The context of the mandatory Personal Statement (maximum 5,000 characters) is not prescribed; however, you may wish to outline the following:
- How your identity, background and experiences will contribute to the diversity of the law school.
- Your choice of undergraduate program and institution.
- How your experiences have prepared you to study law.
The Personal Statement is also an opportunity to highlight your non-academic accomplishments and any circumstances that may have contributed to, or detracted from, your academic and non-academic success, such as:
- the response to disadvantage due to adverse personal or socio-economic circumstances,
- the response to barriers faced by cultural (including racial and ethnic) or linguistic minorities and
- the impact of temporary or permanent disabilities and/or health conditions.
As warranted, briefly discuss any anomalies in your academic record, including false starts, fewer than 5 courses over 2 terms and introductory courses taken in third or fourth year of a program.
You may want to write to the Committee about the different ways you see yourself contributing to the law school and legal community.
Applicants in the Indigenous category are strongly encouraged to discuss why they have chosen to apply through this category in their Personal Statement and/or Optional Essay. For example, you might reflect on your identification with, involvement in and connection to your Indigenous community or communities.
