Over this past month and a half, I’ve been working on Canadian law school applications. Now that they’re finally done, it’s time I reflect on what I loved about the application process and what I recommend doing if you’re looking to apply in the future!
What I loved:
Getting to tell your story!
This was something I noticed in all of my law school applications. They were interested in YOUR story. Sure, your grades matter… but at the end of the day, law schools want to know your experiences and perspectives and how you can see yourself diversifying the law school community. Personally, I loved this part! To be quite honest, my grades in my freshman year weren’t the best, but getting to acknowledge what happened, and how I overcame the obstacles in my path was really beneficial. It allowed me to show my determination and explain how the experiences I’ve faced throughout University really shaped who I am. Telling my story allowed me to be seen as more than just an applicant number to the admissions committee. And I found that even getting the opportunity to do so (and not be judged SOLELY on grades) really allowed me to shine and bring forward a lot of my strengths within my personal statements.
Aside from this, let’s move on to what I recommend doing if you’re thinking of applying to law schools in the future, and how to keep on top of things (so your experience is as smooth as possible)!
My Recommendations:
Research! Research! Research!
Trust me when I say this—it’s so easy to get lost in the application process. Try and organize your top schools and their values, specializations, etc. Making mention of what the school values really makes you stand out! Also, I found doing this process helped me so much because I was able to see if my values and interests aligned with the law schools I applied to.
Evaluate why you REALLY want to go into law
The oldest question in the law school application book, yet an important one. Before I started my applications, I had to really think about why I wanted to pursue a legal education. Even though there’s no right or wrong answer to this question, start to think about what inspired you to go into law. The reasons why you want to go into law may be different from others, due to experience, motives, etc. But make sure it’s meaningful and sincere to YOU!
Explore pre-law social media pages
The year before I had to apply, I came across some wonderful pre-law accounts on social media. These accounts helped me out so much because I was able to learn more about different fields in law, the LSAT, and even advice from law students currently in Canada!
If you’re currently in pre-law in Canada, I suggest checking out @prelawshadowers, @legally.bright, and @lawyered.org_ on Instagram!
Find some mentors to give you tips and pointers on your personal statements!
Having mentors to help guide me through the application process was the most rewarding experience! Not everyone has family who are lawyers or has connections to the law. I definitely didn’t. Because current law students have been through the application process, they’re able to give you the best advice possible about how you present yourself in your personal statements! If you’re looking to find a mentor, lots of pre-law pages (including the ones I mentioned above) have mentoring programs where you can be matched with a law student and get your questions/concerns answered that way.
I hope anyone that’s looking to apply to law school next year takes some inspiration from these tips!