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New York, NY (March 8, 2017) – Jeff Thomas, Kaplan Test Prep’s executive director of pre-law programs, issued the following statement today regarding Harvard Law School’s decision to begin allowing applicants to submit scores from the GRE instead of the LSAT:
“Harvard Law School’s decision to allow applicants to submit GRE scores instead of LSAT scores has the potential to create a domino effect among other law schools. When Harvard changes their admissions strategy, other law schools take notice.
“In reality, to create a true two-test admissions landscape, the vast majority of law schools would have to make this decision too.
“Kaplan Test Prep’s view is that choice is always good for students. With the GRE offered almost every day of the year, this will open up doors to applicants who would have otherwise missed deadlines, since the LSAT is only offered a few times per year, or who have shied away from the LSAT.
“In a survey that Kaplan Test Prep conducted in May 2016 of 125 law schools, 56 percent said they had no plans to adopt the GRE as an admissions alternative to the LSAT, which at the time was only something the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law had implemented. Just 14 percent said they planned to do it. The remaining 30 percent said they were not sure, which signified a lot of room to grow. We think that number is likely to increase over the next few months. However, for the vast majority of students, this change will have no immediate impact.
“Our advice for pre-law students is that unless the only law schools they plan to apply to are Harvard University and the University of Arizona is to take the LSAT, since it’s still the only admissions exam accepted by every law school.
“One other point to consider is that over the past few years, law schools across the United States have experienced slumping applications and enrollments, which has even led to some law schools closing or merging. While Harvard is in no danger of falling into any of those categories, other law schools may see the GRE option as a way to grow their applicant pools and as a way to diversify their student bodies, which has long been a goal for many.
“Either way, with Kaplan, you’ve got this. We have the industry-leading LSAT and GRE prep courses to help students no matter what the landscape holds.”
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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.
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