With applications to the Pitt Law School down 12 percent for the first time in seven years -… With applications to the Pitt Law School down 12 percent for the first time in seven years – now is the opportune time to apply.

“This admissions season is a great time to apply because although Pitt Law has not lowered it’s admission standards, the competition levels are reduced,” Charmaine McCall, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid for Pitt Law, said.

Paradoxically, a report released by Kaplan, a test preparation and admission center, marked a decrease in the number of law school applications, but a general increase in admission standards nationwide.

In the 2005-06 school year Pitt Law accepted 29 percent of applicants, but last year, Pitt Law received fewer applications and accepted 37 percent of applicants.

“We accepted more to fill slots,” McCall said.

Despite low application rates, Pitt Law has maintained its admission standards.

In past years Pitt Law had increased standards, but because of the decline in applications the standards this admissions period will remain the same, with an average LSAT score of 159 and an average grade point average of 3.4.

Steve Marietti, director of pre-law programs at Kaplan, said the nationwide downward trend began in 2005 when the number of applications submitted to law schools fell by 4.8 percent. In 2006 the number fell by an additional 7.4 percent.

Both Marietti and McCall agree that there is no tangible reason for these immediate trends.

“Earlier in the decade there were increases,” Marietti said, “The trends are cyclic and students should try to apply during those declining years because there is a smaller pool of applicants.”

Accepting a class of 245 out of 2,096 applicants, McCall said, “Competition was not as tight [this year], but we were lucky our class was able to still increase quality and minority admissions.”

First year Pitt Law School student John Burns was surprised to learn that applications were down for such a competitive field.

Burns said that he applied to at least eight law schools.

Marietti clarified that the decrease in applicants does not correspond to a lower quality of admitted students.

“Every year the overall caliber of applicants gets better so standards do not need to lower,” he said.

Past records from the American Bar Association show that these decline periods are usually temporary.

McCall said that there has been an increase in the number of admission tests taken and the number of attendees at law school application forums – an indicator that admission levels could be on the rise again soon.

Marietti agreed.

“I don’t have a crystal ball, but applicants will go up again,” he said.