Black Student Application Process
Starting in the 2020 application cycle (for admission to start law school in 2021), Black students who apply to UofT Law may select the Black Student Application Process (BSAP).
The goal of Law BSAP is to break down some of the barriers that Black students may experience through the law school application process.
Law BSAP will be available to applicants to UofT Law who identify as Black.
Law BSAP will have several components:
- On their Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS) applications to UofT Law, candidates can choose to be considered for admission via BSAP.
- Applicants must meet the same UofT Law admission requirements for the Law School Application Test (LSAT) and post-secondary academic record as all other applicants.
- Both domestic and international students will be eligible to apply through Law BSAP.
- Applicants will be required to submit an additional BSAP essay, highlighting why they have chosen to apply through BSAP.
- All required application materials must be submitted by the OLSAS deadline.
- Members of the Black community, including our staff, students, faculty and alumni. will take part in BSAP admissions file review.
- The Law BSAP does not have a designated quota for admission.
For more information about Law BSAP at UofT Law, please email bfl.law@utoronto.ca
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has UofT Law started a Black Student Application Process?
Through Law BSAP, we hope to break down some of the barriers and perceptions that might prevent Black students from applying to, and accepting offers from, UofT Law.
What is different about the Law BSAP application choice?
On their Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS) applications to UofT Law, candidates can choose to be considered for admission via Law BSAP.
All applicants are required to submit the standard items for their OLSAS applications (LSAT, post-secondary academic record, autobiographical sketch, personal profile). For Law BSAP consideration, applicants must also submit a Personal Essay highlighting why they have chosen to apply through Law BSAP. Law BSAP applications will be reviewed by members of the Black community, including lawyers, UofT Law staff, faculty members and students.
Is UofT Law establishing a quota for Black students?
No. There are no quotas for any category of applicant.
Law BSAP will not have designated or reserved seats, nor will it have limits on the number of offers of admission. All Black applicants will be considered for admission whether or not they choose to apply via Law BSAP.
Is it more competitive to apply to UofT Law via Law BSAP?
No, it is equally competitive.
All qualified BSAP applicants will be assessed on the same criteria as in the general admissions stream whether or not they chose to apply via Law BSAP. The program doesn’t change admissions criteria; rather, it aims to ensure that applicants’ experiences are appropriately assessed.
Will the admission standards be lower for LAW BSAP applications?
No, the standards for admission (LSAT and GPA) remain the same for candidates who apply through Law BSAP as they do for those who do not.
Does Law BSAP disadvantage non-Black applicants?
There are no designated seats or quotas for Law BSAP applicants, and the admission requirements are the same for all applicants, so non-Black applicants are in no way disadvantaged.
As a Law BSAP applicant, if I submit all of the required application documents, is my admission to UofT Law guaranteed?
No. All applicants (Law BSAP or otherwise) will be assessed in comparison to the pool of qualified applicants. We will offer admission to the applicants who we believe demonstrate promise for distinguished performance at the law school and the legal community, as evidenced by their application submissions.
Do Black candidates have to apply through Law BSAP?
No, it is not mandatory. Black candidates can choose whether or not to select Law BSAP on their OLSAS application.
Are you going to be looking for a commitment to social justice or involvement within the Black community? Are there other ways that you might be looking for different criteria in these applicants?
No, we will not apply additional or different selection criteria to Law BSAP applicants.
In general, as part of their personal profiles, we encourage all applicants to outline any interest in, identification with, and connection to their communities.
How do candidates prove they’re qualified to apply under Law BSAP?
Candidates must self-identify as Black on the OLSAS application form.
As part of the OLSAS application to Ontario law schools, applicants certify their application information and all supporting documentation is truthful, complete and correct. By submitting an application, candidates also agree that if candidates withhold information or submit any information that is determined to be false, misleading, or written by a third party, the universities may, at their absolute discretion, invalidate the application, resulting in its immediate rejection or in the revocation of an offer of admission or registration at a university.
What should I include in the Law BSAP Personal Essay?
We have left this very open-ended, so it is your chance to tell us about anything that you feel is relevant.