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McGill University
McGill University
Application requirements
Deadline
Nov 1, 2025
Recommendations
2
Updated for 2025-2026 application cycle
How to get into McGill University
Applicants must submit an essay of a maximum of 750 words, referred to as the Personal Statement. Please visit the Indigenous Applicants page for Personal Statement instructions for candidates applying in the optional Indigenous applicant category.
What is the purpose of the Personal Statement? The Personal Statement is candidates’ moment to showcase the unique aspects of their motivations, their background, and their personality that make them a compelling candidate for our program.
The Admissions Committee relies on the Personal Statement to understand the factors that motivate candidates to pursue a legal education, the particular meaning that the study of law holds for them, and the reasons for their interest in our program. In addition, the Personal Statement shows the Admissions Committee candidates’ writing skills, their ability to present their ideas in English and/or French, and their maturity and judgment as shown through their writing. Given the importance of strong writing skills for success in law school, a well-written Personal Statement is a critical component of a successful application.
What is the Admissions Committee looking for in the Personal Statement? The Admissions Committee is interested in hearing why candidates’ want to study law, why they are interested in McGill’s program in particular, and what they will bring to our learning community. The Committee looks for indicators of intellectual curiosity, community engagement, political/social insight, leadership skills, ability to work with others, openness to diversity (cultural, linguistic and otherwise), maturity and judgment.
We strongly encourage applicants belonging an equity-deserving group to include information in their Personal Statements on how their personal circumstances, lived experience, work, community involvement, and extra-curricular activities relate to their desire and preparation to study law at McGill University.
The Personal Statement should be a product of candidates’ own reflection. We truly value a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and future aspirations. Whether a candidate wishes to become a practicing lawyer or they have other ideas about their career path following a legal education, their application, and specifically their Personal Statement, should show thoughtful consideration of their reasons for studying law, and at our Faculty in particular.
Practical Tips Read our Admissions Policies to get a sense of what we look for in our admitted students.
Before writing, candidates should reflect critically on their motivations, interests, convictions and connection to our program. Law faculties all tend to have their own strengths and particularities. Doing some research may help candidates identify and articulate their particular interest in studying at McGill.
The Personal Statement should not be used as a vehicle for narrating or repeating aspects that appear elsewhere in the application. The limited writing space should be used to tie the various threads of the application together, rather than repeating a candidate’s name or field of study or listing the various extracurricular activities included in the CV. The Admissions Committee is looking for an authentic and original explanation of a candidate’s interests in studying law at McGill that connects the various elements of the application.
The Personal Statement is not a cover letter. It does not need to include the Faculty of Law’s mailing address, the date or formal greetings or salutations.
Candidates may submit their Personal Statement in English or French. It is important that candidates write the statement in whatever of the two language(s) they are most comfortable expressing themselves. Candidates are discouraged from using the Personal Statement as a way to establish their bilingualism unless they are very comfortable expressing themselves in the other language.
The Personal Statement must follow our formatting guidelines (see below) and must be free of grammatical, syntax and punctuation errors. Candidates should review and edit their personal statements multiple times before submission. They may even consider having a friend, family member or academic advisor review the document to ensure it contains no errors. Only one submission of the Personal Statement is accepted so it is important to submit the Personal Statement in its final version of both format and substance.
Given the importance of strong writing skills for success in law school, we caution candidates against relying on generative artificial intelligence (e.g. ChatGPT) when preparing their personal statement.
Re-applicants Candidates who have applied to the Faculty in the past must submit a new Personal Statement with any new application. Re-applicants who make no substantive changes to their Personal Statement from one application to the next are unlikely to be viewed as competitive.
Format: Maximum 750 words Candidates must include a word count at the end of the Personal Statement. Candidates must include their name at the top right corner of all pages.
If an applicant has experienced any serious medical or personal difficulty(ies) that have had an impact on their academic performance as demonstrated in their official transcripts, for a defined period of time (including the manner in which they have completed their degree requirements), they may complete an extenuating circumstances form to support their application.
The review of requests for consideration of extenuating circumstances by the Admissions Office will be guided by the following factors:
- The credibility of the circumstances, including supporting official or objective documentation provided;
- The time-frame of the circumstances (defined start and end dates);
- The connection between the described circumstances and the applicant’s academic performance (specific semesters or courses which were affected).
Where an applicant’s circumstances are determined to be credible, circumscribed in time, and having had an impact on academic performance, the Admissions Office will determine what, if any, adjustments can be made to the overall academic evaluation in light of the circumstances. The standard adjustment could be (but is not limited to) assessing academic performance using available records, but excluding those elements affected by the extenuating circumstances. Whether and to what extent adjustments will be made is at the discretion of the Office and its decisions in this regard are final.
Format Applicants wishing to declare extenuating circumstances should do so in the application. They will be prompted to complete the extenuating circumstances form, which will be added as a checklist item. The extenuating circumstances form should include be accompanied by supporting documentation, limited to 1 to 2 pages maximum (where applicable). Only one version is accepted. Updates and additional documents sent by mail will not be included.
Applicants are required to submit a CV highlighting: Academic background and achievements; Work experience; Volunteer and community work; Extra-curricular activities; Sports, hobbies, and other significant interests; Language skills.
The CV assists the Admissions Committee in assessing a candidate's academic strength, depth of involvement in extra-curricular activities, leadership, and time management skills.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to indicate the number of hours worked during their studies, as well as the time commitment involved in any volunteer and community activities. It is in applicants’ interests to share with the Admissions Committee their academic and non-academic contributions and distinctions. Any and all work experience is relevant.
Re-applicants Candidates who have applied to the Faculty of Law in previous years are required to submit an updated CV.
Format The CV must conform to the two-page maximum. The Admissions Committee will not read beyond the two-page limit.
While candidates may format their CV in any way that best presents the information, we have provided a recommended template with instructions below.
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