Photo courtesy of Wake Forest University.
Summary: Wake Forest University School of Law will accept GRE scores for the fall 2018 class.
Wake Forest University School of Law is the latest law school to announce they will accept the GRE as part of their admissions process. The North Carolina school will accept either the GRE or the LSAT for students starting in the fall of 2018, according to The Winston-Salem Journal.
Wake Forest University School of Law’s dean, Suzanne Reynolds, said that the school’s decision to accept the Graduate Record Exam was part of an effort to expand access to legal education.
“While we remain committed to a small entering class, we are interested in increasing the diversity of our student body, in every respect, including educationally,” Reynolds said. “As the college of Wake Forest University attracts more and more students with STEM backgrounds and interests, the law school should be prepared … for an increasingly educationally diverse student body, with students who want to pursue a law degree, perhaps in combination with another graduate degree.”
Wake Forest’s decision came after the school, along with the University of Arizona Rogers College of Law and the University of Hawaii’s Richardson Law School, participated in a study with the Educational Testing Service. Research showed that GRE scores were predictive of students’ overall success.
Wake Forest is joining other law schools such as the University of Arizona, Harvard, and Northwestern in accepting the GRE. Several law schools have changed their admissions policy over the years and allowed potential students to submit LSAT or GRE scores along with their other materials.
In September, Kaplan Test Prep released their findings where law schools revealed that they were warming up to accepting the GRE. However, Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs at Kaplan Test Prep, said that students should still plan on taking the LSAT because the majority of schools still require it.
“Our survey finds the clearest sign yet that there is a shift toward greater GRE acceptance among law schools, but there’s still much uncertainty since one ruling from the American Bar Association could put an end to the practice,” said Thomas. “However and importantly, there are numerous caveats for applicants who plan to seek the GRE route to get into law school. Most applicants will still have to take the LSAT as only three law schools accept the GRE this year. And even if you rock the GRE, but bomb the LSAT, law schools will see your LSAT score. You can’t only send the score you want to the schools you want. You will not be able to withhold your LSAT score. That means that while a high GRE score could mitigate against a weaker LSAT score, it will not be overlooked entirely. Plan on taking the LSAT.”
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