Applications to Penn State Law increase 32 percent

Penn State Law applications were double the level of 2008 and up 32 percent over last year. “We’ve processed 5,323 applications this year compared to 4,048 in 2009,” said Jay Shively, assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. “In addition, we had a very impressive and diverse applicant pool making our admission decisions all the more challenging.”
 

Shively cited continued high unemployment figures as part of the reason behind the growth. “The other part of the equation is the strength of our program—our recent faculty additions, the completion of our $130 million facilities improvements, the new clinics and externships, and the strength of the Penn State alumni network are other factors,” he added.

 

According to Shively, transfer applications are also expected to rise this year for the same reasons. The period for accepting applications runs from April 30 through July 15 and admissions occur on a rolling basis.

The  Law School Admission Council (LSAC), the organization that collects information on admissions, reports that nationwide American Bar Association-certified law schools have seen a cumulative 3 percent increase in applicants, and a 7.2 percent increase in applications. In addition, the number of people who took the Law School Admissions Test climbed 20 percent in 2009.

“We’re interested in enriching our upper classes with transfer students,” said Shively.  “At the same time, we want to keep our class sizes relatively small since that’s one of the things students say they like about Penn State Law.”