OL Experience
Around this time last year, myself and the other 290+ students of the Osgoode Hall Class of 2017 had the grueling task of tackling law school admissions. As we spent countless hours trying to decide exactly what a law school admissions committee would be looking for in an application, we asked past students, current students and prospective students to try to gain some insight. We asked ourselves many questions: “where do we start?”; “what do we say?”; “are our GPAs too low?”; and “what about the LSAT?!!” For many of us, these questions boggled our minds up until we got our very first acceptance into law school. I remember sitting with a current Osgoode student expressing my concern that maybe my GPA just was not high enough or that my LSAT score was not high enough and wondering how holistic the Osgoode admissions process actually was. I also remember being told by countless sources, including Professional School Support councilors, that the law school admission process was merely a numbers game…oh no!
Prior to starting law school, many prospective students, myself included, believed that this holistic approach was non-existent. We grappled with the long-winded task of aiming high on the LSAT and trying desperately to not sound completely ridiculous on our personal statements. Dealing with the grueling task of answering the question: “why do I want to go to law school?”
Then 1L!!
In discussing with some of my fellow Osgoode 1Ls this seemed to be the shared view prior to starting at Osgoode. It seemed as though the holistic process was non-existent or a sheer mechanism that admissions committees used to accumulate more applications or to give prospective students an immaterial sense of hope of getting accepted. We all invested time in trying to make our applications as great as possible and hoping that someway, somehow, this was not true.
Hoping that someone, anyone, would accept what we had to say.
As I entered the Class of 2017, I was greeted with familiar faces and students from somewhat unexpected walks of life including mature students, students coming directly out of undergraduate programs, and students with several graduate degrees.
I was quite happy to realize that the class also consisted of students who had amazing previous careers, including past firefighters, professional soccer players, architects, and chefs. I was puzzled and completely excited to understand just how the Admissions Committee and the Osgoode administration had done such a great job in putting our class together.
ADCOM
I got my answer when I was given the opportunity to sit on the Admissions Committee as a first year Student Caucus representative. Suffice it to say, I was glad to realize that the Admissions Committee comprised of very friendly faces and individuals who were encouraging and welcoming of a wide range of applicants with excellent academic and LSAT results but also with other significant achievements. The admissions policy identifies applicants who are able to demonstrate how their academic abilities and varied experiences can contribute to the law school and the legal community.
This mythical holistic approach has now materialized as a fact! Osgoode has moved away from the traditional approach of the “numbers game” and has adopted an admissions policy, which focuses on measuring all applications against the very same criteria. The holistic approach to admissions includes a balance of individual and collective considerations. Academic excellence and social diversity are incorporated to maintain open and transparent procedures, which broaden the criteria of assessment.
Part B of the admissions, personal statement criteria, allows students to acknowledge factors relating to equity and diversity highlighting considerations that may be related to systemic barriers faced by applicants to equal access to education. Applicants, in the work or life experience section, are able to highlight ways in which their experiences demonstrate that they possess the skills necessary to succeed in law school. Additionally, students can highlight any circumstances or non-academic commitments that have negatively affected a portion of an applicant’s academic performance.
The admissions policy and procedure is founded on notions of fairness and equity. Each applicant is encouraged to demonstrate any equity, diversity and performance considerations related to the skill sets needed to succeed in law school.
And to the fellow 1Ls of the Class of 2017, as we get ready to sit our first law school 100% exams, remember that Osgoode Hall Law School’s admissions policy and procedure identifies an outstanding class of students whose academic abilities and varied experiences make a continuing social and intellectual contribution to the law school and the legal profession.
So best of luck and not to worry, we’re all gonna do great!! J