Post Your Questions about Essays

David Busis

Do you have questions about personal statements, diversity statements or other law school essays? Post them here. I'm writing an F.A.Q. for the personal statement course, and I want to know what's got you confused. If someone else has already asked your question, please "like" the question, even if I've already answered it. That information will help me make the F.A.Q. more useful.

I'll do my best to answer each question within a day or two.

KimberlyK

I am wondering about topics to avoid and cliché topics. I wrote a possible PS about the characteristics of my Lady Justice statue and the way the symbols (sword, blindfold, scales, etc.) exemplify my view of the study and practice of the law. I have a meeting with a person from my undergrad school's writing center to see if I am on the right path but I am, of course, anxious. My husband says I should write a "few more possibles".... Easy for someone NOT studying for the LSAT plus trying to get an application out by Oct.1st... 0.0

David Busis

Thanks, Alphafem. I covered topics to avoid in the PS course. Your essay about Lady Justice doesn't sound cliche, although I would worry that it isn't as personal as it could be. Unless Lady Justice means something totally different to you than she does to other people--something related to your background and personality--your essay might feel a bit generic. It's hard to say without reading the essay.

KimberlyK

I am Wiccan (something I did not put in the essay) so the original Greek Goddess Themis (the original of Lady Justice) is very important to me and does impact my life differently than most others (I would think). Food for thought, thanks!

Dr. Yamata

Yeah I was curious about something. I'm not a K-JD type student. I didn't even go to college right out of High School. I finished my AS, then a few years later my BS, and now I'm finishing my MA. I am 30. I have spent all my adult years in the workforce in various jobs.

My question is should my essay focus on my academic experiences and use very creative storytelling-like prose like I see in many examples, or should I focus more on my professional development, and write in a businesslike manner? Any insight would be appreciated. If it matters, I am not applying to a T14 school, just a middle-of-the-road law school (UH.)

Thank you

David Busis

Great question, Dr. Yamata. First, you should disentangle your question about the topic from your question about the tone. Regarding the topic: you should write the best essay you can, which might be about school or about work. All other things being equal, you should write about work, since the adcom will want to know about your more recent formative experiences.

As for tone, you should write clear, straightforward prose, though you DO in fact want to tell a good story, and some description is perfectly appropriate. You want to keep your readers' interest, so I wouldn't make it dry or business-like.

brna0714

Great responses so far. Thanks for opening up the floor here.

Aside from the obvious, can you share some specific objectives to keep in mind while writing a personal statement? How do those objectives differ from the goals of, say, a diversity statement?

Should we simply share a personal experience or is there room for a little bit of subtle self-promotion?

David Busis

Brna--In a nutshell, the goal of the personal statement is to put forth the most interesting version of who you are, and to show the adcom that you can write well. Subtle self-promotion is encouraged.

A diversity statement is similar, although you specifically want to show how your diversity has inculcated values or given you skills that will help you succeed in law and beyond.

I give a more in-depth answer about the goal of your PS in the personal statement bundle, which you can buy for $0.59 for the time being under "Extensions and Add-ons." I'm working on a more in-depth lesson about diversity statements.

Aiesha G.

What is the key difference between a personal statement and a diversity statement? Is there a way to incorporate the characteristics of both into one essay?

David Busis

Great question, Aiesha. The key difference is topic. Whereas the personal statement can be about any part of your identity, the diversity statement should specifically be about what makes you diverse. You also have more flexibility with the length of your diversity statement--anything from three paragraphs to two pages might work.

Sometimes students find that their diversity statement is stronger than their personal statement, in which case I encourage them to make the div statement their main essay. In both, you're telling a story about who you are.

Pacifico

Also, I would just add that if you can find a compelling reason and topic for each one then you should write both rather than combining them. If the diversity statement is legit and justified then it helps give you an extra opportunity to get personal and share more about yourself that might resonate with an adcom. And never write them about the same or even related topics because this redundancy makes for a terrible looking application.

David Busis

Well said, Pacifico. Your personal statement should be your strongest essay. You should also write a diversity statement if you can.

Aiesha G.

I see you went into detail about the differences regarding diversity statements in the last post. Would you say that diversity statements are a particularly advantageous to minority and/or foreign students?

Matt1234567

Hi David, should we write a whole new PS for the second time applying to the same school? Or can we use the same themes as the old PS?

David Busis

Aiesha- yes. Absolutely. If you are a minority, write one. Ditto if you grew up in a foreign country, especially if you don't come from a privileged background.

Matt- I'd advise you to write a whole new statement. After all, they presumably turned you down last time.

Pacifico

I would also say that diversity statements are particularly advantageous to those that not only have a valid reason for writing one (i.e.- being left handed is not a legit DS topic) but also write an exceptional one. Don't think that simply advertising an amazingly diverse experience or quality will be impressive to the adcoms. You must be able to translate it into a compelling narrative that shows how that diverse experience will help you contribute positively to the law school in a fairly unique way.

Aiesha G.

Thanks @david.busis only thing is the school I am applying to doesn't require a diversity statement. They ask for a 2 pg double spaced PS. I would love to write a DS since it seems to better suit me. However, I don't want to seem snarky by adding something to my application that isn't required or even discussed in FAQs lol. Could I make the DS my personal statement? I know @Pacifico advises against this but I don't see how adding an additional essay that they didn't ask for will make a good impression.

David Busis

@"Aiesha G." - I'd contact the admissions office and ask if they accept diversity statements. Some schools want you to incorporate your diversity factors into a personal statement; some schools will accept a DS even if they don't mention it on the app.

If they don't accept a DS, you should feel free to write about your diversity factors in the PS. After all, a PS is a story about who you are and how you got to this point. It sounds like your diversity factors are a big part of that story. Lots of people write about their diversity factors in the PS even if their schools do accept DSs, because you always want to make your PS your strongest essay.

KelsoK13

Do most schools have specific questions that they want you to answer in your personal statement? Or do they all generally just want you to tell them about yourself and why you want to pursue a career in law? Where can I find the instructions on this? I tried lsac, but they applications aren't open for most of the schools that I am looking at. I also checked their websites, but they just linked to lsac.

Pacifico

Almost every school has an open ended personal statement. They usually will just specify a desired or maximum length and that's about it. A PS does not have to mention law school or the law at all, and many excellent ones do not mention either one. Even when apps aren't open you can still find the information on a law school's admissions page or somewhere therein. LSAC does not maintain any information on such requirements for individual schools. If you're having trouble with any schools in particular, feel free to PM me and I can help show you where to find the pertinent info.

David Busis

@KelsoK13 I've answered this question in the personal statement bundle already. I'll quote from the course:

You don’t have to explain why you want to be a lawyer unless the prompt tells you to. You do have to read the directions. Consider the University of Chicago Law School’s application.

The personal statement is an important part of every application and your opportunity to demonstrate what you will contribute to our community. In general, a personal statement with a narrow focus on a personal attribute or experience is far more helpful to the Committee than either a broad statement about the law or a restatement of your resume.

The University of Chicago makes it pretty clear that you don’t have to explain your professional goals or motivations. If you have great reasons for applying to law school, feel free to state them. If you don’t—and many people don’t—it’s better to stay silent than to say something generic or uncompelling.

Some schools ask you explicitly why you want to study law. Consider Notre Dame’s instructions:

The Admissions Committee gives considerable emphasis in the admissions evaluation to the personal statement. The statement should provide the members of the Admissions Committee with insights about you and your candidacy that are not reflected in other parts of your admission materials. The committee wants to know about you as a person and why you are interested in the study and practice of law. It is also an opportunity for the committee to evaluate your writing and reflective abilities.

If a school asks why you want to study law, your task is to tell a story about your motivation. Show the committee the whole arc of your decision. What set you on this path, and how did you arrive at this moment?

The majority of schools suggest mostly personal topics, but mention your professional motivations as one possibility. In that case, you don't have to say why you want to pursue a career in law, though you may find that explaining your motivation is a tidy way to end your essay.
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Pacifico brings up a good point when he says that you can usually find information about what a school is looking for on its admissions page. I'd have to disagree, though, with his first sentence. Many schools invite you to write about whatever you want, but many other schools want to know why you want to be a lawyer.

If you can't find information by Googling around, you can also call the school's admissions office or send them an email and explain that you want to get an early start on your PS.

Pacifico

Well said David, definitely some selection bias on my part

KelsoK13

Thanks Pacifico and David! Very helpful. I will get started on this right away!

IsabellaS

The personal statement course says almost everyone should write a diversity statement. Though I do have a possible idea about what I could write one on, the fact is that I'm not a minority, I don't come from a low-class background, I didn't move a ton growing up, or any of the other factors mentioned in the course. Will writing one make it seem like I'm ignoring my privilege?

David Busis

@IsabellaS could you let me know where it says that everyone should write a diversity statement? I may need to edit that.

In any case--no, not everyone should write one. You should write one if you are "diverse." You should definitely not write one if you don't have diversity factors.

nicole.hopkins

@david.busis said:
You should write one if you are "diverse." You should definitely not write one if you don't have diversity factors.

What about socio-economic diversity? More specifically during childhood, the effects of this as a young adult, etc.

Edit: Just saw this is in the course. However, I might like some guidance given that I'm several years out of school and am hardly "poor" as an adult. (Though parents' inability to meaningfully contribute to finances certainly sucked during/right after college ... )

David Busis

@nicole.hopkins Great question. Law schools are looking for all kinds of diversity: racial, socio-economic, cultural, etc. If you grew up without a lot of money, that's a valid diversity factor--even if you're doing well now.

nicole.hopkins

@david.busis said:
If you grew up without a lot of money, that's a valid diversity factor--even if you're doing well now.

Wow, my diversity statement just got a whole lot more interesting/impactful. Childhood struggles for the win! And I thought I was done playing the poor card ... (kidding/not kidding)

IsabellaS

@david.busis under the "Write a Diversity Statement" it says "Strongly consider writing an additional Diversity Statement, “no matter what”. This piece of advice applies to *almost* everyone."

So not quite everyone but it sounded like everyone should try to think of how they could write one at the very least.

David Busis

@IsabellaS Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Isabella. That lesson is from the old PS Bundle--I didn't write it--and I forgot that it existed. In any case, I don't agree with that advice, and I'll see about unpublishing it.

My advice in a nutshell: Write a diversity statement if you are diverse, defined very broadly (not just race/ethnicity). If you are not, don't--you'll just irritate the adcom.

You're better off writing a killer personal statement alone than writing a killer personal statement and a so-so diversity statement.

mes08

When should/shouldn't we write addenda? Any advice on how to avoid sounding whiny when explaining mitigating circumstances for a low GPA or LSAT score?

David Busis

@mes08 Great question. The point of an addendum is to show your good judgment--even if you're explaining bad judgment from the past. Some people will tell you to submit an addendum for anything; I've come to believe that a low-LSAT addendum is just as likely to hurt you as it is to help you.

Here's the test. Think of someone smart who didn't like you in high school, college or beyond. Imagine explaining your low GPA or LSAT score to that person. If that person would think your argument legitimate, go ahead and write it. If that person would be skeptical, don't write it.

Example of a valid low-GPA explanation: You had to travel home every weekend of your sophomore year to care for a sick relative. (Only works if your GPA is lower sophomore year than other years).

Example of a bad LSAT explanation: Someone's cell-phone rang during the test and you couldn't decide to cancel or not and you decided to cancel but then you forgot. (The cell-phone thing might have really thrown you off, but it may sound trivial to your reader. Forgetting to cancel your score makes you seem disorganized.)

CrazyAmbitious

@david.busis I am so happy to have come across this. I am in the midst of study havoc for the October and possibly December lsat but really want to get started on things like my personal statement etc. The only thing is I am not sure what or how to go about writing it. I never participated in extracurricular much until.my senior year of college and really started to get involved with thing like volunteering and what not until 2 yrs ago when my grandmother passed away.. Friends of mine have said that this is where I "sell myself " so to speak, but I've never been one to promote myself in a sense and not sure how to go about doing it...

Secondly, I feel it may be in my benefit to write a diversity statement but not sure how much to disclose in it... I'm a hispanic female, first in my immediate family to graduate from college and bisexual ( even though bisexuality amongst women almost goes unnoticed these days. Growing up in Cuban / Italian home made it a little difficult to say the least ...) and I was/am just below middle class...not sure how to go about working my quite stretching array of experiences into these two pieces of writing... any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated on the matter.

nordeend

Is growing up with divorced parents constitute a valid diversity statement? It seems similar (albeit not the same) to growing up in poverty. Without a doubt it puts stress on kids and it makes for a unique childhood of being introduced to step family and living in two places at the same time, among other things.

nicole.hopkins

@nordeend said:
It seems similar (albeit not the same) to growing up in poverty.

It's certainly a disadvantage, but I would caution you on the comparison to socio-economic disadvantage. For instance, I had many friends in undergrad who had grown up with divorced parents (several of them, rather gruesome divorces). Nevertheless, their prosperity (especially relative to myself and others who came from relative poverty) meant they had many advantages that students from other kinds of socio-economic statuses did not.

Another thing—divorce of parents is so common for our generation. For some people, it was a crushing blow they had to overcome. For others, it was just a particular kind of dysfunction they experienced.

nordeend

@nicole.hopkins hence "not the same."

nicole.hopkins

@nordeend said:
"not the same."

The strength of the comparison remains the grounds for my urging caution/discretion. Sure, it might work for a DS, but it depends on the individual's circumstances.

nordeend

@nicole.hopkins I totally agree. I definitely did not intend to make a strong comparison since all I said was "seems similar."

David Busis

@CrazyAmbitious I wouldn't worry too much about your extracurriculars for your PS. The idea is to tell a story about who you are. Check out the Personal Statement course--still only $.59--for some advice about how to get started.

As for your DS, I think everything you said is compelling. Try to think of one or two anecdotes that really encapsulate the adversity you faced, or the discomfort you felt in your household.

Actually, that advice applies for both stories. Start by brainstorming events and anecdotes that were meaningful to you and which speak to your identity; then figure out how to stitch them into an essay.

David Busis

@nordeend My gut is that your parents' divorce might be a tough sell for the DS, but as I think you know, it depends on the essay you end up writing. If your parents' divorce was a formative event, you might consider writing about it in your personal statement as well.

Whether you write about it in your DS or PS, though, you want to quickly move past your sadness and start talking about what you learned from it.

CrazyAmbitious

@david.busis Thank you for responding! I just purchased the course and look forward to going through the process. The hardest thing is getting started, as it is with most things. During the process of using the course, if we have any question or would like assistance in editing our letters, may we come to you ? Or is there a separate avenue in which we may acquire your assistance?

twihardarshiya8

Good afternoon, sir. This question has no relation with the essay but I desperately need help. I just graduated from high school with a GPA of 4.0 in India. Can I apply for LSAT?

David Busis

@twihardarshiya8 You need a college degree before you can apply for law school.

twihardarshiya8

Okay, thank you! ( :

c.janson35

Would an essay about a college athlete overcoming injuries/setbacks be viewed as cliché? It feels like a natural fit because of how much you put into sports in order to get to that level, but I don't know if it's overdone.

David Busis

@c.janson35 No story is cliche if you can write about it compellingly. I've read great essays about injuries. Go for it.

c.janson35

Thanks for the help! Trying to decide on a topic and have a few ideas. One more question: is it possible to write an essay about a certain topic without it being grounded in direct experience?

David Busis

@c.janson35 It depends. I'd shy away from writing a "I want to save the children" type essay if you have never volunteered for children-helping organizations. It would be perfectly reasonable, on the other hand, to say that you're interested in learning more about intellectual property law. Nobody would expect you to have IP experience before going to law school.

amanda_kw

@david.busis Hi David, I hope you are still answering questions. I didn't see an answer to this in the PS course, but I haven't finished it yet, so please link info if it's relevant.

I want to write about when, as a disaster volunteer, I broke the rules and used funds from my expense account to help a victim of a major disaster. For various policy reasons we couldn't give help her otherwise. She was a single mother of 3 (2/3 autistic children) and I went to the store to buy some formula and diaper for the youngest/ and things like toothpaste, etc.

I like this story, because it's one of the only times I can remember having a major conflict between doing the right thing / following the rules - and use this to talk about law and ethics and how that's I'm interested in studying the overlap/ and non-overlap of the two.

BUT, is it a bad idea to talk about breaking the rules (at all) in a law school personal statement?

Thanks!

miarielle82

I am no expert but I would be careful. I think the story would be better if you focused on your fight against the policy; that you stood up (maybe contacted the ppl in charge) and said that the policy goes against the very principle of the foundation etc. Turn it into more of a David/Goliath than a Robin Hood as you don't really have an evil sheriff (everyone is trying to help!), just a stealing Robin. The policy was, albeit inadequate, added for a reason. The success story lies in an attempt to change the policy.

David Busis

@amanda_kw That's a tough one. Can you de-emphasize the rule-breaking and just say that the organization had its hands tied, so you stepped in? I realize, though, that you're interested in the conflict between the rules and the right thing, and to write about that, you HAVE to say you broke the rules.

My gut instinct is maybe, which, I admit, is the lamest gut instinct ever. It depends on how the essay comes out. You'll have to address a sharp reader's possible objections. Were there good reasons for the policies that prevented your organization from helping the woman? If you can convince us that there weren't--if the policies were the result of an administration with misplaced priorities, say--then you might be on solid ground.