Data

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Blog Posts

December 15, 2018
Breaking Down the 2018 Law School Data

LSAT median changes for the fall 2018 entering class: No Change 1 point increase 2 point increase 3+ point increase

December 5, 2018
This Will Be a Slow Cycle, a Flat Cycle, and a Less Competitive Cycle Than Last Year

All cycles are different – for those that have been following us for a while you will recall the term "counter-cycle" for example – but last year, the 2017/2018 cycle, was truly an outlier. We have well over 100+ years of law school admissions experience on our team, and we have never seen a year with such little waitlist movement. It caught most schools off guard too, but the simple fact of the matter is that if the schools above you are not admitting people off the waitlist, then you aren't ei

November 2, 2018
First Look at 2018-2019 Cycle Data

LSAC has publicly released applicant data for the first time this early in the cycle — in past years, data has been distributed only to a small group and only beginning in December or so. Below, we have posted a breakdown of this data as of November 1, 2018 (compared to last year's data as of November 2, 2017). So far, overall applicants are up 17.6%, and applications are up 14.6% as compared to last year — before you let this stress you out too much, however, we were anticipating [https://blo

October 31, 2018
LSAT Median Changes and Final Data from 2017/2018

Since the data began coming out in late summer/early fall, we have been collecting the LSAT and GPA statistics of the 2018 entering classes of every ABA-approved law school, primarily on Reddit here [https://www.reddit.com/r/lawschooladmissions/comments/978z9u/link_to_new_medians] (and feel free to comment on that post if you have any new data we can add to the full spreadsheet [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/157-bOhUHh5eVc/edit#gid=1117512034] of 25th/75th percentiles and medians). Ple

August 9, 2018
Class of 2021 Entry Statistics and Changes

The incoming class' GPA/LSAT stats and look at how they changed from last year.

August 2, 2018
Final 2017/2018 Cycle Data as of 8/1/2018

This is the final cycle data as of August 1, 2018. Applicants are up 8.1%, and applications are up 8.7% compared to last year's data as of August 2, 2017. Detailed data below. Highest LSAT# Applicants% Change YTD< 1404,3481.9%140-1445,9421.1%145-1499,775 2.3%150-15411,5984.3%155-15910,5406.6%160-1648,28314.7%165-1695,12327.2%170-174 2,38213.4%175-18068959.9%% Change in applications# SchoolsIncrease of 100% or more1Increase of 50% to 99%2Increase of 40% to 49%2Increase of 30% to 39%4 Increase o

June 27, 2018
2017/2018 Cycle Data as of 6/26/18

This is the new cycle data as of June 26, 2018. Applicants are up 8.1%, and applications are up 8.9% compared to last year's data as of June 27, 2017. Detailed data below. Highest LSAT# Applicants% Change YTD< 1403,971-2.0%140-1445,483-0.1%145-1498,962 4.2%150-15410,9476.6%155-15910,1486.9%160-1648,11715.9%165-1695,04229.0%170-174 2,35716.9%175-18068369.9%% Change in applications# SchoolsIncrease of 100% or more1Increase of 50% to 99%1Increase of 40% to 49%4Increase of 30% to 39%5 Increase of

May 21, 2018
Law School Admissions Help

2017-2018 cycle data + a capacity update.

Podcasts

October 9, 2019
Traits of Law School Applicants Who Outperform Their Numbers

In this podcast, Spivey Consulting Group Founder and Partner Mike Spivey discusses commonalities between applicants who punch above their numbers. This podcast is also available on SoundCloud  and Apple Podcasts.

Also be sure to check out My Rank, our tool for comparing and ranking law schools with according to your own priorities.

November 12, 2019
Mike Spivey on the Darker Side of Self-Doxing in Law School Admissions

In this podcast, Spivey Consulting Group Founder and Partner Mike Spivey discusses what happens when a law school applicant posts something that deeply offends or insults law school admissions officers who may know who they are in real life.  

The Spivey Blog is mentioned in this podcast.  

As always, please reach out to us at info@spiveyconsulting.com for more information about working with us.  

Also check out our custom law school rankings/comparison data website, My Rank.

January 15, 2020
How to Approach and What to Take Away from Admitted Student Days/Weekends

In this podcast, Spivey Consulting Founding Partner Mike Spivey talks about why law schools have admitted student programs, what you can expect from them, what you can expect from others at the event, and how to make the most of the visit. He also answers r/LSA questions and added a separate podcast here on one of the elements that the toll and pressure of admissions can have on people and how to alleviate that.

February 8, 2020
How will the rest of the 2019/2020 Law School Admissions Cycle Play Out?

In this podcast, SCG's Mike Spivey speaks on what to expect for the rest of the cycle — including why it might greatly favor some people with strong softs this summer, thus making it a "Soft Cycle," but also why it has and will continue to be slow. Also discussed are two internal LSAC changes that will have significant impact for the rest of the admissions cycle and in future years.

Finally, the link Mike mentioned to the blog he wrote to those who are done and checking out of the admissions process – or just want a different take on things —can be found here: 10 Lessons Life Has Taught Me.

February 22, 2020
How Mike Spivey Would Apply to Law School

This is a very encompassing podcast that features the A to Z of the law school admissions process, starting with "Why am I applying" and finishing with scholarship negotiation and the three things that applicants are doing who are punching above their numbers this competitive cycle—with most everything in between covered.

Three other blogs/podcasts are mentioned during this podcast:

  • This is the brief motivational blog Mike wrote that caught that eye of deans of admissions in respect to writing about what matters to YOU, which is what often stands out to others.
  • This is the podcast on being extroverted when visiting law schools.
  • Finally, the applicant who was admitted to Vanderbilt for standing out despite being 15-17 points below the median LSAT is mentioned here.

Also discussed: My Rank, Law School Transparency, and the Above the Law Rankings.

You can listen to this podcast through the YouTube video below, or on SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts.

March 12, 2020