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6 ¦ NOVEMBER 23, 2020 NEWS

¦ From LAW SCHOOL on PAGE 5 She said it’s possible that the LSAT-Flex format
“People have less to do socially,” Brown said. “I’ve is helping candidates perform at the top of their
had conversations with many applicants on eve- abilities. But this year’s increase in applicants with
nings, when they would usually be out with their high scores is likely due to the fact that those top
friends. Instead, they are talking to law school ad- performers are applying earlier in the cycle, she
missions folks.” added.
The timing of LSAT score releases could also be The boom in early law school applications is
a factor, noted law school admissions consultant in contrast with other areas of higher education,
Mike Spivey in a recent blog post. The council has which have slumped amid the pandemic. College
upped the number of LSAT administrations in re- applications submitted by through the Common
cent years, and scores from the 2019 October test Application—which is used by more than 900 insti-
were released later than scores from the 2020 Oc- tutions—are down 8%.
tober exam, meaning more people had LSAT scores Aspiring law students aren’t generally look-
with which to apply this year than ing for a traditional on-campus
the previous one. experience the way that college
Moreover, the introduction of freshman are, Brown noted, and
LSAT-Flex in May could also be they tend to be more comfort-
disrupting normal application able with the prospect of taking
trends. The LSAT-Flex is shorter some courses online due to the
than the traditional LSAT and is Applicants to law school pandemic. Admissions officials
given online, with people taking are up 32% thus far, worried throughout the summer
it at home or a location of their that this year’s online and hybrid
choosing. And the LSAT-Flex ap- which admissions experts teaching formats would prompt
pears to be yielding higher scores. attribute to everything a large number of deferrals, but
The number of applicants thus far from the death of Ruth that didn’t materialize. Fordham
with scores of 160 or higher is up saw more deferrals than usual,
Bader Ginsburg to the fact
that would-be law students

nearly 44%. And the very high- have more time on their but not enough to bring down
est score band—175 to 180—has hands the size of its desired entering
more than doubled compared to class, Brown said. Nationwide,
this time last year. law schools were able to fill out
The fact that the LSAT-Flex is their classes despite an uptick in
shorter and can be taken at home deferrals due to an increase in
may be a factor in those higher late applicants, Testy said. Admis-
scores, given that takers are likely sions offices will need to modify
to encounter less fatigue and stress than the normal their acceptance formulas with so many unknowns
LSAT, which requires them to travel to testing cen- this year, according to Brown.
ters, Brown said. But high scorers also tend to apply “I expect we will be wait-listing strong applicants
earlier in the cycle, Spivey noted. Thus, they could in February and March,” he said.
be overrepresented at this point in the admissions ¦

cycle. Karen Sloan is the Legal Education Edi-
Testy disputed the notion that LSAT-Flex scores tor and Senior Writer at ALM. Contact her at
are higher than those earned on the traditional [email protected]. On Twitter: @KarenSloanNLJ
LSAT, saying that the council’s psychometrician Sign up for Ahead of the Curve—her weekly
has found the two exams to be comparable. But email update on trends and innovation in legal
the council is looking at anxiety to find out more education—here: https://www.law.com/briefings/
about how it impacts the test-taking experience. ahead-of-the-curve/

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