LSAT Discussion Forum

If you have questions about Canadian law schools, Canadian admissions, or taking the LSAT in Canada, please post them here and we'll do our best to help out!

Hello,

I've noticed that a lot of the information on this forum regarding personl statements pertains to American schools. I will only be applying to Canadian schools, so I was wondering if you would be able to provide some insight?

I have been told that Canadian schools prefer a more direct, less personal statement of interest. Is this true?

Also, although I have a very strong GPA in my senior years, my junior years were very poor. Should I address this in my PS?

Thank you so much for your help!

Hi jm51,

Thanks for your question! While there are indeed rumors out there that Canadian admissions officers prefer "less personal" personal statements, I think part of the problem is the widespread assumption that, when applying to American schools, you need to bare your soul. This is hardly the case, and I'd certainly take this sort of advice with a grain of salt. If you write a well thought-out personal statement that shows important personal qualities relevant to your pursuit of a legal career, avoid the use of cliches, and tell a good story - you've done 99% of your job. It doesn't matter whether the school is American or Canadian. The objective is the same Bad writing is all the same, regardless of whether the reader is American, Canadian, or French.

That said, Canadian law schools do follow the European tradition of staying "on point" a bit more closely than their American counterparts. No, they don't care about your dog dying and what you learned from it (neither do most US law schools for that matter). My advice would be to focus on your academic strengths and discuss how they would be relevant to the study of law. Cite specific examples from your undergraduate years, and stay on point. You can discuss extracurricular activities and other significant experiences in your life, as long as they inform your perspective and choice of profession. That doesn't mean you should recite your resume or your transcript. Remember: admissions officers are humans too (I know, right?) and we all love to read a good story... as long as it's not too drawn-out. You may also want to highlight any specific ties to the schools you're applying to: it adds a personal touch without being disingenuous.

Check out these resources:

https://www.law.utoronto.ca/sites/defau ... amples.pdf

https://www.powerscore.com/lsat/law-sch ... amples.pdf

http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/bid/153 ... -Your-Time

http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/law-scho ... ions/help/

I'd also suggest contacting the schools directly and just asking for their input. You'd be surprised to find how helpful such conversations can be!

Good luck!

What are some helpful considerations when deciding whether or not to apply to Canadian law schools?
U.S. citizen here thinking of applying to Mcgill and UT in addition to many American schools. Is the process largely the same?

Hi menkenj,

The key differences between Canadian and American law schools are that Canadian schools rarely offer scholarships. GPA is a lot more important, and multiple LSAT takes are discouraged, so aim for no more than 2 takes. It's also a good idea to aim for schools where you want to practice geographically.

Hope that helps,
Eveline

As a Canadian citizen who completed her undergrad degree in the US, I can't help but feel like I'm at a disadvantage when applying to Canadian law schools. For example, in McGill Admissions, I know my file is not reviewed with the other "Quebec applicants/residents" but rather is reviewed with the pile of "Other/US Institutions" applicants, which are undoubtedly more competitive as there are less spots available for this group of applicants. Do you think it's worth it for me to inquire about the possibility for my application to be reviewed among the other Quebec applicants, or is this just how it goes? Thanks.

From the webinars I have attended on how to craft a personal statement, it appears that American Law Schools, like seeing personal stories. However, for Canadian Schools, do they like less storytelling and more direct experiences that show what they learnt and how it can be applied to Law? I just wanted to clarify that because I am not good at writing compelling stories about my life but have a ton of good experience that is directly applicable to Law School.

Thanks for the insight on the matter!

Hey everyone,

Background: I am Mayank from India, and I intend to move to Canada soon (by virtue of being a permanent resident ). I am 29 years old and I am an India CPA with extensive work experience in commercial law related areas such as, India Centric Fiscal laws (Income tax & GST ), International Tax treaty laws (DTAA's) , Company laws, Foreign exchange management laws and others business regulatory laws , Private and Public trust laws, and Indian succession laws. This experience of worth 7 years has been gained while working with BDO, EY and via independent practice (all three in India). Since I have been exposed to all these areas I have developed a strong affinity for studying laws in more detail and hence the wish to crack LSAT in November. Since I intend to live in Vancouver and the fact that I'd prefer to study commercial laws in detail, I hope to get into Peter Allard School of Law, Vancouver, British Columbia.

My questions are thus:

1. Peter Allard's website states that they accept applications with a median LSAT score of 165. Assuming that i get a lower score than that, based on my work experience is there a chance they'd accept me ? Since I am also not taught in Canada and USA, I believe GPA scores aren't applicable on me (per what I read on the LSAC website )

2. Given my affinity to learn more of commercial laws, are there other suitable colleges in Canada which could cater to my requirements better.

3.Assuming i get a LSAT score of 155, which other colleges should I be looking at both in Canada and USA

P.S-(CPA's are allowed to represent clients here in India for tax related matters)

Many thanks
Mayank

Hey, may I request someone to please answer my aforesaid question ?

I have done a lot of reading on the powerscore blog etc. about crafting a memorable/meaningful personal statement. Should personal statements be prepared in the same style for Canadian law schools, or should they be more generic (ie. my undergrad program is X, I want to study law because...)