Although the number of law school applicants has declined across the country, a study conducted this summer revealed admissions have nonetheless become more competitive.

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions surveyed 190 law schools across America — including the University of Wisconsin — focusing on competitiveness and evaluations of applicants.

The survey, according to Kaplan assistant director for pre-law programs Glen Stohr, was meant to provide an additional resource for law school applicants.

"What we’re always interested in doing is having the most up-to-date information, and the most accurate information … for people to come to us because we’re a great place for anybody to get information on how to apply [and] what the trends are," Stohr said.

Stohr said despite half of the surveyed schools reporting a decline in applicants, 79 percent of those schools said the decline has not made their law school any less competitive.

UW has always been "one of the top feeder schools" into law schools, Stohr said, as during the 2005-06 academic year, UW had the seventh-highest number of law school applicants, with 738.

The top feeder school was the University of California-Los Angeles, followed by the University of Florida and the University of Texas.

Stohr also said the survey found 44 percent of colleges said the biggest law school "application killer" is unimpressive writing skills.

Although the writing section of the LSATs is not scored, 75 percent of schools said they take the section, as well as the applicant's personal statement, into consideration when admitting students.

"When you prepare for the LSAT, you want to make sure you’re preparing in a way that not only improves your LSAT score, but also gives you the chance to practice and improve the writing section, too," Stohr said.

Stohr also said he believed the new comparative reading section of the LSATs that was added in June did not play a role in the decrease of applicants.

"I think it has much more to do with large-scale factors in terms of the economy and what kind of jobs are available for people who are graduating right now," Stohr said.

UW senior Dan Exler, who recently completed the law school admissions process, said the process was "stressful," and wished it was more intimate.

"I’ve watched my friend apply to medical school and my brother apply to dental school, and I’ve always been disappointed that there hasn’t been a more personal side of the application process," Exler said.