In a recent survey by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, law schools reported that the number of law school applicants has been decreasing in the past few years; however, here at the University, admissions officers have been experiencing just the opposite.
According to Steve Marietti, director of pre-law programs for Kaplan, the survey showed that the number of people applying to law school has been slowly declining over the past couple of years.
"What we found is that over half of all admissions officers were seeing a decrease in the number of people applying," Marietti said.
Marietti added that though this trend would seem to benefit students, since fewer applicants should mean less competition, most schools felt that their programs were not any less competitive. Of the law schools surveyed, 21 percent reported a decrease in competition, Marietti said.
Although the majority of law schools surveyed reported a decrease in applicants, the University Law School has actually seen an increase, Law School Assistant Dean Jason Trujillosaid. "Last year we had 4,869 applicants, while this year we had 5,439," Trujillo said.
Trujillo added that the University's admissions process has also become more competitive during the past few years. "We saw an increase in applicants but we also saw an increase in the quality," Trujillo said. "This year's class was the most competitive class, by numerical standards."
The Kaplan survey also found that due to a recent change by the American Bar Association, 83 percent of schools now evaluate students based on their single highest LSAT score. Last year, 71 percent of law schools reported that they evaluated students using their average LSAT score.
Trujillo explained that the University has always had a specific policy for students who reported LSAT scores with a significant difference.
"If there is a reason why a student believes one score is better, we tell them to submit an addendum saying why," Trujillo explained.
The change in the ABA is only a reporting requirement, and "does not affect internal processes," Trujillo said.
Jason Dugas, current director of admissions for communications and outreach, stressed that students should not approach the LSAT any differently, despite Kaplan's findings.
"It's a test of how you think," Dugas said. "Don't worry about multiple test scores, just try to do the best you can"
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