Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC)
Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Twitter: @KapTestNews, @KaplanLSATPrep
The ABA has withdrawn a proposal to eliminate the standardized testing requirement in law school admissions, so the LSAT should remain a primary focus for prospective students.
New York, NY (August 7, 2018) — The following statement about the American Bar Association’s decision to withdraw a proposal to eliminate the admissions test requirement for law schools comes from Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep:
“The ABA’s decision to withdraw the proposed rule change allowing for test-optional admissions policies means that the law school admissions process remains unchanged for now. Schools must continue to require that their applicants take a standardized test, be it the LSAT, GRE, or even the GMAT, as two law schools currently allow some applicants to do.
“Considering the potential significance this rule change would have had on the law school admissions landscape, it’s understandable why this decision has been postponed. It’s important to note that it only passed by one vote in committee this past May. A close vote doesn’t equal consensus and that may have given many ABA members some pause about making such a drastic change. The postponement also allows schools that are considering using the GRE and GMAT more time to conduct validity studies, a requirement for offering alternatives to the LSAT.
“The reality is that regardless of what the ABA ultimately decides, any major changes to admissions policies do not happen overnight. Prospective students applying to law school this fall should still consider the LSAT a central component of their admissions strategy, as it’s the only test accepted at every ABA-accredited law school. Aspiring attorneys applying to start in 2020 or beyond may have other viable admissions strategies, but we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out first.
“We’ll be tracking this issue closely over the next few weeks and months as we conduct our annual admissions officers survey, speaking with law schools directly about which test scores they plan to allow applicants to submit. In our 2017 survey, 25 percent of schools said they were considering allowing their applicants to submit GRE scores in lieu of LSAT scores. A lot has changed since that time, so that percentage may increase, as the call for change among law schools remains strong.”
About Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.
# # #