How I got into Law School in Canada at 18
Hi, I’m Marie. I’m a first-year law student studying at a Canadian law school. I applied to law school when I was 18 and received multiple acceptances across multiple provinces. This is my story.
High School
My journey to law school starts when I attended a high school in Texas from ages 15–16, 2019–2020. You might be thinking something along the lines of “law schools don’t look at your high school marks, why does this matter? Get to the good part!” But trust me, the story begins here. Texas high schools are competitive when it comes to standardized tests compared to Canadian high schools (of which I attended three). For this reason, Texas high schools offer Advanced Placement (AP) exams through the College Board. AP exams allow you to receive university credit if you score a certain score or higher on the standardized AP exam. I took 5 AP exams in my 10th grade year and scored 4 perfect scores and 1 1-point-less-than-perfect score. The summer after my 10th grade year, I took summer school 11th & 12th grade English classes.
My high school only allowed students to take 2 AP courses in their 10th grade year. I got around this by self-studying multiple AP exams. For the record, I took US Government & Politics, US History, Psychology, Macroeconomics, and received my less-than-perfect score on World History. The reason I chose these exams was because I cross-referenced my AP options with the University of Toronto’s AP-to-university-credit conversion table, and maximized the amount of credit I would receive. This would allow me to graduate early from the U of Toronto.
After my 10th grade year in Texas, my family relocated to Vancouver, where I first attended an International Baccalaureate (IB) high school for 11th grade. I was incredibly devoted to my studies, and I owe IB for my academic success at the U of Toronto. However, I only attended IB for a few months. After meeting with a guidance counsellor about my Texas transcript, it occurred to me that I could “skip” 11th grade and graduate that same year by doing 12th grade courses. I left the IB school.
At this time, I had also begun volunteering as a research assistant with a research hospital in Vancouver.
By enrolling in in-person 12th grade courses and doing a few 11th grade courses online, I was able to graduate one year earlier than I was supposed to. I was able to do this because of the English classes I took in the summer after 10th grade, and because of my AP exams also counting for high school credit. I applied to the U of Toronto in December—the only university I applied to—and received my acceptance in February.
Looking back, I completely slacked off after I got my acceptance. I am actually quite lucky that law schools don’t look at high school marks. Regardless, I made it across the finish line and graduated high school in the summer of 2021.
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto has all students complete their first year of university studies in a general faculty (as opposed to starting with a specific major). I chose life sciences because I was dead-set on being a doctor. I thrived in my first-year courses, achieving almost straight As. However, because I did not earn that coveted 4.0, my dreams of being a Canadian doctor were dashed. This was the 2021–2022 school year.
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I threw myself into extracurriculars, maintaining 8 executive positions at faculty and extra-faculty organizations throughout my first year. I was volunteering in STEM for multiple organizations, and had an active role in many clubs.
Because I had realized I would likely not get into medical school (especially not as a 3rd-year student, as I was hoping to do), I started slacking at the University of Toronto. I finished first year with roughly a 3.8 or 3.9. This slacking would be nothing compared to 2nd year.
On a trip to Ottawa, I realized I could attend law school beginning the fall of 2023, with only 2 years of university studies under my belt. This was because of the aforementioned university credit I received from my AP exams. The AP exams were absolutely instrumental in allowing me to go to law school so early. I told you they were important!
I took summer school both years I attended the U of Toronto, giving me 3rd-year status even though I was only in my 2nd calendar year of attending the institution. This gave me more credit, cementing my 3rd-year status and allowing me to apply to law school after 2 years of study.
Applying to Law School
I applied on a whim, days before the November 1 deadline for most schools. To be frank, my parents didn’t believe in me. My friends didn’t believe in me. I didn’t believe in myself. I was 18. The average age of a first-year law student at the school I attend is 26.
I was able to almost fill up the extracurricular portion of the application, mostly due to my first-year involvement at the University of Toronto and my experiences in high school (the application asks for all activities you have done since age 16).
After months of waiting, I finally received my first acceptance. I frantically FaceTimed my dad and through tears said “I’m going to be a lawyer.” I would receive a few more acceptances over the coming months until I received the acceptance for the school I attend now—the last acceptance I received.
Conclusion & Tips
- Just because your own family & friends don’t believe you can do something, don’t give up. It sounds corny but it’s true. Keep studying, working, and applying.
- You are never too young. I will make another post about my experience being so young at law school, but at the end of the day I’m going to be a lawyer in 3 years just like the rest of my peers, and you can too.
- If you are in your mid-teens reading this blog, congratulations, your eye is on the prize. If you are in your mid-thirties reading this blog, congratulations, your eye is on the prize. No matter what your age is, you can get into a Canadian law school and thrive there.
