These admission policies apply to both domestic (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) and international applicants.

UPDATE: Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) grades on the 2019-2020 academic record due to COVID-19


Statement of Admission Policy

The Faculty of Law seeks to identify and select a student body of diverse interests and backgrounds that demonstrates unusual promise for distinguished performance at the law school, and, subsequently, in the legal profession and community.

The law school is enriched by a student body made up of students from various ethnic, racial, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, from different regions of Canada, as well as a range of academic disciplines, careers and community and extracurricular experiences.

The Admissions Committee, chaired by a faculty member and including the Assistant Dean, JD Program, several other faculty members and a number of third-year students, chooses those applicants it judges are likely to complete the program with the greatest intellectual return. The Faculty believes that the qualities of mind and personality necessary to satisfy its requirements are:

  1. high intelligence;
  2. sound judgment;
  3. the capacity and motivation for demanding intellectual effort;
  4. the capacity and motivation to engage in sophisticated legal reasoning; and
  5. an understanding of and sensitivity to human interaction.

As evidence of these qualities, the Admissions Committee looks to a number of factors. These include:

  • academic achievement;
  • The standard Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score(s);
  • non-academic achievement;
  • the response to disadvantage due to adverse personal or socio-economic circumstances or to barriers faced by cultural (including racial or ethnic) or linguistic minorities;
  • motivation and involvement in academic and non-academic activities; and
  • the impact of temporary or permanent physical disabilities.

The Faculty seeks a diverse, stimulating and highly motivated student body. Thus, the Admissions Committee also gives weight to work experience, graduate study, outstanding accomplishment in a non-academic activity, and other special circumstances brought to its attention.

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Application of Admission Policy

Admission to the Faculty of Law is selective. In each cycle, generally 2,000 applications are received for about 200 first-year places in the JD program, with fewer than 300 offers of admission. There are three categories of admission: general, mature and Indigenous. Within each admissions group, an applicant's file is reviewed carefully in its entirety. Black students may apply through the Black Student Application Process (BSAP). The Committee reviews applications taking into account a wide array of considerations. Accordingly, it is not possible to predict the probability of admission using numerical indices.

The Admissions Committee's approach means that it gives a full reading to the materials submitted, and considers many academic, professional and personal factors in its attempt to evaluate each candidate's demonstrated potential for enriching the Faculty and, thereafter, for contributing meaningfully to the legal community and society. However, in view of the large number of candidates whose applications disclose excellent academic records, strong LSAT scores and worthy non-academic accomplishments, candidates without these characteristics are less competitive for admission.

Because of the large number of applications, no formal interviews or in person meetings are conducted. The JD Admissions Office staff is available to answer questions in person, by telephone, or in writing. They are extremely knowledgeable about the admissions process and able to assist applicants on all matters regarding their applications.

Assessment of Academic Record

Our review of an applicant's undergraduate record is based on the principle that undergraduate records should be compared as fairly as possible across applicants. For this reason, we examine the pattern of the intensity of the course work taken across an applicant's undergraduate career (light versus heavy, full-time versus part-time, co-op versus regular, introductory versus upper-year courses, courses on exchange, courses during the summer term). We also examine the patterns of results the applicant achieved in that coursework (increasing trends, sustained periods of strong performance, short-term deviations, cumulative results, etc). Moreover, we take into account the nature of the program and the undergraduate institution (or institutions) at which an applicant has studied. Specifically, programs and institutions have varying grading practices, which we take into account in our assessment. In general, the Admissions Committee examines each applicant's academic record with a view to meaningful and fair comparisons of undergraduate performance.

The Faculty does not recommend particular graduate or undergraduate courses for those seeking admission. Many outstanding law students come to law school from undergraduate disciplines or other experiences seemingly unrelated to the study of law. It is suggested that students treat these experiences as ends in themselves rather than as preparation for law school.

The most competitive applicants are those with a consistent record of academic achievement over three or four years in a challenging undergraduate program, and, if applicable, in graduate work as well. In the absence of special circumstances, an inconsistent undergraduate record will normally be less competitive. In borderline cases, a very strong performance in a graduate program may overcome modest weaknesses in an undergraduate record, but will not usually overcome an undergraduate record which is otherwise uncompetitive. An applicant's academic record and LSAT score (or scores) are considered together and in context. That is, an applicant with a superior academic record may be admitted with less competitive LSAT results. Similarly, an applicant with superior LSAT results may be admitted with a less competitive academic record.

More information about how the academic record of currently-registered students is assessed can be found in the Application Procedure section. 


 

Standards for Admission 2019-2023

The admissions assessment is based two-thirds on the academic record and the standard LSAT score(s), and one-third on personal information.
 
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. Accordingly, our metrics do not list a minimum, instead they list the median (i.e. midpoint) performance of the entering class.
 

Competitive LSAT performance

HIGHEST LSAT OF FIRST YEAR JD CLASS BY YEAR OF ENTRY 

PERCENTILE Distribution of Entering Class
Highest LSAT score and its percentile value among global test takers
20232022202120202019
25th
164
90th
165
90th
165
90th
163
90th
163
90th
50th (median)
167
94th
168
95th
168
95th
166
93rd
166
93rd
75th
170
97th
170
97th
170
97th
 169
97th
168
96th
      
Class Size214213215212210

Understanding the Percentile Distribution of the Highest LSAT Score of the Class

25th percentile
25% of the class scored below that value
75% of the class scored above that value

50th percentile
50% of the class scored below that value
50% of the class scored above that value
 
75th percentile
75% of the class scored below that value
25% of the class scored above that value

 

Calculation of Admission GPA

UPDATE: Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) grades on the 2019-2020 academic record due to COVID-19

All courses in the entire post-secondary record are considered and valued, regardless of which will be used in the GPA calculation, i.e. all courses, undergraduate and any graduate, including summer courses are considered. In addition to the GPA calculation, we review transcripts to better understand the performance on the entire academic record.

The admission GPA is calculated on undergraduate courses only, using the best three academic years (traditionally using both the fall and winter sessions per year) of full-time study from all years of undergraduate study. For the definition of full-time study please refer to the OLSAS Data Legend.

A GPA calculation is not always possible
Please note that the GPA as we calculate it, is just a starting point. In many instances it cannot be obtained mathematically due to the nature of the full post-secondary academic record, such as, but not limited to, candidates who:

  • enrolled in co-op programs
  • participated in exchange programs
  • attended institutions located outside of Canada or the USA
  • attended different institution types (e.g. CEGEP and university, Ontario CAAT and university)
  • enrolled in a mix of part-time and full-time course loads

This is not cause for alarm. The performance on courses taken - wherever and however - will be assessed on its own merit, as described in Application of Admission Policy above. Therefore, all candidates should focus on how they performed in general, instead of a GPA calculation.


Note on courses taken on a student exchange/study abroad
Applicants must arrange for the submission of official transcripts from the exchange/study abraod host schools to OLSAS directly.

It is customary for the home institution, on its own transcript, to list the amount of credit granted only, and not list the grades obtained for exchange/study abroad courses. Regardless of how the home school treated the exchange/study abroad courses toward the home school's degree requirements, the exchange/study abroad grade performance will be assessed on its own merit using the host institution's transcript and grading scale. With different grading scales, the regular method of calculating our GPA may not be possible, and instead the performance at each institution will be assessed on its own merit.
 

Competitive admission GPA performance

ADMISSION GPA OF FIRST YEAR JD CLASS BY YEAR OF ENTRY

PERCENTILE Distribution of
Entering Class
GPA on the 4.0 OLSAS scale
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
25th
3.83
3.81
3.80
3.77
3.76
50th (median)
3.90
3.88
3.88
3.86
3.83
75th
3.95
3.92
3.93
3.92
3.91
  
   
 
 
Class Size
214
213
215
212
210

 Understanding the Percentile Distribution of the Admission GPA of the Class

25th percentile of the entering class
25% had a GPA at, or below, that value
75% had a GPA at, or above, that value

50th percentile (median) of the entering class
50% had a GPA at, or below, that value
50% had a GPA at, or above, that value

75th percentile of the entering class
75% had a GPA at, or below, that value
25% had a GPA at, or above, that value

 

Holistic Approach
From the 2015-2016 admission year, the algorithm that assigns the two-thirds weighting to the Academic Record and LSAT was adjusted in a way that grants more weight to the GPA, since new data reveals that the GPA merits relatively more weight in predicting performance in first year than other factors.

We encourage students with apparently less competitive LSAT scores and undergraduate records to apply, since every year we admit a significant number of students whose files when considered in proper context, merit offers of admission.

More information about applying and required documents can be found in the Application Procedure section. 

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General Applicants

To be considered for admission, applicants must have successfully completed three full-time years (or equivalent) of an approved course leading to a degree at a recognized university, no later than the end of May in the year of entry. However, prospective applicants should be aware that almost all of our students have completed a four-year degree.

Required documents for regular applicants can be found in the Application Procedure section. 

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Mature Applicants

Mature applicants are those who have or will have at least five complete years of non-academic experience by September of the year of entry into the law school. The years of non-academic experience need not be consecutive, but must have been undertaken independently of academic work. Such experience may consist of both remunerated work and unpaid labour, including the care and raising of children.

In addition to an applicant's academic record, the Committee will consider an applicant's ability to organize his or her life and work, ability to reason, analyze and engage in intellectual inquiry, and past experience. The Committee may place less emphasis on the applicant's academic record where there has been a significant lapse of time since its completion or where adverse personal or socio-economic circumstances, including linguistic and cultural barriers, have affected its development.

For those mature applicants with fewer than two years of undergraduate university study, the Admissions Committee may give greater weight to other evidence of ability to study law successfully, such as experience or success in another field of endeavour. However, in view of the large number of qualified applicants who have at some time demonstrated their academic ability in a university program, those applicants with no university education will find it virtually impossible to gain admission. Over the last decade no applicants have been admitted without some university background.

There is no target or quota on the number of mature candidates admitted, but there has been a steady increase in both the number and the competitiveness of mature applicants. In recent years, approximately 300 applications have been received annually. As a result the Mature category has been virtually as competitive as the General category.

Required documents for mature applicants can be found in the Application Procedure section. 

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Indigenous Applicants

See the Indigenous Applicants web page.


Half-Time Program

See the Half-Time Program web page.


Combined Programs

The Faculty of Law partners with other faculties and departments at the University of Toronto to offer a number of special combined degree programs.

Combined programs allow students to complete the JD program and one partner graduate degree program together (e.g. MA, MI, MBA, MGA, PhD). These are formal, governance-approved degree arrangements, therefore the JD can be combined with one program from a prescribed list of graduate programs only. Informal combinations are not permitted.

The combination refers to completing the two degree programs simultaneously following a specific sequence of course enrolment in each program, and not a package of hybrid/blended subject matter within courses. By following the course enrolment sequence, the two degrees are completed sooner than if they were taken separately, one after the other.

  • If the desired partner degree program has already been attained, then only the JD remains to be attained in its entirety, therefore please review the admission requirements and application procedures for the JD only.
     
  • If a JD or an equivalent law degree (e.g. LLB) has already been attained, then only the partner program remains to be attained in its entirety
     
  • If both programs are to be attained then review the admission requirements for each program, and apply to each program independently of the other, by each program's application process and timelines. Only if one gets admitted to each independently can one then follow the double degree registration as a combination. 

For applying to the JD, see the Application Procedure.

For details including descriptions of the combinations offered, program duration, degree requirements and contact information for partner program admission requirements and application procedures, see the Combined Programs web page.


Deferral of Admissions

For the policy on Deferral of Admissions, see Application Procedure.


Previous Applicants

All applicants who have applied in previous admissions cycles who wish to re-apply, must re-apply for admission through OLSAS and re-submit supporting documents.

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Notice concerning Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy

The University of Toronto respects your privacy.

Personal information that you provide to the University is collected pursuant to section 2(14) of the University of Toronto Act, 1971. It is collected for the purpose of administering admissions, registration, academic programs, university-related student activities, activities of student societies, safety, financial assistance and awards, graduation and university advancement, and reporting to government.

In addition, the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities has asked that we notify you of the following:  The University of Toronto is required to disclose personal information such as Ontario Education Numbers, student characteristics and educational outcomes to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities under s. 15 of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter M.19, as amended.  The ministry collects this data for purposes such as planning, allocating and administering public funding to colleges, universities and other post-secondary educational and training institutions and to conduct research and analysis, including longitudinal studies, and statistical activities conducted by or on behalf of the ministry for purposes that relate to post-secondary education and training.  Further information on how the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities uses this personal information is available on the ministry’s website.

At all times it will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If you have questions, please refer to www.utoronto.ca/privacy or contact the University Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Coordinator at McMurrich Building, room 104, 12 Queen's Park Crescent West, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8.

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