By Jaclyn Anderson
For anyone who has ever taken the LSAT and become discouraged about applying to law schools, there is a new hope as many law schools have changed the way they evaluate applicants'' test scores from evaluating average scores to evaluating only an applicants'' highest scores.
A recent Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions survey of 170 law schools shows that since an ABA policy change was enacted in June, 74 percent of schools have moved or probably will move from evaluating applicants based on their average LSAT scores to evaluating them on their highest LSAT scores, said Steven Marietti, director of pre-law programs at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.
In June, The American Bar Association, the organization that accredits US law schools, changed its policy on how it requires law schools to report LSAT score data of its entering classes. Instead of reporting students'' average LSAT scores, the ABA has asked schools to now report students'' highest LSAT scores. Prior to the ABA announcement, 87 percent of the 170 schools survey evaluated students on their average LSAT scores, Marietti said.
'What this really means for students is that taking the LSAT more than once may pose a significantly less risk for students now than before the ripple effect of this change,' Marietti said.
However, law schools are still able to view all applicants'' scores and 37 percent of the schools that have recently changed their policy of evaluating test scores said it can benefit an applicant to have taken the LSAT fewer times, Marietti said.
'Our advice is that while there''s certainly an opportunity to take the exam more than once if you''re not happy with where you are and you feel you could do something to improve, it''s not a good reason to rush in and take your LSAT for the first time without preparing,' he said.
The Reuben J. Clark Law School is one of the schools that changed its admissions policy to evaluating applicants'' highest scores, said Gaelyn Kuchar, admissions director
'When they send us the report we can see all the scores that they have done so we look at that too, but the highest score is more what we look at,' she said. 'It is better not to besides saving them money, but if they do take it once and they don''t do as well, then it can benefit them to take it again.'
Pre-professional advisor Catherine Bramble said the change will not affect enrollment rates but will increase the competitiveness of applying to a law school. She also believes that the new policy may affects scores because students will not take the test as seriously. She advises students to remain cautious about how many times they take the LSAT.
'The schools are re still going to see that you took it multiple times and they''ll still see your multiple score,' she said. 'And that''s less about the score and it becomes more an issue of ''why did you have to take it three times? Did you not prepare the first time?'' and they will start looking for patterns of behavior.'