Need some advice

[Federale]

For a bit of context, this cycle I applied to Ottawa, Western, Queens, Osgoode and Windsor with a 2.90 CGPA, 3.72 L20, 165 LSAT and struck out everywhere. (no notable EC's either)  

I know my overall CGPA is holding me back, and likely the main reason I won't be able to get into an Ontario school next cycle either, which means I probably gotta apply to schools out of province that favour my last couple years (Dal, Calgary, Alberta). My preference is to stay in Ontario, but if I were to end up getting accepted to an out of province school, how difficult would it be to network/find a job back in Toronto, or even potentially Vancouver? I wouldn't mind living in Alberta or Halifax for 3 years if I had to, but it's not somewhere I can see myself really living in past law school. I know there's always the possibility of transferring after 1 year to an Ontario school but I'm not sure how likely that'll be without compassionate grounds, or above average grades which is statistically unlikely to happen. Also not sure if that's even the correct mindset to have, picking a school with the hopes of being able to transfer out after a year.

This year's been tough for admissions and it's just left me puzzled and uneasy about where I'll end up, so I hope some of you can give me solid advice and some clarity. Appreciate you all.

[lawess]

no advice but wishing you the best!! i'm in a similar position 

[luckycharm]

15 minutes ago, Federale said:

For a bit of context, this cycle I applied to Ottawa, Western, Queens, Osgoode and Windsor with a 2.90 CGPA, 3.72 L20, 165 LSAT and struck out everywhere. (no notable EC's either)  

I know my overall CGPA is holding me back, and likely the main reason I won't be able to get into an Ontario school next cycle either, which means I probably gotta apply to schools out of province that favour my last couple years (Dal, Calgary, Alberta). My preference is to stay in Ontario, but if I were to end up getting accepted to an out of province school, how difficult would it be to network/find a job back in Toronto, or even potentially Vancouver? I wouldn't mind living in Alberta or Halifax for 3 years if I had to, but it's not somewhere I can see myself really living in past law school. I know there's always the possibility of transferring after 1 year to an Ontario school but I'm not sure how likely that'll be without compassionate grounds, or above average grades which is statistically unlikely to happen. Also not sure if that's even the correct mindset to have, picking a school with the hopes of being able to transfer out after a year.

This year's been tough for admissions and it's just left me puzzled and uneasy about where I'll end up, so I hope some of you can give me solid advice and some clarity. Appreciate you all.

Do you have any reasons for lower GPA ? L20 is only for Ryerson. What is your B2 and L2 per OLSAS basis?

[QMT20]

Depending on which school you go to, it's not that difficult to find a job in Toronto. If you're going to a law school outside the market you want to work, it'll definitely involve more leg work on your own part to keep up with application deadlines for jobs, and to reach out to lawyers to learn about firms/practices since your school's resources will be focused on their home market. However, most Toronto law firms attend OCIs at Dal and about a dozen students land in Toronto every year. Some Toronto law firms also do OCIs at Alberta and Calgary and a few students make it to Toronto from there every year as well. It would be harder to come back to Toronto from schools like Saskatchewan, Manitoba, UNB, or TRU because your application would basically need to be good enough for the firm to directly offer you an in firm interview. 

That's all focused on the formal recruits though. If you're applying outside of formal recruitment, it's a self-directed search for articling whether you're applying to Toronto from an Ontario school or an out of province school. The main advantage to Ontario students is obviously proximity for attending interviews, whereas you may have to fly from Halifax or Edmonton if you're out of province. That could also change if more firms adopt Zoom interviews post-pandemic, but even this year my friends who applied for articling outside of formal recruit were asked to go in office for their interviews so I wouldn't hold my breath on that. 

I know many people have said this year was unusually competitive but to be frank, when I applied three-years ago my CGPA was significantly higher than yours (though still very low), I had a higher L2, and a higher LSAT score and I didn't hear back from any schools until late-April meaning I was a pretty late admit. I think the best course of action for you is just to apply as broadly as you can. You may be pleasantly surprised next cycle and receive an acceptance from an Ontario law school. It may be that a school you weren't expecting in another province gives you an acceptance. You can make it back to Toronto no matter where you go, though the path is more straightforward at some schools than others. The goal is just to be admitted. Good luck!

Edited June 16, 2021 by QMT20