I just got accepted to UCalgary law school just a few days back and the thought of going to law school still terrifies me. As a new immigrant, English is my second language, it never occurred to me that this would be a possible path up to a year and a few months ago when I was exposed to this strange thought that I would be a good lawyer.
And it just unfolded from there on, step by step, I fell and I stood up again to inch closer to this “dream” that I wasn’t certain but I felt right. I took the LSAT, got rather low scores for the first two times in comparison with the average LSAT scores for Canadian law school admits. I tried again the third time with more preparation and more understanding of the exam. I got a good score which would allow me to get accepted to at least a fewer law schools with a lower rankings in Canada. This score is a few points lower than the average admit for UCalgary (A few points seem to be little on a scale of 180, but for the LSAT, it is a big difference as it’s a difficult test—or some might call one of the most difficult tests in the world. Good thing that with practice, you can certainly increase your LSAT score.)
Under the encouragement of my brother (who is a big player in this whole process), I determined and put all my eggs in the UCalgary law basket so that I could stay close with my family and save on moneys/expenses while and if I am admitted to law school. TBH, I did apply to University of Alberta as well, but moving to Edmonton and staying away from my family were not what I desired. As a last resort I was willing to move to the East Coast, closer to Josh’s family, if I were to not be admitted here in Calgary. I always knew and expected that I was the underdog, which meant I would need to make more sacrifices for what I really want. But what happened within the past week was rather unexpected.
On Monday, December 5, I checked my Student Centre portal and I saw that green checkmark next to my application. I initially thought, okay, they had reviewed my application and it was marked as complete as there would be no other way I could have been accepted, so early, with such average LSAT and GPA. But the truth is I WAS ADMITTED. They offered me a seat, so early in the process. Applications just closed on December 1, which meant it was only a few days after all desired-to-be lawyers just submitted their applications, and the first round of offers already went out. TBH, they must have been reviewing applications since prior to application deadline. First rounds of offerings must have gone out to the most outstanding and most certainly must-be-accepted applicants. This means I, the underdog, would be among the top applicants for this round, out of around 1,400 – 1,500 applicants. THAT SHOCKED ME.
It still shocked me until now as it was not what I expected at all. I imagined I would be on the waitlist at UCalgary until mid-June and maybe with a truck full of magic and luck, I would get moved from the waitlist to accepted in July. During the wait, I would scramble to apply to a dozens of other law schools in Canada and spend thousands of dollars for the process. But for the past few days, I found myself messaging law students to purchase their used law books, because I am too shocked and terrified that I need to start reading and getting used to law school materials. 9 months early.
I knew and I am thankful that UCalgary Law School has a holistic review process, which means GPA and LSAT statistics are weighed less than those of other schools in the admission process. I acknowledge that my personal statement and minority statement are strong plus my many years of work and extracurricular experience. Still, I am humbled to get the seat offer this early as it makes my preparation easier for work, life, and law school.
It still doesn’t feel real. But I know it’s real. If I pinch my cheek a hundred times, this fact that I am going to law school wouldn’t change. My personal statement, which I adore, was a big decision-maker for this process and lays out the motivation behind why I wanted to take this step. When it is appropriate, I will share as I am honestly astounded by what I wrote down, at midnight one evening when I couldn’t fall asleep as those words kept coming to me, naturally and magically. One sentence from what I wrote was,
“It’s not the need to prove that the prejudice towards me is incorrect is the main driver of my decision to enroll for law school, but the desire to pursue wisdom and tell my story to inspire others that might be in the same situation of doubt and hesitance.”
This would be the compass for my law and life career, something I will hold closely to me and my heart for the rest of my life.
I, the underdog, got into the law school with one of the most competitive admission process. You can do it, too, with the right intention and motivation.
I wish you luck and if you have any hesitancy or doubt, I would like to lend an ear to what you are working towards. The law school journey for me just starts now and I am not certain what’s waiting for me ahead. But I would like to share far and wide, for my memories, and for those in the same position of doubt and hesitance.
Thao
December 10, 2022