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This is helpful, thank you! I had kind of hoped to just lean towards not writing a DS when it's optional/pick other prompts instead to avoid this overlap issue with my PS/why law, but then I got to Harvard's application and that plan was suddenly out the window--so I appreciate your framing of their prompts!
Hi! Like the title says, I've been struggling to navigate deciding on separate personal statement, diversity statement, and why law essay topics without them feeling too repetitive. Most of the schools I'm applying to require a PS and have "optional" diversity/perspective statements and why law statements, and some, like Harvard, forgo the traditional PS to require both perspective and why law statements.
I had planned to write my PS about where I'm from (very specific area and culture that's traditionally very underrepresented in higher education) and how that's shaped who I am, brought me to my current career, and led me to want to pursue law--and I have some PS drafts that feel successful! My dilemma is that, putting the PS aside, if you asked me how my lived experiences have shaped who I am and how I'd contribute to the school's environment or if you asked what motivates me to pursue law, my answers would also be where I'm from/my background. Obviously I'm simplifying a bit here--there are a lot of layers to my topic and many experiences and anecdotes I could pull from--but I'm not sure how to approach writing a diversity statement or why law statement without it feeling like it's largely echoing my PS.
Is it okay to have a general overarching theme across multiple essays if the specific anecdotes and internal challenges I focus on are different in each, or should I be trying to figure out a completely separate topic for one of the essays (even if that runs the risk of becoming a little less sincere)?
I hope this generally made sense--any advice is welcome!!!
can someone explain the difference between cost-benefit analysis and the principle of trade-offs?
i worked through the lawgic and got this one right, but took wayyy too long. i understand lawgic and how to use it, but i can't seem to speed up the process of using it, even after lots of practice.
so is it safe to always be wary when we see "only" in an answer choice for these questions?
i'm confidently getting all of these correct, with time to spare, and i feel like i understand them- until i read below or watch the videos and then suddenly i'm so confused. i feel like the explanations are so unnecessarily complicated and confusing for this section.
@Alondra_Sanchez this!! i was so confused watching the video even though i got the question confidently right when i looked at quick view. i'd hate to skip videos in case i miss something, but i feel like they make me so much more confused, especially when i got the question right already.
@SophiaBigio from what i understand- in explicitly "weakening" questions, our focus is on weakening the support relationship within the argument, so yes- ACs that just contradict a premise or the conclusion without addressing the actual relationship between them are not what we're looking for.
but this question is an "evidence against" question, so while we can generally approach it like a "weakening" question- all of the "rules" we've learned don't necessarily apply. here, instead of looking to weaken by attacking the support relationship, all we're being asked to do is find some evidence that is inconsistent with the theory. it's okay to pick an answer here that just contradicts the prediction because that's all we're being asked for- any of our argument relationship AC rules aren't binding because all we're being told to do is just present a case/evidence where the theory's predictions don't apply/are inconsistent with the "world".
love that these sections are always listed as like 5 minutes these times were clearlyyy not decided by someone reading and taking notes
i really really appreciate these review lessons, but are they like entirely daunting sometimes to anyone else lol like wow this is so much to learn and remember... and this is just one of MANY question types.
maybe this is a dumb question, but- is there anyway to BR these questions? still figuring out this new site.
Thank you so much for the thorough response!! This has definitely given me a helpful new perspective and guiding questions.