LSAT

columnscolumns

Blog Posts

June 1, 2019
July LSAT Update - some huge numbers

We have breaking and what amounts to record-setting news.

May 22, 2019
The July 2019 LSAT: A Steal of a Deal

This opportunity to see your score and cancel or retake for free is available for the July 2019 LSAT.

May 7, 2019
June and July LSAT Registrant Data

We were lucky enough to get some great data on upcoming LSAT administration numbers, and we want to share it with you. We've got some analysis for you, a little bit of a teaser for next cycle, and great input from Dave Killoran of Powerscore, who aside from his obvious LSAT expertise has been closely tracking the shift to a digital LSAT. Without further ado: final June 2019 LSAT registrations are slightly below 24,000. Last year, 22,489 applicants took the June LSAT. As we currently only hav

March 26, 2019
2019-2020 LSAT & The Transition to Digital: What to Expect

With the upcoming shifts LSAC will be making to the LSAT, we wanted to lay out all of the dates the test is available along with the information we know about them.

October 17, 2018
If You Didn't Get the LSAT of Your Dreams, Part II

A message from a law school 2L reflecting back on their LSAT process.

July 13, 2018
GRE vs. LSAT: Answers from the Deans

We wanted to help you sort out how to think about the GRE—so we took some of the most commonly asked questions to our friends, law school admissions deans.

June 18, 2018
Your Gap Year and the LSAT: What You Need to Know

Note: Since the time this blog was published, the landscape of law school admissions has developed a great deal with regards to the importance of work experience prior to law school. Check out this updated 2024 blog for more information and advice. This post was written by Tom Robinson, Spivey Consulting Group's newest Senior Consultant. Hi Everyone, I’m excited to be on the Spivey team and enjoyed working with clients in my first week with Spivey Consulting after spending my last three at Ha

Podcasts

April 26, 2023
Dr. Guy Winch on Handling Rejection (& Waiting) in Admissions (Re-Release)

This week, we're re-releasing a 2021 episode of Status Check with Spivey that is more relevant to our listeners than ever—our interview with Dr. Guy Winch. In what has ended up being one of our favorite episodes ever, Dr. Winch discusses his own experiences with rejection in admissions, the research behind these feelings, and specific interventions for moving forward confidently and positively. He also tells a story about the first time he applied to graduate school—he applied to 10 different programs, was denied by 9, and was "ghosted" (he literally never heard from them) by the 10th. Which makes his conversation with us not just incredibly helpful, but also relatable. We've all been rejected at something, many things—including those at the very pinnacle of their professional careers.

Dr. Guy Winch is one of the world's leading psychologists and speakers. He has delivered three TED Talks with over 30 million views combined, all three of which can be seen here. He has published three books and along with best-selling author Lori Gottlieb co-hosts the podcast Dear Therapists.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.

May 23, 2023
The New Rankings & The Future of Law School Admissions/Legal Education

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike gives an insider perspective on the new 2023-2024 U.S. News law school rankings (full +/- list here), the changes in methodology that they made, and how this year's rankings (and the surrounding controversy) may impact law school admissions and legal education moving forward.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.

June 26, 2023
Dean Z on Underrated/Overrated Law School Admissions Advice + Answering Reddit Questions (Part 1)

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike has a conversation with Dean Sarah Zearfoss (also known as "Dean Z"), who in her role as Senior Assistant Dean at the University of Michigan Law School has overseen the admissions office for the past 23 years. Dean Z also hosts the popular law school admissions podcast A2Z with Dean Z.

In the interview, Mike and Dean Z discuss whether popular law school admissions advice is "overrated or underrated," including applying early, retaking the LSAT, making choices based on the new rankings, visiting law schools, and typos in applications (they agree about most, but engage in some debate about others). Then they answer some questions from Reddit about "Why X" essays, addressing "why law" in your application, applying as an international student, LSAT scores from 5+ years ago, second bachelor's degrees, and leaving application questions bank.

Mike and Dean Z mention My Rank in this episode, a free tool for applicants to make their own customized law school rankings—you can use My Rank here.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.

May 31, 2023
What It's Like Applying to Law School, Part 3 (Final Decisions & Choosing a Law School)

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, we wrap up our ongoing conversation with "Lucy," a 2022-2023 law school applicant from Reddit (thank you, u/Accomplished-Body785!). We interviewed Lucy at several points throughout her cycle, and in this episode, we delve into her final decisions and her process of deciding where to attend.

You can find Part 1 of this series here and Part 2 here.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.

June 30, 2023
What the SCOTUS Admissions Decision Means for Law School Applicants

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses the recent Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard Supreme Court decision—which ruled against the legality of race-conscious admissions or "affirmative action"—and what it means for law school applicants, particularly applicants of color. He is joined by two guests, Sydney Montgomery (Executive Director and Founder of Barrier Breakers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to and success in higher education for BIPOC and other marginalized students, and graduate of Harvard Law) and Anna Hicks-Jaco (Spivey Consulting Group's COO and former Interim Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management at Syracuse University College of Law).

You can find more information about Sydney and Barrier Breakers here, and you can register for the upcoming Break Into Law School Conference (mentioned in the podcast) here.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.

July 11, 2023
Dean Z on the Future of Law School Admissions + Other Admissions Questions (Part 2)

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike continues his conversation with Dean Sarah Zearfoss (also known as "Dean Z"), who in her role as Senior Assistant Dean at the University of Michigan Law School has overseen the admissions office for the past 23 years. Dean Z also hosts the popular law school admissions podcast A2Z with Dean Z.

In this second episode of the series, Mike and Dean Z discuss the future of law school admissions (as it relates to the recent Supreme Court decision on race-conscious admissions and in terms of other recent legal education-related developments such as ChatGPT), then they talk about other common admissions topics/questions that tend to come up at the start of a new cycle (including chance predictor websites, how law schools interpret GPAs/undergraduate transcripts, and more).

You can listen to Part 1 of our interview with Dean Z here.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.