Early acceptances this year - out of the ordinary?

[mkagan]

3% is quite a lot if you think about it...if 100,000 take the lsat, a 3% decrease is 3,000 kids, or 300 or so less kids with a 165. If schools only accept around 700 or 800 people, 300 less with 165's can make a big difference, imo

[SleepyGuyYawn]

I would have to agree... if there are seriously 3% fewer applicants (and of course it's a jump to assume that only from LSAT data) it would be kind of significant I think.  Especially b/c it has been getting harder for at least four years now.  The trend looks like it's changing.

What I'm wondering now is when schools get easier to get into, will there be schools that don't go back down to previous 1990's levels (like schools in bigger cities) or will they all uniformly go back down to where they were.

And which schools will stay strong -- that's key.

[mattbulldawg]

It would also be important to note that due to the extremely high number of applicants last year many people decided not to attend any law school and are applying this year. Myself included.

[NerfHerder]

It would also be important to note that due to the extremely high number of applicants last year many people decided not to attend any law school and are applying this year. Myself included.

Agreed and at least some (not to sound like an LSAT question), of these repeat applicants did not take the LSAT again this year. I also applied last year and due to family situations, was not able to attend.

[Javert]

Nerf-- Forum attendance is down 25%, there are fewer LSATs administered, there are fewer people on LSN, and people with competetive, but by no means auto-admit, stats have been getting acceptances very quickly. Further, the rate of increase has been decreasing for a few years; based on the trend, we're about due for a small decrease. I would be shocked to see the number of applicants increase; in fact, I bet it's closer to a 3-5% decrease.

We'll know soon enough...

[Gummo]

I've heard so much about the applicant pool being smaller and the number of LSAT-takers down, but then I've heard about huge increases in early apps (like Penn's 70-something% increase).  And a great deal of the acceptances seem to be auto-admits now- I've already been deferred until Feb. at one school I was borderline at and two others sort-of intimated that I may be in for a couple more months of waiting.

Wouldn't it be too early to tell if there are fewer applicants and a weaker applicant pool?  It seems to me schools are admitting the clear admits and hesitating otherwise.

[jacy85]

I dont' think the fact that there are more early apps in is indicative of more people applying.

After all, since admissions have been getting ridiculously competitive the last 3 or so years, it was seen as a trend, and not a fluke.  Because of that, more and more advisors and adcoms are harping on people to get their apps in earlier and earlier.

I mean, there will always be the early birds, but seriously, how many of us that sent our applications in Oct and Nov would have been that "on the ball" had we not been terrified of hurting our chances by sending it later?  I'd bet many of us would have waited until Dec and early Jan, which is still quite a bit before deadlines.

And there are many people who applied last year because they couldn't find a job.  It was their easy alternative.  They didn't get in anywhere, or perhaps didn't like where they got in.  I'd bet that there's a good number who have since found jobs and are no longer applying.  Those people who are reapplying now would probably have applied at some point no matter what the economic situation b/c you really want to be lawyers.  It's your life, not simply an "alternative".

I'd also be shocked if there were an increase this year.  I don't think numbers will drastically go down, but I'd expect them to drop slightly.

(and they are by no means only admitting auto-admits, veganNRAmember.  There are quite a few who are being admitted as Javert said:  competitive, but by no means shoo-ins.

[SleepyGuyYawn]

Hmmm... If the stuff about the LSAC Forums is true, that would be significant. 

I'll have to admit that I took the LSAT in 2003 -- but my taking a year off had nothing to do with difficulty of getting in, but rather was a matter of needing to know that Law School would be a good decision for me and wanting a break from school.

I would say that you shouldn't rely too much on Law School Numbers.  I think they have less people than last year now, but wait until the end of the app season and see if that's still true.  Also, people are probably much more likely to put acceptances on there than rejects.  I know I would have much more energy to put an acceptance up.

I sent my apps out the last week of November and I've gotten one answer back -- an acceptance from Miami -- an auto admit I'm pretty sure.