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Calling out to my fellow Canadians :)

mcmlaw36mcmlaw36 Alum Member
in December 2015 LSAT 631 karma
Hey guys!

I'm still a bit new to this website, so I apologize if there are other threads that are similar to this one. I'm looking to see if there are any students close to the Toronto area that are planning to write the December 2015 LSAT. Which law schools are you interested in applying to, and what mark are you hoping to achieve? I am not certain on where I would like to go just yet, and am instead focusing on obtaining a high score on the upcoming test.

Would love to chat with fellow students in the area. Always nice to talk to other students about their plans and/or experiences :)
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  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    Hey I'm from Toronto but in Ottawa right now. I'm writing in October, with December as a back up if things go to shit on test day.

    I'm a bit on the low-GPA-need-a-high-LSAT score end so my ideal LSAT score is anywhere near 170 in order to wow (big dreams, haha i know), but I've learned a lot (my brain kinda hurts) since June doing the 7sage curriculum (and i finished the core yesterday, yay!!) and i'm confident i can tackle this.

    I'm applying to every law school in Ontario + UBC + McGill and maybe Dalhousie (yes....i'm a little desperate) and trying to get in a dual degree program with a master in business administration, economics, or finance.

    What about you :D?

    Have you checked out Oxford Seminars? They sent me a booklet of all the law schools in Canada and their requirements/details. Their website also has the same information; it would be a great place to start if you're finding yourself a bit lost.

    Just a friendly reminder: Yes, the LSAT is extremely important, but it's also equally important to remember other aspects of your applications, such as securing references in time.
  • mcmlaw36mcmlaw36 Alum Member
    631 karma
    Thanks for your quick reply! Exciting to hear from someone in the area (I'm actually in between Toronto and Ottawa).

    I was thinking about writing in October as well, but I haven't been sticking to the study schedule as closely as I had hoped. I went overseas to complete my undergraduate degree, and unfortunately I let my social side take over a bit too much.. leaving me, too, in the low-GPA-need-a-high-LSAT score club ;) I tend to test well, but then again, the LSAT is so unique that anything could happen. I will also be applying to most of the law schools in Canada, with the exclusion of McGill since my french speaking abilities are pretty much non-existent these days.. lol.

    Oxford seminars... haven't heard of them. Thanks for the advice and I will definitely be looking into this.


  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    1878 karma
    Hi @mcmlaw36 and @cliffiness I'm entering my 2nd year at a Canadian law school, so if I can help with anything, don't hesitate to ask here or via PM.
  • bSM45LSATbSM45LSAT Member
    522 karma
    http://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/3500/canadian-thread-lsat-law-school/p1

    There's this thread for all the Canadians to join together haha.

    Personally where I go to school depends on what I get on the LSAT. My preference is UVIC, and I have a decently high GPA, so just need to get above 160 and I should be good.

    If I don't score that though, then I'll have to start looking into some other schools :(.
  • notwilliamwallacenotwilliamwallace Alum Member
    1049 karma
    I actually just spoke with admission offices of Western and Dalhousie (actually, I have spoken with them all with the exception of U of T). If your GPA is on the lower side, Dalhousie (and UNB) only considers your last 20 half credits (or, 10 full credits) or your CGPA, whichever is higher. Western considers your LSAT a little bit heavier than other schools do. So, with a high LSAT (given a decent enough GPA), Western is also a great option. Western is definitely my top choice because of their combined JD/MBA program.

    I plan to write my LSAT in December (with Feb being the backup) and apply for the 2016 cycle.
  • notwilliamwallacenotwilliamwallace Alum Member
    1049 karma
    Btw, for anyone applying to Ontario schools (Toronto, Osgoode, Windsor, Western, Queen's, Lakehead, Ottawa), the OLSAS application for 2016 cycle opens tomorrow with Nov 1 being the deadline. Here's the link: http://www.ouac.on.ca/news/story/olsas-2016/

    Best wishes!!
  • KyleDuncanKyleDuncan Alum Member
    14 karma
    Hey Im from Toronto or Technically Brampton, Im planning on taking the October LSAT but always looking for someone to study with which will help me study more anyways. I Can also share a link with you reviewing all Canadian Law schools that may be of help
  • inactiveinactive Alum Member
    12637 karma
    Not taking the LSAT but I'm from Canada too! I'm in-between Ottawa and Montreal (exactly an hour both ways).
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    I'm not Canadian but I do love your maple syrup and how wonderfully congenial Canadians are (from my experience). I went to Vancouver a couple of years back and didn't have one bad experience with a single Canadian. So great.
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    edited August 2015 86 karma
    @mcmlaw36 gotta live while we're young right? haha. here's the link to the law school profiles:
    http://www.oxfordseminars.ca/LSAT/lsat_profiles.php (or you can ask them to send you it to you via letter mail, and it'll come with a duotang a booklet and application forms for their courses, which you could ignore of course...)

    @LSATisland hope i don't come off as rude but do you think you could use yourself as case study as a successful law school applicant? (i.e. how were your numbers? how were your extracurricular? which school do you go to now? what was your statement about? did you get multiple offers? how were the interviews? did you know you were going to get accepted? etc....).
    please & thank you if you feel like telling me your law school life story, i'd love to hear it.:D

    @ENTJ Why thank you. We Canadians routinely cross the border to do shopping and are amazed at how low your prices are at stores like walmart and kmart and in restaurants like ihop and appleby's. definitely greater than living in igloos and riding polar bears to work though ;) jk not really, haha.
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    @notwilliamwallace thanks for letting us know! didn't know they opened that early =\...
  • mikeysaikaleymikeysaikaley Alum Member
    116 karma
    @"Dillon A. Wright" I'm from Ottawa, I'm totally going to guess you're from Cornwall, because on the one hour mark to my trips to Montreal I pass Cornwall haha
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    @notwilliamwallace wait what?!!! so all other schools look at all 20 credits from all 4 years?!?!
  • mcmlaw36mcmlaw36 Alum Member
    631 karma
    @cliffiness ... I hope this works in tagging you.. lol. LOVE your questions directed at @LSATisland. I too, would really appreciate hearing the answers to those. Additionally, any further detail about the personal statement in particular would be greatly appreciated :)

    Thanks everyone for your responses!
  • inactiveinactive Alum Member
    edited August 2015 12637 karma
    @mikeysaikaley said:
    I'm from Ottawa, I'm totally going to guess you're from Cornwall, because on the one hour mark to my trips to Montreal I pass Cornwall haha
    Good guess!
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    also @LSATisland did you do your undergrad in Canada? if so, was it in the province where your law school is located now? thanks :)
  • mikeysaikaleymikeysaikaley Alum Member
    116 karma
    @cliffiness He mentioned in previous threads that he goes to U of T
  • notwilliamwallacenotwilliamwallace Alum Member
    edited August 2015 1049 karma
    @cliffiness, some schools such as Windsor, Osgoode, Ottawa look at all four of your years. HOWEVER, they are all Holistic in their approach. Meaning that if an extraordinary event caused some of your grades to suffer, you can explain that situation in your personal statement and the AdCom will consider your explanation. Some schools such as UNB, UVic will also consider your CGPA but will drop your worst grades. For example, UVic will drop your worst 18 credits (6 courses), UNB will drop your worst 10 courses (25% of your courses). USask will use your best two, but you need to have a minimum of 24 credits (8 courses) in a year (fall and winter) in each of the years. Summer courses are not counted in this calc. If you do not match this requirement, then they will use your CGPA without any drops.

    So it all depends. I am preparing a spreadsheet which will calculate your GPA for each of the schools. If I create it on time, I wouldn't mind sharing it with anyone on here. However, the best bet is to contact the schools directly and you will get a more concrete answer.
  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    edited August 2015 1878 karma
    Please PM for details.
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    @notwilliamwallace oh ok...there's just one year where i took an overload in classes while working two jobs and obviously my grades dropped to shit...not really a legit explanation though haha.

    Will the admission officers actually spend the time with you on the phone to answer all your personal questions? Or is it just very generic responses?

    oh please do share you will be forever thanked in my heart.
  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    1878 karma
    Oh, and I will practice immigration law so I can help @ENTJ become Canadian.
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    edited August 2015 3658 karma
    @lsatisland Considering I have experience in immigration law, I can return the favor and make you an American. ;)

    ...By default as a Canadian I get to ride polar bears without needing a driver's license right??? @cliffiness
  • notwilliamwallacenotwilliamwallace Alum Member
    1049 karma
    @LSATisland, if you don't mind me asking, when did you write your LSAT? The reason why I am asking is because I am scheduled to write it in December, but I may have to write Feb depending on how Dec goes down. I know for some schools, Feb LSAT is too late and won't accept it (Windsor, for example), however, for those schools that do take Feb LSAT (Western, Queen's, etc.), how much of a disadvantage does it put me at? ... Congrats on those amazing stats, btw. Hard work does pay off.

    @cliffiness, of course. No problem. I will PM you it as soon as it's ready. The one thing a business undergrad and finance work experience has taught me well is Microsoft Excel, lol...might as well make use of it.
  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    edited August 2015 1878 karma
    @ENTJ I guess I will also practice criminal law to save you from those tickets for unlicensed polar bear riding.
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    @LSATisland Damn. Way to burst my bubble... :(
  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    1878 karma
    Sorry @ENTJ Are there any other areas of law I will need to practice to be your lawyer?
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    @LSATisland Probably constitutional law. I'd like my gravatar to replace the queen on your currency. ;)
  • notwilliamwallacenotwilliamwallace Alum Member
    edited August 2015 1049 karma
    @cliffiness said:
    Will the admission officers actually spend the time with you on the phone to answer all your personal questions? Or is it just very generic responses?
    I didn't call them but lot of Unis have phone numbers of their admission offices listed. I actually emailed them and, with the exception of a few schools (which will remain unnamed :P), a majority of schools were quick to email me back with answers to my questions. One school in general (which will also remain unnamed) replied back with an essay answering my question in great details. At the same time, one school send me a six word reply for the exact same question. So it all depends on the admission office.

    Working two jobs (if you have documented proof) to support a cause (tuition, family, etc) will also be considered when you explain your low grades in that one year. Given that your grades in other years were competitive, I don't think it will be much of an issue. Just explain it in your personal statement.
  • notwilliamwallacenotwilliamwallace Alum Member
    1049 karma
    @ENTJ said:
    I'd like my gravatar to replace the queen on your currency. ;)
    Uh oh, Harper doesn't approve!
  • notwilliamwallacenotwilliamwallace Alum Member
    1049 karma
    For anyone who's interested in Ontario schools, here's an excellent tool that I found on lawstudents.ca website. It gives you a breakdown of your GPA by CGPA, B2, L2 buckets. It also has a prediction index for all Ontario schools. Here's the link:

    http://lsutil.azurewebsites.net/
  • nye8870nye8870 Alum ⭐
    edited August 2015 1749 karma
    Canada sounds great! Thanks for these posts. OARN, are there special saddles designed for riding polar bears?
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    thank you everyone for all their useful insight...really wasnt expecting to learn so much from responding ti a thread haha
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    @cliffiness Dude...I really want to ride a polar bear. Better yet...I want to see a western flick consisting of cowboys riding polar bears instead of horses. Million dollar idea.
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @ENTJ said:
    Million dollar idea.
    Surely @DumbHollywoodActor has connections who can make this happen.
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    @ENTJ theres a drive through park 45 minutes out of ottawa called parc omega where you can feed canadian animals like deer bears(black..not polar...sorry) foxes moose elk etc kinda like an african safari park but canadian...if youre ever planning a trip. you can get of your car and pet certain animals...the closest thing youll get to riding a polar bear haha
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    legally...
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    @cliffiness You're a dream killer.
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    @ENTJ bearer of truth
  • CosmogenyCosmogeny Alum Member
    edited August 2015 27 karma
    Fellow Torontonian here - I'm taking the LSAT in Oct and possibly in Dec as well if things don't go as planned. I'm applying to UoT, UVic, UBC, and possibly Dalhousie. We'll see where I end up!
  • Goal>120Goal>120 Member
    edited August 2015 10 karma
    Im from BC but have no idea where Im applying yet but Im taking LSAT in December. Ill Probably apply everywhere..... I do have interest in UBC and Toronto but Im pretty skeptical due to my GPA not being 4.0. Victoria is a nice place though maybe there. @cliffiness Im interested in the schools offering dual degrees in economics. Do you have a short list that I could borrow?
  • cliffinesscliffiness Alum Member
    86 karma
    @Goal>120 hey i'm still doing my research but off the top of my head i know for sure UT offers JD/MA Economics (you'll have to write the GRE at UofT while other schools will ask you to write the GMAT...i'm writing both. If you are seriously considering a program that requires the GMAT or GRE, I strongly suggest you start ASAP. Although you can basically write any time if you're near an urban centre, the math you need to know and the reasoning behind it is so different than anything i've seen before). '

    I THINK (wild guess) that major universities like UT, Queen's, Western, etc have dual degree programs if not in economics, then in business administration or something along the lines of that. You'll have to apply to both programs, and be admitted into both before being considered for a joint-degree admission offer. I remember reading for a school (don't remember which one) that you can apply after being admitted to one program, but in general that's not the case.

    I'm also nowhere near a 4.0 but you never know what will happen unless you take that chances right :)

    maybe i'll PM you as I do my research? take a look at the link i posted above to oxford seminar's profiles of canadian law schools, it might give you a general idea of the types of programs that interests you
  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    edited August 2015 8021 karma
    Dude... this thread got wicked Canadian wicked fast...
  • eastringeastring Alum Member
    109 karma
    How are your PTs coming along? I've been aiming for Oct test but seeing my scores plateauing low 160s, I may have to postpone to Dec. I'll most likely apply to UBC, U of T (only if I can improve on my score), Osgood and maybe Uvic.
  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    1878 karma
    @cliffiness said:
    If you are seriously considering a program that requires the GMAT or GRE, I strongly suggest you start ASAP. Although you can basically write any time if you're near an urban centre, the math you need to know and the reasoning behind it is so different than anything i've seen before). '
    The JD/MBA program at U of T will waive the GMAT if you have a 165+ LSAT. Also, those enrolled in the program say that the business school offers large/full scholarships as they want law students enrolled in their program. Don't know much about the JD/MA or JD/PHD programs in economics here though, but here's a link that might help: http://www.law.utoronto.ca/academic-programs/jd-program/combined-programs/jdma-economics
  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    8021 karma
    As far as the GMAT goes, even if you suck at math you shouldn't need more than a month to brush up on it since pretty much everything else on the test that matches up with the LSAT is just easier up and down the board. If you studied for the LSAT first you should have no issues on most of the non quant sections...
  • chelsLSATchelsLSAT Alum Member
    57 karma
    Hi there,
    Planning to write Dec 2015 LSAT. Terrified. Feb 2016 backup.
    I'm also on the lower-GPA-need-a-high-LSAT bus too.
    Solid references
    EC & volunteer work is solid
    Published undergrad thesis
    Applying to all Ontario schools, and American schools as well.

    However, I am late in the game when it comes to studying for the LSAT. Moved back home to Ontario from Alberta recently so it's been tough adjusting to "home" life again. I'll be jamming live courses and online courses in before December. I live a few hours north of Toronto in Muskoka if anyone is around to meet up and study?

    My brain might just turn into the nyan cat video but we will see LOL.

    Best wishes all,
    C

  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    1878 karma
    Welcome @chelseyhn there's still lots of time before December so don't worry too much. The great thing about the LSAT is that PTs will tell you if you are ready to take the test. If you're not consistently hitting near your goal score on PTs by December, it would be better to postpone till February. What live and online courses are you taking?
  • CosmogenyCosmogeny Alum Member
    27 karma
    @eastring I'm on the same boat. I have decided to postpone until December. I've already been studying for 3 months, and I'm still not consistently scoring in the 165+ range. Plus, lately, my PT scores have dropped by 3-5 points (burnout?), which doesn't bode well. I've got a high GPA, so I could risk taking it in October and getting a 160, but I know if I postpone I could so much better. So, December it is!

    I noticed that applications for most schools open in September and I've got my personal statements and transcripts all ready to go. Does anyone know if it makes a difference if I submit my application early on?

    Also, I know that UVic does rolling admissions - I wonder if taking the December LSAT will hurt my application.
  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    1878 karma
    As I have a little time off until school restarts, I'd be happy to provide feedback on PSs for anyone applying to law school in Toronto. Feel free to PM me.
  • bri.allenbri.allen Alum Member
    10 karma
    I'm probably a little late to the party but I'm in Calgary and I'm still dwelling on whether or not to attempt the October LSAT or just write the December LSAT instead. Keeping my fingers crossed for U of C in the fall.

    Good luck!!
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