In this blog, you will learn striking OLSAS statistics and 4 proven tips that will help your application stand out.


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OLSAS Statistics and Tips Tips to create the perfect OLSAS application

OLSAS Statistics and Tips

It should come as no surprise that gaining admissions into the law school of your choice is no small task. Gaining admissions has become even more difficult and competitive today, as more and more students apply to law schools without a proportional increase in the number of seats available in each entering class.

How competitive you may ask? Well according to the Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS) statistics, the chances of gaining acceptance into an Ontario law school is typically less than 10%. For instance, the chances of gaining admissions into the University of Western Ontario law school are a mere 5.7% (Figure 1).

Furthermore, OLSAS statistics show that the majority of students who gain acceptance into law school have a very high GPA (Figure 2), along with a very competitive LSAT score. However, it should be noted that a high GPA and competitive LSAT scores do not guarantee you a seat in a law school. There are many students who have a GPA that is lower than the average accepted GPA (along with low LSAT scores) who gain acceptance, while there are students who have extremely high GPAs and LSAT score that do not receive the much sought after letter of acceptance. Thus, it should be clear that a high GPA and competitive LSAT scores are not the sole deciding factor and will not guarantee you admissions into the law school of your choice.

So how can we explain this unexpected result? Or, more importantly, how do we account for those students who gain acceptance with a low GPA and LSAT scores over those students with much higher scores? The answer: their law school application is outstanding!

Tips to create the perfect OLSAS application

  • TIP #1

    First and foremost, start as early as possible. You should begin preparing your OLSAS application well in advance of the date of submission (ideally 3-4 months in advance). This will allow you to really polish your application and you can be certain that you have presented your ‘best self’.

  • TIP #2

    Secondly, ensure that your OLSAS application showcases and highlights those characteristics that are important to law school admissions committees (i.e. leadership, communication skills, altruism, professionalism, social responsibility, etc.). This means that you will need to include those life experiences (i.e. work, volunteer, extracurricular, research, etc.) that clearly demonstrate the required characteristics that we mentioned above. Review successful law school personal statement examples to see how others have done this and to devise a model that fits your own narrative.

  • TIP #3

    Thirdly, look into how to write a personal statement for law school, and have others review and edit your application prior to submitting it to OLSAS. A peer, a family member, a professor, or any other individual that can provide you with appropriate feedback can help you review your application. A second perspective not only helps you identify any grammatical and spelling errors that may be present in your application, but it can also allows you to generate ideas on ways in which your application can be improved.

  • TIP #4

    Lastly, and a point that is often overlooked by law school applicants, is choosing the right referees. Choose your referees wisely. Not only should you pick referees that can provide strong letters of reference, highlighting your abilities, but it is also important that they are able to convey the same message you are communicating in your application. With this in mind, make sure you provide your referees with a copy of your law school application.

At BeMo, we believe that every student deserves to have experienced guidance in order to present his or her best self. Therefore, we have created a variety of programs designed to help you achieve this goal.

  • Law school application help — one-on-one sessions to go over all or any section of the application. This includes review of your law school personal statement/essay and/or your law school OLSAS sketch.
  • OLSAS GPA Conversion Calculator – Use our OLSAS GPA conversion calculator to convert your marks from any university to the OLSAS grading system.

Good luck on your application!

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting