What's Happening?
The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) has announced a delay in the implementation of its policy regarding the exclusion of dual enrollment grades from the LSAC GPA calculation. Initially set to take effect for the 2026-2027 application cycle, the change
will now be implemented starting with the 2027-2028 cycle. This means that for the 2026-2027 cycle, LSAC will continue to include grades from college credits earned in high school in the LSAC GPA. From the 2027-2028 cycle onwards, all college credits earned while in high school will be excluded from the LSAC GPA calculation for all applicants, including new applicants and reapplicants. This decision was made after receiving feedback from prospective applicants and law schools regarding the need for more adequate notice and transition time.
Why It's Important?
This policy adjustment by LSAC is significant for prospective law school applicants across the U.S., particularly those who have participated in dual enrollment programs. The original policy aimed to address disparities in access to college-level courses among high schools and to ensure that students could pursue such courses without concern for their impact on future law school applications. By delaying the implementation, LSAC acknowledges the importance of providing sufficient time for students and institutions to adapt. This ensures that applicants in the 2026-2027 cycle, who may have made academic decisions based on the previous GPA calculation method, are not unfairly disadvantaged. It also allows law schools to prepare for the change in how applicant GPAs will be presented, potentially influencing their admissions processes and evaluation criteria.
What's Next?
For the upcoming 2026-2027 application cycle, LSAC will maintain its long-standing policy of including dual enrollment grades in the LSAC GPA calculation. This provides an additional year for high school students currently taking college-level courses to understand how their grades will be factored into their law school applications. Starting with the 2027-2028 cycle, the new policy will fully take effect, excluding these grades. Law schools will continue to have access to full transcripts through the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report, allowing them to review all academic achievements, including dual enrollment performance. Applicants wishing to highlight their dual enrollment achievements can still provide an addendum to their application, offering a more complete picture of their academic background.
Beyond the Headlines
The LSAC's decision reflects a broader conversation within higher education about equity and access, particularly concerning pre-college academic programs. Dual enrollment courses, while offering valuable opportunities for advanced learning, are not uniformly accessible across all high schools, potentially creating an uneven playing field for law school admissions. By eventually excluding these grades from the LSAC GPA, the council aims to standardize the GPA calculation, focusing on college-level performance achieved post-high school. This move could encourage more high school students to take dual enrollment courses for enrichment without the added pressure of how these grades might impact their law school GPA, fostering a more inclusive approach to pre-law education. It also underscores the ongoing challenge of balancing standardized metrics with holistic applicant reviews in competitive professional programs.
