College of Law will accept GRE for admission
A first! Loyola Law is the first law school in Louisiana to accept GRE scores in lieu of LSATS, widening opportunities and the applicant pool
(New Orleans – February 1, 2022) The College of Law is the first law school in Louisiana to accept GRE scores as part of its admissions process. Effective immediately, the College of Law will allow applicants to submit either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Law School Test (LSAT) to be considered for admission to its three-year J.D. program, the university announced Wednesday. are rolling. Get those applications in!
The American Bar Association (ABA) , via its accrediting body, that it was more broadly allowing American law schools to accept GRE scores in addition to or in place of LSAT scores. On Tuesday, the College of Law faculty, coming off of the success of its (the highest among all law schools in Louisiana) voted to support accepting GRE scores for admission beginning in the current admissions cycle.
"This is such an exciting opportunity for Loyola Law to reach a broader group of applicants. To solve tomorrow's problems, we need diverse and innovative leaders - engineers, doctors, nurses, journalists, accountants, business and healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, and first-generation applicants - who want to pursue the study and practice of law," said Loyola Law Dean Madeleine Landrieu. “Those with existing GRE scores can now apply for admission without having to sit for yet another exam.”
76 of 197 ABA-approved law schools, including Harvard University College of Law and fellow Jesuit law schools, Boston College and Georgetown University Law Center, have been accepting the GRE for admissions for some time now, so this decision is not unprecedented. However, Loyola is a leader among Louisiana law schools. And the move is extremely exciting in that it expands the pool of candidates who are eligible for law school admission and gives more applicants an opportunity to attend Loyola.
Accepting the GRE could also help to alleviate the financial burden on applicants who would otherwise be required to prepare for and pay for an additional test, noted Kimberly Jones, Law Director. It could also encourage new applicants, as the GRE - a similarly rigorous test - is offered frequently throughout the year and in numerous locations around the world.
The decision to accept the GRE is part of a wider strategy at Loyola to expand access to higher and legal education. Since 2018, Loyola has continued to improve and adjust its long-term enrollment strategy to create wider access to higher education. The law school yielded its most racially and economically diverse class in history in 2020. Pre-Law Magazine recently ranked the College of Law No. 10 in the nation for Diversity.
“U.S. News and World Report has named the law school one of the nation’s best and , which allow law students a wide range of professional practice opportunities before they graduate,” said Jones. “More and more, too, we are seeing applicants who are 25 and older, seeking to advance or change their careers. This decision allows law schools like Harvard and Loyola to reach and enroll those applicants more easily, so they can get started on their legal careers. And we are always working toward greater diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The Law School Test (LSAT) remains an important measure of success in law school, and the university fully anticipates that the majority of Loyola New Orleans College of Law applicants will continue to take that test. The addition of the GRE as another option for admissions, however, is very exciting, in that it has proven to have and opens wider the doors for all those considering law school, skilling up, or changing careers.
Interested parties can learn more about the or email ladmit@loyno.edu.