Kaplan survey ties LSAT score to financial aid

Many law schools in the country use standardized test scores as a factor in determining financial aid packages, according to a new informal survey that is heavily contested by admissions officials.

With most law school tuitions hovering around $35,000 per year, the Law School Admission Test could take on new importance if the survey results are valid.

The study was conducted by the test preparation company Kaplan, Inc., which offers LSAT classes that cost between $500 and $4,000 and are designed to boost test scores.

The group surveyed almost 200 pre-law advisers, who work at universities to guide undergraduates with law school applications. The study found that 78 percent believe LSAT scores impact financial aid packages.

"It's not something you would see on a law school Web site," said Justin Serrano, Kaplan's general manager of graduate programs.

Serrano argues that LSAT scores make up as much as 50 percent of the admissions criteria for many schools. Because of this, many schools admit the same top students, and try to entice them with more lucrative financial aid packages.

Penn Law School admissions officers, as well as those at Harvard and Temple universities, deny any link between LSAT score and financial aid packages. They also deny that any sense of "leverage" exists, saying there is not a lot of room for negotiation.

Serrano insists, however, that the pre-law advisers know the inside story behind financial aid, and there is a difference between what the schools publicly say and the reality of the process.

Much of the financial assistance to law students comes from federal loans, which would not be influenced by the test scores.

However, many law schools offer aid packages that include private funds raised by the school. In those cases, the schools could draw on any criteria they see fit in awarding the aid.

An important distinction in this debate is between merit and need-based scholarships. Many law schools, including Penn, give money separate from financial aid to students based on their academic achievements. LSAT scores are used in deciding these awards.

Penn Law Dean of Admissions Derek Meeker says that, for Penn's merit scholarships, the LSAT is just one in a host of criteria -- much like the admissions process.

Harvard Law School, however, is one of few remaining institutions that does not give any money based on merit.

"Our philosophy is that we want to make legal education available to all sorts of income levels," Harvard Law Assistant Director of Financial Aid Denise Ryan said. "So we want to make sure that finances isn't a barrier to accessing legal education."

Serrano counseled that the study is important for students choosing when to take the LSAT. Because most law schools have rolling admissions, he says it is better to take the test earlier when more money is available. "Law schools have a pool of money they can dole out, which eventually is going to run out," Serrano said.

Meeker dismissed that argument. "There is an advantage to applying earlier," he said, "but that's just common sense."

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