Do you have questions about personal statements, diversity statements or other law school essays? Post them here. I'm writing an F.A.Q. for the personal statement course, and I want to know what's got you confused. If someone else has already asked your question, please "like" the question, even if I've already answered it. That information will help me make the F.A.Q. more useful.
I'll do my best to answer each question within a day or two.
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57 comments
Aiesha- yes. Absolutely. If you are a minority, write one. Ditto if you grew up in a foreign country, especially if you don't come from a privileged background.
Matt- I'd advise you to write a whole new statement. After all, they presumably turned you down last time.
Also, I would just add that if you can find a compelling reason and topic for each one then you should write both rather than combining them. If the diversity statement is legit and justified then it helps give you an extra opportunity to get personal and share more about yourself that might resonate with an adcom. And never write them about the same or even related topics because this redundancy makes for a terrible looking application.
I am wondering about topics to avoid and cliché topics. I wrote a possible PS about the characteristics of my Lady Justice statue and the way the symbols (sword, blindfold, scales, etc.) exemplify my view of the study and practice of the law. I have a meeting with a person from my undergrad school's writing center to see if I am on the right path but I am, of course, anxious. My husband says I should write a "few more possibles".... Easy for someone NOT studying for the LSAT plus trying to get an application out by Oct.1st... 0.0
Brna--In a nutshell, the goal of the personal statement is to put forth the most interesting version of who you are, and to show the adcom that you can write well. Subtle self-promotion is encouraged.
A diversity statement is similar, although you specifically want to show how your diversity has inculcated values or given you skills that will help you succeed in law and beyond.
I give a more in-depth answer about the goal of your PS in the personal statement bundle, which you can buy for $0.59 for the time being under "Extensions and Add-ons." I'm working on a more in-depth lesson about diversity statements.
Great question. It's not about the content; it's about the tone. Your essay won't come off as a sob story as long as you don't complain, whine or beg. Say what happened to you, and focus on how you overcame those challenges. It is totally, one hundred percent valid to talk about your hardships.
The question isn't whether a given thing puts your story over the top and makes it a sob story; the question is whether it fits with your theme.
Hi David, At what point does a personal statement just become a sob story and how do you avoid that? Even though it's pretty clear my hardships have shaped who I am/helped me decide to go to law school, I don't want to seem like I'm just dumping all the bad things in my life into this essay. Thanks!
@mahdiall408 That's a tough one. Can you de-emphasize the rule-breaking and just say that the organization had its hands tied, so you stepped in? I realize, though, that you're interested in the conflict between the rules and the right thing, and to write about that, you HAVE to say you broke the rules.
My gut instinct is maybe, which, I admit, is the lamest gut instinct ever. It depends on how the essay comes out. You'll have to address a sharp reader's possible objections. Were there good reasons for the policies that prevented your organization from helping the woman? If you can convince us that there weren't--if the policies were the result of an administration with misplaced priorities, say--then you might be on solid ground.
@coreyjanson479.janson35 No story is cliche if you can write about it compellingly. I've read great essays about injuries. Go for it.
@isab315 Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Isabella. That lesson is from the old PS Bundle--I didn't write it--and I forgot that it existed. In any case, I don't agree with that advice, and I'll see about unpublishing it.
My advice in a nutshell: Write a diversity statement if you are diverse, defined very broadly (not just race/ethnicity). If you are not, don't--you'll just irritate the adcom.
You're better off writing a killer personal statement alone than writing a killer personal statement and a so-so diversity statement.
Hi David, should we write a whole new PS for the second time applying to the same school? Or can we use the same themes as the old PS?
Great responses so far. Thanks for opening up the floor here.
Aside from the obvious, can you share some specific objectives to keep in mind while writing a personal statement? How do those objectives differ from the goals of, say, a diversity statement?
Should we simply share a personal experience or is there room for a little bit of subtle self-promotion?
Yeah I was curious about something. I'm not a K-JD type student. I didn't even go to college right out of High School. I finished my AS, then a few years later my BS, and now I'm finishing my MA. I am 30. I have spent all my adult years in the workforce in various jobs.
My question is should my essay focus on my academic experiences and use very creative storytelling-like prose like I see in many examples, or should I focus more on my professional development, and write in a businesslike manner? Any insight would be appreciated. If it matters, I am not applying to a T14 school, just a middle-of-the-road law school (UH.)
Thank you
Thanks, Alphafem. I covered topics to avoid in the PS course. Your essay about Lady Justice doesn't sound cliche, although I would worry that it isn't as personal as it could be. Unless Lady Justice means something totally different to you than she does to other people--something related to your background and personality--your essay might feel a bit generic. It's hard to say without reading the essay.
thanks for the advice!
@mes08820 No, don't write a diversity statement. This is a special essay. I'm creating a lesson about this, but here's the gist: stake out new territory. Write about anything. The normal rules don't apply: you don't have to tell the committee about yourself, at least not directly. Think of it as a chance to show off your writing and thinking. It's a more pure writing sample than the PS because it's not self-propaganda.
If we've already written a personal statement and a diversity statement, what are we expected to/what should we write for the Yale 250-word essay? Is that an essay in place of a diversity statement?
I agree with this. It's for these tough topics/spots that professional editing exists.
Definitely a tough needle to thread, and 95+% of such attempts would not be able to do it and would look bad. But the payoff would likely be pretty good if you're in that less than 5%. If you have a high GPA/high LSAT I wouldn't bother risking it. But if you're a splitter/reverse splitter then I'd definitely consider it more, but I probably wouldn't do it without professional help in order to avoid the various pitfalls.
I am no expert but I would be careful. I think the story would be better if you focused on your fight against the policy; that you stood up (maybe contacted the ppl in charge) and said that the policy goes against the very principle of the foundation etc. Turn it into more of a David/Goliath than a Robin Hood as you don't really have an evil sheriff (everyone is trying to help!), just a stealing Robin. The policy was, albeit inadequate, added for a reason. The success story lies in an attempt to change the policy.
@davidbusis895.busis Hi David, I hope you are still answering questions. I didn't see an answer to this in the PS course, but I haven't finished it yet, so please link info if it's relevant.
I want to write about when, as a disaster volunteer, I broke the rules and used funds from my expense account to help a victim of a major disaster. For various policy reasons we couldn't give help her otherwise. She was a single mother of 3 (2/3 autistic children) and I went to the store to buy some formula and diaper for the youngest/ and things like toothpaste, etc.
I like this story, because it's one of the only times I can remember having a major conflict between doing the right thing / following the rules - and use this to talk about law and ethics and how that's I'm interested in studying the overlap/ and non-overlap of the two.
BUT, is it a bad idea to talk about breaking the rules (at all) in a law school personal statement?
Thanks!
@coreyjanson479.janson35 It depends. I'd shy away from writing a "I want to save the children" type essay if you have never volunteered for children-helping organizations. It would be perfectly reasonable, on the other hand, to say that you're interested in learning more about intellectual property law. Nobody would expect you to have IP experience before going to law school.
Thanks for the help! Trying to decide on a topic and have a few ideas. One more question: is it possible to write an essay about a certain topic without it being grounded in direct experience?
Would an essay about a college athlete overcoming injuries/setbacks be viewed as cliché? It feels like a natural fit because of how much you put into sports in order to get to that level, but I don't know if it's overdone.
Okay, thank you! ( :
@7891 You need a college degree before you can apply for law school.