I used to be on the admissions committee. AMAA

[SNAILS 28]

@Ryn Can you give your thoughts on my situation? Similar to the poster above, I am trying to get into law school with a 3 year degree. I graduated 12 years ago, so 4th year is not an option.

I have the added negative factor of also having used college transfer credits as part of an articulation agreement to get my degree. So I only have 16 university courses.

On the other hand, I have positive factors relating to work experience. 9 years teaching at an accredited Ontario College. Business owner with several seasonal employees.

3.95+ OLSAS across university and even better college grades.

All of this is described in detail in my other thread.

If anyone here has any experience with a situation like mine, please let me know.

 

[ZineZ 426]

8 hours ago, SNAILS said:

@Ryn Can you give your thoughts on my situation? Similar to the poster above, I am trying to get into law school with a 3 year degree. I graduated 12 years ago, so 4th year is not an option.

I have the added negative factor of also having used college transfer credits as part of an articulation agreement to get my degree. So I only have 16 university courses.

On the other hand, I have positive factors relating to work experience. 9 years teaching at an accredited Ontario College. Business owner with several seasonal employees.

3.95+ OLSAS across university and even better college grades.

All of this is described in detail in my other thread.

If anyone here has any experience with a situation like mine, please let me know.

 

So here's the thing - I know that you're unsure of your application package, but you're a stronger applicant than you think. Over the past few years, there's been a move at Osgoode to include more mature students. There's a belief (that I strongly endorse) that mature students add a lot of value to the student body and are often excellent lawyers. And so mature student applications are looked upon well.

As was mentioned in the other thread - you may want to reach out to Osgoode directly if you're worried about if you have enough credits (I don't think it's an issue, but this is not my area of expertise). Make sure that your PS is focused on your experiences working/teaching/running a business and why they would both help you in the profession/why they made you passionate for a career in law. And try to expound on what you would add to the student body at Osgoode.

 

[bekindbecalmbesafe 0]

Hi @Ryn, 

I would like to begin by thanking you! You have answered an incredible amount of questions on this thread, and speaking as an applicant, they have been very useful for me! 

I do have a question as well. I completed my four year undergrad already, but "missed" one semester. I am using quotations as I was actually completing a co-op term, but ended up dropping out of the program. I finished on time by taking two night classes (one during the summer and one during that co-op term) and three in the summer (online, through Athabasca, which I have provided a transcript for) before my fourth year. This is semi-clear over my transcript; every semester until that one says I was in co-op (including the mention of a past co-op term completed in the summer) and it does say for that semester that I was in co-op. However, after that semester, it no longer mentions that I am in co-op. 

My concern is: should I clarify that I dropped out of co-op in my personal statement? How confusing can a transcript like this be for the Admissions Committee? I did with other schools, but with Osgoode only being 4000 characters, it has been trickier to fit it in to my statement. Also, my marks were relatively unaffected and I received all A/A-'s in these night/summer courses. I guess I am just worried about what that missing semester looks like to an Admissions Committee. 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Jake

Edited October 19 by bekindbecalmbesafe

[Guest777 6]

Hi Ryn, 

I am in the process of writing my personal statement, and I have got a varied of responses with regard to how I should go on about structuring in. As might be the case with some applicants, I have faced a lot of obstacles in my life that I have had to overcome. I emigrated from a war-torn country where I witnessed a lot of corruption and violence, and further had a difficult time integrating into the Canadian society due to my background, and also went through severe depression and anxiety. While I wanted to highlight this journey of mine and demonstrate what it has taught me and how I am stronger today because of it, I was told not to highlight such stuff as it comes off as seeking sympathy (which of course is not my goal) and because many applicants go through the same thing so it does not come off as something unique. But should that really matter if these have been the things that I have experienced? Is there anything you would suggest? In other words, if you were still on the admissions committee, how would you see my application?