think carefully about this question: why law? remember: law school can be expensive 3 or4 year...
TRANSCRIPT
Applying to Law School
Before You Apply...
Think carefully about this question:▪ Why Law?
Remember: Law school can be expensive 3 or4 year (depending on the school)
Graduate degree program Law degree is now called Juris
Doctor (JD)▪ Formerly the LLB (Bachelor of Laws)
And the winner is.....
Location, Location, Location Urban? Suburban? Rural? Out of Province? Country?
Which factors will influence your school choice?
Preview of Expenses – York University
Basic Expenses Living at
Home
Living in Osgoode
Chambers
Living Off Campus
Tuition $17 631 $17 631 $17 631
Ancillary Fees $850 $850 $850
Books and Supplies $1 100 $1 100 $1 100
Health and Dental Plan (estimated)
$365 $365 $365
Rent $0 $6 600 $5 600
Utilities $0 $0 $240
Telephone (@ $40/month with some long distance)
$320 $320 $320
Internet (free wireless access in Osgoode Chambers
$0 $0 $280
Basic Cable ($35/month) $0 $280 $280
Groceries and Persona Care (estimated at $250/month)
$800 $2 000 $2 000
Transportation (Student TTC Pass)
$856 $0 $856
Entertainment & Misc. ($100/month)
$800 $800 $800
TOTAL BASIC COSTS $22 722
$29 946 $30 322
LSAT - Law School Admission Test
Administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for law school candidates
Assesses verbal reasoning and logical skills
Requirement to get into Canadian law schools▪ Next 4 dates:
November 1 April 15, 2011
May 1, 2011 June 30, 2011
Planning for the LSAT
Plan to study four to six hours per week for a (minimum) four to six week period before the exam
Preparation times will vary
LSAT scores range from 120 to 180, with a median score of 150.
Plan to take the test only once because...
some law schools will average the scores or take the lower/higher of the previous results
Applying to Schools in Ontario
http://www.ouac.on.ca/olsas/ Note that requirements for each law
school differs http://www.ouac.on.ca/docs/olsas/
b_olsas_e.pdf
Important Dates
Applications for first year programs in law schools are due by November 1st
If you are applying to upper years, the dates may vary this year’s upper-year due date May
1st, 2011
In Your Application
Law School Questions/Essays Law School Choices Personal Sketch Reference Contact Information LSAT Score(s) Other Institutions Attended Transcripts
Focus Areas
Personal Sketch; internships, extracurriculars,
volunteering experience, professional associations, awards
What’s your “story”? Make friends with your Prof’s! LSAT score Strong GPA (3.5 +)
Application Fees (Ontario only)
Non-refundable so choose carefully !
Number of Choice(s) Application Fee
One school $275
Two schools $365
Three schools $455
Four schools $545
Five schools $635
Six schools $725
Example of Law School Requirements
University of Victoria Average Cumulative GPA = 3.84 Average LSAT Score = 87th percentile
Osgoode: Average Cumulative GPA = 3.43 79% of entrants scored above the 80th percentile on their
LSAT University of Toronto:
Average Cumulative GPA (of best 3 years) = 85% Median LSAT Score = 95th percentile
Queens: Average Cumulative GPA = 88% Average LSAT Highest Score = 90th percentile
Other Options
Can do American/Canadian Joint Law Programs Windsor, York U, Western offer this
option Applications may be due later
Combined program JD/MBA (Masters of Business
Administration)▪ Do both GMAT + LSAT with acceptable scores
JD/LLM (Master of Laws)
