A Numbers School?

The great pod dad Alie Ward ends every Ologies episode by asking her expert du jour (de la semaine?) what the worst part of their job is. If pod dad were to ask me that question, I would say this: while I cannot speak for my fellow Admissions Teammates, I will note that there is a huuuuuge collective heavy sigh and eye roll every single time we hear the following questions:

• What is your median LSAT and GPA?
• What is the lowest LSAT you take?
• What does my combined LSAT and GPA need to look like to get in?

I mean it. We have, like, an absolute sullen teenager reaction to those questions. In fact, I am slumping down in my chair and muttering lines from The Breakfast Club as I type this.

We will answer your questions when you ask them, even these questions. And it’s not that we don’t care what your LSAT and GPA are. We absolutely do. It’s that we are not just a numbers school.

The beauty of doing a holistic review is that the LSAT and GPA are just two parts of a bigger picture. That means that, while we are looking for likelihood of success in an applicant, we know that can show up in more than just traditional metrics like LSAT and GPA. It can show up in lived experience, work experience, and the ability to speak eloquently about how all of those things tie together.

If you look at your application to any school as an exam, test, or presentation, understand that the four corners of your application are simply that. What we know about you is what is submitted to us. We don’t go look things up or ask your 2023 boss follow-up questions. You are how you present yourself on paper.

Some schools really only want to look at traditional metrics like your LSAT and GPA, which is fine. They will let you know that definitely there is a point you need to be above, below which you simply should not apply. For those applications, the above questions are vital to knowing what success looks like, what your odds are, and whether you should consider applying (or not).

However, for UVic, we look at the whole picture. Thus, your GPA and LSAT score are important and possibly vital. Strong scores will increase your odds of getting in. However, it’s not the whole picture. A lower score can be overlooked by an amazing personal statement that clearly follows the instructions and ties together all of your life experience in a way that shows extreme competence and likelihood of success. Likewise, a personal statement that hasn’t had any care put into it or is missing parts can absolutely destroy the chances of someone who has a high LSAT and GPA.

We want people to read the instructions and put time and thought into their application as a whole, to put their best foot forward, to view the personal statement as a vital part of the application and not just some last-minute bit they do only because it’s required.

Now, if pod dad were to follow up by asking the best part of my job? It’s being able to watch the success stories and those we believed in enough to offer admission shine; it’s being a part of that process and helping shape the next generation of legal professionals.