How to Land a Coveted Law or Med School Spot

It takes more than book smarts to be a good lawyer or doctor. That’s why students who want to get into law school or medical school need to accumulate a diverse set of experiences—in addition to a high GPA—to prove they have what it takes. We break down what a high school student needs to know about the application process and how to have the best shot of getting into one of these highly competitive programs. 

The Path to Law School

Plenty of students find themselves drawn to a future as a lawyer, but there aren’t many law programs in Canada and each one has a limited number of seats. Canadian law schools have an average acceptance rate of just 11.4 per cent. Here’s what a student should consider if they want to get into law school. 

The Case Study: Sarah Tran

School: McGill University

GPA: 3.88

LSAT score: 163

Extracurriculars: Head of University of Toronto Vietnamese Students Association, director for the Undergraduate Sociology Students Union, department of sociology research assistant, legal assistant intern at a private legal practice

The undergrad plan

When it comes to an undergrad degree, it’s not the program or the university that matters—it’s the student’s grades. Most law schools require students to have completed three to four years of undergrad before they can apply and a minimum GPA of 3.7, equivalent to an A-minus, or 80 per cent. Because the bar is so high, experts advise students to choose a bachelor’s degree in a subject they’re passionate about, since they’re more likely to get better grades in courses they enjoy.

Most law schools don’t have prerequisites, but some students still prefer to take a program or courses that will prepare them for studying law. In those cases, they could consider a program that teaches communication and analytic thinking skills, such as sociology or philosophy. Here is the proof, however, that admissions officers don’t look for a specific background: Queen’s University’s current first-year law class of 217 students come from over 30 universities, and their academic backgrounds range from the sciences and social sciences to economics, business, geography and music. 

One thing students should keep in mind: although those hoping to enter law technically only need to complete three years of undergraduate studies, finishing a degree gives students an edge on their application. 

The LSAT strategy

A key piece of a law school application is successfully writing the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Most schools look for a score of at least 150, although the cut-off at the most competitive schools is closer to 160. There are four sittings a year, and the registration deadline is generally about two months ahead. A good target for a student is to write it about a year before they hope to enter law school. Savvy students can review the sections that will be on the LSAT and take courses that might help them in those areas. For example, if a student is not confident about their reading comprehension and writing abilities, classes in the humanities will help hone both those skills. There are plenty of practice tests out there to delve into as well. Behrouz Moemeni, who runs BeMo Academic Consulting, says students are ready to sit for a successful exam once they’ve scored in the 90th percentile on three separate practice tests. 

The personal narrative

In addition to a high GPA and solid LSAT score, it’s key for a student who wants to enter law to create a compelling narrative that underscores who they are and why they want to study law. Queen’s University, for one, says that it’s looking for “smart, kind community contributors.” There are several ways students can demonstrate they have those qualities, whether it’s through volunteer work, helping out in a family situation or starting a community non-profit. For example, if a student’s immigrant parents struggled to navigate the Canadian legal system, inspiring the student to volunteer with an immigrant transition program in high school, planting the seeds for legal advocacy—that student has a story to tell. 

Students can ask themselves what experiences they need to show they have the qualities law schools seek. Then they can look for opportunities that will set them up to tell that story. 

The Path to Med School

There are only 17 medical programs serving the entire country, and each school gets far more applicants than spots available. For the 2023 application cycle, for example, the University of Ottawa received 4,962 applications for 183 spots. Med schools are notoriously tight-lipped about what makes one candidate stand out over another. Still, there are plenty of strategies that can give students an edge. 

The Case Study: Anika Zaman

School: University of Calgary

GPA: 3.94

MCAT score: 509

CASPer score: 4th quartile

Extracurriculars: Crisis line responder, synthetic biology research team advisor, immunology research assistant, pediatric emergency medicine research volunteer

The undergrad plan

Med school hopefuls need three to four years of an undergraduate degree under their belt before they can apply. But that coursework doesn’t need to be in a science program: none of Canada’s medical schools require an undergraduate degree in a specific discipline. Shahin Shirzad, who sits on UBC’s medical school admissions committee, says the school’s latest class is composed of students with degrees in music, neuroscience, business, naturopathy and more. 

Many programs have prerequisites, however, including STEM subjects like biology, physics, chemistry, calculus, algebra and statistics. Some schools may have additional requirements—for example, UBC requires two university-level English courses. Some schools set a minimum threshold for GPA, which varies, but is unlikely to be lower than 3.0. 

The MCAT strategy

Nearly all Canadian medical schools require the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), a standardized exam used in many countries around the world. The exam has four sections that cover biology, chemistry and physics, psychology and sociology, and critical analysis and reasoning skills. Students should gain familiarity with these subjects early on by curating a well-rounded set of courses: not just sciences, but also psychology, the humanities and literature.

Students can take the exam as soon as they like, although experts advise to wait until at least second year. It’s possible to take it up until the year of application and as many as seven times—with the caveat that medical schools see all scores, not just the highest. Some schools, like UBC, consider the highest score; others, like U of T, consider the most recent. Twelve Canadian medical schools also require a score on a situational judgment test called the Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics, or CASPer. The CASPer assesses a student’s ability to think and handle situations. Since it isn’t based on knowledge, there is no particular content to study for the CASPer, but there are practice exams students can work through in order to prepare.

The personal narrative 

Like law, med school hopefuls need to prove they have the experience and personal characteristics to be a good doctor, including resilience, communication skills, the ability to co-operate with others, empathy and cultural competence. This will come up in many parts of the application process, including personal statements, interviews and something called an “autobiographical sketch,” listing education, work experience, volunteer and extracurricular engagements, awards, accomplishments, research and hobbies. 

It may be a good idea, for example, for students to seek out volunteer opportunities that demonstrate selflessness and empathy, like playing with kids at a hospital oncology ward or regularly collecting garbage along the shoreline of their hometown. It’ll also help if students can understand empirical research and can demonstrate clinical experience, which might include becoming a volunteer EMT or looking after an ill family member.