The Changing Landscape of the Law School Admissions: What’s New with the LSAT?

 The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is undergoing more changes.

Image by Pixabay.

Goodbye to Logic Games

Starting with the August 2024 administration, the exam will no longer include Analytical Reasoning—commonly referred to as “logic games.”  Instead, the test will now consist of two scored Logical Reasoning sections and one scored Reading Comprehension section, plus one unscored section of either Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension. 

LSAT Logical Reasoning questions evaluate your ability to examine, analyze, and critically evaluate arguments as they occur in ordinary language.   

LSAT Reading Comprehension questions measure your ability to read, with understanding and insight, examples of lengthy and complex materials similar to those commonly encountered in law school.   

There will be a 10-minute break between the second and third multiple-choice sections. The placement of the unscored section is randomly determined—so, test-takers will not know which section is unscored. The change does mean that it is possible that some test-takers will have three Logical Reasoning sections in a row.

While there is a perception that the logic games posed the greatest challenge to students—evidence from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) predicts that the elimination of this section will have no appreciable impact on LSAT scores. So, you do not need to worry that these changes will create a disadvantage if you did well with logic games.

As importantly, the LSAC has indicated that the Logical Reasoning section (that remains) is not changing. That is, the content and question type from the now eliminated logic game (analytical reasoning) section is not being migrated to the remaining section.

As you study for the LSAT, be mindful that the test-preparation material that you are using (whether that be hard copy books or online, practice materials) reflects the new structure. 

The LSAC has updated LawHub to the new format (and outdated materials will be removed after the June 2024 administration make-up exams have been completed).

Hello to Argumentative Writing

The LSAC will continue to include an unscored writing section—but that too will be changing toward “argumentative writing” as of July 30, 2024. This change will allow applicants to demonstrate writing ability as well as their ability to construct a cogent, persuasive argument.

Applicants will be given up to 15 minutes to review the prompt on a debatable issue. The instructions will include between 3 and 4 statements representing competing perspectives on the issue. The task is to draft an argumentative essay taking a position on the issue that addresses the arguments and ideas presented by the other perspectives.

In the pre-writing period, students will have access to “electronic “scratch-paper” to prepare an outline and preliminary thoughts that will remain visible during the writing period. The pre-writing period will last a minimum of 5 minutes (to review the instructions and prompt), after which students can “skip ahead” to the writing if they wish. The writing period will be 35 minutes.

The free preparation materials available on the LSAC’s LawHub include an example of the writing prompt. The paid access of LawHub Advantage has between 3 and 4 examples. More examples are expected to be released in the future.

Using the Most Up-to-Date Preparation Materials

As above, be sure you are familiar with these changes as you begin the LSAT preparation process and access preparation material (whether free or fee-based resources provided by commercial vendors).

Registering for LawHub on the LSAC website will give you access to the free materials that include all of the the above changes. LawHub has also absorbed the free preparation materials that were formerly available through Khan Academy. An upgrade to LawHub Advantage (increased to $120 in July 2024) will give you more extensive access to LSAC-official practice materials.

There are also numerous commercial preparation programs—whatever you use, just make sure that the offering materials reflect the LSAT’s new exam structure for your optimal preparation.

Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4369850">Gerd Altmann</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4369850">Pixabay</a>

Xavier A. Laboy receives Stanley Szymanski Scholarship

 

Xavier A. Laboy is this year's winner of the Stanley Szymanski Scholarship. This $2,500 scholarship is awarded to a student of Polish heritage who maintains academic excellence. Xavier is a junior majoring in History & Political Science: Adolescent Education and plans to teach social studies. Congratulations, Xavier!

Alex Lumanog awarded Ruth Stratton Scholarship

 

Alex Lumanog

Alex Lumanog, a sophomore Political Science major, has been selected as this year's recipient of the Ruth Stratton Scholarship. The scholarship is named for Dr. Ruth Stratton, who was a Political Science professor at Daemen for many years and shaped the lives of many Daemen students. 

The Ruth Stratton Scholarship is a $700 scholarship awarded to an outstanding sophomore or junior in the History & Political Science Department who has a record of academic excellence, with preference given to students pursuing a career in law and/or environmental policy. Complementing his major in Political Science, Alex has declared minors in Pre-Law Studies, Criminal Justice, and Psychology. Alex plans to attend law school and is currently interested in fields such as medical malpractice and technology. Congratulations, Alex!

Danielle Wagner awarded Elizabeth George Ivers Scholarship for Women

 

Danielle Wagner is this year's recipient of the Elizabeth George Ivers Scholarship for Women. This scholarship, which was endowed by Elizabeth George Ivers, a graduate of our department and a Distinguished Alumna of Daemen, provides a $2,000 award to a student who excels at academics and has a strong record of community service. Danielle is a History & Political Science: Adolescent Education major who is very involved in volunteer work on and off campus. Her community involvement includes assisting with free breakfast and lunch programs, working with young people with autism and severe medical disabilities, and volunteering to help with events at Daemen. 

After graduation, Danielle plans to become a social studies teacher and pursue advanced study in history. Congratulations, Danielle!

Law School Application Deadlines: When Being on Time is Already Too Late

Students seeking admission to law school need to pay careful attention to deadlines. Registering for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) and the CAS (Credential Assembly Service) are critical to the process—law schools will not consider an incomplete application. The LSAT exam represents a "hard deadline"—a date that are not optional and must be adhered to in any given admission cycle for your application to be considered complete. But one deadline that guides the timing of the entire application process is a little fuzzier: the final date by which all materials must be submitted to a given law school for admission consideration.

Understanding Law School Application Deadlines

All law schools have a final application deadline—the latest possible date that an application can be submitted to receive consideration. But many schools have pushed that date further back, making it closer to the start of the semester. At the same time, early admission application deadlines can be very early indeed. The benefit of early admission is an earlier answer from one’s preferred law school. The tradeoff is that, to be considered for early acceptance, one generally has to agree to not apply to other law schools. Admissions practices thus leave a lot of time in between these early admission and final application deadlines, meaning that in between these dates, admissions decisions are being made on a "rolling basis." As the admission cycle progresses, the pool of applicants typically expands, and the number of available seats shrinks. In other words, when you apply matters. And, if you wait closer to the end of the cycle, your chances of admission, as well as favorable financial assistance, decrease.

New Data on Application Timing

A new study, “If You’re On Time, You’re Late,” details the evidence on applying later in the admissions cycle, though still before the official deadline. For applicants of similar profiles (LSAT scores and grade point averages), those who applied earlier in the process were more likely to be admitted—there was a 40% versus a 24% acceptance rate for those who waited until late in the process. The report also found a disproportionate impact for racially or economically underrepresented applicants for the very reason that applicants in these groups tend to apply later.

What Can you Do?

Part of the problem may be that students are waiting too long to take the LSAT. The LSAT is offered more frequently now with new post-pandemic remote testing options. There is also a much quicker turnaround in the release of LSAT test results. Thus, rather than taking the LSAT the summer or fall of the year before, they are deferring the LSAT until January (or later) of their target admission year. This, in turn, pushes consideration of their application back until later spring or even the summer—sometimes only mere months ahead of the start of the fall semester. In combination with law schools’ increasingly late final application deadlines, this gives students a false sense that there is still plenty of time to apply for fall admission. In other words, because applicants can wait until later, many are waiting until later unaware that application timing affects the chance of success.

According to the study, “LSAT timing is a key contributor to application timing. The predicted likelihood of applying late is 63% for applicants who sat for the LSAT late (after January 1) compared to only 26% for early or on-time (before January 1) applicants.”

Perhaps this should not be surprising—early application reflects more pre-planning and attention to detail. Last-minute applications may suggest disorganization, or a lack of intentionality.

The way to maximize your chances of successful admission is to apply as early in the process as you possibly can. It is not necessary to apply under a more restrictive early acceptance process, but the long-standing rule-of-thumb that one should apply at least a full semester before the start of the law school’s new academic year is still good advice.

To increase the likelihood of acceptance:

• Register for and take the LSAT early (no later than summer or fall of the year before your targeted admission date) to ensure a complete application in January or by early spring. This leaves time to retake the exam if necessary.
• Register for the CAS and solicit letters of recommendation on this same timeline.
• Aim for the completion of your application by January 1 of your target application year.
• Consider early acceptance program options, but only if they are right for you.
• Research their admissions processes. Understanding the school’s application process can inform your application strategy.

Does this Mean I Should Never Apply Later in the Process?

There may be situations in which a later application is still a reasonable, or even the right, choice for you. Applying later in the process may be more advisable than deferring your application for an entire year. Conversely, there also may be advantages to waiting until the next cycle. Later applicants may be waitlisted with a final admission decision coming very close to the start of the semester.

But absolutely do recognize that the school’s final application deadline is not the optimal deadline for most applicants. The "real" deadline is much earlier than the final application date given by the law school. 

 

History & Political Science Students Participate in Model EU Conference

Written by: Kyle Weinsheimer, History and Political Science Adolescent Education Major 

From Thursday March 30th to Saturday April 1st, I attended the SUNY Model European Union Conference on behalf of Daemen University. The conference was held at the SUNY Global Center in New York City, and involved students from around the world, representing delegations of European Union member states. Most days of the conference consisted of debating policies, agreeing on agenda recommendations, and constant communication and compromise from all member states. All students were given roles prior to the conference, from their representative delegation, and were told to stay in character throughout the conference. Me and my colleague, Crystal Buchanan, along with Lisa Pastor from the University of Montreal, represented the delegation of the Kingdom of Denmark. I represented the foreign affairs minister of the delegation, Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Crystal, a political science major at Daemen University, represented finance minister Marie Bjerre, and Lisa represented prime minister Mette Frederiksen. Together as a delegation, we had to commit time and effort to quality research on the policies and ideals of the Danish government, and to make sure our research fit with each other’s. Each representative from each delegation was placed in a functional meeting to debate and come to an agreement on a certain agenda topic. The foreign affairs functional committee, which I was on, was tasked with discussing the EU’s policy towards the People's Republic of China [PRC], which resulted in very contentious and passionate debates. The outcomes of these meetings were very positive, and as time progressed all representatives worked together to reach multiple agreements and amendments to agenda recommendations of the EU. The Foreign Affairs Committee's resolutions included increasing domestic manufacturing in the EU while incentivizing lower industrial developed states of the EU to increase their manufacturing capabilities, creating a task force to increase intelligence on the PRC, and to increase diplomatic relations to ensure trade efficiency with the PRC. As a whole, the conference was very informative and a great opportunity to meet other students who were both very friendly and knowledgeable.

Kyle Weinsheimer (center) and Crystal Buchanan (right) represented the Daemen History & Political Science Department at the Model EU conference in NYC 

Downtown NYC picture taken by Kyle Weinsheimer

In addition to the rewards of participating in such an amazing conference, was the benefit of visiting one of the most beautiful cities in the country, New York City. This was maybe my second or third time seeing the city in person, and I immediately felt the culture shock of being in the economic and social epicenter of the country. The bright lights, the diverse masses of people walking the streets, and the birds that’ll walk right up to you to hang for a little while made me excited to be in such a place. Being in the city that never sleeps was an amazing experience and I am thankful for the opportunity to have made this trip to represent Daemen University. I am also thankful that I got to take this trip with a Harlem native, my co-delegate Crystal, who could show me around the city and crack jokes with me while we walked through the maze of streets to find the SUNY Global Center. In addition, I’d like to thank Dr. Tandon, our faculty advisor for the conference, for meeting with us to make sure we were on track, and to help arrange travel plans for the conference. While it was a lot of work to prepare for this conference, it paid off in the end with the knowledge and experiences I gained from this trip.

 

We look forward to seeing you at this exciting upcoming lecture by Dr. Nayma Qayum. For more information please contact Dr. Aakriti Tandon at atandon@daemen.edu.