Personal Statement Question

sg_12313

The personal statement draft I've been working on focuses on my advocacy work experience and the ups and downs I've faced during them. I was wondering if this is too close to becoming a "resume rundown" essay – if I go into more detail on my personal feelings and what I learned through these experiences, would this still be an OK essay?

Selene Steelman

You might find the advice in https://7sage.com/admissions/lesson/picking-your-topic/ to be helpful. You definitely want your PS to provide the admissions reader with new information. Don't waste this valuable application space by rehashing information they already have in your resume. If you want to write about your advocacy experience, the PS should take everything FURTHER.

The PS is a platform for you to sell yourself as a candidate to the adcom. Show how the experiences called upon or developed your communication skills, your leadership skills, forced you to be organized or responsible in a new/different way, caused you to set or refocus your goals, and helped you become a more empathetic. These are qualities that adcoms are looking for in candidates.

Lastly, no matter what the topic is that you decide to develop, try to answer the following questions for the admissions reader:
-Why law? (what do you want to gain from law school)
-Why now? (what is your motivation for going to law school)
-Why you? (what contribution would you make to the law school)
-What for? (what are your short/long term professional goals)

Good luck!

sg_12313

Thanks! I'll definitely focus on the aspects I don't cover in my resume.