If you are planning to do law in Canada, you will want to make sure from where you complete your education is going to help you achieve your goals. It’s a good thing that there are numerous factors that entice you to choose one college over the other. The Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto has been ranked for many years for its law programs, however, if it’s not on your radar it may be time for you to take another look at this institution.
In 2018, Osgoode Hall was ranked as the top law school in Ontario and 6th in Canada by MacLean’s , a record high. Even so, many students come to us looking for ways to improve their chances at landing an articling position or a legal job after graduation.
Osgoode Hall law school is considered one of the best law schools in Canada. With an acceptance rate of just over 10%, it is far from being one of the easiest law schools to get into in Canada, but it does accept diverse, qualified candidates on a holistic admissions basis. Getting into Osgoode Hall law school requires a strong OLSAS application, in particular a well-written personal statement, a good GPA and LSAT score, and excellent letters of recommendation. In this blog, we’ll look at the available programs at Osgoode Hall, the admission requirements and eligibility factors, tuition and funding, application timeline and other important details you need to know if you want to know how to get into Osgoode Hall law school.
Osgoode Hall Law School Overview
Osgoode Hall was named for William Osgoode, an Oxford University graduate and barrister of Lincoln’s Inn who was the first to serve as the chief justice of Upper Canada.
Osgoode Hall can trace its history back to the 1820s, and count the first Canadian prime minister Sir John A. Macdonald among its graduates.[5] In 1889, it was reorganized and the Law Society of Upper Canada permanently established the Law School on the site now known as Osgoode Hall. At the time, Osgoode Hall was the only law school in Ontario and this remained true until the establishment of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1949.
Ontario lawyers were originally required to attend Osgoode Hall in order to practise in the province.. The Law Society began requiring members to attend lectures given at Osgoode Hall (the building) in 1855. In 1862, a law school opened in that building, only to close in 1868. It frequently opened and closed throughout the late 19th century. The law school at Osgoode Hall was only titled “Osgoode Hall Law School” in March 1924, when the Law Society of Upper Canada formally assigned it that name.
The school signed an agreement of affiliation with York University in 1965 following a decision by the provincial government requiring all law schools to be affiliated with a university. The minister (Ministry of University Affairs) responsible for the decision, Bill Davis, was an Osgoode graduate in 1954.
It was originally located at Osgoode Hall in downtown Toronto, which also houses the headquarters of the Law Society, and relocated to York University’s Keele Campus in 1969.
Osgoode Hall Law School Admission statistics
Osgoode Hall is considered one of the best law schools in Canada and is also one of the toughest to get into, according to law schools in Canada statistics. The school is ranked among the top 50 law schools in the world, and a law degree from Osgoode is highly regarded. Osgoode Hall is also an excellent choice for international students who want to study law in Canada.
Getting into Osgoode Hall law school is very competitive, so applicants should aim to have as high a GPA and LSAT score as possible, on top of a very strong application package. Applicants should also consider Canadian law school admissions help such as a law school advisor.
- Overall success rate: 10.6%
- Recommended GPA: 3.8
- Recommended LSAT: 161+
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
About 70% of Osgood Hall students are from Canada. There is no preference given for students from Ontario, but in-province students can apply for Ontario-specific student benefits and financial aid.
Osgoode Hall Law School Rankings
The first year class of Osgoode Hall Law School in 1944
Osgoode Hall is one of the most elite law schools in Canada. Times Higher Education ranked Osgoode Hall Law School as a top-50 law school in the world in 2022. Its long and distinguished history has led to a lay prestige that is unmatched by any other Canadian law school. In 2022, Osgoode’s joint JD/MBA program with the Schulich School of Business was named among the top 10 business and law programs in North America by FIND MBA.
In its most recent rankings, Maclean’s magazine has ranked Osgoode second amongst Canadian law school ] In the 2008 rankings published by Canadian Lawyer Magazine, Osgoode was ranked first in Canada, and was awarded high marks for the quality of its professors, flexible curriculum, and the diversity and relevance of course offerings. The faculty has been described as the “strongest in the country,” and rank number one in Canada for faculty journal citations.
In the 2022-2023 year, 3600 applicants applied for the 290 spots available in the first year program, resulting in an acceptance rate of around 8%. The only North American law school with a lower rate of acceptance is Yale Law School.
Osgoode Hall Law School acceptance rate
10.6%
Not sure if a law school advisor is right for you? Check out this guide.
Osgoode Hall Law School Admission requirements
To apply to Osgoode Hall law school, you’ll need to apply through the Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS) and fill out an application form. Be sure to check OLSAS application tips and get familiar with the system as you begin preparing your application.
The OLSAS application form includes:
- Your GPA and transcripts
- LSAT score
- Law school personal statement
- Law school letter of recommendation
- OLSAS autobiographical sketch
- Language proficiency test results (if applicable)
- Financial statement (if applying for financial aid)
It’s recommended applicants have a GPA of 3.7 or higher and an LSAT score in the 80th percentile or above for the best chance of success in getting into Osgoode Hall. If you want to know how to get into law school with a low GPA, it is still possible to successfully get into Osgoode with a low GPA, but you should compensate with a strong overall application.
Applications should also include at least two letters of reference or letters of recommendation, one from an academic source. Your referees should be able to write at length about your personal, professional, and academic qualities. Your referees will need to submit their letters of recommendation directly to OLSAS.
Language proficiency test results are only required for international students who previously studied in a language other than English. If you are applying for financial aid, you will need to submit a financial statement through OLSAS to demonstrate financial need..
Eligibility and selection factors
Osgoode Hall employs a holistic admissions approach and aims to recruit applicants who are underrepresented in the legal profession. In Canada, Indigenous applicants can apply to Osgoode Hall in a separate application pool. Check out the admission requirements for Indigenous applicants on the school’s website.
Applications at Osgoode are viewed holistically without a weighting process, and admission decisions are made based on the following factors:
- Post-secondary academic achievements
- LSAT scores
- Varied life/non-academic experiences and achievements
- Sustained social and intellectual engagement
- Overcoming challenges
- Written and oral communication
Applicants are selected based on their written OLSAS applications but may be invited to a law school interview. Interview performances do factor into admission decisions, so law interview prep is essential to ace this part of the evaluation.
Work experience is not a requirement of the application to Osgoode Hall, but it is looked upon very favorably by admissions committees. If you need help putting together your resume, look at some law school resume examples to get started.
Tuition and funding opportunities
The tuition and fees at Osgoode Hall are a total of $25,916.50 for domestic students and $40,251.52 for international students. Students also need to pay the OLSAS application fee the $200 fee for taking the LSAT. Applicants can look on Osgoode’s financial services page for details on financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Osgoode also provides advice for graduating students and budgeting help.
Application timeline
Applications to Osgoode Hall law school are subject to the OLSAS application deadlines, but the general important dates and application deadlines for Osgoode can be found below:
- NOVEMBER 1First year application deadline. Deadline for OLSAS to receive letters of recommendation and transcripts.
- DECEMBER – JUNEOsgoode Hall rolling admissions
- JANUARY – FEBRUARYOffers of acceptance sent out
- MAY 1Upper year and exchange application deadline
- JUNE 1Deadline for OLSAS to receive final transcripts
- JULY 1OLSAS acceptances confirmed
- AUGUST 1OLSAS acceptances confirmed for upper-year programs
Acceptance and waitlist information
Admissions at Osgoode Hall are made on a rolling basis from early December until June. Offers of acceptance are typically made in January or February of each year.
Deferrals for first-year applicants are only considered in exceptional circumstances, and only after the student has been admitted and confirmed. Applicants can contact the Chair of the Admissions Committee at Osgoode to request a deferral. These are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Osgoode Hall receives thousands of applications each cycle, and students may be placed on a waitlist if available seats fill up. Being placed on the waitlist does not necessarily mean a student is not eligible or a qualified candidate. A law school letter of continued interest can be helpful in getting you off the waitlist and placing you at the top of the consideration list if a spot does open up later in the year. Check out a law school letter of continued interest example to learn how to write one.
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