First-Year Applicants

Important Websites

Before You Apply

How do I apply to Western Law? 
Through the Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS). (Please note the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) offered through LSAC is for American law school applications).

When can I create an account with OLSAS for the upcoming application year?
From mid-to-late August until November 1 (first-year applicants) or May 1 (upper-year applicants).

What is the application deadline?
November 1 for admission in September of the following year. Please be aware this is a firm deadline in that the online OLSAS system locks at midnight. You must complete your application and pay the fees before then. Law school applications take considerable time to prepare. Therefore, please begin the process early.

Where do I find all the details about how to apply?
Please see the OLSAS Application Guide. Be sure to read all the general instructions in detail, as well as the specific instructions for each law school to which you intend to apply, as policies and procedures can change year to year and vary from school to school.

Should I send any documents to Western Law directly?
No. All documents should be sent to OLSAS.

How do I submit miscellaneous supporting documents to OLSAS, such as my resume if I am a Mature candidate or documents that substantiate my Access claim?
You can upload these documents to OLSAS using the Secure Applicant Messaging tool (SAM), available through your OLSAS account. 

What happens if some of my materials arrive late (e.g., reference letters, foreign transcripts)?
It is your responsibility to ensure all documents reach OLSAS by the application deadline. Start early and keep in touch with your referees with friendly reminders if necessary. We are generally willing to receive some documents late (determined on a case-by-case basis) provided you can demonstrate you were conscientious about attempting to ensure they arrived on time.

What happens if I miss the application deadline or I am locked out of the system when submitting my application?
You will need to submit a request for permission to file your application late. Our late application policy may be found here: Late Applications

After You Apply

How do I indicate I am writing a future LSAT after I have submitted my application?
Log-in to your OLSAS account and update your LSAT information.

How will I know that you received my application?
You will receive an acknowledgement email from Western Law near the end of November. Please ensure that your email account is configured so that email from Western does not land in your spam or junk folder. When you receive our acknowledgment email, please follow the instructions in it to activate your Western identity. This is an important step in our application process. 

I have tried to activate my Student Center account but am having problems. What can I do?
Please visit the Student Center Access Guide online and follow the instructions there. If you continue to have problems please contact the Western Technology Services Helpdesk at 519-661-3800.

How are applications reviewed?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by members of the Admissions Committee beginning in late November. Complete applications with the most competitive LSAT scores and grades are reviewed first.

Are applications in the discretionary categories (Access, Black, Indigenous, Mature) reviewed after General category applications?
We are looking for the strongest applicants in every category of admission. Therefore, Discretionary category applications are reviewed at the same time as General category applications.

When I check the status of my application on the Student Center it still says “Applied.” What does this mean?
This means your application is in the queue for review, is currently with an Admissions Committee member, or has already been reviewed but a final admission decision has not been made (either positively or negatively) until the strength of the balance of applications are reviewed.

Can I call to inquire about the status of my application?
We review all applications thoroughly and this takes time. Calling to inquire about the status of your application does not speed things up. When we have news to share with you, you will receive an email advising you to check your Student Center for an admission decision. We know it is difficult to wait and appreciate your patience through this process.

When are offers of admission made?
Offers are made from mid-December to mid-March, after which we wait until admitted students respond to their offers (on or before April 1, the deadline set by OLSAS). After April 1, when we know how many spots are still available, additional offers are made on a smaller scale on a rolling basis until the class is filled, usually by the end of May.

If I do not receive an offer of admission, when I am likely to find out?
You are likely to learn that we were unable to offer you a position sometime between February and June.

Is a Waitlist created?
A waitlist is typically created in May. If you are waitlisted you must formally accept your waitlist offer in order to be added to our waitlist. Students on the waitlist may receive offers throughout the summer, depending on whether positions open in the class.

How likely is it that I will receive an offer if I am waitlisted?
While there are more students on the waitlist than we will have positions available, it is common in every year for some waitlisted students to receive offers. Other than that it is impossible to predict. 

Can I find out my position on the Waitlist?
We do not rank our waitlist. If you are waitlisted and are interested in coming to Western, please wait for a communication from us to advise you when and if we have a position available for you. Typically we will contact you by telephone first. If we don't reach you, we will leave a voicemail and send an email. If you no longer wish to remain on our waitlist because you have accepted a position elsewhere or have changed your plans, please let us know as soon as possible as a courtesy to other waitlisted students.

Are spots set aside for any category of applicant?
We set aside a number of spots for Western combined-degree applicants who apply directly to Western Law by May 1. Any spots that are not filled by these applicants are typically offered to waitlisted students.