Hi,
I have a topic that I think could be interesting for a 'perspective statement' or a prompt that asks how you will contribute to X law school. I went to a very untraditional elementary/middle school (progressive education, raising animals, no tests/grades/etc.). I believe it is in large part responsible for my outlook on education as a whole. Is this something that can make a good perspective statement, or are those statements mainly for those who have diverse backgrounds in the traditional sense of the word?
I would love to write about this, but am wary of trying to insert myself into a prompt/conversation that is not meant for someone like myself. Thanks :)
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One of the biggest admissions myths is that a statement of perspective / diversity statement / optional statement is only for certain applicants. I promise! I'm the guy who changed the title of the Notre Dame Law statement from "diversity statement" to "Different Kind of Lawyer statement" for this very reason.
The goal of this doc is really just to learn about you and your background. Everyone is from somewhere, and that context is important in figuring out what role you're going to play in a school's Socratic learning environment. Just be yourself!
Sounds interesting to me. Some schools have narrower prompts (like UCLA), so just make sure you read the instructions. But many are broader and meant to encompass a variety of unique perspectives and experiences.
I think this is perfectly fair to write a perspective statement about! The rules of thumb that I’ve generally heard are that you shouldn’t write it if it feels kind of forced, ie. writing a statement about how your great great grandparents were immigrants
Do it. Reading this question made me curious to learn more about schools that don't have tests and raise animals.