Introduction
Osgoode Hall Law School is the largest common law school in Canada with a proud history of more than 100 years of innovation and leadership in legal education. Osgoode’s rich and diverse resources enable it to provide an excellent education in law for students intending to pursue diverse careers in the legal profession, and for those who seek to study law in an interdisciplinary context. Our faculty seeks to provide both generalist and specialist education in law, to play a creative and leading role in research and in the development of law and legal institutions, and to foster public service, social justice and equality.

Making Application
Applications for admission to Ontario law schools are distributed centrally from the Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS) in Guelph, Ontario. This process allows applicants to focus their efforts and reduce their overall cost by submitting materials to one place. OLSAS will handle all initial data collection, data entry and will ensure applicant files are complete. The applications will then be forwarded by OLSAS to the Ontario law schools that the applicant has chosen. This application process applies to upper year applicants (Transfer, Letter of Permission, NCA) as well.

There are five categories for application into the First Year LL.B. Program.

Application Deadlines
For the September 2005 academic term, the deadline for submitting the complete application package for first year is November 1, 2004 and for upper year May 2, 2005. All documentation must be submitted directly to the OLSAS.

Minimum Academic Requirement
To be eligible for admission, applicants must have successfully completed a minimum of two years at a recognized university (minimum of 60 credit hours of graded course work). This academic requirement applies to all first-year applicants other than those applying through the Mature Student category.

Applicants should note although courses completed at a community college, CEGEP, or as part of a non-degree study abroad program, may be recognized for advanced standing toward an undergraduate degree, such courses do not count towards the minimum requirement of 60 assessable credit hours and are not used in the calculation of an applicant’s blended overall average – cumulative grade-point-average (CGPA) and Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

The Law School Admission Test
Applicants applying to first year are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Osgoode considers an applicant’s highest score result as reported by the Law School Admission Service in the year of application. LSAT scores for the past five years (ie. back to and including June 2000) may be used. Applicants applying through the Mature Student applicant category must complete the LSAT no later than the October 2004 test sitting. All other applicants must complete the LSAT no later than February 2005.

Language Proficiency
A TOEFL score is required for applicants whose first language is not English and who have not completed at least three years of full-time study at an accredited university in a country (or institution) where English is the official language of instruction. Applicants must possess a score not less than 250 and writing score not less than 5 to be considered.

Transcripts
Transcripts are required for all post-secondary programs of study.

Transcripts from Outside North America
An evaluation of foreign credentials (based on a course-by-course assessment) specifying Canadian degree, grade and credit hour equivalents is required. Please contact the Admissions Office directly for more information.

Confidential Reference Forms
An academic reference is required from all applicants who have attended a program of study within the last three years. Applicants who have been away from study for three years or more must provide at least one non-academic reference, preferably from an individual with a precise knowledge of the applicant’s ability and potential, capable of assessing performance in an employment and/or volunteer capacity.

Applicants applying through the Mature Student, Aboriginal, Access or Special Circumstance category must, in addition to an academic reference (if applicable),provide two non-academic references – one from an individual with a precise knowledge of the applicant’s ability and potential, capable of assessing performance in an employment and/or volunteer capacity and one from an individual who can attest to, and comment on, the impact of factors and/or circumstances discussed in the Personal Statement.

All letters of reference must be confidential and must be forwarded directly by the referee to the OLSAS.

Personal Statement
All applicants must provide a Personal Statement.

Category Supplemental
As part of the application, Mature Student, Aboriginal, Access and Special Circumstance applicants must complete the Category Supplemental Information to be considered accordingly.

Corroborative Documents
Applicants in the Access and Special Circumstance category must provide corroboration. A non-academic reference from an individual with a precise knowledge of the applicant’s circumstances as discussed in the Personal Statement is acceptable.

Selecting an Applicant Category
The following information should be noted when selecting the applicant category:

• Applicants who satisfy the minimum academic requirement are automatically assessed through the Regular Applicant category.
  
• Only one category can be selected for the application.
  
• Applicants who wish to be considered in more than one category must complete the supplemental information section of each applicable category. In addition, applicants must answer one or both parts of question #3 of the Personal Statement. For example, if you are applying through the Mature Student category and also wish to be considered through the Access category, you must complete both the Mature and Access sections of the Category Supplemental Information. In addition, part one of question #3 of the Personal Statement must be answered.

Review Process
The Admissions Committee is comprised of five faculty and three students. The Committee will make decisions on Mature; Aboriginal; Access; and Special Circumstance applicants and will specify guidelines for the review of Regular applicants which the Admissions Office then applies. Decisions are made based on information that is on file at the time of review. Applications that are incomplete will not be considered.

Offers of admission (Regular Applicant Category) may begin as early as December with the majority of first-round offers completed by February. Offers continue to be made on a rolling basis as final grades are received. Applicants in the discretionary categories generally receive offers by: April (Mature Student and Aboriginal Applicant Category); or May (Access and Special Circumstance Applicant Category).

Deferral of First-Year Admission
Applicants are encouraged to apply in the year in which they wish to enrol. Requests for a one-year deferral are considered on an individual basis (after applicants have been admitted) and are granted at the discretion of the Assistant Dean (Student Services) and Chair of the Admissions Committee. Consideration is based on the likelihood of the applicant being admitted in the following year. Reasons in support of requests must be submitted in writing. Applicants should note that the number of deferrals granted each year is dependent on the number of requests received.

Interviews
The Admissions Committee will, by invitation, interview a select number of Mature Student applicants to assist in the selection process. The committee generally interviews applicants throughout the month of February and possibly into early April. Some Mature Student applicants may be assessed on the basis of documentation only. Applicants in all other admission categories are assessed on the basis of documentation only.

Reconsideration
All admission decisions are final. The Admissions Committee will reconsider an application only if there is evidence of a procedural anomaly. To be considered an applicant must submit a formal request, in writing, within ten days of the date of the committee’s decision. Please note the committee considers requests based on the information available at the time of the original decision.

Fee Waivers
Application for a waiver of the Osgoode portion of the application fee ($50.00) is available from the Osgoode Hall Law School. Applicants must demonstrate financial hardship and must provide corroborative documentation. Requests should be made in advance of the November 1, 2004 application deadline in order to ensure a timely application.

Retention of Materials
All materials submitted by or on behalf of applicants will be used solely for admission purposes and will be kept confidential. The materials will become the property of the law school and may be destroyed following the year for which the application is made.

Previous Applications
Osgoode does not retain applications from the previous admission cycle. Applicants must re-apply for admission through the OLSAS and must re-submit all documentation.

Late Applications
The complete application is due at the OLSAS by November 1, 2004. The Admissions Committee strongly believes that adherence to the deadline (with an exception for compelling and extenuating circumstances) is the best way to ensure fairness among all applicants. Requests should be emailed to admissions@osgoode.yorku.ca.

Housing
Osgoode students have access to numerous on-campus housing units. These units are just minutes from the Law School and are reserved for law and graduate students. Past practice has shown that students firmly accepting Osgoode’s offer of admission prior to April 30th have secured housing on campus. For further information, visit the website at www.yorku.ca/stuhouse/yorkapts.

Caution
Any information that is false or misleading or any material information that has been concealed will invalidate the application and will result in immediate rejection, or in the revocation of admission and/or registration.