LSAT Self Prep
Dalhousie University

Schulich School of Law

Nova ScotiaAdmissions
Class size
180
From 1,200+ applicants
Application deadline
Jan 10
11:59 pm AT — no exceptions
Application fee
$70
No waiver available
Interviews
Typically
April through June
Dalhousie interviews — most Canadian schools do not
Dalhousie typically interviews, though plenty of students are admitted without one. The published cycle includes “April: Interviews and assessment begin” and “May/June: Final interviews and decisions.” Plan for the process to run months past the January deadline, and note that Dalhousie gives no detailed status updates until final decisions are made.

How Applications Are Assessed

Holistic, rolling

The approach

“Each year, we welcome 180 new students to our close-knit Weldon community from an applicant pool of over 1200 candidates,” with the goal of a class “representative of the Canadian population in terms of demographics and backgrounds.”

Review is holistic and conducted “with empathy,” seeking unique qualifications. A candidate may qualify under more than one admission category.

What Dalhousie does not publish

Unusually among Canadian schools, Dalhousie publishes no index or formula, no weighting, no GPA or LSAT cutoff, and no median or average GPA or LSAT for its admitted class.

It also does not publish its GPA calculation method — there is no statement on cumulative versus best-two-years versus last-60-credits, and no drop policy. Committee composition is likewise not published.

LSAT Policy

RequiredYes
Multiple scoresOnly the highest score is used
Score validityFive years
Latest sittingThe January LSAT — scores after February 1 are not considered
DeliveryProvide your LSAC account number; scores are retrieved automatically
MinimumNone published

Admission Categories

You may qualify under more than one

General Applicants

Who it's forApplicants with an undergraduate degree, or who are within one year of graduation eligibility from a degree-granting university or college.

Reviewed holistically “with empathy,” seeking unique qualifications.

Indigenous Applicants

Who it's forApplicants who self-identify as a Canadian Indigenous person — First Nations, Métis, or Inuit.

“Non-academic experiences may be given comparatively more weight than traditional measures of academic performance and LSAT scores.”

Optionally, applicants may share their connection to community, or the impact of colonization, as part of the file.

Indigenous Blacks & Mi’kmaq (IB&M) Initiative

Separate committee review

Who it's forAfrican Nova Scotians descended from Black Planters, Loyalists and others; Mi’kmaw individuals born and raised in Mi’kma’ki with substantial community connection; or other Black individuals born and raised in Nova Scotia.

IB&M applicants submit the same materials as other categories, but the file receives an additional separate committee review.

Applicants may also qualify under other categories.

Historically Underrepresented Communities

Who it's forApplicants self-identifying as Black or of African descent, racialized minorities, 2SLGBTQ+, or on the basis of gender identity, mental illness, or disability.

“Non-academic experiences are given comparatively more weight” where that is advantageous to the applicant.

An optional statement about connection to community may be submitted.

Work/Life Experience Applicants

No degree required

Who it's forApplicants with insufficient academic credits or competitive gaps — for example those coming from child-rearing, nonprofit leadership, or the trades, or whose work experience offsets a weak GPA.

The only category that does not require prior university study. Applicants are “strongly encouraged to have successfully completed a College Diploma or at least two years (10 credits) of university studies.”

Work and life experience are prioritised over academics and the LSAT.

Application Components

  1. 1
    Take the LSAT
    By the January sitting.
  2. 2
    Submit the online application
    At apply.dal.ca.
  3. 3
    Pay the fee
    $70 CAD, non-refundable. Grace period ends February 1.
  4. 4
    Complete the supporting document package
    Transcripts, references, resumé — details opposite.
  5. 5
    Check your status
    Through the applicant portal.
  6. 6
    Complete the scholarship application
    Separate deadline of January 15.

Personal statement

Three mandatory questions, answered inside the application form, with maximums of 400 words, 400 words, and 250 words respectively.

Answers “cannot be updated after submission.”

References and other documents

Letters of referenceTwo
If enrolled or out of school under 2 yearsAt least one must be academic
If out of school 2+ yearsBoth may be non-academic
Not acceptedFamily members and personal friends
Resumé / CVRequired — work, volunteer, community involvement
OptionalContext statement on factors affecting academic performance; medical documentation
Transcripts
Official transcripts are required from all post-secondary institutions. Dalhousie and King’s transcripts are attached automatically. Canadian and North American transcripts may be electronic or hard copy. International transcripts require a course-by-course evaluation through WES. Send to admissions.documents@dal.ca.

Program Options

Combined degrees

Four years combined versus five taken separately. You must meet the entrance criteria for both programs.

  • JD/MBA
  • JD/MHA — Health Administration
  • JD/MI — Information
  • JD/MPA — Public Administration
  • JD/MJ — Journalism, with King’s College

Part-time JD

Available over a maximum of seven years, with the first year optionally spanning two.

One caveat carries real weight and is stated plainly: it is “not a guarantee that all provincial law societies will consider a part-time JD from Dalhousie University to meet that society’s requirements.”

Transfer Applicants

Eligibility

You must currently be a student “of another Canadian law school,” in good standing, and must complete two full years at Dalhousie to graduate.

One hard threshold: “we will not accept an applicant whose average in first year law is below the equivalent of our B+ (75-77).”

Requirements

DeadlineAugust 15
Form opensOctober 1
Fee$70, non-refundable — the file is not reviewed until it is paid
TranscriptsOfficial, from law school and all post-secondary; non-English require notarized translations; unofficial copies rejected
ReferencesTwo academic letters, at least one from a law professor
Also requiredPersonal statement and CV
Send tolaw.admissions@dal.ca

Dates & Deadlines

  1. September
    Applications open
  2. November
    First offers extended
  3. January 10
    Application deadline
    11:59 pm AT — no exceptions or extensions
  4. January 15
    Scholarship deadline
    11:59 pm AST
  5. By January 31
    Final LSAT writing date
  6. February 1
    Grace period ends for fee payment
  7. Late February
    First scholarship decisions
  8. March 31
    Deadline to accept first-round offers
  9. April
    Interviews and assessment begin
  10. May / June
    Final interviews and decisions
  11. June 30
    All final decisions made
  12. Mid-July
    1L registration
  13. Mid-August
    Pre-orientation
  14. First week of September
    Waitlist acceptance deadline; classes begin

Fees

Application fee$70 CAD, non-refundable
Fee waiverNot available — stated explicitly
Payment grace periodEnds February 1
Transfer application fee$70, non-refundable

Financial aid context

Dalhousie reports over $2 million in aid annually, with more than 60% of students receiving some form of assistance. The scholarship application is separate and closes January 15.

All information on this page is drawn from Dalhousie University’s official admissions pages. Requirements and deadlines change — always confirm with the school before applying.