Location of LSAT may affect score

By Joshua Bourne

Where you take the Law School Admission Test can affect your score and admission chances, according to a new study.

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions has released a study and an accompanying online test site rater which ranks the best schools to take the LSAT and MCAT exams. 12,000 students were interviewed about 372 different schools which offer the LSAT. Santa Clara ranked 89th overall and 17th in California.

According to Jeff Olson, research director at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, "a big desk, good proctors, quiet and comfort and the overall setting" are just some of the factors that contribute to a college's rating.

"We believe students clearly feel that these tests are very important to them," he said. "It's a very big day."

So far, 203 Santa Clara undergraduates have taken the LSAT on campus this year. Last year, 190 undergraduates took the test.

The LSAT remains an extremely important factor in law school admissions. "Statistically, the LSAT test weighs more heavily than any other part of the application," Latoya Powell, a financial aid and admissions counselor said.

David Robles has been trying to decide where to take the LSAT next year. A current junior, he says the test environment matters to him.

"You need to be able to properly think through the exam," Robles said. "If the environment isn't comfortable, you won't be successful and thoroughly engage in the thinking process that the exam requires."

For the 2005 entering class, 4,487 people applied to Santa Clara School of Law, and 315 full and part time students enrolled. Among the students, 39 percent are from outside California, and 19 of the 315 students are from Santa Clara's undergraduate program. Full time students have an average LSAT score of 161 in the 75th percentile, and 157 for the 25th percentile.

Some current Santa Clara students who took the test felt that where they tested impacted their performance.

"The environment could have been more conducive to test-taking and the desks were small," said Jamie Holian, a third year Santa Clara law student who took the test at University of California, Berkeley said. "During the break, going to the bathroom, hearing students talk about coming from schools like M.I.T. was intimidating."

Zach Schwarzbach, a third year law student at Santa Clara took his LSAT exam at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, but was more affected by student behavior. "It mattered because there were some people freaking out," he said. "They were shaking and it was making me nervous, but overall, I wasn't that uncomfortable."

Cal Poly was ranked 29th in California; Berkeley was 35th in California.

Edwin Arevalo, director of faculty support services at Santa Clara law, said among the many things that made Santa Clara an appropriate place for taking the LSAT were "the accessibility, parking availability, safety," and that being an attractive campus "makes students comfortable here."

While environment is important, a student's attitude will also affect their performance. Ron Solano has been the head night proctor for LSAT exams at Santa Clara for the past six years, and has observed many take the test.

"Students come very nervous and are shaking at the beginning, but most people leave satisfied," he said.