Little help, anybody? (Where should I go?)

[JIC]

JUMPING RIGHT INTO THE STORY:

I kinda crapped the bed on the LSAT (161), so I figured I ought to cast a broad net of applications to make sure I'd stick somewhere.  Cost a fricking fortune.

Anyway, shockingly, I've already received four (first round?) offers of admission, and, being a lazy, shiftless bum, I've done no research on the institutions in question and have absolutely no idea what I should do.  What do you think?

In:

-Alberta
-Queen's
-Western
-Osgoode

Still waiting:

-Calgary
-Ottawa

(Being a Dino and a lifelong Calgarian, the U of C's the only school I really know anything about.)

[Doraemon]

Depends on where you want to practice. For the 4 you've got, I would pick Alberta for staying in the west and Osgoode for Ontario.

Calgary and Ottawa are also nice schools.

[farouk]

"I kinda crapped the bed on the LSAT (161)"

I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use such terms so loosely.  Some of us do actually "crap the bed" (as you so tastelessly put it) and we don't appreciate our serious condition being spoken so lightly of.

Really try and be more considerate of us chronic bed-crappers.

[Geo_Storm]

"I kinda crapped the bed on the LSAT (161)"

I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use such terms so loosely.  Some of us do actually "crap the bed" (as you so tastelessly put it) and we don't appreciate our serious condition being spoken so lightly of.

Really try and be more considerate of us chronic bed-crappers.

There's a support group for people like us?

I mean bed-crappers, not Osgoode Admits.

[Astro]

DON'T COME HERE!


/hates this city

[MorningStar]

I'll tell you what really bothers me about UofO - they admit a hell of a lot of student straight out of highschool and CEGEP (in Quebec).  Now the academic enlightenment that comes along with earning a university degree prior to Law School has its merits and all, but if I wanted to go to a low end law school and sit next to 18 year olds wondering whether Law School offers Gym class, I wouldn't have busted my ass through an undergrad.  There's a reason almost every law school in Canada and the U.S requires an undergraduate degree.  If you have completed an undergrad, why would you want to go to a school that doesn't require one, essentially rendering your degree a waste of time.   

That being said I have heard good things about UofO Law and if you want to work in the public sector it has an extremely well established alumni base and might be a great fit for you.  If you're going for corporate law or want an accreditation that will hold up regardless of what field you practice in I'd say:  UBC in the West, UofT (if you can get in) for Ontario - Osgoode 2nd, McGill in Quebec, Dal in the maritimes.  So based on your list I'd likely go to Oz.  Only wild card I can think of is if you intend to work in the Prairies which I really have no idea about.

That's my 2 cents.

[Geo_Storm]

I'll tell you what really bothers me about UofO - they admit a hell of a lot of student straight out of highschool and CEGEP (in Quebec).  Now the academic enlightenment that comes along with earning a university degree prior to Law School has its merits and all, but if I wanted to go to a low end law school and sit next to 18 year olds wondering what time Gym Class starts I wouldn't have busted my ass through an undergrad. 

That being said I have heard good things about UofO Law and if you want to work in the public sector it has an extremely well established alumni base and might be a great fit for you.  If you're going for corporate law or want an accreditation that will hold up regardless of what field you practice in I'd say:  UBC in the West, UofT (if you can get in) for Ontario - Osgoode 2nd, McGill in Quebec, Dal in the maritimes.  So based on your list I'd likely go to Oz.  Only wild card I can think of is if you intend to work in the Prairies which I really have no idea about.

That's my 2 cents.

Cegep students are immature for the most part. I was one of them.

[johnjuba]

I was accepted to Ottawa and Queen's so far, right now I am leaning towards Ottawa but I will have to take a drive up and see both schools.

To start I didn't apply to Western basically because I don't like London at all.  There is nothing interesting about the city - all it is is massive groups of suburbs.

I've hear Osgood is a good school, but from people that I've met went to York undergrad they didn't like the school. I heard the same comments about it being commuter school...  but that was just what I heard from other people - I have no personal experience.

Besides that I think Kingston is nice... never really been much but the campus is amazing.  Ottawa is a great town - tons of things to do, close to Quebec, but unfortunately real cold.

Everyone on this board is going to say this or that school is better at BigLaw (I hate seeing this word) or Public Sector yadayadayada...  I say f-that.  To me law schools is law school.  You might think you want to do a particular type of law right now and then you'll get to law school and things will change.  On top of that I just don't think it matters what University you go to as much a people lead on (I know I am going to get flamed over that).  So I'd say pick a school you think you'd be comfortable at for 3 years, in a city that you would enjoy.  I really think that is all there is to it.

[2nd year at Ottawa]

I'll tell you what really bothers me about UofO - they admit a hell of a lot of student straight out of highschool and CEGEP (in Quebec).  Now the academic enlightenment that comes along with earning a university degree prior to Law School has its merits and all, but if I wanted to go to a low end law school and sit next to 18 year olds wondering whether Law School offers Gym class, I wouldn't have busted my ass through an undergrad.  There's a reason almost every law school in Canada and the U.S requires an undergraduate degree.  If you have completed an undergrad, why would you want to go to a school that doesn't require one, essentially rendering your degree a waste of time.   

That being said I have heard good things about UofO Law and if you want to work in the public sector it has an extremely well established alumni base and might be a great fit for you.  If you're going for corporate law or want an accreditation that will hold up regardless of what field you practice in I'd say:  UBC in the West, UofT (if you can get in) for Ontario - Osgoode 2nd, McGill in Quebec, Dal in the maritimes.  So based on your list I'd likely go to Oz.  Only wild card I can think of is if you intend to work in the Prairies which I really have no idea about.

That's my 2 cents.

Just to set the record straight... The Civil Law program at Ottawa U admits a majority of students straight from high school or CEGEP, as do all the civil law schools in Quebec.  Even McGill, who has a transystemic civil/common law program admits a few students straight from CEGEP every year.  You cannot get into Ottawa U's common law program straight from high school or CEGEP - check your OLSAS admission booklet.  I am in 2nd year at Ottawa in the common law section and 1/3 of the students in my year have Masters degrees.  I do not know a single student who does not have an undergraduate degree.  In addition, common and civil law students do not share classes.  Please get your facts straight before you post!

[JIC]

Well, I checked out Osgoode on Tuesday.

Never having been to Toronto before (lifelong Calgarian), I was a little bit overwhelmed.  Some gangbanger, for example, just about rear ended me the first time I merged onto the 401.  He was not pleased. 
And the school's in a real rundown looking area...

So, this changes things up a bit.
I might still go there, but Queens, Ottawa, Alberta, and Calgary (yeah) look a little better right now.