According to admissions consultant Mike Spivey, 2015 has been an “unusual” year for law school applicants. With applications and LSAT scores up 4% and 3% respectively, there are plenty of people wanting to study law.
However, in spite of the Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard, applicants of all ethnicities have increased this cycle – yet what does this mean for aspiring lawyers?
How to Calculate an Applicant Pool
Law school admissions committees consider individual qualifications, as well as compare applicants within an applicant pool. According to reports by Reuters and the Law School Admission Council, applicant pool size can have an impactful factor in an admitted student’s final ranking.
US News & World Report ranks schools based on LSAT and UGPA medians as part of its ranking system, as these measurements influence acceptance rates and LSAT/GPA percentiles for applicants. A higher LSAT score can serve as an indication that an applicant has strong credentials; however, numbers don’t tell the full story.
School reviews of applications take into account several elements, such as personal statements, letters of recommendation and professional experience. Some schools require applicants to sit a second test date before their evaluation is considered; this can have an impactful effect on how your final evaluation unfolds. Ultimately though, admission decisions rest solely with each school’s admissions committee, whose evaluation process varies according to which factors carry more weight; also consider that when and how often you apply can also have an effect.
The LSAT
The LSAT is a multiple-choice exam that assesses your ability to read and comprehend dense academic passages. The test includes four scored sections and an unscored writing sample, and most students take it during summer or early fall; depending on their schedule and ability to study they may consider enrolling in a prep course or hiring a tutor for added assistance.
The number of applicants to a particular school is determined primarily by its average LSAT and GPA scores for its most recent entering class. Other factors also play a part, for instance if job opportunities decrease during a recession more people might consider law school as an option and graduate schools become more desirable during election years.
Since September, LSAC has seen applicant volumes spike significantly; however, it’s too soon to say whether these increases will persist.
Application Fees
Payment requirements can make or break a law school application, including costs such as LSAC registration fees, law school application fees and letter of recommendation fees. Some schools offer fee waivers for those in financial need.
Law school applications typically follow an expected cycle: when there’s an economic downturn, applications increase sharply before tailing off when things improve again. But this year has been different: many schools have seen application surges between 30-50% so far this year.
As this development still plays out for the 2025 class, admissions deans are taking it slowly in terms of making decisions on admissions candidates. They are currently exploring applicants from both academically qualified candidates as well as those likely to become employed, including alternative tests and more creative essay prompts than were used ten years ago; also keeping an eye on any lasting effects from Trump’s presidency on legal job prospects.
Other Fees
When applying to law school, additional costs must also be considered. For instance, taking the LSAT costs $222 while registering with Credential Assembly Service (CAS) costs $400. Fee waivers may also be available depending on which schools offer them as well as how many applications a candidate can submit before their scholarship packages become prohibitively costly.
When choosing law schools, it is crucial to understand their cost of attendance (COA). This includes tuition and mandatory fees as well as living allowance and miscellaneous expenses.
Law schools’ cost of attendance (COA) will have a profound impact on your finances now and after graduation. It is also crucial to assess if the school fits you academically; admissions committees favor candidates with broad college experience, while strong applications could secure merit-based scholarships to offset tuition increases at more competitive schools. Some institutions still provide conditional scholarships but these options have become less frequent.