEAD Program Eligibility

To qualify presumptively for the KU L.E.A.D. Program as an incoming, first-year KU undergraduate student, you must:

  • Gain admission to the program before your first in-residence year or during the first semester of your first in-residence year as an undergraduate at KU;
  • Enroll in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences seeking a B.A. degree;
  • Earn a 3.5 or better high school GPA; and
  • Complete an essay

To qualify discretionarily for the KU L.E.A.D. Program as an incoming, first-year KU undergraduate student, you must:

  • Gain admission to the program before your first in-residence year or during the first semester of your first in-residence year as an undergraduate at KU;
  • Enroll in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences seeking a B.A. degree; 
  • Have a 3.35 or better high school GPA;
  • Complete an essay; and
  • Submit a statement addressing your interest in the program and/or your preparedness for the program.

Students in their first semester at KU can also apply for the LEAD program within that semester. Applications for Fall 2024 students must be submitted by December 20th, 2024. 

Students are strongly encouraged to speak with the LEAD program coordinator, Chally Lytle, before applying to address any questions about the program and the application process. Chally can be reached at chally@ku.edu .

Applicants will be reviewed based on their written materials, and high school GPA. The GPA requirement is 3.5, though students with 3.35 or above can apply with additional application materials that demonstrate their readiness for an accelerated path. 

The application can be found here.

To gain admission to the KU Law School as part of the KU LEAD Program on a discretionary, application-by-application basis, you must:

  • Satisfy state bar-mandated character and fitness requirements;
  • Take the LSAT exam and complete the KU Law application form, prior to KU Law School admission;
  • Have spent 3 academic years as an undergraduate student at KU or a combination of 3 academic years as an undergraduate student at KU and a prior, post-high-school, undergraduate institution, prior to KU Law School admission (For purposes of this paragraph, full-time enrollment, at least 12 credits, during a spring or fall semester shall constitute .5 academic years);
  • Score less than a 160* on the LSAT and/or earn less than a 3.5 undergraduate GPA for KU-only credits. 

    *For students who matriculated into the undergraduate L.E.A.D. Program in 2024 or before, a 157 LSAT / 3.5 GPA standard applies.

To gain admission to KU Law School as part of the KU L.E.A.D. Program non-discretionarily, you must:

  • Satisfy state bar-mandated character and fitness requirements;
  • Take the LSAT exam and complete the KU Law application form, prior to KU Law School admission;
  • Have spent 3 academic years as an undergraduate student at KU or a combination of 3 academic years as an undergraduate student at KU and a prior, post-high school, undergraduate institution, prior to KU Law School admission (For purposes of this paragraph, full-time enrollment, at least 12 credits, during a spring or fall semester shall constitute .5 academic years);
  • Score a 160* on the LSAT and earn a 3.5 undergraduate GPA for KU-only credits. 

    *For students who matriculated into the undergraduate L.E.A.D. Program in 2024 or before, a 157 LSAT / 3.5 GPA standard applies.