What do law schools say directly about GPA/LSAT requirements? (Ontario)

[SaskatchewanWantsJD]

These are quotes directly from the schools for the GPA and LSAT that they look for in applicants, as of November 2023. Note that for Ontario schools these are all on the OLSAS Scale. 

• Queens University: In the General Category, competitive applicants should have at least an “A-” average (GPA 3.7) in the top two years of their undergraduate degree program at a full course load along with an LSAT score of at least 160.
• Western University: A competitive candidate will have an overall undergraduate average of A- (80-84%) (GPA 3.7), and an LSAT score above the 80th percentile.
• Osgoode Hall (York University): Although admission decisions are made on the basis of a holistic assessment of the application, successful applicants generally have an “A-“ (3.7) cumulative GPA and an LSAT in the 80th percentile, or better. 
• University of Toronto: The law school does not predetermine a minimum level of performance, rather the strongest candidates are selected from the application pool based on the complete person profile, and not just the numerical measures. 
  • Median LSAT: 167 (94th percentile) 
  • Median GPA: 3.90
• University of Ottawa: Most successful candidates have at least an 80% or A- average and LSAT score of at least 158. 
• University of Windsor: We do not have a specific LSAT or recommended GPA due to the holistic nature of our admissions process. 
• Lincoln Alexander (Toronto Metropolitan):  We do not set a minimum GPA requirement for consideration. The Lincoln Alexander School of Law does not set a minimum LSAT score in order to evaluate applications.
• Bora Laskin (Lakehead University): Competitive applicants have an overall B+/A- average.
  • Note: LSAT information was not specified. 

 

This can help answer a lot of "chance me" posts. For example...

Q: I scored a 155 on my LSAT, would I be a candidate for any law schools? 

A: Apply to: University of Windsor, Bora Laskin, Lincoln Alexander, and possibly the University of Ottawa.

 

Q: I have a 3.5 GPA, would I be a candidate for any law schools?

A: Apply to: University of Windsor, Bora Laskin, and Lincoln Alexander. 

 

Q: I scored a 160 on my LSAT, would I be a candidate for any law schools?

A: If your GPA is above a 3.7, apply to: University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall, Queen's University, Western University, University of Windsor, University of Ottawa, Lincoln Alexander, Bora Laskin.

A: If your GPA is below a 3.7, apply to: University of Windsor, University of Ottawa, Lincoln Alexander, Bora Laskin.

 

Q: Which law schools are holistic? 

A: Osgoode Hall, University of Toronto, University of Windsor, Lincoln Alexander are schools that explicitly refer to a holistic admissions process, and even then most of these schools do specify competitive ranges for admission. That is not to say the other law schools are not, but these schools do mention it.

[chaboywb]

These are generally useful statements but, for those applicants viewing this thread and fretting, they come across as being stricter cut-offs than they actually are. For instance, I read Queens and Osgoode as suggesting a minimum 3.7 GPA. I was accepted at both schools very early in their admission cycles (around five years ago) with a 3.55 GPA and 165 LSAT. 

[Yogurt Baron]

Posts like this always make me smile a little bit, because when I started hanging out at this board's precursor circa 2009, this absolutely was how the board worked: somebody making three posts of, "Hey, guys, how do I get into law school?", and then a fourth post (coming from the exact same knowledge base) of, "Hey, guys, here's how you get into law school!" So I applaud the OP's desire to give back and will gently note that here in 2023, this board has a whole huge Applicant FAQ now with tons of great information.

[scooter]

5 hours ago, SaskatchewanWantsJD said:

Q: I scored a 160 on my LSAT, would I be a candidate for any law schools?

A: If your GPA is above a 3.7, apply to: University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall, Queen's University, Western University, University of Windsor, University of Ottawa, Lincoln Alexander, Bora Laskin.

A: If your GPA is below a 3.7, apply to: University of Windsor, University of Ottawa, Lincoln Alexander, Bora Laskin.

I appreciate the attempt to help others, but this post is full of bad advice. For example, every school here (except UofT) admits people with ~160 LSAT and sub-3.7 GPAs each year. I would make a similar comment for each of the other Q&A's in the post. 

As a general rule, people with weak/borderline stats will benefit from applying broadly.