[Image via Getty]
Earlier this month, we noted that law school application cycle for entry into the class of 2024 was quite robust. We’re talking a 13 percent increase in the number of applicants last year, which amounted to the largest year-over-year increase in law school applications since 2002. Not only was the increase in applications immense, but the number of applicants with LSAT scores in the 175 to 180 band grew as well, from 732 last year to 1,487 this time around. Law schools suddenly found themselves drastically overenrolled with highly intelligent students, for the first time in quite a few years.
Now, we’ve got a bird’s-eye view on what the entering first-year classes at some of the top schools in the country look like.
Over at TaxProfBlog, Dean Paul Caron of Pepperdine Law has posted data originally compiled by Spivey Consulting for the year-over-year changes in median LSAT scores, median UGPAs, and class sizes for several law schools in the Top 50 as determined by the most recent U.S. News law school rankings.
As you can see, every school listed here raised its LSAT median [even Yale], almost every school listed here raised its UGPA median, and more than half of the schools listed here for which enrollment data was available increased their class sizes [some by a very large amount, like Arizona State and Duke] while others decreased their class sizes by quite a bit [perhaps in order to maintain their shiny, new median student profile, like William & Mary].
What will the Class of 2024 look like at your law school? Keep your eyes on this spreadsheet and watch for updates to see how things shake out.
Early Returns On The Law School Class Of 2024: Higher LSAT Scores, UGPAs, And Enrollment [TaxProfBlog]
What do a former sheep farmer, professional video game streamer, and junior Olympic weightlifter have in common? For one thing, they’re all members of Michigan Law Class of 2024, which was selected from the largest applicant pool in the Law School’s history and boasts the highest-ever median LSAT score and undergraduate GPA for an incoming class.
“This year’s pool of 7,693 applicants trounced the previous 1991 record by more than 1,000, and the admissions team had some incredibly difficult decisions to make,” said Sarah Zearfoss, '92, senior assistant dean for admissions. “I am extremely proud to say that a record percentage of prospective students accepted their offer to join us in the Quad.”
The Class of 2024 includes U.S. military veterans, Teach for America participants, Truman and Marshall scholars, a former White House speechwriter, a certified mental health specialist—and hundreds of others from all walks of life who will contribute to the vibrancy of the Law School community. The 313 students who make up the Class also have unmatched academic credentials: their median LSAT score of 171 and median undergraduate GPA of 3.84 are the highest ever, besting the previous records of 169 and 3.81, respectively. Thirty seven percent of the Class identify as people of color—the highest number in Law School history—and 18 percent identify as LGBTQ+, on par with national estimates that one in six members of Generation Z identify as something other than heterosexual.
In addition to Michiganders—one of whom has visited all of Michigan’s 83 counties—the Class hails from 43 states as well as Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and 12 other countries. Fifteen percent are first generation college graduates and 14 percent report a history of significant socioeconomic disadvantage. With 46 different majors represented from 144 undergraduate institutions, and 10 percent holding advanced degrees, this year’s crop of students come from a range of educational backgrounds.
Transitioning back to in-person operations has been a challenging but welcome undertaking for everyone in the Law School community, and activities have resumed in the Quad—with certain protocols in place, such as the University-wide vaccine mandate and indoor mask requirements—after 18 months of pandemic-induced hybrid and remote instruction.
“I want to thank everyone who has helped make sure our newest students have the best possible introduction to law school life,” said Zearfoss. “Through everything, our faculty, staff, and our current students made themselves available to answer questions and connect with prospective students whenever asked, despite already having beyond-full plates. We all know it takes a lot to survive the first year of law school even during more normal times, but I am confident that the Class of 2024 is up to the challenge.”