7Sage Podcast Episode #49 - 7Sager Brad - Homeless to Harvard Law

Juliet - Student Service

Edit: you can read Brad's essays and listen to an interactive transcript here:

https://7sage.com/podcast-episode-49-7sager-brad-homeless-to-harvard-law/

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Episode 49 is here!

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David Busis

This is probably my all-time favorite interview for the podcast!

canihazJD

Brad is an awesome guy with a great story. I was super fortunate to connect with him this past year, and having a fellow veteran (of the same unit!) of such quality ahead of me in the cycle to bounce ideas off of was instrumental in my own success. He also helped me decide to go with @"David.Busis" and crew for admissions consulting, which was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The world is lucky to have him. Great episode David!

mere_mortal

The hosts of this podcast gush, "Reading this statement I can't imagine a law school that wouldn't want to admit this person immediately!" -- and the profiled student got into Harvard Law, so they must be right that this personal statement is amazing. But I don't get why it is.

It doesn't seem so rare to have experienced a short period of homelessness (about a month from what I gathered), or to have served in the military. It doesn't seem super unique to say "I learned that when motivated I can get to another level of drive and decide not to quit." I dont get why this is so amazing to Harvard Law or to the hosts of this podcast. "It gave me chills!" -- Really?

To be clear, I'm not at all trying to tear down Brad!! Because there's nothing at all wrong with any of this and he has overcome things--as have we all! But as a piece of writing, and as an example of serving something to admissions committees on a silver platter that makes them salivate wildly, I'm just not getting why this is it. What do law schools really want to see in you from a personal statement?

I'm sure that I'm fundamentally not understanding what it is that makes a personal statement "great" or even what makes an applicant appealing to a law school.

I am excited that Brad is going to use his training to serve vets and the homeless, that part for me (if I was an admissions person) would be the stuff--but the hosts of the podcast spend the least time talking about that!

Glutton for the LSAT

A great podcast to listen to. Thanks for sharing.

andrew.rsn

@mere_mortal

I think you're absolutely right that it's not rare to suffer homelessness or to have served in the military. There are so many people in this country who are still homeless today because live has served them a bad deal. The way I see it, most people when they hit rock bottom, find themselves in the lowest of lows, are not able to find their way back up to the surface. It is a rare person who finds themselves with nothing but the help of strangers, and develops the drive to find their way to not only climb back to the surface but up even higher - leading him to find his calling and passion in helping veterans like himself.

I didn't listen to the podcast yet, but I read both of the statements - His personal statement is I think extremely focused, and paints an image of the exact reason he is choosing to become a lawyer as well. It also shows his honesty and vulnerability, which are valuable qualities. It is also clearly very genuine.
His Diversity statement sets him apart for the reason I stated above.

Making your way from Homelessness to Military and Back again, to Dartmouth and to acing the LSAT, sounds like Harvard material to me.

BlueRiceCake

Congratulations Brad! This was such an inspiring story

mere_mortal

@"andrew.rsn" said:
@mere_mortal

I think you're absolutely right that it's not rare to suffer homelessness or to have served in the military. [...] The way I see it, most people when they hit rock bottom, find themselves in the lowest of lows, are not able to find their way back up to the surface. It is a rare person who [...] develops the drive to find their way to not only climb back to the surface but up even higher - leading him to find his calling and passion in helping veterans like himself.

Good point! I guess that is probably quite true. I didn't quite think of it that way.

Making your way from Homelessness to Military and Back again, to Dartmouth and to acing the LSAT, sounds like Harvard material to me.

>

I think this is the part that confuses me. It seems like someone with good character or an interesting / strong person, for sure, but why or how that directly relates to Harvard still escapes me a bit. But I think it's good food for thought for me, and helps me realize that the personal statement is truly more about "getting to know the person" than I thought.

Thanks for your reply!

Aaron Thier

@mere_mortal

I had the pleasure of working with Brad on his applications, so I wanted to dip my oar in here. What @andrew.rsn is spot on, but there's another piece of this too: Although a personal statement is the most visible written component of the application, and the best way for admissions committees to get to know you, it's also one component among many and it serves a kind of a guide for the reader as they go through the larger file. What Brad's PS does so well is that cuts through his extremely complex academic history, isolates the moment of change, and draws a bright line for the reader to follow. It helps transform that academic history from a confusing liability to one facet of a larger, triumphant narrative.

And that's why it's so hard to construe general formulae from any given essay, or from a set of essays! The best essay is the one that's the perfect for you, given your unique record, voice, circumstances, and so on.

mere_mortal

@"Aaron Thier"

That makes sense! When you view it from that POV it makes a lot more sense. Thanks!