Chances? Explanation below

[dimsum1]

So, now that I have my LSAT score, chances for Sep 2022 cycle?

• LSAT 158
• cGPA 2.94 (from early 2000s) - yes I know it's not great
• B2/L2 3.1 something from undergrad
• Post-bac certificate in 2019
• 20+ years Canadian Armed Forces experience both domestically and on operations (which I will hype up because I dealt with ROE, Law of Armed Conflict, and - not to dox myself so I'll be vague - some emerging tech stuff with major legal implications)

As I've posted before, I'm not "technically" a Mature applicant because of the post-bac.  However, as @luckycharm has said here, I'm applying Mature anyway. 

As you can see, my grades/LSAT aren't stellar but I lean hard on the life/work experience in my PS.

[LMP]

38 minutes ago, dimsum1 said:

So, now that I have my LSAT score, chances for Sep 2022 cycle?

• LSAT 158
• cGPA 2.94 (from early 2000s) - yes I know it's not great
• B2/L2 3.1 something from undergrad
• Post-bac certificate in 2019
• 20+ years Canadian Armed Forces experience both domestically and on operations (which I will hype up because I dealt with ROE, Law of Armed Conflict, and - not to dox myself so I'll be vague - some emerging tech stuff with major legal implications)

As I've posted before, I'm not "technically" a Mature applicant because of the post-bac.  However, as @luckycharm has said here, I'm applying Mature anyway. 

As you can see, my grades/LSAT aren't stellar but I lean hard on the life/work experience in my PS.

Did you medically release? There are some special CAF only application streams you can use which will greatly increase your chances.

[Totally_Bucked]

6 minutes ago, LMP said:

Did you medically release? There are some special CAF only application streams you can use which will greatly increase your chances.

Do you have to be fully released to use those application streams? Or could a currently serving member also go that route? No to derail OP's thread or distract from their question. 

Edited June 30, 2021 by Totally_Bucked

[LMP]

6 minutes ago, Totally_Bucked said:

Do you have to be fully released to use those application streams? Or could a currently serving member also go that route? No to derail OP's thread or distract from their question. 

It varies. Western requires a full medical release. But other schools, like UofM don't require you to be released at all. 

I don't think UNB has anything formal laid out, but told me that they tend to give CAF applications special consideration beyond that of normal work experience. Almost like a different category. 

Those are the only three I have firm information on. But other streams and pathways might exisit, much like in the case of the above schools, it simply isn't talked about.

[dimsum1]

41 minutes ago, LMP said:

Did you medically release? There are some special CAF only application streams you can use which will greatly increase your chances.

No, I'm applying to the Military Legal Training Plan.

[LMP]

7 minutes ago, dimsum1 said:

No, I'm applying to the Military Legal Training Plan.

Ah, I see. Well in that case the rest of the advice still stands. Certain schools certainly like CAF applicants and may give your application a boost. I'm sure writing about the MLTP and the work you'd like to do as a JAG will also look good on a PS.

[luckycharm]

1 hour ago, dimsum1 said:

So, now that I have my LSAT score, chances for Sep 2022 cycle?

• LSAT 158
• cGPA 2.94 (from early 2000s) - yes I know it's not great
• B2/L2 3.1 something from undergrad
• Post-bac certificate in 2019
• 20+ years Canadian Armed Forces experience both domestically and on operations (which I will hype up because I dealt with ROE, Law of Armed Conflict, and - not to dox myself so I'll be vague - some emerging tech stuff with major legal implications)

As I've posted before, I'm not "technically" a Mature applicant because of the post-bac.  However, as @luckycharm has said here, I'm applying Mature anyway. 

As you can see, my grades/LSAT aren't stellar but I lean hard on the life/work experience in my PS.

Will you consider hiring a private tutor and rewrite your LSAT?

apply broadly if you can

 

[dimsum1]

6 minutes ago, luckycharm said:

Will you consider hiring a private tutor and rewrite your LSAT?

apply broadly if you can

 

I haven't considered the tutor route yet.  I'll give it some thought.

The three schools I'm looking at right now are Ottawa, UWO, and UNB.  FWIW, I am UWO alumni and someone had mentioned in the old site that they look favourably on alumni.

[luckycharm]

1 minute ago, dimsum1 said:

I haven't considered the tutor route yet.  I'll give it some thought.

The three schools I'm looking at right now are Ottawa, UWO, and UNB.  FWIW, I am UWO alumni and someone had mentioned in the old site that they look favourably on alumni.

https://law.uwo.ca/future_students/jd_admissions/first_year_applications/applicant_categories.html

Mature candidates must have at least five years of non-university experience since leaving high school, which need not be consecutive, and must have attended university for a minimum of two years.

Mature applicants are asked to provide a resumé as a supplementary document when filing their application, as we will give greater weight to the work and life experience of mature candidates in our holistic assessment.

We do not set a specific minimum or competitive threshold for Mature applicants, as the applicant pool may vary year to year, and mature applicants may have various skills and life experiences to offer.  Moreover, we have noted over time that the strongest mature applicants tend to have academic records and LSAT scores that approach the competitive level of general category applicants.

[TheHungJuror]

I would double check on this one, but I believe Ottawa gives some type of consideration to former CAF members. If I recall properly, they were one of the few schools who explicitly asked if you had ever served in the CAF during the applications process. 

Depending on the year, your LSAT would be borderline for admission. This year was a little difficult, so you might want to try and raise it a bit if you can just to give you a bit more reassurance. Otherwise, I don't really know how they assess mature candidates GPA wise. 

[easttowest]

On 6/30/2021 at 1:17 PM, dimsum1 said:

I haven't considered the tutor route yet.  I'll give it some thought.

The three schools I'm looking at right now are Ottawa, UWO, and UNB.  FWIW, I am UWO alumni and someone had mentioned in the old site that they look favourably on alumni.

That was probably me. Curious to hear how your UWO app goes. I was accepted very early as mature with 2.54/171 after being waitlisted in the general category with the same stats. 

[99problems]

On 6/30/2021 at 11:07 AM, dimsum1 said:

So, now that I have my LSAT score, chances for Sep 2022 cycle?

• LSAT 158
• cGPA 2.94 (from early 2000s) - yes I know it's not great
• B2/L2 3.1 something from undergrad
• Post-bac certificate in 2019
• 20+ years Canadian Armed Forces experience both domestically and on operations (which I will hype up because I dealt with ROE, Law of Armed Conflict, and - not to dox myself so I'll be vague - some emerging tech stuff with major legal implications)

As I've posted before, I'm not "technically" a Mature applicant because of the post-bac.  However, as @luckycharm has said here, I'm applying Mature anyway. 

As you can see, my grades/LSAT aren't stellar but I lean hard on the life/work experience in my PS.

Given your GPA, I suggest rewriting the LSAT to get a better score. Generally speaking, +160 is considered to be competitive.

You should apply broadly if possible.