Law School Applications On The Rise
Some good news for law schools.
Law.com reports that this year’s law school application cycle has seen an 8% increase in applicants compared to last year, according to new figures from the Law School Admission Council.
Increase Among High LSAT Scorers
More specifically, applications among high LSAT scorers are up. According to LSAC, applicants with LSAT scores 160 or higher is up 21% over this time last year. The highest scorers, 175 to 180, saw a whopping increase in applications – at 70%. Law.com notes, however, that high scorers above 175 only account for a small cohort of law applicants.
“I know this is good news for all of us who had become concerned that some very talented students were choosing not to pursue legal education,” council president Kellye Testy wrote in a message to law school admissions personnel.
Recent Increase Due to Politics and Economy
Most recently, U.S. News & World Report reported that law school applications saw an increase, which experts say was fueled by recent political polarization and improvements in the U.S. job market. In addition, law schools also began offering tuition discounts to attract more students, according to U.S. News.
The early 2018 report by LSAC showed that, as of mid-January, law school applications submitted in the 2018-19 admissions cycle was nearly 11% higher than the same time in the 2017-18 cycle.
The ‘Trump Bump’
Dave Killoran, CEO of the PowerScore admissions consulting firm, was interviewed by U.S. News.
Killoran tells U.S. News that Trump’s election has pushed many of his clients to have an interest in politics and a reason to pursue law school.
“Trump has had a galvanizing effect on many prospective students, both Democrat and Republican,” he tells U.S. News. “We see our students discussing specific policies far more frequently than in the past, and the depth of feeling they are expressing is greater than ever before.”
Although law schools are seeing a hopeful increase in applications, the growth is minimal compared to what used to be. According to Law.com, the current cycle is on track to see more than 59,000 applicants nationwide.
“That would be roughly on par with the size of the applicant pool in 2013, and far smaller than the 87,900 who applied in 2010.”
Sources: Law.com, U.S. News, U.S. News
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