Personal Statement... which way is the right way?

rrust

I am currently writing my Personal Statement for law schools and I keep receiving conflicting advice on the direction in which one should take for this essay. I hope the 7sage community can lend their advice. On one hand, some say it is imperative to mention in your PS why you want to go to law school, making this point the anchor of the essay. Others, whom I tend to agree with, emphasis that a PS should be an essay that tells admissions something that they would otherwise never know about you, something crucial perhaps in character development. I don't want to write some boring, vanilla-flavored essay that admissions has read a bajillion times, but rather write something that jumps off the page and is memorable. I suppose the two ideas I'm describing can be amalgamated...smh. Please help me, people..

LSATisland

Yes, optimally it should be a combination of those two. It need not be something they will "never know about you," but it should be something that is personal and cannot be gleaned from your resume.

You should try to present a narrative about yourself that is honest and conveys who you are. It is hard to give particular suggestions since everyone's life is different, but reflect on things that make you who you are, and if there are instances in your life that reflect that. Since you are someone who wants to go to law school, this is a part of who you are, and optimally should be tied to the narrative.

Sometimes its hard to inspect yourself, and so it might be helpful to ask family/friends etc.. for suggestions of stories or qualities that stand out.

Pacifico

@rrust said:
it is imperative to mention in your PS why you want to go to law school

Not true at all and you shouldn't strain for this. If it happens organically and ties it up nicely so be it. But far too many essays out there are just "Why Law/Law School?" and it is super boring in the vast majority of cases.

My only two rules for writing a PS are:
1) Don't be boring
2) Write well

If you can write in a way that captures the reader's attention, that is what you really want to do to separate yourself from the pack. The majority of the time you are basically having one person taking home a stack of 50 apps and reading all the apps and essays on their own. If 25 essays are run of the mill "why law?" then if you do the same you are not setting yourself apart and the PS will not be value added for you, when by most measures it is the third most important thing after LSAT/uGPA in the majority of cases.

GordonBombay

I did not write about why I wanted to go to law school in my personal statement. I got more scholarship money than I thought I would from multiple schools (based on my GPA & LSAT). It's not necessary.

hlsat180

Why you want to go to law school won't necessarily hurt, but doesn't need to be mentioned at all. The admit office doesn't care why you (and everyone else) wants to attend. They are assessing your contribution to their school's standing and student body. The LSAT and GPA speak to your intellect and academic discipline. The PS should glow, "more than a LSAT score and GPA, this is who I am and why I could contribute meaningfully to your student body." Plus, I can actually write well. So please pick me over that boring guy/gal with the similar LSAT/GPA yet soulless PS. Thank you.

Chipster Study

Thanks for the thoughts, guys.

rrust

Love the suggestions, guys! Thank you. Also, I'm very intrigued where that hawk story is going already...lol

Pacifico

The hawk dies at the end.

Chipster Study

But, it's a triumphant death after OP gets up every morning for 2 weeks at 5 am and rides his bike across town to doctor on it and who has to console the grade schoolers who are in tears who have adopted it as a class pet....

The 180 Bro_OVO

@david.busis is the way.

BruiserWoods

@Pacifico said:
The hawk dies at the end

omg

J.Y. Ping

@"The 180 Bro_OVO" thanks for vouching! David Busis's Admissions and Essay Writing course really is amazing. Everyone on 7Sage should pick it up. https://7sage.com/enroll-admissions/

dbusis

@rrust the short answer is that it depends on the prompt. Some law schools have open-ended questions; some ask you why you're applying to law school. If a prompt is open-ended, you can leave law school out of it.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, @"The 180 Bro_OVO". @Pacifico and @"Chipster Study" also give sage advice, with the one caveat, @"Chipster Study", that an overly dramatic first paragraph can come off as a bit paint-by-numbers. I see a lot of personal statements that try to create suspense by withholding information about setting, and it often makes the author look like he or she is trying too hard.

Chipster Study

@dbusis I totally get your point about not trying too hard. Well-taken from someone who is very experienced.