Just as many graduates prepare to take the summer bar exam across the U.S., incoming first-year law students discussed their concerns about the financial and academic realities of law school.
According to a new survey from Kaplan Test Prep, a majority of students are taking on debt to attend law school and many are concerned with earning good grades and getting internships, according to a press release.
Academics Concern 9 out of 10 Students
Kaplan Test Prep administered its 2015 e-survey to 466 pre-law
students who took part in its LSAT preparation course in June.
About 89%, or more than 400, of the survey respondents explained that they're concerned about earning high marks in their classes. Kaplan noted that this may mean that students understand how academically rigorous law school can be.
"89% of students are concerned about getting good grades."
In addition to being concerned with the grades they earn in the classroom, incoming first-year law students also are worried about the consequences of those grades. Nearly three-quarters of surveyed students are concerned about getting a valuable summer internship.
Often tied to academic success and very competitive, law internships can translate to fruitful employment for many law students, Kaplan explained.
"Your first year of law school is undoubtedly your most important. It's the start of what will hopefully be a rewarding three year experience and when you earn the grades that are most determinate in launching a successful legal career," Jeff Thomas, executive director of pre-law programs for Kaplan Test Prep, said in a statement. "The fact that pre-law students are concerned about achieving everything from high grades to covering tuition is an appropriate and natural response to the real challenges that await them."
In addition to academic concerns, many students expressed worries about balancing law school with the rest of their life.
About 82% of the incoming students said that they were worried about finding that balance. Fewer students expressed concerns about fitting in with their fellow classmates, but nearly 40% of the survey respondents explained that they were nervous about fitting in socially.
The Cost of Law School
Kaplan also asked these 466 incoming first-year law students about paying for graduate school. About three-quarters or 76% of the survey participants expressed that they were worried about accumulating a significant amount of debt.
There may be good reason for incoming students to worry. The cost of law school has risen steadily over the past two decades. For example, the average cost of private law school rose from about $14,000 a year in 1992 to roughly $24,000 in 2002 and more than $40,000 in 2012, according to the American Bar Association.
"The average amount borrowed for law school is $84,000 for public school, $122,000 for private."
With the average cost of tuition and fees at a private law school above $40,000 per year, public schools have been increasing as well. The cost of a public law school for in-state residents was about $23,000 in 2012 and more than $36,000 for out-of-state students.
These tuition prices can translate to debt for many law students.
As of the the 2011-2012 academic year, the average amount borrowed for a law student who attended public school was more than $84,000, according to the ABA.
The average amount of borrowed money for private school law students is over $122,000 for the same time period.
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