Newest School To Accept GRE: Washington University

Washington University Law


Washington University in St. Louis School of Law is the newest school to announce it will accept the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in addition to the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).
Washington joins a number of schools making the move to accept the GRE, including Harvard Law School, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, and Georgetown Law. The University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law was the first law school to make the move.
“WashULaw wants to appeal to the best students in the country and the world, regardless of their academic, professional or personal background,” said Nancy Staudt, dean and Howard & Caroline Cayne professor of law. “The class beginning this fall was one of the most accomplished and diverse in the history of WashULaw. The decision to accept the GRE will continue to build on these efforts, making the admissions process even more accessible to highly qualified and motivated students of all backgrounds interested in pursuing a legal education.”
According to The Source, a publication managed by Washington University in St. Louis, the school of law uses a holistic approach when considering applicants for admission “by taking into consideration a number of relevant factors that could go into the making of a successful law student and future lawyer.”
The move to accept the GRE is a strategic shift for many law schools looking to expand the applicant pool to non-traditional fields such as applicants with backgrounds in engineering, math or science.
“The GRE complements the interdisciplinary approach we have adopted in preparing students for the real-world challenges they will face in a job market that values candidates with a variety of skill sets,” Staudt said.
While only a handful of schools have officially announced plans to accept the GRE, many other institutions are considering the move. Kaplan Test Prep’s 2017 law school admissions officers survey found that of 128 law schools surveyed across the United States, 25% say it’s “an admissions policy they plan to implement.”
Sources: The Source, Kaplan Test Prep