Frequently Asked Questions About UNB Law Admissions

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1 Frequently Asked Questions About UNB Law Admissions Q: What should I put in the personal statement? A: A personal statement provides an opportunity to introduce yourself and to state how the study of law fits with what you have done and your future plans. Your academic qualifications and experience are evident from your resumé so your statement should focus on particular achievements in the arts, sports, or some other area in which you excel, any challenges or adversity you have overcome, and any work or volunteer experience or community service. Your personal statement can be submitted as part of your online application and should not exceed 1200 words (12pt) Q. Who reads my personal statement? A. Your personal statement will be read by the Admissions Officer for all applicants applying under the Regular admissions category. In cases of special circumstances the Admissions Chair or Admissions Committee will review the statement prior to final decisions. The Admissions Committee reviews the personal statement of each applicant in the discretionary categories (please see the Admissions Handbook, found in the Admissions Requirements section of the website, for a description of these categories), as well as those of applicants considered in the supplementary review (described below) and those placed on a waiting list. Q. Do I need letters of reference? A. Applicants in the regular admissions category do not need to provide letters of reference though such letters are welcome and will be considered by the Admissions Committee for purposes of supplementary review or in relation to the creation of a wait list. It is generally recommended that applicants submit reference letters, especially in cases where the Admissions Committee will be reviewing the admissions file for supplementary review (waitlist). Applicants in the discretionary and Aboriginal categories must provide at least two letters of reference. Note, UNB Law does not provide forms for reference letters. Q. Who should write a reference letter for me? A. When considering persons to ask to write a reference letter, remember that what matters is not whom you know but how well they know you. Ask referees who know you well enough to explain why you would succeed in the study of law, and what social or other contribution you might make with a legal education. Ask your referees to relate their comments to the selection criteria for the admissions category that applies to you. If you are attending or have recently left university, at least one reference letter should be from an instructor who knows you well enough to comment on your academic abilities and, if necessary, to explain an anomalous grade or term. An employer could write about your character, ability, and work habits that will help you to succeed in the study of law. The more relevant information you provide when asking someone to write a reference letter for you, the better the letter is likely to be. So please provide your referees with a copy of your resumé, your university transcript, and your personal statement as well as a

2 copy of the pertinent material from the UNB Law website (and our brochures, as appropriate), the deadline and the address for sending the letter. Reference letters may be ed by the referee directly to the Law Admissions Office at or sent by mail to Law Admissions Office, Faculty of Law, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 44271, Fredericton, NB, E3B 6C2. Q. Does UNB Law have an admissions category for Aboriginal applicants? A. Yes, UNB Law welcomes applications from Aboriginal persons (please see the Admissions Handbook, found in the Admissions Requirements section of the website, for a description of this category). It is important to keep in mind the purpose of the category -- to improve access to legal education and the legal profession for Indian (status or nonstatus), Métis and Inuit persons and communities as well as increase the social and cultural diversity of UNB Law students and the legal profession. The strength of the connection between the applicant and an Aboriginal community is a factor considered by the Admissions Committee. It is important to be aware that, unlike some law faculties in Canada, UNB Law does not at present have a dedicated academic assistance program for Aboriginal law students. Applicants in the Aboriginal category are encouraged to attend the Program of Legal Studies for Native People offered by the Native Law Centre at the University of Saskatchewan ( This is a program of pre-law studies for Aboriginal applicants to Canadian law faculties. Q. What is a supplementary review? For the purpose of supplementary review, involves Admissions Committee members review files of applicants who have similar Admissions Index numbers (combined LSAT score and adjusted g.p.a.) in order to give priority to applicants who are most likely to succeed in their studies at UNB Law and who will bring something extra to the first year class. Most offers of admission in the regular category are based on the applicant s admissions index (LSAT score and adjusted g.p.a.) without a specific review of the file by the Admissions Committee. Supplementary review generally applies to consideration of the last applicants for the last 20 to 30 offers of admission in the regular category. As part of the supplementary review the Admissions Committee will establish the waitlists. Admissions offers can be made from this waitlist up until registration day. Q. I'm in my fourth year of university. Should I wait and submit my application after I have my fall term grades? A. You should submit your application form and available supporting documents in the fall term so the application can be processed, with your existing transcript, and arrange to have an updated transcript sent to the Admissions Office as soon as the fall grades are available. Applications are considered as soon as the file is complete; that is, when at least the LSAT score and academic transcript(s) are received.

3 Q. When should I write the LSAT? A. The LSAT is written annually in February, June, September, and December. Detailed information is available at February test score results are released early in March and are the latest that can be accepted for calculating an applicant s Admissions Index for that academic year. You should write the LSAT in the fall term, if possible, so that your file is ready for early assessment; if your test score is not what you had hoped, you will have time to write the test again. The February test date, though, is too late for you to be considered for some of our scholarships which have an application deadline of 31 January. Q. Is it worthwhile to take one of the LSAT preparation courses? A. UNB Law does not recommend any particular preparation for the LSAT. Most applicants find it helpful to complete some practice LSAT questions to become familiar with the instructions and types of questions asked. The LSAT registration package includes some old tests, and additional tests are published in the LSAT application brochure and on the Law School Admission Council website ( Whether to enrol in an LSAT preparation course or to purchase commercial LSAT preparation books is a decision for you to make based on your own assessment of how effectively you can practise on your own. Q. What undergraduate programs are best if I want to study law? Neither the Law School Admission Council (which administers the LSAT) nor UNB Law recommend specific undergraduate programs as preparation for the study of law. Applicants are admitted with undergraduate and graduate degrees from diverse disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Taking undergraduate law courses is not necessary nor is it necessarily helpful in your first year courses. Many law courses require that you read and independently synthesize a great deal of material. Assignments and exams will test your ability to recall what you have learned, but, more importantly, will require that you apply that learning to analyze legal problems and write cogent legal arguments. Courses that assist you in developing these skills, regardless of discipline, provide helpful preparation for the study of law. Q. My undergraduate marks do not reflect my true ability because extenuating circumstances prevented me from performing at my best. Does UNB Law give consideration to extenuating or special circumstances? A. First, for purposes of admission, UNB Law calculates an adjusted grade point average, which is computed using only the top 75% of reported grades, where the applicant has completed four full years of post secondary study, or the top 85% of reported grades, where the applicant has completed three full years of post secondary study. Focusing on the top 75% (or 85%) of reported grades helps to eliminate those low grades which may have resulted from temporary circumstances (e.g. poor performance in the first year of post secondary study, illness, or death in the family) and places all applicants on a more even playing field. The adjusted grade point average is calculated automatically for each

4 applicant and it is therefore not necessary to explain the circumstance which may have contributed to poor performance in the 25% (or 15%) of grades that are excluded. Note: Courses that are repeated due to failure or lower grades will not be excluded from the discounting, All academic level courses will be considered in the recalculation of the GPA. Withdrawn courses will not be considered, nor will the applicant be penalized. Second, UNB Law has discretionary admission categories as described in the Admissions Handbook, found under Future Law Students: Admissions Requirements on the UNB Law website. You may wish to consult the description of those categories to determine your potential for eligibility. Q. Can I be admitted to UNB Law if I have never gone to university? A. The minimum requirements for admission are described in the Admissions Handbook, found in the Admissions Requirements section of the website. Most applicants have a university degree, but you may apply in the discretionary category if you are a mature person with outstanding experiences and personal qualities which demonstrate a high probability of success in the study of law. As will be appreciated, an offer of admission to an applicant without a university degree is rare. Q. If I apply in the discretionary category, will I be considered in the regular category too? And, do I have to complete two application forms one for each category? A. Applicants who apply under a discretionary category will also be considered in the regular admissions category if they meet the criteria for regular admissions. Only one application form and one fee is required. Applicants will specify on the application both categories. Q. Even though UNB Law may offer admission to an applicant after three years of university, is it better to finish my undergraduate degree before going to law school? Do you assess three-year applicants differently? A. Normally, a completed undergraduate degree should provide you with better preparation for the study of law. Applicants with a sufficiently high Admissions Index after three years are assessed for admission on the same basis as any other applicant, as described above. If the Admissions Committee considers your file for the purposes of supplementary review, it is likely that the Committee would not rank you as highly as an applicant with a completed degree. Q. How does UNB Law treat non-academic courses in an applied degree or similar program? A. Para-legal studies, policing, and tourism/recreation are but a few examples of applied degree programs. Such programs often combine university-level academic courses with courses that focus on preparation for specific employment. The latter are treated in the same way as activity credits in kinesiology programs or practicums in professional programs; if they are not university level academic courses, they are disregarded for admissions purposes. Exclusion of skill-based courses may result in an applicant not satisfying the required minimum of 90 credit hours (in a four year program) and thus not being eligible for admission. This policy and practice is consistent with the general approach to applied degrees at other Canadian law faculties.

5 Q. I did not get A grades as an undergraduate but, since graduation, I have been taking extra courses part-time and doing much better. Will my grades in those courses help my admissions application? A. An applicant s g.p.a. for the purpose of the Admissions Index is calculated on the basis of academic course credits from a university recognized for admissions purposes by the Admissions Committee, whether obtained in a first or subsequent degree; so it is possible to improve your admissions index with post-degree or graduate work. Normally, certificate programme courses are not included in the calculation. On-line courses (also known as distance education courses) will not normally be accepted for this purpose. Q. Are some offers of admission to first year reserved for applicants with an undergraduate degree from UNB? A. No offers of admission are reserved for students from UNB or to students from any other university. Q. Are some offers of admission to first year reserved for applicants from New Brunswick? Recognizing our strong connection with, and commitment to, the Atlantic region, UNB Law has a regional preference policy, and admits at least 20 students in the first year class from the province of New Brunswick, and at least another 12 from the provinces of Prince Edward Island and from Newfoundland and Labrador. Residence may be determined on the basis of various factors, including where the applicant lived before, during or after attending university, and where the applicant's family lives. Q. I may want to practise law somewhere other than New Brunswick. Won't it be a disadvantage to study New Brunswick law? A. UNB Law students are provided the opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge, and credentials to pursue careers in a variety of contexts and places across Canada and abroad. Q. If I am not offered admission to UNB Law, do I have to start all over again with next year's application? A. Yes, the file for an unsuccessful applicant is kept for one year so it is not necessary to resubmit supporting documentation such as academic transcripts, letters of reference, and a personal statement. However, a new application form must be submitted and the application fee paid again. You must also include a final academic transcript if, because of the timing of your previous application, a final transcript had not be included the previous year. You should consider updating your personal statement or other information, as appropriate, to reflect personal developments during the months since you prepared your initial application. Q. If I am offered admission to UNB Law, can I defer my admission for a year or two? A. Generally, an applicant must re-apply if they do not register and attend in the academic year for which they were admitted. Each offer of admission results from a competitive process and receiving an offer one year does not guarantee receipt of an offer the following year. The Admissions Committee will consider requests to defer registration only in exceptional circumstances.

6 Note: Applicants accepted to the joint MBA/JD program are not able to defer their first year of law to attend the MBA program. Q. If I am travelling or working away from home during the application process, can my parents or partner inquire about my application status? A. To respect your privacy and protect the confidentiality of information about you, the Admissions Office cannot release any information about an applicant without the permission of the applicant, given in writing. If you want to authorize someone to make inquiries on your behalf, please send a letter, or fax authorizing the Admissions Office staff to answer queries from the person(s). Q. What can I expect in my studies at UNB Law? A. The study of law requires self-discipline and personal initiative. The normal course load is five courses per term (15 credit hours) though first year students also take a course called Foundations of Law and upper year students may, with permission, take an additional course in certain circumstances. Reading assignments for each course vary but students should expect a rigorous workload involving detailed and occasionally heavy reading assignments. A law student is expected to engage in active reading. Readings may also involve background materials which receive only passing mention in class but for which each student is responsible for examination purposes. Also, course instructors may occasionally present material not included in the course text(s) so an absent student will not benefit from the discussion of that material even though such material is examinable. Self-discipline and initiative are considered essential attributes of a law student and are necessary to complete course assignments, to participate in class discussion, and to undertake irregular work assignments (such as moots, legal memoranda, and other research assignments) while keeping current with daily work and maintaining an active social life.