As law school applications surge nationwide, students at UF are facing tougher competition and more pressure to stand out.
According to data compiled by the Law School Admission Council from the American Bar Association, U.S. law school applications are up 12.6% this cycle — a 35.2% increase compared to two years ago.
At UF, the surge is already reshaping how applicants prepare.
For Cecilia Carbone, the decision to apply to law school wasn’t a trend — it was a calling.
“I’ve never really done things just because other people were doing them,” said Carbone, a first-year law student at the UF Levin College of Law.
Carbone said she believes a law degree has a broad impact, which is why more and more people are applying.
“I think lawyers are social engineers in a lot of ways,” she said. “Lawyers are essential to society, and I think a lot of people want to be a part of that change.”
Carbone isn’t alone. More students are now aiming for the same purpose she describes.
Owen Beatty, a UF pre-law adviser, said the number of UF students applying to law school increased by about 15% this past cycle. He also noted applicants are submitting more applications to different schools, casting a wider net than they did two years ago.
As competition rises, students are prioritizing GPA and Law School Admission Test, or LSAT, scores and spending more on test prep, Beatty said. He said he expects anxiety among applicants to increase alongside trends, especially considering most applicants are already high-achieving students.
Beatty mentioned pre-law advisers try to alleviate anxiety and normalize students taking gap years to gain work experience. About 70% of students who started law school in Fall 2025 were at least a year out of their bachelor’s program, he said.
“Everybody that is applying has really good LSAT scores and GPA," Beatty said. “Where you can really differentiate yourself is your experience.”
He expects the surge to continue, he said, noting uncertainty in the job market often drives students toward graduate school to strengthen their career prospects.
For students like Alana Walker, a 21-year-old UF political science senior, the rising competition feels personal. Walker applied to law schools for the 2026-2027 cycle and has heard back from two of the three schools.
At first, she felt intimidated when she saw the declining acceptance rates and increasing competition.
“I think that this cycle was very competitive,” Walker said. “I think next cycle is going to be very competitive. And I definitely see a trend, at least for the next couple of years.”
Because of the growing competitiveness, Walker said she took the LSAT more seriously, and many of her friends did the same.
Walker said the process felt more stressful before applications opened. But once she received an LSAT score she was happy with, she said, the application process became less overwhelming.
“Law schools are so clear about GPA and LSAT ranges,” Walker said. “You kind of already know where you stand when you apply.”
Amid rising applications, law school admissions officers are also emphasizing stronger preparation.
Leslie Greenwood, assistant dean for admissions at Levin, noted applications have gone up this past cycle. According to the American Bar Association, applications to Levin increased 6.27% from the 2024 to the 2025 admissions cycle. However, the acceptance rate only dipped by less than one percentage point over the same period.
She encouraged law school applicants to get legal or other related professional experience before applying.
“For example, if you are interested in pursuing tax law, an accounting internship or work experience could be considered relevant,” Green wrote in an email statement.
Green also advised students to not compare themselves to others.
“Focus on putting your personal best foot forward in the application process, and apply when you feel that you are ready to do so,” she said.
Mia Giannicchi is a contributing writer for The Alligator.
