AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW: KAPLAN LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS EXPERT

 

New York, NY (October 6, 2009) - Undergraduates and young professionals toiling in legal-related internships and jobs may be gaining valuable knowledge to prepare them for a career in law, but such experiences may not have much effect in helping them get into law school, according to a new Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions survey*.  In the survey of admissions officers at 152 law schools (representing three-quarters of all ABA-accredited law schools,) less than half report that experience interning or working in the legal profession gives applicants any advantage in the admissions process. Only 4% responded that legal experience offers "great advantage," while 36% responded that it offers "some advantage."  Conversely, nearly one in five admissions officers say it gives applicants "no advantage at all."

"What's clear from our survey is that admissions officers continue to consider an applicant's LSAT score to be the most important admissions factor, followed by undergraduate GPA,  the personal statement, letters of recommendation and professional experience," said Howard Bell, executive director of pre-law programs, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.  "While this news should not discourage applicants from interning or working in the legal profession prior to law school, they should understand its relative insignificance in comparison to other admission factors.  Instead of stressing about getting the 'right' experience that they think will look good on a law school application, applicants should focus on doing something they feel passionately about and getting work experience where they can make a difference.  This can help earn positive attention which in turn can produce impressive recommendation letters which are important to the admission process."

Other key results of Kaplan's survey of law school admissions officers:

o 48% say that they or a fellow admissions officer at their school have received a "friend request" on Facebook or MySpace.
o Only 21% say the LSAT should be changed in some way to help them better evaluate applicants.
o 82% report that they have no plans to increase the number of seats for its entering class.
o Compared to 2008, 65% report an increase in applications.

*The survey was conducted in July and August 2009 as part of Kaplan's annual survey of law school admissions officers.

For more information or to discuss these results with a Kaplan law school admissions expert, please contact Russell Schaffer at: 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com.

 

About Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., 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 and a complete array of books, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and college and graduate admissions consulting services.

Press Contact:
Russell Schaffer
russell.schaffer@kaplan.com
212.453.7538