Law School Admissions Trends Since the Pandemic
Law school admissions trends vary widely from year to year, but the pandemic had an unusually drastic and disruptive impact. It may take years to understand how changes to the admissions process shake out. Both the number of applicants and the number of applications sent by average applicants jumped dramatically, leading law schools to become more competitive and even oversubscribe their classes.
Law School Over-Enrollment: Advice for Applicants
Nearly 71,000 people applied to law school for the 2021 enrollment year according to statistics from the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). This was a 13 percent increase compared to 2020 – in fact, more people submitted law school applications in 2021 than in any other application cycle in the last decade. In response to the massive influx, some schools delayed their decisions, divided their waitlists into extra tiers, and provided conflicting information about application status to applicants.
What Oversubscribed Classes Have Meant for Incoming Law Students
Every year, law schools accept more students than they can accommodate, knowing that many students will decline, defer, fail to pay their fees, or choose not to attend law school altogether. As spots open up, schools draw from their waitlist as needed.
However, in the unique application cycle of 2021, many schools miscalculated. Some schools encouraged accepted applicants to defer admission for one year, facing over-enrollment. Over-enrollment forced some schools to offer financial bonuses and incentives similar to what an overbooked flight might offer to antsy passengers waiting to board.
What does this mean for incoming law students? Because so many law students are graduating, the legal job market may see increased competition. It may become more difficult to transfer between schools. Ultimately, though, the legal sector is economically healthy, and new opportunities are cropping up all the time – for example, social justice initiatives have opened new inroads in public interest law.
Impact of Admissions Trends on Current Applicants
Numbers for the 2021-22 cycle are still coming in, and so far, the number of applicants is down roughly 6 percent from the last cycle, although still 13 percent higher than two years ago.
Because of the deferred admissions from last year, it’s possible there will be fewer spots available, but law schools may have padded their class sizes to preempt this issue. Historically, application surges due to cultural and political factors have faded quickly. A recent example was the “Trump Bump” in applicants when frustrations over the 2016 election prompted new interest in legal practice.
As the economy reopens and jobs return, we may begin seeing people turn to other opportunities; some applicants may also be intimidated by the uncertain application environment. Future applicants should be aware of changes in median GPA and LSAT scores for their target schools and keep tabs on LSAC statistics as they come out.
[Next Read: Diversity in Law School: What Applicants Should Know]
The LSAT During COVID-19
In March 2020, less than a year after the LSAT finally went digital, the LSAT was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing resumed in June 2020 with the remotely administered “LSAT-Flex,” which shrank the test from five to three sections. In August 2021, the LSAT-Flex expanded from three into four sections (still one less than the original in-person test had). The fourth section is experimental and not yet scored. Every section is meant to take 35 minutes, with 10-minute breaks. Check the official LSAC website for further updates.
Despite the new section, LSAT preparation is essentially the same as it has been since testing went online. While taking the remote exam, you will require a quiet, isolated space with a stable internet connection. If you don’t have access to these conditions, contact the LSAC – they have provided test-taking facilities and loaner laptops to thousands of applicants since remote-testing started.
Risks and Benefits of Applying to Law School Right Now
The past year’s law school application cycle has been highly competitive because of the massive spike in applications. This situation is only heightened among top-tier law schools. The deferments from last year’s overenrolled cycle have already filled precious few spots, and, combined with higher application volume, has led to an unusually competitive application environment.
Presumably, these issues will diminish with the 2022-23 cycle, as the economy returns to normal and law school admissions trends swing back to baseline. Still, all bets are off in unpredictable times.
Aspiring lawyers should rest assured that the legal industry has seen minimal economic impacts from the pandemic when compared to most other industries. Very few law firms have been forced to close, and the demand for lawyers has swelled because of unprecedented economic and cultural circumstances. Though the law school application process has gotten more brutal, the legal sector itself is relatively stable and still a good educational investment–at least for the foreseeable future.
As for the longer term? You’ll have to ask the robots for career advice in a future legal landscape!
[Next Read: How to Get Into A Top Law School]
