2021 Law School Admissions Are Up!
Admissions statistics from the Law School Admission Council (“LSAC”) indicate that the number of applicants to U.S. law schools as of December 2020 is around 35% higher than it was at this point in 2019. Meanwhile, applications dramatically rose about 56% within that same time frame.
In January 2021, applicants must put these numbers in context and understand that the admissions cycle is not yet over. Also, those aspiring to attend law school must appreciate that applicants are more likely to apply earlier in 2021 than they were in past years.
There are many reasons that law school applicants are submitting applications earlier than usual. The academic public’s Interest in law school has risen over the last decade. However, perhaps more significantly, the coronavirus pandemic has affected the typical time frame that law school admissions take place, which may be why there is a rise in early J.D. applications, according to legal education experts.
One suggested theory is that people who have been considering law school have had more time for contemplation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This influx of time has made some individuals realize that they truly want to become lawyers. Aspiring attorneys have had more free time than usual during the quarantine, thus creating the opportunity to expend more time filling out law school applications.
The pandemic has forced most, if not all, of us to realize the fragility of life and the importance of advancing and accomplishing the goals that we have set for ourselves. While we have certainly slowed down during the pandemic, we have also reconnected with those important questions about what we want in life.
During the pandemic, the LSAC began offering an online, remotely proctored version of the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) for law school applicants instead of the traditional in-person exam. Students may schedule this modified version of the LSAT, the LSAT-Flex, at a time convenient to a student but the test must be completed within a week as designated by the LSAC. The introduction of the LSAT-Flex has allowed students to get their LSAT scores sooner than in previous years, thus allowing them to apply to law schools earlier.
Through November of 2020, which was 16% of the way through the cycle, the number of law school applicants rose 37.1%, and the number of LSAT scores, 34.7%. Applicants are up the most in the New England (61.6%), Midwest (55.4%), and Far West (49.6%); and up the least in the South Central (20.8%), Northwest (25.4%), and Great Lakes (27.1%):
Applicants’ LSAT scores are up 83.8% in the 170-180 score range or band, 40.9% in the 160-169 band, 23.0% in the 150-159 band, and 15.2% in the 120-149 band. Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander applicants are up 47.8%; Asian applicants are up 42.1%; Black/African-American applicants are up 40.9%; Puerto Rican applicants are up 38.4%; White applicants are up 38.1%; Hispanic/Latino applicants are up 34.6%; applicants who did not reveal their ethnicity are up 34.5%, and American Indian/Alaska Native applicants are up 19.7%.
As 2021 begins, the CDTA continues to place students in the best position possible to obtain the valuable benefits, now more important than ever, that distance learning provides, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing an effective online learning platform for almost a decade, the CDTA has made distance learning a full feature of its curriculum, thus enabling working Californians to attend law school at their convenience. The California Desert Trial Academy College of Law provides a state-of-the-art online learning platform that takes full advantage of the benefits provided by distance learning. The CDTA is truly moving forward in 2021! The CDTA College of Law trains, educates, and develops students to be exceptional attorneys and trial advocates. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.