Harvard Law School experimented with a new program that considers GRE (Graduate Record Examination) score as an admission requirement for law students for the coming school year 2018. The said law school, who produced globally known leaders such as Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and President Barack Obama, is the second accredited law school in the United States to accept GRE scores for admission. Assistant Dean and Chief Admission Officer Jessica Soban said that “it will encourage more students in the United States and internationally from a greater degree of disciplines to apply.”
LSAT and GRE are both standardized tests used as a prerequisite for graduate school. LSAT, however, is exclusively used for law school admission. Kaplan Test Prep conducted a survey about the GRE program. Out of 125 law schools, 56 percent said that they refuse to accept students’ GRE scores while 14 percent said that they are open to considering GRE grades. This pilot program still has a long way to go and University of Arizona and Harvard Law School took the initiative to implement the new program.
Vocabulary:
produced – to be a product or graduate of a university
chief justice – the presiding member of a nation’s Supreme Court system
refuse – to not allow someone to have (something)
initiative – the power or opportunity to do something before others do
implement – put (a decision, plan, agreement, etc.) into effect
True or False:
- Stanford University and Harvard Law School are the two universities to accept GRE scores.
- Former US President Barack Obama is an alumnus of Harvard.
- LSAT and GRE are both standardized used as prerequisites for all graduate school in US.
- Kaplan Test Prep initiated the survey.
- Jessica Soban said that they want to lower their school standards so they can have more students for the school year 2018.
Express your opinion:
- How do you think this new program will affect the quality of the future lawyers?
- What do you think are advantages of the new program?
- Can you cite any disadvantage?
- How important are standardized tests such as GRE and LSAT as prerequisites to graduate schools?
- How do you think the government can convince other law schools to start considering GRE scores?
Defend your argument:
- Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both. – Eleanor Roosevelt