How Law Schools View the GRE vs. LSAT 

Today, nearly 70 law schools accept the GRE in lieu of the LSAT.

While the GRE is growing in popularity, experts say that not all law schools view the test in the same way. Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach and contributor at US News, recently discussed how the GRE and LSAT compare and how law schools view each exam.

CONVERTING GRE SCORE TO LSAT SCORE

The LSAT has been the standard admissions exam for years. Since the GRE is a newer addition to admissions, Kuris says, law schools will generally convert a GRE score to a LSAT score when considering an applicant.

“As a rule of thumb, law schools tend to compare GRE scores to LSAT scores based on percentile,” Kuris writes. “If your GRE score is in the 90th percentile, consider it roughly equivalent to a 90th-percentile LSAT score, generally around 165. ETS provides a tool to convert GRE scores into equivalent LSAT scores.”

The Educational Testing Service (ETS), which develops the GRE exam, offers a useful comparison tool that allows applicants to convert their GRE verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning scores to a predicted LSAT total score.

EXAMS VIEWED DIFFERENTLY

While both exams are accepted for admissions, experts say that law schools may differ in how they view each exam. That’s primarily because of the type of content that each exam tests.  

“The GRE has three different scored sections: analytical writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning,” Kuris writes. “Some law schools may consider some of these sections more important than others, while other schools may focus on the overall score.”

Kuris recommends applicants to do their research when considering which score to submit to a particular law school.

“Law schools may change their policies on accepting the GRE from year to year,” she writes. “If you are unsure how a law school might consider your GRE score, contact the admissions department to confirm they accept the GRE and ask how they weight GRE scores.”

Sources: US News, National Jurist