Do you take the GRE for law school?

Asked by: Miss Thora Aufderhar  |  Last update: November 21, 2025
Score: 4.5/5 (12 votes)

Taking the GRE instead of the LSAT® to apply to law school is still a relatively new development – the first law school only started accepting GRE scores in 2016. By 2024, just over half of all ABA-accredited law schools have begun to accept the GRE, even if they have only admitted a tiny handful of GRE students.

Do I need to take GRE for law school?

At the end of 2022, more than 94 accredited law schools were accepting the GRE instead of the LSAT as part of the application for admission. That number may continue to grow should the American Bar Association (ABA) continue to change its testing requirements for law schools.

Do lawyers take the GRE?

With GRE scores, you can apply to your choice of 100 law schools, as well as countless graduate and business programs. Start by registering to take the test at home or at a center near you.

Is the GRE harder than the LSAT?

For most test-takers, an elite LSAT® score is much harder to achieve than an elite GRE score. However, certain characteristics – stronger verbal skills and weaker quant skills, for example – might make the GRE a tougher test for you personally.

Is GRE required for Harvard law?

Therefore, a standardized test score (either the LSAT or the GRE) is a required component of the application and we cannot waive this requirement for any applicant. Why are the last five years of test scores required?

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Do law schools take the GRE seriously?

Of course, as more GRE applicants are accepted, law schools will collect the data needed to evaluate the GRE's usefulness. But for now, admissions officials are much more comfortable with the ability of the LSAT® to predict student success in law school, so the LSAT® remains the preferred option for most applicants.

What did Elle Woods get on her LSAT?

Elle Woods, a fictional character portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the movie Legally Blonde, is known for her remarkable LSAT score—179 out of 180. Portrayed as a stereotypical "valley girl," she embarks on a journey to Harvard Law School in the movie that has since become a cult favorite.

Do law schools prefer LSAT or GRE?

All Law Schools Accept the LSAT

Of the 205 ABA-approved law schools, the majority don't currently accept the GRE. So, if more than a few schools you're considering aren't on the list of GRE-friendly law schools, you should consider studying up for the LSAT.

Is the GRE the hardest test?

The general consensus is that the GRE is harder than the high school exams but easier than the other graduate exams. In other words, the GRE is harder than the SAT and ACT but less challenging than the GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT. However, difficulty is subjective, so the most relevant answer depends highly on you!

Is the LSAT one of the hardest exams in the world?

Challenging Test: The LSAT is a highly challenging test requiring strong reasoning, critical thinking, and time management skills. Sections and Skills: It includes Analytical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and an unscored Writing Sample, each testing different essential skills.

Can I go to law school without taking LSAT?

While many law schools still require potential students to take the LSAT and submit their scores, there is a growing trend away from this requirement. Today there are several highly respected law schools that no longer require this specific type of test, and more schools are following suit each year.

What's a good GRE score for law school?

What Is A Good Score on the GRE For Law School? An overall GRE score of about 328, with quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning in the range of 155 - 170, and analytical writing scores of 4.0 is considered a strong result for prestigious law schools.

Does the GRE have math?

Approximately 50% of the questions involve calculus and its applications — subject matter that is assumed to be common to the backgrounds of almost all mathematics majors. About 25% of the questions in the test are in elementary algebra, linear algebra, abstract algebra and number theory.

Should I take both LSAT and GRE?

Many law schools, Seton Hall included, accept both the LSAT and GRE for consideration, but you should choose one test and stick with it.

What is a good GRE score?

Overall GRE Score

The score ranges from 260 to 340 in one-point increments. The overall score of 310 is considered a solid baseline for most graduate programs in the institutions. For highly competitive and top-tier programs, applicants may need to score higher up to 320 and above.

Do I need a masters for law school?

An Undergraduate Degree

Since a J.D. is a postgraduate degree, earning a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is typically required to apply and get into law school.

Is a 300 GRE score bad?

A GRE score of 300 can be seen as both good or challenging, depending on the university and program you're aiming for.

Is getting a 320 on GRE hard?

Scoring a 320 can be a tough task as the GRE percentile is around 80 or above. But, GRE is a section-adaptive. If you want to get admission for a specific course, you need to up your game and should score good in each section as most of the universities look at the section score rather than the actual score.

Is the GRE harder than the SAT?

The GRE is considered harder than SAT because of the GRE vs SAT difficulty level. This is because of some challenging reading passages and vocabulary. The vocabulary of the test has ambiguous words that are not used in everyday language.

Does Harvard accept GRE for law school?

All applicants to the J.D. program must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test. Applicants must take either the LSAT or GRE no later than the application deadline (February 15).

Is the LSAT the only thing that matters for law school?

Admissions officers look for more than high grades and stellar LSAT scores. Feb. 26, 2024, at 10:36 a.m. While a growing number of law schools accept the GRE and some even accept the GMAT, law schools will use your LSAT score for comparison if you have taken the LSAT.

Is Legally Blonde realistic?

OVERALL (fairly accurate!)

After going through it myself - overall impression of Legally Blonde? Not too shabby! I'd say the class/school scenes are pretty accurate, as well as Elle's transition from totally uncomfortable to realizing that she deserves to be at Harvard Law.

What LSAT score do I need for Harvard?

So let's take a look at what it actually takes to have a chance of being admitted to the most prestigious and preeminent law school in the world. As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School.