The College of Law will now accept the Graduate Record Examination, commonly known as the GRE, in addition to the Law School Admissions Test for admissions, according to a press release from February 1, 2022. Applicants will now be able to submit either the GRE or LSAT to be accepted into the school, according to the release.

“It is critical that this profession becomes more diverse, and this is another step towards that,” Kimberly Jones, associate dean of admissions, said. 

Loyola is the first law school in the state to accept GRE scores for the admissions process, and Jones said she’s excited to make law school more accessible. Loyola Law had the highest bar exam passage rate in the state at 92% last year, and Jones said she sees Loyola’s acceptance of the GRE as another way that the university is paving the way to excellence. She said that though Loyola Law doesn’t struggle to find applicants, accepting the GRE will bring richness to the classroom and allow applicants to bring their unique talents to the table. 

In December, the American Bar Association announced that American law schools can now accept the GRE in addition to or in place of LSAT scores. Following the ABA’s announcement, the College of Law faculty voted to approve the GRE for admissions, according to the press release. 

Jones said that the GRE tests the same analytical skills needed for law school that the LSAT does and that the change in admissions policy was not because of a lack of applicants. Jones said that Loyola chose to use the GRE because it applies to other professions, not just the law, creating new opportunities for people who had never previously considered law. 

“Success in law school comes from all sorts of factors,” Jones said. “Our students aren’t expected to be first in the state, but they are. It’s about hard work, commitment, and investment.”