The LSAC reports that "As of 2/7/14, there are 227,912 fall 2014 applications submitted by 32,532 applicants. Applicants are down 11.1% and applications are down 12.2% from 2013. Last year at this time, we had 62% of the preliminary final applicant count. If this year's applicants follow last year's pattern, we'll have approximately 52,470 total applicants for the class entering in fall 2014. Dan Filler has some historical data on the first year enrollment from 1964 to 2012 here. I link to some more comprehensive data (going back to the 1940s) here.
Last week's post in this series is here.
Aren't most of the competitive schools deadlines 2/15? I'd be surprised if we saw the long tail of applicants this year for two reasons. First, the economy is a little better so there are likely better options for undergraduates at graduation than to scramble to put together an application for a lower tier school. Second, schools really shook the branches last spring to get apps from those even considering enrolling. You can't do that two years in a row. You already harvested that crop of applicants.
Posted by: Jojo | February 11, 2014 at 09:12 AM
Deadlines are 2/15 for a lot of places but the schools have always been willing to drop that in a second.
I predict many schools will (if they haven't already) sell out what little integrity is left and start spamming everyone who has taken the GRE, GMAT, MCAT with effectively offers of admission. This violates ABA rules unless you get permission beforehand, but when Rutgers was caught doing it they only got a slap on the wrist, so I think some deans might be willing to risk it.
Hopefully the ABA has been and will continue not allowing waivers of that rule, and if we're lucky they'll keep an eye out for schools doing so, and significantly penalize any schools caught doing so (say, instead of Rutger's overall $25k penalty, make it $25k per student admitted without taking the LSAT).
Posted by: TWBB | February 11, 2014 at 11:23 AM
Don't want to sponsor your professor's 'research' time, pay a lower price...
Posted by: please explain | February 11, 2014 at 11:29 AM
TWBB, that's what I mean. Law schools went all out to admit everyone last year, even those not interested in attending without a little coaxing. You can't use the "this is the best year ever to apply" line multiple years in a row. Now they're tapped out. Look for apps to trail off by 3/15, and for final numbers of applicants to be 45,000.
Posted by: Jojo | February 11, 2014 at 12:20 PM
Word is spreading.
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/02/the-collapse-of-big-law-a-cautionary-tale-for-big-med/283736/
Posted by: Stan | February 12, 2014 at 01:14 PM