First time applicant questions (Access - 3.4/142)

[JD Man]

Hi there! I am a first time applicant with some questions if someone could help, I would sincerely appreciate it. 
Does the acceptance timeline differ for General and Access applicant?
What is the deadline for this acceptnace process?
When do they announce the waitlist? Do they ask for some actions from you (Such as a better LSAT, etc?) or you just have to wait for the final decision?

Do they pick the best scores of one degree, for the calculation of B20? Or they would consider all of your degrees and educational background to calculate B20?

I am an Access applicant! with foreign educational background in engineering and 2 years of part-time study at TMU.
My only concern is my LSAT score which is 142. I know it is low, but with very strong CV and PE explaining my reasons for applying as access.
Would they ever send out conditional offers depending on certain LSAT score to be acieved.

B20 combination of foreign degree and TMU course credits: 3.4 ish...

Edited February 8, 2023 by JD Man

[LMP]

I started writing a rather blunt post but thought better of it. 

Let's start with your question, yes, access applications take longer than general applications, for the most part. 

No, you won't get a conditional acceptance telling you to raise your LSAT, you just need to wait for a response. 

As for the calculation of your grades, this is something you should contact TMU for. Your situation is a bit complicated so might as well get an answer straight from the horses mouth. 

 

Now here's some unsolicited advice, feel free to ignore it or to read on. Up to you. 

Retake the LSAT. That's score is really bad, I'll be shocked if you get in anywhere in Canada. I know you can do much better, set aside the time to really study. Feel free to use this forum or even ask me if you want tips for studying or succeeding on the LSAT. It isn't insurmountable and I am confident you can raise your score substantially. 

 

 

[JD Man]

16 minutes ago, LMP said:

I started writing a rather blunt post but thought better of it. 

Let's start with your question, yes, access applications take longer than general applications, for the most part. 

No, you won't get a conditional acceptance telling you to raise your LSAT, you just need to wait for a response. 

As for the calculation of your grades, this is something you should contact TMU for. Your situation is a bit complicated so might as well get an answer straight from the horses mouth. 

 

Now here's some unsolicited advice, feel free to ignore it or to read on. Up to you. 

Retake the LSAT. That's score is really bad, I'll be shocked if you get in anywhere in Canada. I know you can do much better, set aside the time to really study. Feel free to use this forum or even ask me if you want tips for studying or succeeding on the LSAT. It isn't insurmountable and I am confident you can raise your score substantially. 

 

 

Hey thanks for your reply!

I totally understand the score is low.
We are already in the middle of Feb! Do you think I would even get the chance to update my LSAT score if I take it again next week? Dont even know they get the chance to consider the new score! But I am hopeful because in their website they say there is no minimum LSAT score for access student. They would rather you bering the values they are looking for!
I have strong CV, PE and real life experiences about legal challenges in my own life. Beside the LSAT score, every other part of my application is super strong! 4-5 Lawyers have confirmed this for me. This is why I applied at LASL due to their different approach toward acceptnace!

[LMP]

It'll be too late for this cycle. Don't rush it, study up and re-write when you feel ready. Best of luck with your application!

[Turtles]

As a point of reference, speaking about all law schools and not specifically TMU, a score of 144 would put you in the bottom 549 out of a total of 6609 Canadian applicants last year, i.e, more than 91.6% of Canadian applicants had a higher score than you in the last application cycle. And that's based off a score of 144, you're actually lower at 142. Data dashboard: https://report.lsac.org/VolumeSummary.aspx

Nobody here can speak definitively on the relative importance of your LSAT score as an access applicant, especially as it will likely vary based on the nature of your individual claim, but it's generally in your best interests to significantly raise it, especially in light of your GPA. You want to demonstrate you are prepared for the academic rigor of law school. 

I encourage you to take an LSAT prep course, whether in-person or virtually, rather than self-study. There are strategies and methods to successfully taking the test and these can be taught. You have plenty of time to study and re-take the exam in advance of the next cycle.