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[GEMJRERCHS]

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[bombaysippin]

In light of certain law schools' decision to ask applicants how they prepared for the LSAT, for the purpose of better judging the applications, how do you think it will impact law school applications? And why do you think these law school admissions would ask these things?

For example, 3 people, A, B, C, who have similar applications, same GPA and same LSAT score (let's say at the medium percentile for the school), and A took the LSAT with little preparation, B self studied for a few months, and C took an LSAT prep course. How do you think the school will judge these three applicants differently?

One argument is that A is better because A has the skill to practice law without much effort, and B and C have their scores inflated. But it could also mean both B and C are more willing to put an effort and work hard to achieve a certain score.
And maybe B is better than C since B can get the same score without the help of professional LSAT instructors, but C might be better since C is willing to spend the extra money to get a higher score.

Lastly, how will law schools even know if the applicant is telling the truth when they write in the application the way they prepared for LSAT? It is not like the schools are going to get enrollment records from LSAT prep companies or purchasing records of people who bought LSAT tests.

Never heard of this.

[midwest17]

Yale is the only school I'm aware of that asks this. Even there, it's not going to make a significant impact that will outweigh the impact of a higher score, so use whatever method will work best for you.

If I had to guess, I'd say that classes would be viewed as a slight negative, and taking the test without any preparation would be a slight negative. But again, no substantial effect. I think the main purpose is for context: if your application implies that you've struggled because of a lack of resources, but you had the money to pay for an LSAT prep class, that will raise some eyebrows.

As for lying: the rule here is the same as elsewhere on the app. They probably won't catch you, but the downside if they do us huge compared to the minuscule upside of the lie. Don't be dumb; tell the truth.

[PalmBay]

They ask for purposes of data, it's too inaccurate and unverifiable to ever have an impact on applications, in my opinion.
For example, they might see a jump in LSAT scores and if they know many of those applicants use a certain method to study for the LSAT, then they will use that data and help their "pre-law" students who currently attend that undergrad. Plus it's just valuable in general to have that information.

[bp shinners]

They ask for purposes of data, it's too inaccurate and unverifiable to ever have an impact on applications, in my opinion.
For example, they might see a jump in LSAT scores and if they know many of those applicants use a certain method to study for the LSAT, then they will use that data and help their "pre-law" students who currently attend that undergrad. Plus it's just valuable in general to have that information.

I'd tend to side with this view - it's more an interesting fact they can collect for other reasons than something they'll use in the admissions decision.

[neprep]

Yale's Dean Rangappa provides this rationale for soliciting that information (emphases mine):

Yale's (203) Admissions Blog

For the LSAT, it's become the norm to take some type of preparation course (this is a change from one or two decades ago, when a relatively smaller portion of the applicant pool took such courses). Taking a course -- which helps students understand the test, gives guidance and practice on the different kinds of questions, and gives test-takers a psychological confidence boost -- can significantly help one's score. Of course, applicants who have a lot of self-discipline and organizational skills can self-study with the same (and sometimes better) benefits. But my guess is that most people aren't always as organized or disciplined, and generally take a course if they can -- for which they won't be penalized. These courses, however, are pretty pricey, and not all applicants have access to one. So, if I am looking at an application where a student self-studied, to me it's another piece of data in reviewing the application. That's not to say that a student who doesn't take a course and gets a lower score will get a "pass," or will have a lower standard applied to him or her, but it does allow me and other file readers to consider the resources that were or were not available to the applicant in preparing for the LSAT and weigh that along with the strengths and weaknesses of the other parts of the application.