Drop in LSAT Scores for Law Students Could Affect Applicants

A decrease in law school applications may mean a less competitive admissions pool for prospective students.

One of the biggest stories for the legal community in the post-recession era has been the significant drop in the number of law school applicants. The number of applicants dropped from 87,900 for fall 2010 admission to 54,500 for fall 2015 admission – a 38 percent overall decrease in applicants, according to the Law School Admission Council. There has been a slight uptick, however, for applicants seeking admission for fall 2016.

Smaller applicant pools have caused law schools to lower their admissions standards. Data from the American Bar Association show that many schools had a decrease in the median LSAT score of their incoming classes.

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In this post, I'll discuss three ways in which these trends impact applicants for the next couple of admissions cycles, and what I expect to see in the coming years.

Now is a good time to apply. Because of the consistent drop in applicants over the past several years, law schools of all tiers are having greater difficulty finding qualified candidates. Instead of maintaining their historical admissions standards and making fewer offers for admissions and thereby lowering their incoming class sizes, some law schools have instead maintained their incoming class sizes and lowered their admissions standards.

This climate benefits applicants. Like I tell my clients at Stratus Prep, if you are considering applying in the next few years, you might more strongly consider applying this year in case there is an increase in applicants in the next few years, resulting in a return to higher median LSAT scores.

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It still doesn't matter when you take the LSAT. One thing this trend in LSAT scores does not indicate is any change in the LSAT itself, particularly in its level of difficulty. Since law schools generally accept LSAT scores that are up to five years old, the LSAC, which administers the LSAT, must write tests that put applicants who take the June 2016 test on the same footing as those who took the June 2011 test.

So, do not change your plans for taking the LSAT based on this trend. Although the test is constantly going through minor changes that do affect the scores of some applicants, overall the test will be no easier or more difficult in the coming years than it has been in the past.

It is unclear what the next several years will bring. Although there has been a downward trend in LSAT scores and overall admissions critera over the past several years, it is impossible to know whether these trends will continue. As mentioned above, it appears that the annual number of applicants has begun to level out, which has been caused primarily by the drop in applications over the past few years.

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All in all, these trends are generally a positive thing for applicants in the next few years. Because these trends have no effect on the LSAT itself, and because it is unclear how these trends might change in the coming years, applying for fall 2017 or fall 2018 admissions is a good way to take advantage of this trend.

Source: US news