Cheat Sheet: Dos and Don'ts

Do

• read each school’s directions carefully;
• tell a story about how you got to where you are;
• look for five seconds that changed your life;
• write about something you actually care about;
• add specific details to key moments;
• get feedback from at least one other person;
• let your essay sit for a couple days before you revise;
• ask yourself what point you’re trying to convey in each paragraph;
• make your essay more concise;
• read out loud as you proofread.

Don’t

• exaggerate, or try to pull off any other BS;
• take the reader on a tour of your resume;
• write an op-ed;
• explain why want to be a lawyer, unless you mean it;
• guess what the adcom wants to hear;
• aggrandize yourself;
• say you care about social justice, unless your record backs it up;
• address the wrong school;
• let a single typo or grammatical error slip through.