It was a GOOD week for …
… Really smart and motivated students, after the American Bar Association announced that accredited law schools can suspend the traditional LSAT requirement for students who apply to both a J.D. and master’s program. The policy change, requested by 15 law schools, is meant to excuse applicants from potentially preparing for two graduate school admissions tests at once. To be eligible for the exemption, students must apply to a law program at their current undergraduate school, or apply to a joint JD/Master’s program at another university, and in both cases, students must have passed the SAT or ACT in the 85th percentile. For those applying to a joint program, they must be ranked in the top 10 percent of their class with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or more, and additionally must have scored in the 85th percentile on their GMAT or GRE.
It was a BAD week for …
… Potential law students in southern Michigan, after Thomas M. Cooley Law School announced it would cut its entire entering class from its Ann Arbor campus, and reduce staffing. The university, which has four campuses in Michigan, cited dropping enrollment rates, and said the move is a way to establish a manageable budget. Though the drop in law school enrollment was seen at universities nationwide, Cooley Law School was hit particularly hard with a 40 percent drop in enrollment — the second highest rate in the country. Cooley Law School officials stated that potential 1L students are welcome to enroll at one of the university’s other three campuses in Michigan —Grand Rapids, Lansing, which is 66 miles northeast of Ann Arbor, and Auburn Hills, which is 56 miles northwest of Ann Arbor.
