With the June LSAT approaching, many pre-law students are deep in their LSAT preparation. Along with this preparation comes fear, fear that the test will throw a curveball or that one’s score may not be up to par. This fear becomes more real each year as stories of LSAT inflation and people not getting into law schools, even with perfect stats, circulate. Like any admission process, the law school admission process results in a rampant culture of competition and comparison that increases the stress of the admissions process overall.
This year, registration for the June LSAT has skyrocketed from last year, with a jump from roughly 24,000 to over 39,000 individuals being registered. This is indicative of a rise in people hoping to take the LSAT, which contributes to more people receiving high scores, making the law school admissions process even more competitive. However, this increase in registrants is likely also due to the fact that this June is the last time test takers can take the LSAT from home without extenuating circumstances.
The LSAT going back to primarily in-person testing will lead to a decrease in test accessibility for students who may face difficulties in getting to a test center due to a lack of transportation or distance. This decrease in accessibility highlights the issues many students face with standardized testing and the inherent inequities that result from its widespread use. This jump in June LSAT registration displays how many people have benefited from the choice for virtual testing up until this point.
Despite the increasing culture of competition, it is important that law school applicants stay centered in their own work. Looking within rather than at others may even increase one’s capabilities by removing an extra layer of stress that inhibits performance. Focusing on one’s own work enables one to branch out and improve themself rather than feeling despair with comparison.
There is, without a doubt, increased competition for law school spots in the last few years. However, finding peace amongst those who may be thinking competitively can uplift one to look past comparison and truly reflect on their own work. It may be difficult to completely remove oneself from the competitive discourse of law school applications, but what results would be the growth of a new culture where applicants would be able to uplift each other.