618 replies to this topic

[cranberry]

Hello all,

There seems to be a distinct lack of stats available to aboriginal applicants applying to law school...aside of course form the various rumors that aboriginal applicants only need a 51% average and a 121 on the LSAT and they are in. I know that this can't be true and so thought I would create an area for aboriginal applicants, and those who have some insight into the aboriginal applicant process, to talk about their chances and stats.

I am applying to all Ontario schools, except Windsor. I have a 3 year degree with an A- average and a 158 LSAT. Anyone care to comment, based on actual experience either directly or through an aboriginal friend who has been accepted?

Also, what have other aboriginal applicants applied with and been accepted and/or rejected?

Anyone receive any offers already?

What are the bursaries like at the schools you are attending, or have been accepted to?

Thanks everyone!

[324615]

Hi,

I agree that there is a lack of information available for Aboriginal applicants. I too am applying as an Aboriginal applicant. I graduated with a 75% average over four years and scored 157 on my LSAT, although I am planning on rewriting in Feb.

I am in the final stages of completing my applications for UVIC, UBC, U of S, UNB and Dalhousie for September 2010.

I will be sure to update this board with any successes or otherwise as I hear back from admissions at the various schools.

[vrx]

Hello all,

I am a Metis applicant. I am applying to UofM, UofC, UofA, UNB, UofS, and UofT. I will also report here as well as on the Manitoba forum on what happens with my applications.

Has anyone else applied to the Native Law Centre in Saskatoon for the pre-law program? Maybe they need their own forum?

[324615]

I have applied to the PLSNP program at U of S. I will only be attending if it is a necessary means for my admission, as I would much rather spend those two months working and saving some money.

I do not believe that those who have applied to this program need their own forum, we aren't exactly crowded for space here.

[ConstableNoize]

324615 said:

I have applied to the PLSNP program at U of S. I will only be attending if it is a necessary means for my admission, as I would much rather spend those two months working and saving some money.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from saving money, nor would I normally advocate spending half of your summer in a classroom; however, I wanted to point out that the program is essentially a condensed 1L class; if successfully completed, you have one less 6 credit class, which frees up a lot of time for homework, assignments, relaxing, etc. throughout the course of the year.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

[vrx]

ConstableNoize said:

324615 said:

I have applied to the PLSNP program at U of S. I will only be attending if it is a necessary means for my admission, as I would much rather spend those two months working and saving some money.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from saving money, nor would I normally advocate spending half of your summer in a classroom; however, I wanted to point out that the program is essentially a condensed 1L class; if successfully completed, you have one less 6 credit class, which frees up a lot of time for homework, assignments, relaxing, etc. throughout the course of the year.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

I was thinking the same thing. I would have to resign my current job in May to attend the PLSNP, then come back with no job until September. It doesn't sound like the best way to kick off law school. I have applied to the program, however.

I have heard that the property law course they offer is more extensive than most schools offer. It also gives you a bit of an edge because you are given credit for it as a first year course.

[vrx]

324615 said:

I have applied to the PLSNP program at U of S. I will only be attending if it is a necessary means for my admission, as I would much rather spend those two months working and saving some money.

I do not believe that those who have applied to this program need their own forum, we aren't exactly crowded for space here.

Haha. True.

[vrx]

I found this post on lawbuzz.ca.-------

Lol. Anyhow to the OP, I would like to let you know of my experience. I had a 156 on my LSAT and a 3.2 GPA (last 2yrs). I has a very large amount of volunteer and community service. Lots of extra activities that the schools could judge me on. I applied as a Metis applicant to 6 schools last year. Dalhousie and McGill rejected me (Dal's special category is only for indigenous Blacks & Mi'kmaq's, which did not assist me.) Sask, Calgary, UNB and Alberta accepted me. In fact I was awarded a scholarship at the UofC.


Hopefully, some will find this helpful.

[324615]

I had noticed that as well, good on you for taking the time to share it with the group. The "large amount of volunteer and community service" makes for some serious grey area. But it is useful none the less. This may also be helpful, I received an email from admissions at UBC re: admissions requirements for Aboriginal applicants (these are not hard numbers simply a general idea):

"2. A competitive LSAT score - the average LSAT score for the past 2 years for First Nations students was 155. You should aim for a 150 LSAT score or higher. For more information, go to: www.lsac.org .
3. A competitive academic average (GPA) - the academic average is calculated based on all the academic years of study leading to your first undergraduate degree. The average GPA for First Nations students admitted in Sept 2006 was 72. For Sept 2008, the average was 80. You should aim for a 75 GPA. For a completed 4 year degree, when calculating your GPA we will exclude your 12 worst credits."

[cranberry]

vrx said:

Hello all,

I am a Metis applicant. I am applying to UofM, UofC, UofA, UNB, UofS, and UofT. I will also report here as well as on the Manitoba forum on what happens with my applications.

Has anyone else applied to the Native Law Centre in Saskatoon for the pre-law program? Maybe they need their own forum?

I haven't applied...and REALLY hope I don't have to. I live in Ontario with my wife so would find it pretty disruptive in my life. Is it just a matter of the schools asking us to attend the Native Law Centre or are we meant to proactively apply as part of the admissions process?

[cranberry]

vrx said:

I found this post on lawbuzz.ca.-------

Lol. Anyhow to the OP, I would like to let you know of my experience. I had a 156 on my LSAT and a 3.2 GPA (last 2yrs). I has a very large amount of volunteer and community service. Lots of extra activities that the schools could judge me on. I applied as a Metis applicant to 6 schools last year. Dalhousie and McGill rejected me (Dal's special category is only for indigenous Blacks & Mi'kmaq's, which did not assist me.) Sask, Calgary, UNB and Alberta accepted me. In fact I was awarded a scholarship at the UofC.


Hopefully, some will find this helpful.

This is really interesting. Found htis on University of Western Ontario's website:

Aboriginal candidates may be admitted unconditionally, or subject to the successful completion of the Summer Native Law Program at the University of Saskatchewan. Upon successful completion of the program, credit will be given for Property Law. At least a three year degree is required. A competitive candidate will have an overall average of B+ (78%) GPA 3.3 and an LSAT above the 60th percentile.

http://www.law.uwo.ca/Prospective/appli ... tails.html

Does anyone have any more information from Ontario schools?

[cranberry]

vrx said:

I found this post on lawbuzz.ca.-------

Lol. Anyhow to the OP, I would like to let you know of my experience. I had a 156 on my LSAT and a 3.2 GPA (last 2yrs). I has a very large amount of volunteer and community service. Lots of extra activities that the schools could judge me on. I applied as a Metis applicant to 6 schools last year. Dalhousie and McGill rejected me (Dal's special category is only for indigenous Blacks & Mi'kmaq's, which did not assist me.) Sask, Calgary, UNB and Alberta accepted me. In fact I was awarded a scholarship at the UofC.


Hopefully, some will find this helpful.

That's really helpful. I wonder how much difference there is between Ontario and ROC (rest of Canada) in terms of admissions for Aboriginal students?

How much of a scholarship were you offered?

[cranberry]

Does anyone have any idea in terms of scholarship money for Aboriginal students from actual experience and/or from friends?

In addition to the school level scholarships, has anyone had much experience with government funding aside from OSAP or through the Metis Nation of your province?

Can the individual schools decide whether or not to honour your application in the Aboriginal category? That is, if you have your membership/status card, are they able to decide that you don't qualify for admission in the Aboriginal category?

[vrx]

cranberry said:

Does anyone have any idea in terms of scholarship money for Aboriginal students from actual experience and/or from friends?

In addition to the school level scholarships, has anyone had much experience with government funding aside from OSAP or through the Metis Nation of your province?

Can the individual schools decide whether or not to honour your application in the Aboriginal category? That is, if you have your membership/status card, are they able to decide that you don't qualify for admission in the Aboriginal category?

I know that as a Metis applicant, I can apply to the Manitoba Metis Federation for funding. You can also apply for funding for the last year of your undergrad. None of this is guaranteed though.

I also know that the Department of Justice is offering 10 bursaries to pre-law (ie. Native Law Centre) and 3 year bursaries to those attending law school. I have been told that the application form will be online in Feb. I can post the link when it comes up. The bursaries are for First Nation, Inuit and Metis applicants.

Im not sure about individual schools and what they offer. Im just worrying about getting into a school for now. From what I understand, if the school feels you can succeed in law, you will be given a conditional/unconditional offer.

[cranberry]

vrx said:

cranberry said:

Does anyone have any idea in terms of scholarship money for Aboriginal students from actual experience and/or from friends?

In addition to the school level scholarships, has anyone had much experience with government funding aside from OSAP or through the Metis Nation of your province?

Can the individual schools decide whether or not to honour your application in the Aboriginal category? That is, if you have your membership/status card, are they able to decide that you don't qualify for admission in the Aboriginal category?

I know that as a Metis applicant, I can apply to the Manitoba Metis Federation for funding. You can also apply for funding for the last year of your undergrad. None of this is guaranteed though.

I also know that the Department of Justice is offering 10 bursaries to pre-law (ie. Native Law Centre) and 3 year bursaries to those attending law school. I have been told that the application form will be online in Feb. I can post the link when it comes up. The bursaries are for First Nation, Inuit and Metis applicants.

Im not sure about individual schools and what they offer. Im just worrying about getting into a school for now. From what I understand, if the school feels you can succeed in law, you will be given a conditional/unconditional offer.

Nice, thanks.

I guess you're right, focus on acceptance first, then bursaries. There is so much up in the air right now, it's a strange place to be. Constantly checking online for acceptance but there is so little information for Aboriginal students it is almost impossible to accurately guess about chances like standard applicants.

[vrx]

cranberry said:

vrx said:

Hello all,

I am a Metis applicant. I am applying to UofM, UofC, UofA, UNB, UofS, and UofT. I will also report here as well as on the Manitoba forum on what happens with my applications.

Has anyone else applied to the Native Law Centre in Saskatoon for the pre-law program? Maybe they need their own forum?

I haven't applied...and REALLY hope I don't have to. I live in Ontario with my wife so would find it pretty disruptive in my life. Is it just a matter of the schools asking us to attend the Native Law Centre or are we meant to proactively apply as part of the admissions process?

I spoke with Wendy Whitecloud at the UofM. She said that the program may become a requirement for aboriginal applicants (not sure about other schools). I haven't heard back on what was decided. I have another friend applying at UofM as well, she has not applied to the PLSNP in Saskatoon. I guess that means they will make a decision on whether attending the program is mandatory. I hope that decisions are made soon because it would be difficult to, for example, move to Saskatoon on short notice in May and while out there, plan to move back to Winnipeg and then moving again to a law school in another province for September.

[cranberry]

vrx said:

cranberry said:

vrx said:

Hello all,

I am a Metis applicant. I am applying to UofM, UofC, UofA, UNB, UofS, and UofT. I will also report here as well as on the Manitoba forum on what happens with my applications.

Has anyone else applied to the Native Law Centre in Saskatoon for the pre-law program? Maybe they need their own forum?

I haven't applied...and REALLY hope I don't have to. I live in Ontario with my wife so would find it pretty disruptive in my life. Is it just a matter of the schools asking us to attend the Native Law Centre or are we meant to proactively apply as part of the admissions process?

I spoke with Wendy Whitecloud at the UofM. She said that the program may become a requirement for aboriginal applicants (not sure about other schools). I haven't heard back on what was decided. I have another friend applying at UofM as well, she has not applied to the PLSNP in Saskatoon. I guess that means they will make a decision on whether attending the program is mandatory. I hope that decisions are made soon because it would be difficult to, for example, move to Saskatoon on short notice in May and while out there, plan to move back to Winnipeg and then moving again to a law school in another province for September.

No kidding- I would be moving away from my wife for 8 weeks, quitting my job 4 months early only to move back and be unemployed for 2 months prior to going to law school. Not exactly putting me in an ideal place for success in law school. If I cant work prior then I have to work during which will only cause my grades to suffer.

I REALLY hope schools dont go that route. Especially for people who are applying with decent LSAT scores and GPAs. I was under the impression it was meant more for those who have well below average stats. Here's hoping!

On the other hand- having one less class while at school full time would certainly give an advantage over those who are there full time with a full course load.

[vrx]

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=19617&p=158853&hilit=aboriginal#p158853

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=19132&p=156119&hilit=aboriginal#p156119

Two very interesting threads if you are an aboriginal applicant considering Osgoode. Thought I would share.

[memeso]

Hi,
I have taken the PLSNP program this past summer.
Some law schools will give conditional offers and others will receive unconditional offers. My experience was that there was a combination of both categories of students. So even the students with unconditional offers also had the option to take the course for credit.

My advice - it may seem inconvenient to leave your employment early to attend the course for 2 months, but it is well worth it. I can't emphasize how much I now appreciate taking the course - even though it was stressful & difficult at the time. It saves an enormous amount of time & stress and it reduces your overall courseload while in your first year of law school. Also, most (if not all) students will get the justice bursary if they apply for it..but it won't be received until 1-2 weeks after the program.
Hope that helps!

[cranberry]

memeso said:

Hi,
I have taken the PLSNP program this past summer.
Some law schools will give conditional offers and others will receive unconditional offers. My experience was that there was a combination of both categories of students. So even the students with unconditional offers also had the option to take the course for credit.

My advice - it may seem inconvenient to leave your employment early to attend the course for 2 months, but it is well worth it. I can't emphasize how much I now appreciate taking the course - even though it was stressful & difficult at the time. It saves an enormous amount of time & stress and it reduces your overall courseload while in your first year of law school. Also, most (if not all) students will get the justice bursary if they apply for it..but it won't be received until 1-2 weeks after the program.
Hope that helps!

Hey Memeso,

Thanks for your reply, and advice. I suppose it would be at the very least an interesting adventure going out to Saskatoon for a few months. If I get some bursary money I will definitely consider the program over the summer. If not I simply cannot afford to leave work so early and would be forced to work while in law school which I understand is not a great plan.

Which school did you attend and which did you apply to?

On a more personal note, are you comfortable sharing your stats either on this thread or via PM?

Do you have a link to the justice bursary? How much is the bursary?

Thanks again- this is really helpful.

[BusinessLaw]

My Stats/EC/Work Experience:

CGPA - 3.59 (It is actually 3.7 at my University but it gets scaled down)
LSAT - 153 (I was disappointed!)

Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) Honours - Minor in Political Science

Extra-curricular - I represent Aboriginals on my Student Union
Sit on a Board for a Not-for-profit organization
Plenty of school related extra stuff, including travel paid for by school
Beta Gamma Sigma Member (Top 7% of the class)

Work Terms - Commercial Lending
Two at the Auditor General's Office

[vrx]

http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/pb-dgp/ ... -aeda.html


Here is the link for the funding I described earlier. I spoke with Rachel Hill (an Education Analyst for the NAAF); she said that the link for the application would be up in February.

I'm interested in the PLSNP and would go if I could secure funding as well. Quitting a job in May instead of in September is difficult when you have bills to pay.

In other news, I spoke with an aboriginal student at UofT. She said the UofT is not so much concerned with LSAT scores as they are on GPA. She told me that she did terrible (emphasized) on the LSAT but had a competitive GPA and is doing extremely well in first-year. So, don't rule yourselves out of the more competitive schools based on your stats alone. I received a letter from UofT inviting me to apply late as an aboriginal applicant - I know it couldn't have been because of my LSAT score.

[lsjames]

Hi vrx,

How late an application will UofT consider? Is it too late to apply now as a First-Nations applicant?

[vrx]

lsjames said:

Hi vrx,

How late an application will UofT consider? Is it too late to apply now as a First-Nations applicant?

In all honesty, I don't know. I wasn't planning on applying to any Ontario schools, least of all UofT. I just didn't feel my stats would make me competitive and $260 bucks could be spent on many other things. I received a letter and application package in December from UofT highlighting their aboriginal law programs, student groups and other opportunities for funding. They offered to extend their deadline to January 15, 2010. I decided to apply and risk paying for a $260 dollar rejection letter.

In your case, I would email the UofT admissions and let them know you would like to apply late. The reason they sent me the letter could be for a number of reasons (ie. Metis, Manitoba resident, Military member). A number of law schools have sent me things trying to appeal to military members. I think UofT would be an awesome law school to attend but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

[vrx]

BusinessLaw said:

My Stats/EC/Work Experience:

CGPA - 3.59 (It is actually 3.7 at my University but it gets scaled down)
LSAT - 153 (I was disappointed!)

Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) Honours - Minor in Political Science

Extra-curricular - I represent Aboriginals on my Student Union
Sit on a Board for a Not-for-profit organization
Plenty of school related extra stuff, including travel paid for by school
Beta Gamma Sigma Member (Top 7% of the class)

Work Terms - Commercial Lending
Two at the Auditor General's Office

Where are you applying?

[memeso]

Honestly, I hated Saskatoon while I was there. It was cold and it was a really challenging course. They essentially condense 8 months of material into 8 weeks. My offer was conditional on passing, so I also gave up my employment early and took the financial risk. The real benefit of attending the program is that you get 1 transfer credit which gives you more "free" time to study other courses. They also teach you how to write law memos/mid-terms/exams. As a result, you come to law school more confident and prepared.

The justice bursary was up to $3500 for students. It was formerly handled by the justice department, but it looks like it is being handled by "NAAF" (National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation). I received $3500 which covered "most" of my costs. Here is the old link to the bursary - you should be re-directed to NAAF for more details.
http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/pb-dgp/ ... -aeda.html

I will PM you the other details : )

[BusinessLaw]

I only applied to Osgoode. I fit into the automatically admitted section of the Aboriginal category based on my LSAT and CGPA. I haven't heard back officially yet.

I like Osgoode because they are very clear with their Aboriginal admissions. I am also on par with the students who go there in terms of CGPA (around 3.60) as opposed to U of T where the average GPA is 3.85.

In addition, I like it over other Ontario schools because of the proximity to Bay Street, as my ambitions are on to work in Corporate Law!

[cranberry]

Hey guys,

just heard from U of Ottawa and they have not yet begun to assess Aboriginal applications yet and no word as to when they will begin. According to Western they evaluate files as they become complete...what exactly this means I don't know, but I just completed my file today so hope to hear soon.

As soon as I hear I will post it and fill everyone in. Does anyone have any information from their schools?

[cranberry]

cranberry said:

Hey guys,

just heard from U of Ottawa and they have not yet begun to assess Aboriginal applications yet and no word as to when they will begin. According to Western they evaluate files as they become complete...what exactly this means I don't know, but I just completed my file today so hope to hear soon.

As soon as I hear I will post it and fill everyone in. Does anyone have any information from their schools?

Actually, to add to this I did hear from U of Ottawa today and they said that they will not be looking at AB applicants until sometime within the month but that we should not expect to hear immediately.

[vrx]

I know the University of Manitoba sends out offers to aboriginal applicants in March -allowing for Feb LSAT scores to come out before they make decisions. The rest of the schools I applied to - UofS, A, C, T, NB - are pretty vague. Basically, from now until the first day of class in September. This "now til September" time frame is obviously not for aboriginal applicants who would be attending the PLSNP... unless they teach you how to go back in time. I am going to take a guess and say the middle of May, at the latest, for a decision.