Top Law Schools

I'm applying to U of T's combined J.D./M.S.W. program. I'm thinking my GPA will be around a 3.85 once LSAC is done with it, but don't feel like I did so great on my LSAT last Saturday. Was testing around 166 but I'm thinking I'll be lucky to get a 163. Will probably be re-taking in December but I'm just wondering if applying to the combined program will boost my chances at all? Do you think they try to take a certain number of people into the combined programs or will they look at my application just as though I'm applying only for the J.D.? Any feedback would be appreciated!

U of T = Texas? Tennessee? Toronto?

Sorry, should've made that clear. University of Toronto.

Not sure how Canadian universities handle it, but every dual degree program application I've ever seen has stated that one needs to apply separately to each program and be independently accepted to both. If this is the case at U of T (and they are telling the truth), then applying to a dual degree program wouldn't help your chances at being accepted.

My own opinion is that I seriously doubt it would help you get the JD acceptance. It might help you get the MSW acceptance.

Edit: How did you prep for the LSAT? Do you think you might be able to improve your score?

I may be wrong, but I recall reading of a few elite law schools that allow entrance into a masters degree program without a formal application. Duke comes to mind as one of the law schools which only requires a letter of interest to get a masters degree jointly with the law degree.

[quote="CanadianWolf"]I may be wrong, but I recall reading of a few elite law schools that allow entrance into a masters degree program without a formal application. Duke comes to mind as one of the law schools which only requires a letter of interest to get a masters degree jointly with the law degree.[/quote]

Not what OP was asking. Try to read before posting an irrelevant response.

CanadianWolf wrote:I may be wrong, but I recall reading of a few elite law schools that allow entrance into a masters degree program without a formal application. Duke comes to mind as one of the law schools which only requires a letter of interest to get a masters degree jointly with the law degree.

I believe OP's question was whether applying to the masters would help with the JD app, not vice versa.

They do state that you need to apply to each independently, but it will say in my application that I am applying to the joint program so they will know when looking through my file. I figured it wouldn't help me out much.

I took a lot of timed preptest sections to study. I did not take nearly enough full-length practise tests, but I think it was the pressure that got to me last Saturday. I was finishing RC and LR sections within the time limit during my preparation, only missing 0-3 for each, but the day-of was too concerned with making sure I'd chosen the right answer and had to guess some of the questions near the ends of the sections. I'm pretty confident that I can improve my score if I start studying again right now.

I was replying to Sundance95.

From Duke Law School's TLS profile:
"Joint degree programs are offered (at Duke), and students wishing to earn both a masters and law degree can do so in three years, needing only apply to the law school and include an additional letter of interest."

@MichaelB123: Trying reading the thread before making a fool of yourself.
P.S. Never mind, I just read through your prior posts and you have done a fine job of establishing yourself in that fashion already.

CanadianWolf wrote:I was replying to Sundance95.

From Duke Law School's TLS profile:
"Joint degree programs are offered (at Duke), and students wishing to earn both a masters and law degree can do so in three years, needing only apply to the law school and include an additional letter of interest."

@MichaelB123: Trying reading the thread before making a fool of yourself.
P.S. Never mind, I just read through your prior posts and you have done a fine job of establishing yourself in that fashion already.

You should distinguish between who you are replying to with the quote function.

Trying reading? Seriously? And you call me the fool? Your writing makes you sound like a child.

And you seem to have established yourself as the cunt who is always online because you have nothing better to do. Get a life.

Once again, all one needs to do is to check your brief posting history to see that you are here mainly to insult others & be disruptive.

MichaelB123 wrote:And you seem to have established yourself as the cunt who is always online because you have nothing better to do. Get a life.

it's a tossup ! 163 might be a bit too low for uoft, but your gpa looks reasonably good. uoft looks at the best 3 years only though, not to mention that OLSAS gpa is lower than your LSAC gpa (by up to 0.15!). They also look at the percentage instead of the gpa by itself.
I think 163/3.8 would have a 40/60 chance? 168/3.8 would be in.
The medians are 3.8 and 167(could've been 168 this year), but there's no pressure to report to anything like US news , so they don't care too much.
lastly, http://www.lawstudents.ca/ is the place to be with this sort of thing. you're lucky i lurk here too !

also, deadlines for uoft applications are November 1st. Late applications are accepted on a case by case basis only, so you better get those apps in!
ps : i know nothing about the msw, but you'll have to apply to each program alone. shouldn't give you a boost at all

Ugh, did not know about the OLSAS gpa being lower, that's worrisome. Also I'm a York student so have already had some difficulty translating from the 9 point scale. I'm hoping I'll get into Osgoode as a second choice, but it's the combined program that has me aiming for U of T.

Working on the application! I will have it in by the 1st but am going to have to let them know if I'm re-taking the LSAT. I guess I should probably just say that I am and see what happens.

Thanks for the heads up about lawstudents.ca, will make my way over there now!

[quote=U of T website]Applicants to the J.D./M.S.W. program must apply for admission to both faculties independently within the time periods prescribed by the respective faculties. Students must meet the full admission requirements of both the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Social Work. Students are admitted into the program upon successful admission into both faculties. [/quote]

--LinkRemoved--