Grades and Courses
What is considered to be a full course load for law admission purposes?
Five courses per semester.
Is part-time university study counted?
Yes, but greater weight is given to full-time study with a full course load (5 courses per term) because it provides the best evidence of how you will handle the rigorous full course load of first-year law school (where six courses per term are taken).
What if I was working heavily to finance my education and had to take a lighter course load?
This would be taken into consideration in the assessment of your application and you should discuss it in your personal statement.
Does Western Law consider all undergraduate study, the best 2 years, or the last 2 years?
We consider all years of study and, as a general rule, strong cumulative averages will be preferred. However, we will place greater weight on your last 2 years of full-time (or equivalent) undergraduate study in appropriate circumstances, typically where your cumulative average falls below 3.7. Please visit the OLSAS Grade Conversion Table to calculate your GPA.
How will my GPA for my “Last 2” years be assessed?
We define your last 2 years of university as your last 20 semestered courses for which you were assigned grades. (One year-long course counts as 2 semestered courses.) Summer terms are included. However, courses for which you received a Pass or Credit are not included, and we will not break up semesters. This means that if you did not take 5 courses per semester in your last 4 semesters of university, your “Last 2” may include academic terms that precede your third year of study (depending on your timeline and whether you were full- or part-time). If you apply to law school in your final year of university, we are likely to include your Fall term in the calculation of your “Last 2” years OR we may defer our final decision until your winter term grades arrive and include your entire fourth year in the “Last 2” calculation. This is a decision we make based on the strength of your academic record as a whole.
What if I take a fifth year to complete my degree or I take additional undergraduate courses after I graduate? Will those courses count towards my “Last 2” GPA?
Yes they will.
Is it advantageous to take upper-year courses in third and fourth year or in post-degree work?
Yes. While taking first-year or second-year courses is not prohibited, greater weight is given to upper-year courses.
Does Western Law consider the grades from a graduate degree program?
While we consider graduate degrees to be a positive factor and we will review grades from Master's or PhD programs, they are not used as part of your OLSAS GPA calculation for admission purposes.
Does Western Law consider grades received on exchange programs abroad?
Yes. Further, as noted in the OLSAS Application Guide, you must request that official transcripts from the exchange institution to sent to OLSAS.
Does Western Law consider courses taken during intersession or summer semesters?
Yes.
Will Western count the grades from repeated courses?
Yes, we will use the grades of a repeated course in the calculation of your GPA. If the original course grade appears on your official transcript, it will also be used in your GPA calculation because OLSAS converts all your grades.
I have some college courses/a college diploma/a college degree. Do they count?
College courses are not included in your GPA calculation for the purpose of law school admission at Western. Further, Western Law currently does not accept college study as eligible pre-law study for admission. This is in accordance with the requirements for approved law degrees as set out by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (i.e., “post-secondary education at a recognized university or CEGEP”). That said, additional education (including a college diploma or degree) is a positive factor in any application and is considered separately.
What about college courses for which my university granted transfer credit?
College courses for which you received credit towards a university degree, as part of a pathways or bridging program, will be considered as appropriate pre-law study, provided you have at least three years of university study beyond the college transfer credits. If you are in a formal collaborative college/university (2+2) program, a third year of university study may not be required.
