Law Schools to go Test-Optional?
It has been a busy week in Law School news. You have heard that several top Law Schools have chosen to boycott the US News and World Report rankings. This does not mean that they won’t be ranked, but rather, that they will be ranked using publicly available data as opposed to the data that they would normally submit themselves. However, in a shocking turn of events, a council for the American Bar Association (ABA) has voted to eliminate testing requirements for entry into Law Schools.
Typically, the two tests used to determine entry into Law Schools are the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The tests generally indicate an applicant's preparedness for Law School. However, currently, Law Schools assign no particular amount of weight to these tests. Each school uses the scores differently in determining their admissions. Therefore, the tests, and the way they are used, create a certain amount of inconsistency between schools. The council hopes that by eliminating the testing requirements, that this inconsistency can be addressed.
Not everyone agrees with this approach. Opponents of this move, approximately 60 law deans, have expressed concern at how the elimination of these tests will hurt applicants, particularly minority students. According to an article posted on Inside Higher Ed, the deans were quoted as writing that the elimination of test scores would “diminish the diversity of law schools’ incoming classes, by increasing reliance on grade point average and other criteria that are potentially more infused with bias.”
The biggest concern is that no studies have been done to demonstrate how eliminating the tests will affect Law Schools moving forward. If the tests are eliminated, there will likely be a period of uncertainty while these factors are sorted out. It is important to note that even if the ABA votes to go forward with this change, individual schools may still require the tests as part of their admissions application. So if you are planning on applying to Law School, be prepared to take the tests. Even if they do go test optional, submitting the test scores may improve your chance of admissions.
This proposed test optional policy now goes to the ABA House of Delegates for final approval. They are expected to vote on this issue in February. We will keep you updated with more information as it becomes available.
In the meantime, if you or your student is interested in LSAT tutoring or Law School admissions advising, contact Ivy Link below!
