Crazy to hyperlink in PS?

dantlee14

I wrote one of my PS about an experience that really solidified my interest in becoming a lawyer; spending a summer doing an independent research project in Arizona on US-Mexico border policy. One particularly memorable event, which I write about at length, was in an Operation Streamline proceeding - to learn a bit more about the program you can read this NYT piece on it from a few years back, but it's a really dehumanizing proceeding with pretty appalling due process issues.

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/us/split-second-justice-as-us-cracks-down-on-border-crossers.html

Anyway, while I go in depth about the proceeding in the PS, I decided to cut all the exposition explaining what exactly Operation Streamline's purpose and history is for length. Is it a crazy idea to hyperlink to that article on my first mention of Streamline, or should I just assume admissions readers will look it up if they're not already familiar with the program?

FerdaFresh

I doubt they'd look it up. I also doubt they'll click the link and read about it in depth either. I'm pretty sure, because any worker has to go through hundreds of applications in a short window, she/he will take your PS at face value. So, when you're rereading your PS, I think you should consider the impact it'd have on you if you didn't have background knowledge.

As far as throwing a hyperlink in there, I think that's a pretty "out of the box" move. If you choose to keep it, I hope the risk pays off for you!

http://pens.hockey/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/pepper-and-cotton.gif

Seeking Perfection

I think that the LSAC software might convert to a pdf or some other format when you upload so I'm not certain the hyperlink would work.

nicole.brooklyn

IMO, If the PS is limited to 2 pages, it’d be a bad move to give them 2 pages plus a link to a 4 page article. The writing should stand alone. You could mention there being a NYT article and leave it up to them to google it, but I don’t think it’s worth the page space.

The bottom line is that they have a lot to read! Be kind to your admissions readers. Brevity and strong writing will go a long way.

akistotle

I don't know if the hyperlink would work. Even if it does work, I doubt that they would read the article......

Tagging @"David.Busis"

partyondudes

@"nicole.burdakin" said:
The writing should stand alone.

I agree with this! I'm not saying that you are, but if you have to rely on a hyperlinked news article to really give meaning to your story, that's probably not good. Law school admissions committees are full of smart people, but assume they don't know anything other than what you tell them (not a news article). Certainly you don't have to explain every little detail and its backstory, but say what you need to to give the reader a solid picture of what you're talking about. That will help them connect with your essay.
This may sound harsh, but admissions committees probably won't care about Operation Streamline as a thing. Through narrative, show them what it means to you and they'll care about that. Remember, the personal statement is all about you. The events and things you talk about are merely vehicles to show who you are and how you think.

David Busis

Agree with all of this. They might read your essay as a PDF, or in a Kindle, or they might print it out—and anyway, they probably won't click through a link. They're buried under essays. Your essay should be its own complete little ecosystem; give all the context you need in a sentence or two. (That might sound impossible, but it's probably possible).