Personal Statement difficulties

Maximus4

Hey everyone I need some help/advice. While studying for the LSAT it seemed to me that there was a method to the madness certain steps/processes to follow in order to effectively reach the end goal. However, when it comes to the personal statement I am completely lost, I write something and end up deleting it because I don't like what I wrote or there are times where I sit down and just don't know what to even write about. Is anyone else going through this?

btsao650

I am in the same boat @Maximus4 ! It took me two days to end up with two paragraphs that I don't even like. I think the best course of action at this point is to just pin down an outline and slowly but surely flesh it out.

Eric25

This might seem a little unorthodox but whenever I have to write something about myself I am always drinking while I do it lol having a really mild buzz helps me get my words onto the paper, then edit/revise at a later date. I really struggle with actually typing the words because I always feel like the words are not good enough. A little buzz makes me not care and just get them out so I can have something to work with best of luck!

Maximus4

I shall make a trip to the local liquor store then

Paul Caint

Yeah...the actual writing process is really difficult. I used this rough framework when writing my personal statement, my personal statement had "4 Acts":

a) Hook -> fun anecdote to bring in the reader
b) Why that hook was important to you
c) Broader implications of that hook/what you learned from it
d) How that hook pertains to your professional desires

Also if you're having a hard time finding a topic to write about, I highly suggest you just write about something that is central to who you are.

I was originally going to write on a super deep experience I had meeting an illegal immigrant during my work on the 2016 presidential campaign. While it was a great story, it wasn't actually central to who I was/said anything about who I was.

Instead I wrote about being a singer and an actor in high school. It's a less "professional" but really spoke to who I am and what motivates me.

Oh oh! Also read these. University of Chicago posted some law school personal statements that "just worked." It'll give you an idea of the diversity of topics you can write about and how no topic is too far-fetched to be brought back to "why I wanna go to law school."

https://www.law.uchicago.edu/news/their-own-words-admissions-essays-worked

dcdcdcdcdc

@estouten25 said:
This might seem a little unorthodox but whenever I have to write something about myself I am always drinking while I do it lol having a really mild buzz helps me get my words onto the paper, then edit/revise at a later date. I really struggle with actually typing the words because I always feel like the words are not good enough. A little buzz makes me not care and just get them out so I can have something to work with best of luck!

As they say, the real pro tip is always in the comments.

Also, to add on to the second comment, it sounds obvious, but really force yourself to be honest. Don't step around the issue you are addressing in your draft. Be clear and say it with conviction. Once you have something that you genuinely care about down on paper, you can work in saying it well.

zanesbit

To piggyback @"Paul Caint" the hook needs to come first, but it can also be meaningful, touching, and engaging. It doesn't have to be funny but it should evoke some sort of positive emotion such as laughter, empathy, or joy. No quotes at all. Be organic and genuine...remember you will be submitting against those who may have had some real (not so funny) struggles (i.e. LSAT cancellations due to hurricanes, rewriting PS multiple times because laptop was damaged in floods) and you want to be competitive there. Doesn't have to be dramatic, but it should be "personal" and real.