Should I include a "Why x Law School" statement as an addendum?

hustlinbustlin

A law school I'm applying to has this as a description for whether to attach an addendum to an application:

"We encourage you to provide any relevant information that may be helpful to us in making an informed decision on your application. Any information that you believe to be relevant to your application is appropriate."

I'm debating between adapting my personal statement to be curtailed to each law school I apply to, or to attach a longer "Why X Law School" statement in my addendum to my top-choice law schools. Attaching the addendum would allow me to get more in depth (as opposed to a personal statement which would be more brief) about why a specific law school would truly help me. Basically, I'm asking is it appropriate to, and if so, should I I include a "Why X Law School" statement as an addendum?

aszane21

UVA has a similar addendum prompt, which I read as basically a pick-your-own prompt supplemental essay. I asked my pre-law advisor and she concurred. I wouldn't abuse this though, you should only do a why law (and keep it to a page) and not, say, a diversity statement as well. Also, do you have anything else you need to opine on in an addendum? If you have a GPA/LSAT issue that will take more than a paragraph to explain, you may want to reconsider. A why law addendum certainly won't hurt and will probably help your chances modestly, but I doubt it would change ADCOM's minds if they would decide to waitlist/deny you based on your applications sans that addendum.

All in all, I think you can but be mindful of space. I also suggest specifying which law school in your question and title, that way people with experience with that school (maybe they wrote a why law addendum) can jump in.

sarakimmel

Thought this thread might be helpful!

https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/30075/help-should-i-write-why-x-school

hustlinbustlin

I am including a diversity statement as well, and I do have a GPA issue that won't take more than a paragraph.

HLEGC.2003

I don't think it's necessary. FWIW last cycle I got into HLS without writing a Why X statement or a tailored personal statement. The general consensus I've heard is that for the top 6 schools, they already know you want to go there and so you don't need to include an additional statement expressing your interest. That said, if you have a very compelling reason to want to go there and think you can write a fantastic and genuine Why X statement, go for it. But writing a Why X statement just for the sake of including one is not likely to move the needle in your favor.

Here is an excerpt from Harvard's admission blog that provides more insight:

"Prospective applicants sometimes ask if they should discuss why they want to attend HLS in their personal statement. In general, we leave it to your best judgment to decide what to include in your personal statement. We are looking for your voice and relevant information that we may not have gleaned in other materials. For some, that may mean unpacking an HLS resource that is central to their motivation towards legal study. However, it is not necessary, required, or encouraged unless it is the best use of space for your experience.
We know a lot about HLS. We are hoping to learn more about you."

https://hls.harvard.edu/real-talk-expressing-interest-during-the-application-process/

braydo29

I wouldn't TBH because Harvard knows why people want to go there. If you could write a good one and had a really good reason to write it, that is a different story, but I really think you would need a really compelling reason to do so.

Take me with a grain of salt, and I would definitely search around because this question is a common one, and some schools have different opinions.