Law Schools

Prospective Law Students Sound Off About The GRE's Impending Law School Domination

If the GRE had been an option when you were applying to law school, would you have taken it?

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What do students think about the GRE train coming to town?

The gauntlet that is the LSAT used to be a rite of passage, but now there’s a new test in town. To be fair, the GRE really isn’t new, but as part of the law school application process, it’s new. There’s been an onslaught of schools — 17 to be exact — that have already moved to accept the GRE in lieu of the LSAT. But the question remains — what do students think about this change?

Enter a new survey from Kaplan Test Prep that asked almost 2,000 pre-law students what they think of law schools accepting the GRE. The results, well, they’re not particularly definitive. Thirty-nine percent are against law schools accepting the GRE; 33 percent are for it; while 28 percent say they’re unsure. The survey also asked students if they’d have taken GRE if that’d been an option when they applied. Twenty-eight percent say they would have take the GRE; 28 percent report they wouldn’t have taken the GRE; and 44 percent say they’re unsure how that would have impacted their test-taking plans.

The survey respondents also had some pretty interesting stuff to say about the move to the GRE. Several comments reflected the perception that the GRE is an easier test than the LSAT, a prospect that is seen as good news by some students:

“Currently, I am interested in several different grad schools that accept the GRE. Also, the GRE tests knowledge rather than just skills. The GRE, in general, is easier to study for and still a strong predictor of how a student will do in law school.”

“The GRE is, as far as I know, a much easier test to study for and take. But more importantly, taking the GRE would allow me to apply for many different kinds of graduate school, rather than just law school.”

Others are wary the “easier” test is a red herring that won’t be as reliable an indicator of law school success:

“I wouldn’t, only because I believe the LSAT tests a specific set of skills that the GRE does not. There is a reason the LSAT was developed as the exam for law schools specifically, rather than using the GRE from the get-go.”

“The LSAT is an exam for a specific profession, and teaches skills that are required for law school success. I imagine that students who submit an application with only a GRE score will be subject to higher scrutiny.”

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Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs at Kaplan Test Prep, shared his expert opinion about the landscape of law school admissions that’s currently in flux:

“Opening up the applicant pool to GRE takers gives law schools more prospective students to choose from just as they begin to recover from a period of historically low application volume. It provides something of a safety net in case another application slump hits. It also gives law schools the opportunity to diversify their student bodies, a long-held goal by many in the legal education community. But our survey finds that many of tomorrow’s lawyers aren’t convinced of the efficacy or personal benefits of this admissions approach,” said Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “Only 17 out of 204 accredited law schools currently allow applicants to submit GRE scores. That means most applicants are probably going to be applying to at least one law school that is still LSAT-only, so it makes sense to prepare for the LSAT. Additionally there is some uncertainty if the American Bar Association will allow this admissions policy to continue. If they come out and clearly state that law schools have a right accept GRE scores, we expect more schools to adopt this policy, which may provide students a true choice.”

But until the ABA finally rules (which may be this week) whether the GRE is a valid alternative to the LSAT (ABA Standard 503 requires admissions tests be “valid and reliable,” and the sanctioning body has not made a determination if the GRE meets that requirement), we’re looking at a hodgepodge of admissions standards.  

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headshotKathryn 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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