What To Know About Applying to Law School in the U.S. as a Canadian
Have you ever wondered if it’s harder to go to law school in the United States if you are from Canada? Maybe you graduated from a college or university in Canada, and you’re not sure what next steps look like? Does it matter if you’re a Canadian, but you graduated from an American University?
If you found yourself thinking about any of those questions, we’re here to help you understand what the application process looks like as a Canadian applicant!
Would you rather watch this video? Watch our recent YouTube episode, Is It Harder to Get Into Law School as a Canadian Student, instead!
The answer to most of your questions about applying to law school in the U.S. with a Canadian background is: It depends! It’s an annoying answer, but it’s true. Keep that in mind as you read through this blog!
Typically, a Canadian applicant is treated no differently than an American applicant. As far as decisions go, they are identical. A competitive Canadian application is going to look a lot like a competitive American application. Aside from a few different answers to some demographic questions and a few different sheets for your transcripts, the applications are basically identical.
Let’s talk about what this means in practice:
Transcripts
Committee members are still going to want to see academic achievement. That is your transcript and your letters of recommendation. If your school grades are drastically different than most American colleges and universities, do not worry. LSAC will normalize your grades and transcript, so it will look very similar to one from an American college.
However, give yourself some extra time here. LSAC can sometimes be bogged down, and then it can take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks to process and evaluate your transcripts. Do not let yourself get stuck because you are waiting for LSAC; plan ahead.
Letters of Recommendation
Like any other applicant, the committee wants to hear from your professors. These letters help them build out a picture of you as an applicant and inform their decision. Your letters of recommendation requirements will, in most cases, not be any different from American applicants.
LSAT
Taking the LSAT in Canada is exactly the same as it would be taking it in the United States. If you go to LSAC’s website, you will see Canada and the U.S. in the same list of test dates and registrations. Plus, for the next year or so, the LSAT will be proctored at home.
Prep options are also going to be very available. Almost everywhere has virtual options available at this point, so it doesn’t matter where you are. (Although, sometimes it is a little more convenient if you share the same timezone with your tutor or class.)
You want to be aiming for the 75th percentile or, at a minimum, to be above the medium for the school(s) that you’re planning to apply to.
Personal Statement
The committee wants to make sure that you can write and that law school is the sensible next step for you. That is your personal statement.
Writing is a critical skill for an attorney and, by extension, a critical skill for law school students. Make sure that you are sending in the best writing that you can do in your personal statement.
While you’re at it, I also want you to tell me why you want to go to law school. Why do you want to come to the U.S. for your degree? Are you planning to work across the border? Are you planning to work for multinational firm? Are you coming to the U.S. permanently? There is no wrong answer here.
Diversity Statement
Committees want to see that you’re going to bring something unique to their law school community. That can show up in your personal statement, but it doesn’t have to. You also have a diversity statement.
These five pieces are the exact things that I would expect to see from a competitive American applicant. Competitive is competitive at the end of the day; it does not matter where you come from.
The only exception is the chance that you will have to complete an English proficiency test. If you are from Quebec or you are graduating from a school in Quebec, you may need to take a proficiency test. These are typically the TOEFL or IELTS. Check with the school that you’re planning to apply to make sure you know what those requirements are.
You got in! Now what?
Now that you’ve pressed submit and waited around, you finally found out you got in. Spend some time celebrating, and now let’s talk about where there are some differences.
First off, as an international student, you will need an I-20 form before you start your move to the U.S. Your admissions team can handle this, or they may refer you to an office of international students. They will take care of mailing out the paperwork for you. The student visa situation for Canadian students is slightly less involved than it is for other countries. If you have specific questions about your visa, check the U.S Embassy or Consulate site for Canada.
Next, you’re going to want to figure out your financing. At many law schools, international students are eligible for merit-based aid (scholarships that you don’t have to pay back). However, international students without permanent resident status are not eligible for federal financial aid.
You’re likely going to be asked for something showing proof of funding before or when you move to the U.S. You want to make sure that you can afford everything that you’re preparing to do.
Final Thoughts
Barring special circumstances for specific law schools, that’s it! To sum up:
Always check the specifics of the law schools that you are applying to.
It is not harder to get in as a Canadian applicant to a U.S. law school.
Canadians will deal with additional immigration paperwork after you’re admitted.
If you’re still feeling unsure about applications or just want extra support, we’re here to help! We work with international students from all over the world, and you can even see a testimonial from a Canadian applicant attending UCLA in the fall here!
The team at Barrier Breakers® Admissions Advising is here to support you through this law school application cycle! Whether it's through discounted advising for BIPOC, first-generation, and LSAC Fee Waiver applicants, our essay review services and courses, or just downloading our free Essential Guide to Applying to Law School, we're here to help make this process easier.
As always, feel free to reach out to us at hello@barrier-breakers.org with any of your questions! You can also submit a question to be answered on our weekly Break Into Law School® Podcast, streaming wherever your favorite podcast service is.