GRE Plans For Law School Domination Head South
Schools don't want to be left behind for this admissions cycle.
The GRE is rapidly crowding in on ground that used to be the LSAT’s — law school admissions. As of yesterday, nine schools will accept the GRE in lieu of the traditional LSAT for their application process. The GRE’s domain has spread to the South, as Wake Forest School of Law will join Harvard, Columbia, Northwestern, Arizona, Georgetown, Hawaii, Washington University in St. Louis, and St. John’s in taking the exam for Fall 2018 admission.
I would not expect Wake Forest to be the last law school to make the move to the GRE for the Fall 2018 class. A recent survey by Kaplan Test Prep found that 25 percent of law schools have plans to accept the GRE, and the rapid-fire pace of law schools announcing their formal plans suggests schools don’t want to be left behind for this admissions cycle.
In announcing their decision, Wake Forest stressed the “educationally diverse student body” they hope to attract:
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“While we remain committed to a small entering class, we are interested in increasing the diversity of our student body, in every respect, including educationally,” [Dean Suzanne] Reynolds said.
“As the college of Wake Forest University attracts more and more students with STEM backgrounds and interests, the law school should be prepared … for an increasingly educationally diverse student body, with students who want to pursue a law degree, perhaps in combination with another graduate degree.”
Of course, for a school to accept an alternative to the LSAT — and maintain its accreditation — the ABA currently requires law schools to accept a “valid and reliable” standardized test. The ABA is taking its sweet time formally weighing in on whether the GRE meets that criteria, but Wake Forest said they are relying on validity tests they completed in conjunction with the Educational Testing Service (the makers of the GRE).
Which law school will be the next to green-light the GRE? Start placing your bets now.
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Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).
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