The Faculty of Law receives about 2,200 applications each year for 190 first-year positions. Each applicant is placed in one of three categories of admission: regular, mature and Aboriginal. The applicant's file is then compared against potential students in his admission category. A panel chaired by a faculty member and consisting of the assistant dean, faculty and third-year students choose which applicants they believe are best qualified for admission based on the candidate's intelligence, judgment, motivation and social skills. Panel members use a candidate's academic record, Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score, non-academic achievements and socioeconomic background to judge these qualities.
The Admission Committee considers an applicant's grades in relation to how difficult the undergraduate course of study was, and what her grades were in relation to those of classmates. Students with competitive applications have a consistent record of academic achievement in a challenging undergraduate program and in graduate work as well. Students with a borderline application may be able to overcome an average undergraduate academic record if they have a strong graduate program record. An applicant's LSAT score and academic record are considered together, so an average academic record can be buoyed by a high LSAT score or vice versa.
The same application process applies to domestic and international students. Students must submit the Ontario Law School Application Service Application Form (see Resources), official transcripts of all post-secondary education, LSAT score and a personal statement. Students applying from outside Canada or the United States must submit an assessment of their foreign credentials. First-year students must have their application file completed and submitted by Nov. 1. The admission assessment process runs from November to June, with students offered admission beginning in December. When all available spots have been filled, a waiting list forms to fill vacancies.
Prospective students can obtain an application handbook and admission forms by downloading them from the J.D. Admissions website (see Resources) or by completing the application online. The Admission Committee does not recommend any specific undergraduate degree, and no pre-law programs will increase an applicant's chance for admittance. Applicants must successfully complete at least three years of undergraduate work, resulting in a degree from a recognized institution. Students who receive a J.D. from a Canadian university cannot practice law in the United States, and their degree will not be approved by the American Bar Association.