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The "Trump Bump" in Law School Admissions
The "Trump Bump" in Law School Admissions Free Easy LSAT Cheat Sheet: https://bit.ly/easylsat LSAT Unplugged Courses: https://www.lsatunplugged.com LSAT Unplugged Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lsat-unplugged/id1450308309?mt=2 LSAT Unplugged Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lsatunplugged/ LSAT Unplugged TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lsatunplugged LSAT Coaching YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgOHAiSs08EbD-kfDFqIEoMC_hzQrH-J5 Law School Admissions Coaching YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgOHAiSs08EbsqveKs_RZEy2sqqbz3HUL ***
We may see a massive spike in the number of people applying to law school this fall, given that this is shaping up to be a pretty contentious election year. For those who don't know me, my name is Steve Schwartz. I've been teaching the LSAT since 2005, and I personally increased my LSAT score from a 152 to a 175. Now over the past couple of admission cycles, analysts have termed this the Trump bump when in an election year where Trump is involved, we see a big increase in the number of people applying to law school. In 2016, we saw an approximate 8% increase following the 2016 presidential election with Trump versus Hillary. In 2020, we saw an approximate 13% increase with Trump versus Biden. Of course, the political time it has only gotten more heated, with concerns over abortion rights and crime, of course Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Dobbs decision. We also had the students for fair admissions versus Harvard leading to the banning of race-based affirmative action. Of course, Trump has continued to be in the headlines over the past four years with ongoing legal battles and the most recently, the assassination attempt. Given all of this, we may see a similar increase in the number of people applying to law school this fall in 2024, regardless of how the election turns out. Of course, a lot of folks are following politics more closely than ever, and this is likely to lead to more civic engagement, more people looking to go to law school, to make a difference and help to shape the political landscape. We're also likely to see a big increase in the number of people applying to law school because of the removal of the logic game section. This may lead more people to take the LSAT because they'll perceive it as being easier. Since of course, the logic game section is pretty scary and intimidating at first, even if it was a fairly learnable section, perhaps more learnable than the other sections of the LSAT. Additionally, law school admissions will likely get more competitive because LSAT medians continue to rise. It used to be that getting a 173 on the LSAT put you in the 99th percentile. Now you need to get a 175 in order to be in the 99th percentile. LSAT score inflation is only getting worse for a number of different reasons, one of them being that back in 2020 with the LSAT being moved online at the beginning of the pandemic. LSAT adopted a temporary LSAT flex format with only three sections rather than the previous five sections. LSAT underestimated just how much easier it would be to take a shorter LSAT from the comfort of your own home rather than taking it in a stressful testing environment. And LSAT also underestimated the fact that people would have a lot more time to study while they were stuck at home all the time. Additionally, it has become a lot easier to get accommodations for extra time on the LSAT. LSAT has been sued several times over the years. It used to be that they were too strict in granting accommodations to those who deserved them. Now the pendulum has swung the other way and they are giving accommodations to 98% of people who ask for them all you need is a doctor's note from a qualified professional like a doctor or psychiatrist and you can get whatever accommodations for extra time that the doctor or psychiatrist puts on the note whether it's time and a half, double time, triple time or more. And of course, all this extra time is leading people to do better on the LSAT. We see that accommodated test takers do better than those without accommodations. Additionally, the LSAT used to be offered only four times per year. Now it is offered eight times per year, meaning there are more opportunities to retake the LSAT. And as a result of all of this, the T-14 LSAT meetings, for example, are now 170 to 175 at all of the T-14 law schools, 170 on the low end, 175 on the high end at Yale Law School, for example. So this is shaping up to be a pretty competitive admissions cycle between the likely increase the number of applicants due to the so-called Trump bump, this being an election year and due to the LSAT score inflation going forward. Now if you're looking for a 170 or above on the LSAT, which I recommend that you do aim for, there are a variety of ways that we could support you at LSAT unplugged, whether it's through our live online classes via Zoom, on-demand video courses, small group coaching, and one-on-one coaching. You can check out the links below this video to find out more and to book a call with me, my team. And in the meantime, I wish you all the best and take care.