[Ended] Live Lightning Consultations—Tues, Aug 2nd @ 9pm EST

David BusisDavid Busis Member Moderator
edited August 2016 in Webinars 7262 karma

Update: Thanks for your amazing responses, everyone. I’ve been pouring through them, trying to figure out how I would choose from such worthy and gripping accounts, when I finally realized I don’t have to choose. I’m going to change the format instead.

Here’s how it works now: I’ll go through these statements in order, spending five minutes or less with each person. Even in such a small window, I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to dispense some sound advice.

When it’s your turn, I’ll ask you to unmute your mic. Everyone else should stay muted.

I’ll end the webinar after an hour. If someone doesn’t show up, I’ll skip her, so it’s hard to say how far down the list I’ll get.

Talk to you tomorrow.


7Sagers,

This Tuesday, at 9 pm EST, I’ll do a live lightning consultation for one 7Sager.

What’s a lightning consultation? Basically, I’ll try to be as helpful as I can in fifteen to thirty minutes. We might brainstorm personal statement topics, strategize about addenda, or discuss LORs.

If you want a free fifteen- to thirty-minute consultation about your law school application, I’ll need you to post a few things in the comments section:

  1. Your three-sentence biography.
  2. Your biggest worry about your application.
  3. Two ideas for your personal statement.

I’ll choose whoever I think will lead to the most interesting consultation, and announce my choice here on Tuesday. When I’m done, I’ll take questions from everyone.

To join, just follow this link: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/710740293

  1. Dial +1 (646) 749-3131
  2. Use the access code 710-740-293.
  3. Use the audio PIN shown after joining the meeting.

We’ll use Citrix GoToMeeting. The meeting ID is 710-740-293.

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Comments

  • SprinklesSprinkles Alum Member
    11542 karma
    Awesome idea and a great opportunity for this community! Question, what if we already have the PS written but still needs editing/another opinion?
  • Matthew524Matthew524 Member
    651 karma
    1) My name is Matthew, I am the youngest of four, whose parents are illiterate and came to America from the Middle East. I was born and raised in a low- income household in an inner city of New York where the public education was horrible and drugs and crime were apparent. At the age of 16, I was diagnosed with epilepsy, which basically has crippled me from doing many things in my life.

    2) The biggest worry about my application is my LSAT score.

    3) the first idea I have for my personal statement is when I witnessed my cousins murder when I was a kid. The second would be how my disability helped shape who I am as a person.
  • AlexAlex Alum Member
    23929 karma
    Thank you so much for doing this Mr. Busis. Yet another reason why 7Sage is so uniquely amazing :)
  • David BusisDavid Busis Member Moderator
    7262 karma
    @montaha.rizeq I'm afraid I can't give feedback on a draft for this, but if you want to throw your hat in the ring I might be able to help you with some other aspect of your application, or give you some general feedback on your PS concept.
  • esteeroseesteerose Alum Member
    edited August 2016 382 karma
    Deleted

  • brna66brna66 Member
    3 karma
    1. My name is Brian. I am 22 year old that works at the NYS Senate. I recently picked up longboarding.

    2. Biggest worry is my LSAT score

    3. Working at the Senate as an LD and falling in love with law.
    3.5 Wanting to fight corruption in govt
  • mmutanukammutanuka Alum Member
    11 karma
    1. My name is Mambwe Mutanuka. I currently work for a non-profit healthcare system as a Director of Contracts. I have a MBA and I am finally pursuing law school after years of considering it. I moved to the United States from Zambia as a college student.

    2. My LSAT score.

    3. (i) My story of growing up in Zambia and immigrating to the United States. (ii) To describe how after years of considering law school (from a very young age), and after working in a field that is closely related to law, I have concluded that it is my calling and I don't want to regret not pursuing a career in law.
  • asisearthasisearth Member
    edited July 2016 24 karma
    1. Bio: Ayesha H. is one of eleven children who grew up on Long Island in New York and is now a single mother of three living in the Bronx. Having held a host of different occupations including stockbroker, theater actress and business manager, Ayesha currently works as a housecleaner while studying for the LSAT and preparing law school applications. Ayesha used to enjoy long walks in the park, however, the rise in police brutality keeps her indoors these days.

    2. Biggest Worry: Personal Statement (mainly which subject matter to write about and format - making sure it flows)

    3. Ideas for Personal Statement:

    The time I became homeless when losing my job as a stockbroker after 9/11, battling depression, starting over which eventually lead to my decision to study the law.
    OR
    Growing up a muslim, attending a Catholic school and going to a Baptist church on Sundays and how it had bearing on me becoming an atheist as an adult.

    (I have more ideas but these are just two)
  • 7SageKindness7SageKindness Alum Member
    edited August 2016 58 karma
    Great idea!
  • jacobgirard0jacobgirard0 Member
    41 karma
    1. I'm the head of strategic partnerships for a tech company in Southern California and our mission is to help provide products to government agencies that enable them to deliver better services to society. In my working with the public sector I have been introduced to the role of law within a corporate setting and I've gained a passion for its function in foundational business development. I serve as a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica, teaching music to the youth members.

    2. My biggest worry with my application is standing out amongst thousands of other well qualified applicants.

    3. a. Using a legal education to start or grow a company that makes the world a better place.

    b. Protecting people from being taken advantage of by others.
  • kylereinhardkylereinhard Alum Member
    edited March 2017 72 karma
    .
  • atongyuanatongyuan Member
    3 karma
    1. My name is Anji and I currently working as a project manager in the Oil & Gas industry. When I was younger, I was absolutely convinced that I would spend my entire adult life as a starving artist living in a cardboard box in the streets of New York, but the reality of the situation made me reconsider, so I went to a non-art college. After I graduated in the aftermath of the '08 economic crash, I spent two years in Asia studying and doing odd jobs before I returned to the US.

    2. I am the most concerned about my LSAT score. The logic games, which many people say is the easiest section, always manages to throw me off. Hard.

    3. For my personal statement, I am considering writing about (a) being able to understand/identify my cultural identity, or (b) writing about my liberal arts background and how it applies to my experience working in large, multinational companies.
  • Stephanie57049Stephanie57049 Alum Member
    69 karma
    1. I audit Native American Tribal Governments. I was the CFO for a chain of community health clinics providing low-to-no cost medical/dental care for several years, and still assist part-time. I had great childhood on the family farm and a great fondness for helping others - usually through cooking (who doesn't love food?).
    2. LSAT Score/Letters of Recommendation
    3. I don't particularly like talking about the bad times. So I'd enjoy a happier topic like (a) hobby of dog showing or (b) helping some out and the later unexpected reciprocity.
  • juliekimjuliekim Alum Member
    36 karma
    1. Your three-sentence biography:
    Hi David! My name is Julie Kim and I graduated from UCSB in 2015 with a BA in Philosophy and a minor in Black Studies. I'm currently working full-time as an office administrator at my dad's construction company, but have always been working for him part-time since 2009. My current favorite book is "Insatiable: Porn -- A Love Story" by Asa Akira.

    2. Your biggest worry about your application:
    I have a low GPA but have shown steady improvement every year for four years. Nonetheless, it's a low number.

    3. Two ideas for your personal statement:
    i) When my family emigrated from S.Korea in 1999, we moved into one of the poorest neighborhoods in southern California. Growing up as one of three Asian kids in the area, I dealt with racism and hate-crimes from my Black neighbors and classmates. I grew up despising Black people because of my childhood past. But in college I took one black studies course that changed my perspective forever. I learned that we were both victims of white supremacy and America's unique racial hierarchy, and graduated with a black studies minor.

    ii) The time when I finally stood up for myself and our company when the general contractor of a project we were working at the time said to me, "you asians are all the same -- you work like idiots and weasel your way around everything." I have always held my tongue and been a pushover out of fear that we'll be cut from the job, and because I'm naturally a people-pleaser and don't like confrontation. But thanks to that asshole, I learned that I don't have be the "yes-man" and I can demand respect when it's due. I gained a lot more confidence in myself and in the workplace after that incident.
  • 7 karma
    Your three-sentence biography. My name is Rosie Basile and I am a Black, Cuban, Irish, and Italian woman from a working class town called Shamokin. I am a first generation college grad who finished college 8 years ago and has spent the last 8 years working in urban charter schools as a teacher, behavior specialist, and dean. My mother and father are the most influential people in my life (ah, what a novel statement!), but it's important to note that my father has a traumatic brain injury and my mother has epilepsy.
    Your biggest worry about your application. I am worried about my LSATs in September. I work 60 hours per week and fitting in adequate LSAT prep is challenging, to say the least.
    Two ideas for your personal statement. 1) growing up with a father with no executive functioning, short term memory, or impulse control; 2) being recently impelled to consider a career in law after losing two cousins, both of whom were represented by shoddy public defenders.
  • SprinklesSprinkles Alum Member
    11542 karma
    Loving these entries!!! Keep em coming and I'm excited to see who David picks :)
  • Prosecutor23Prosecutor23 Alum Member
    6 karma
    1) Hi David, my name is Chaffon-Monet Johnson and I'm 23 years old who graduated from John Jay College in 2014 with a degree in forensic psychology and minor in philosophy. I've been working at a law firm as a legal assistant since I graduated. I enjoy watching horror and drama movies along with cooking new foods.

    2)My biggest worry about my law school application is my college gap and also writing my addendum as to why I took two years off after graduating from college. My mom ended up having two surgeries back to back so I had to go and take care of her and help my family while working.

    3) My two ideas for my personal statement are: 1) Being raised by two military parents and how that has always impacted my life by means of moving, learning to adapt, meeting new people from all different walks of life, and learning how to appreciate the moments in my life as they come no matter how difficult or unfortunate they may be. The second idea for my personal statement is about my mom. I know that may sound crazy but I watched her be a soldier in the military just to give me a better life and I've watched her go from a soldier to a doctor of psychology. She was in the military and still went to school to become a psychologist, while being mother and wife. I aspire to be just like her and she has instilled her dedication, determination, and passion into me. She is my hero and the force behind every success in my life and this I owe to her. She is the greatest person in my life.

  • tofuspeedstartofuspeedstar Alum Member
    139 karma
    1) I'm 27 years old, I got burnt out working in IT for the largest financial services/investment banking firm in the world and through a blessing in disguise I was laid off in March with a full severance package (leaving behind a near 6 figure salary). Currently I'm studying full time for the September or December 2016 LSAT. At the age of 13 I was diagnosed with epilepsy while battling an ongoing fight with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Pupura that carried well over into my undergrad years and affected my GPA greatly and cut my basketball career short (played AAU, high school etc..wanted to play in college)

    2) My biggest worry is turning in an imperfect application as I will be a splitter (hopefully a super splitter because I'm going to crush the LSAT)

    3) PS ideas: 1) Basketball and battling various medical diagnosis to still be able to play today. 2) My passion for automotive track racing and what I've learned through it that I can carry over as a law student (patience, precision, etc..)
  • MaxineSPMaxineSP Alum Member
    83 karma
    I am a 20 years old and am graduating a full year early from college. I interned this summer in the New York State Supreme Court and am studying to take my second LSAT. I have spent my whole life working to get into law school- I can't remember a time when I didn't want to become a lawyer. I participate in Student Senate, Mock trial, and am President of the Pre-Law club. I also hold 3 part time jobs while at school.

    I worry about my GPA- having taken 4 years of classes in 3 years forced me to take many difficult classes at once, which made me not do as well as I had hoped.

    One idea for my personal statement is my traumatic brain injury and how it lead me to become certified as a 200-hour yoga instructor. It changed me from a very type-A personality to a more mindful person. Another idea is the two sides of my family history. My maternal grandfather had three ivy league degrees and was the chairman of a huge mutual fund in NYC. My mother grew up in a rich white suburb and has an associates degree. My paternal grandfather was a dutch sailor who left home at 13 to sail to America. My father grew up in a poor city, where he joined the police department directly from HS. I think that growing up with such differing perspectives shaped me in an interesting way.
  • StudytheLsatsStudytheLsats Alum Member
    8 karma
    1. I am a 26 year old woman (girl?) living in South Korea. Growing up I had the fortune of living in three different countries, allowing me from an early age to experience the culture, people, language, and social structures vastly different from my own. It has effected how I look at the world and my interaction with it on a daily basis.
    Post graduation, I have held numerous job titles including paralegal, public relations consultant, and ESL teacher. Through all of it, I realized my passion lies in service and helping others and my strengths in attention to detail, hard work, and ability to connect with others.

    2. Recommendations from professors, since it has been over 5 years since graduation, and even longer still since I've taken any of their classes. I was a shy student who stayed away from office hours preferring to study quietly in the privacy of my own dorm room. I will ask a former work supervisor for my second recommendation letter.

    3. My volunteer experience with a local non profit organization that matched me with a refugee from North Korea. While we were the same age, his hardened face made him look 10 years older than his was while his stunted growth made him look 10 years younger than he was. I taught him English every week. I guess my essay could be a narrative about him, but I will tie in my work experiences and qualities that I've acquired along the way that will make me a good law school candidate.

    I would also write a diversity statement as I am an international student from South Korea. When I was born, my grandfather was disappointed I wasn't a boy. Korea is a homogenous nation, with strong moral beliefs of right and wrong. I moved 14 times in my life in 7 cities in 3 countries. The beliefs I had been ingrained to believe wore away as I was exposed to cultures so different from my own. I felt like an outsider pretty much everywhere, with no niche to call home. Even in my home country, people felt off-put by me because my pronunciation was slightly 'off' or I had a 'gyopo' (Korean American) look. Ironically, Korean Americans didn't feel I was American enough, telling me I enunciated the 't' in the word 'international' too much and pointing out the fact that my parents were living in Japan.
  • G6_1L_QueenG6_1L_Queen Alum Member
    edited August 2016 81 karma
    (1) I'm 46 years old mother of four (3 boys, 1 girl) who attended and graduated from Fordham University with 3.2 GPA while working full-time. I've been working in the legal field for approximately 28 years -- beginning first as a secretary and currently as a paralegal manager.

    (2) My age and that I have too many directions to go with my personal statement and I may have a hard time reining it in and writing a coherent statement.

    (3) (A) My first idea would be to write about beating the odds: from a 16 year runaway, high school drop out to going back to school at age 25 while working full time in a demanding field while being a mom to 3 young kids. I want to show that I can face the law school challenge head on and fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming an attorney.

    (B) My second idea would be to talk about raising my three boys whom are biologically all mine, but look completely different from each other (Hispanic, Caucasian and African American) to the outside world and how because of this Ive had to have "the talk" in different ways and raised each a little differently trying to prepare them for a world who may judge them differently because of the color of their skin, both in a good way and a bad way. Then I think I would like to dovetail into another one of my reasons for becoming an attorney (aside from it being life-long dream) and talk about wanting to become a civil rights attorney to hopefully make a difference -- not only by bringing a little justice, but also by educating all races and demonstrating how even though we might be different on the outside, we have more in common than we realize.
  • mmmmmkaymmmmmkay Member
    6 karma
    Hi David,

    Thanks so much for doing this.

    1. My name is Fon. I'm 23, female, and graduated with an international affairs degree from GWU last year. I was an international student from Bangkok, Thailand, where I lived for 18 years.

    2. My biggest worry is the LSAT. I'm taking it this September and right now I'm scoring around 164, but want to do better. The problem areas are speeding up (in all sections) and not panicking.

    3. Idea #1: I want to write about my experience witnessing coup after coup in Thailand and the awareness of rule of law from an early age (or lack thereof). I remember the fear and uncertainty. With a law degree, I can figure ways to help strengthen the rule of law while protecting myself and my family. Idea #2: I was thinking of writing about my many travels and how that helped shape my world view, but I'm also considering weaving that into the first idea. Should I do that or do you think it would detract from the first idea?

    Thank you!
    Fon
  • jspence316jspence316 Member
    14 karma
    1. My name is Jack Spencer, I'm 28 and graduated Poli Sci/Int'l Relations from GWU in 2011. I'm somewhat of an atypical law school candidate. After graduating I lived in Egypt for three years and became fluent in Arabic. I now freelance translate (Arabic-English) and work for an Int'l Human Rights org here in the US. I'm averaging around a 171 and had a 3.6 in undergrad.

    2. My biggest worry about my application are my references. I have one strong professional reference. I could have a second solid professional reference as well, but it would be from the same job, so potentially redundant. More worrying is that I don't have a strong academic reference. It's been 5 years since I had a professor with good written English. I could reach out to a few from five years ago or to a few foreign professors, but I fear the reference letter they'd write would be rote. Should I include an academic reference even if it's weak? Should I have three references instead of two, even if the third doesn't add much? And what's the statute of limitations on references? Is going back to someone I knew well 8 years ago too far?

    3. I plan to write about my experience learning a foreign language, living abroad in politically unstable country, and my recent work with Middle Eastern human rights activists and lawyers. I plan to tie this together to show that I can commit to something difficult and to give a glimpse into why I want to study international law.
  • ay_fegetaboutitay_fegetaboutit Alum Member
    116 karma
    (1) Grew up in a rural, 200-person town. Have been one of the top national debaters since high school. Attend a liberal arts school with a 3.95
    (2) The LSAT
    (3) Have played the violin since 3 y/o (performed at a very high level at young age & could have played professionally in a symphony orchestra). That or debate.
  • desire2learndesire2learn Member
    1171 karma
    1. I am a 33 year old husband, father, and elementary PE teacher who has been blessed to be a part of several close-knit communities throughout my life. I love working with kids, coaching kids, and helping kids know they have people in their life who care about them and want them to succeed. I am a Seventh-day Adventist christian who is grateful for God's love and forgiveness and who struggles daily to have a real relationship with Him.
    2. My biggest worry about my application is that I am a very boring/average candidate (white, male, no real hardships/very plain life story) and I do not know what to write about with my personal statement.
    3. The picture that sits in my office at school of the very first team I coached as a new college grad and how the community and support that was built through that team continues today.
    My involvement in a mountain rescue at age 17 that changed my view of how active and real God is.
  • elizabethwdutyelizabethwduty Free Trial Member
    edited July 2016 7 karma
    1) I am a 28 year old mom of 2 boys and I have my Bachelor's Degree from Harding University. Not outstanding although I am involved in my community. I am fluently bilingual in both English & Spanish. I am naturally talented in the arts (singing and playing the cello for weddings/events) and my professional focus is in Real Estate which I believe can provide for a secure future.
    2) My Resume
    3) I thought about reviewing the struggles that my parents faced in legally immigrating to the US and expound on applying that same commitment to realize a dream to my goal in graduating from law school.
  • Zachary CarpenterZachary Carpenter Alum Member
    77 karma
    1. Hello! After graduating high school at 16, I began what would become one of my state's largest marketing agencies. Following my college graduation at 20, I sold that company for several million dollars. Now, I'm looking for my next adventure, and having loved undergrad-mock trial, I know that law school is where I'd like to be.

    2. I have a little bit of a conflicting application. Being so young starting undergrad, and really having my pick of school after high school, I had little grasp of the importance of a GPA. I was a terrible student my first few semesters. I want to find a way to draw the Adcom's attention to the hard work exhibited in my resume, and those last few semesters where I made The Dean and President's list. (Full disclosure: I do have a medical addendum for those first few semesters, but I think that will only go so far.)

    3. I applied last application cycle and used a personal statement that was focused on the theme of "Figuring it out." My parents always encouraged me to solve my own problems, and I think that contributed heavily to who I am as a person, and how I might better solve problems in law school. I also had an idea that I thought was interesting, but I will definately need some consultation on: I think a resume is a list of the least interesting things about me. For example, I worked at a summer camp. That's cool. It's on my resume. I talk about what I did there. The experience that most effected me, though, isn't on my resume. The exerience that most effected me was when a ten year old said something that is now painted across the lobby of my office building, so I can see it every day. I don't know how to tie this into law school, but I think it could have an interesting (read: not boring) flair.
  • maijl4maijl4 Alum Member
    18 karma
    1. My name is Mercedes Landry and I will be a senior at Texas A&M University this fall. I am from Houston, TX. I currently work on campus in the deans office at the Bush School of Government and Public Service.

    2. My biggest worry is the LSAT.

    3. My two ideas for my personal statement are my co-ed business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi and how volunteering at the Houston SPCA has made me who I am today.
  • tofuspeedstartofuspeedstar Alum Member
    139 karma
    @maijl4 Houston represent :)
  • Not Ralph NaderNot Ralph Nader Alum Member Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    2098 karma
    1) My name is Nader, I am the youngest of seven, left my family at the age of 16 and moved to Southeast Asia, got my MBA while working for a start-up, few years later managed to immigrated to Canada. I was born and raised in a low- income family in Middle East.

    2) My LSAT score.

    3) the first idea: my professional chess career from the point that my father thought me chess when I was 5 until when he forbidden me to play chess at age of 11 because of my poor results; to the point that I practiced on my own and become champion of my province youth tournament at age of 15.

    3.5) The second would be how all those around me could not afford a lawyer and got shortchanged which gives me a very personal reason to become a lawyer.
  • LSATtruth.LSATtruth. Alum Member
    175 karma
    1) My name is Hakeem Muhammad, i'm from the South Side of Chicago, where I witnessed numerous social ills emanating from gang-violence, the drug economy, and poverty. This inspired for me the desire to change my community and be an advocate of social justice and activism. I have worked in the African-American Male Initiative, taught public speaking and debate at U.C Berkeley/Michigan State debate Camps, and recently delivered a lecture on protest rhetoric at Harvard Debate Council.

    2) My LSAT Score, my GPA is solid and I have solid extracurricular activities, just need the lsat score to match.

    3 My personal statements will be geared toward public interest/civil rights law: Joining the Urban Debate League in high-school,and becoming a National Champion, defeating elite, more economically prosperous schools, while homeless. (overcoming obstacles stories)
    3.5. Lessons I learned working in the african american male initiative helping underprivileged students overcome educational barriers.
  • tanes256tanes256 Alum Member
    2573 karma
    1.Your three-sentence biography.
    Hello, my name is Tanesha. I currently work as a paralegal in the real estate industry. I've worked in the legal field in various areas for 9 yrs.

    2.Your biggest worry about your application.
    Not having anything interesting or unique to stand out from other applicants. I don't have much volunteering to add other than distributing sample ballots and providing a brief synopsis of a candidate's agenda at voting polls. I wasn't really active in undergrad and I'm still not. My undergrad GPA isn't the greatest so what if my LSAT score is also not the greatest?? This added to lack of accomplishments, volunteerism, etc. definitely makes me worry.

    3.Two ideas for your personal statement.
    Continuing to pursue law school after chemotherapy and brain tumor (I don't really know what this has to do with anything but I thought about just talking about continuing to strive for a legal career despite the curveballs life has thrown and somehow throwing work experience in there as well).

    or

    Discussing when and how I determined I wanted to practice law. My 5th grade teacher structured our classroom as a "city." We were all "citizens" and a few of us had extra roles. I was the lawyer. I was able to "argue" against and lower the fines imposed by the officers in the "city" to individual citizens. I was also able to negotiate "sanctions" imposed by our teacher. My proudest moment was being able to regain recess privileges for the entire class after being revoked by our teacher.
  • hannah526hannah526 Member
    edited August 2016 89 karma
    This is a great idea!
  • hannah526hannah526 Member
    89 karma
    My name is Hannah. I was raised in a great family, with supportive parents and siblings. My main challenges and successes have come through my experience as a pastor’s kid. Of course it came with its challenges, but the benefits have outweighed them all. Since then, I received a degree in ancient languages and biblical literature and have worked for a non-profit organization.

    My biggest concern is that I will be able to express myself fully in a short and strategic way on my Personal Statement and Application.

    Statement ideas: 1. About 20 years ago, my father reconnected with our Jewish family in Israel, after being estranged for years. Since his grandmother converted to Christianity, all ties were severed. My childhood dream was to find them and mend the relationship as well. I studied Hebrew for four years and prepared for the trip. Then when I was 20, I spent a month in Israel and met my cousins and aunts. I learned about the power of love that speaks universally across different cultures and belief systems.

    2. It can be tough working hard for your own dreams, let alone working for dreams that are not your own. I have learned that serving the dream of my parents, at their church, has actually brought me more satisfaction and growth than I could ever imagine. Although I did not see it initially, I learned the lessons of hard work, selflessness, and the importance of relationships. In the end, working with my parents ended up giving me invaluable lessons for my future.
  • stepharizonastepharizona Alum Member
    edited August 2016 3197 karma
    Cant wait!
  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27809 karma
    Three Sentence Biography
    I grew up in Madison, MS- a high income suburb of Jackson with good schools- and went on to graduate with a BA in English Literature from the University of Southern Mississippi in December 2008, about three months after Lehman Bros declared bankruptcy and the whole world economy and job market went to shit; and so like so many of my friends, I found refuge in the food service industry (With a degree in English this would probably have happened anyway, lol). What was perhaps more surprising is how much I came to love it: I got the opportunity to help develop a concept for a local coffee & lunch spot which really caught on and became a local institution. As I really became a part of it, I fell in love with the little city of Hattiesburg and got to know hundreds of people who composed the bulk of its active community; but as happy as I was there, I never did feel content- I still wanted to do something big, to leave an impact- so I decided to return to school for degrees in law and public policy to position myself to advocate, as best I can, for equal access to quality education.

    Application Worry
    My biggest worry about my application is my GPA. There is a discrepancy over a class which I dropped but have recently discovered I received a grade which factors into my GPA as an F. The notation for the grade is NA, which I mistakenly assumed meant “not applicable” but which I have now learned means “not attended.” The professor of the class died recently and efforts to correct my transcript have so far been unsuccessful. The correction would bring my GPA from a 3.64 to a 3.75 which seems to make an enormous difference when plugged into a law school calculator.

    Personal Statement Idea 1
    My time as a professional poker player, and why the greatest single hand of my career was the last hand I ever played. The exact moment I knew I had what it took to really make it, I left it all behind.

    Personal Statement Idea 2
    My move from a progressive college town to rural North Mississippi, the culture of racial divide I found there, my helplessness to change it, and my conviction to try.
  • benjipantsbenjipants Member
    65 karma
    1) Your three-sentence biography.

    I'm a 41 year-old former actor with a lifelong passion for environmental issues. I'm currently working as a legal intern, focusing on pro-bono environmental efforts. I have a Certificate in Horticulture from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and am about to become a Master Composter through the Master Compost Certificate Program sponsored by the NY Dept. of Sanitation.

    1) Your biggest worry about your application.

    My biggest concern about my application is my academic/professional record, which I'm afraid won't assure an admissions committee that I can hack the intellectual rigor of law school. I did very well in pretty much all my undergrad academics in terms of GPA, but bounced around undergrad institutions. I transferred from a good liberal arts school after 1.5 years to an acting conservatory (BFA program), then left after two years and finally finished my undergrad degree at a non-highly-rated institution with what looks like a non-rigorous major. Because of my acting transfer credits from the BFA program, I have the unusual distinction of holding a Bachelor of Science in... Liberal Arts (technically my major). My academic grades were always pretty high, my acting grades in the BFA program were all over the place, and again, I did not have what looks like a rigorous major from the institution where I finished undergrad (a B.Sci. with a concentration in 'Visual Studies').

    Aside from acting, most of my professional work has been in the service industry (yes, I know this probably goes without saying).

    My ideas to counter this potential weakness in academic credentials:
    a) Include one or two strong high-level papers written as an undergrad (good idea?)
    b) Include an addendum emphasizing my academic marks over my acting marks
    c) Hopefully obtain a strong letter of recommendation from my supervisor at the law firm which will emphasize my capacity for the particular demands of legal work.

    3) Two ideas for your personal statement.

    First Idea: Write about going home for a year to take care of a parent undergoing treatment for brain cancer. This was a transitional experience for me which in many ways initiated my interest in environmental advocacy and law school (essentially: finding my core values, re-connecting with nature in a way I hadn't since childhood, and seeking deeper meaning in my life's work).

    Second Idea: Writing about various experiences that led me to understand studying law as a way to make a substantive difference in the world vis-a-vis the environment. These include studying horticulture (the business, ironically, is anything but 'green'), becoming a master composter, and experiences in my day job (running events in NY), where I witnessed a shocking level of waste (and I realized that there needed to be stronger, smarter laws and better enforcement of statutes around recycling).

    Somewhere in there I want to talk about a recent experience I had of finding myself stuck with a giant garbage pail of chicken poop, which I simply couldn't throw away (I wouldn't dream of sending all that valuable nitrogen to a landfill). Somehow that moment crystallizes my values and my understanding of my place in the world.

  • moiguemoigue Free Trial Member
    edited August 2016 4 karma
    I am Moises, a father of 3. I've worked in insurance for 10+ yrs. In 2014 relocated to Brazil to care for my ill father (with cancer; well now). While here I attended law school. I'll be returning to the US in 2017 where I will pursue a JD and intend to practice law in my home state, CA.

    My main worries with my applications are the LSAT since I've attended a foreign school which does not report an Undergrad GPA, and my personal statement.

    As for my personal statement, I have though of writing about having to give up everything I had constructed to go overseas and help my father, and using that adverse time to reinvent myself, heading back to the US to pursue my long life dream career of becoming and attorney.
  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27809 karma
    Wow, I really hope you don’t pick me @david.busis . So many wonderful and interesting people and I just want to hear more of their stories.
  • David BusisDavid Busis Member Moderator
    7262 karma
    Heads up guys, I've changed the format. See the initial post, which I edited. I'll get through as many as I can, but I don't think I'll get to everyone!
  • Help2222Help2222 Member
    240 karma
    Hi David:
    I would like to know how to say that I am a Vietnam Veteran in my personal statement without making this my whole personal statement.
  • stephgmeisterstephgmeister Alum Member
    edited August 2016 100 karma
    Hi David,

    Thanks for this great opportunity!

    Bio: I am first generation Mexican- American whose only family in the United States consists of my mother and sister. My older sister and I were the first people in our family (we come from a huge family, mom has 10 brothers and sisters) to ever graduate from university. I am extremely passionate about food and want to improve our current food system which is built on the exploitation of humans (mostly undocumented) and animals.

    My biggest worry about my application is my GPA since I have 2 "No Passes" from classes I took just for fun (I didn't know these counted as F's btw until after the fact) which brought my cumulative GPA from 3.5 to a 3.24. However, I was approved for testing accommodations for the LSAT. Do you think that if I score a 170 my 3.24 will still make me a very good candidate at my top choice school: UCLA?

    My first idea for my personal statement would be about how I came to develop a passion for what we eat (Mom became diabetic and I realized that we live in a culture that does not support our health, we are constantly bombarded with junk food advertising and weight loss pills, Big Ag has taken over leaving farmers with barely enough means to scrape by and the rest of us to figure out what to eat by chasing convenience.

    My second idea would be about my Mexican mother coming to this country illegally with not even a dollar to her name, was worked like a slave, mistreated, but then was granted citizenship with farmworker papers and now provides affordable housing to low- income individuals in one of the most affluent cities in the country. She raised two daughters who also developed a passion for social justice and are advocates for positive change.

    Even if I don't get chosen, I hope we can email or you can reply to my response. Thanks so much for doing this!

    -Stephanie
  • SprinklesSprinkles Alum Member
    11542 karma
    @stephgmeister said:
    My second idea would be about my Mexican mother coming to this country illegally with not even a dollar to her name, was worked like a slave, mistreated, but then was granted citizenship with farmworker papers and now provides affordable housing to low- income individuals in one of the most affluent cities in the country. She raised two daughters who also developed a passion for social justice and are advocates for positive change.
    I LOVE this! Good for you all.
  • mp35001mp35001 Free Trial Member
    edited August 2016 3 karma
    This is a great idea! Looking forward to the session tmr!
  • Dee SmithDee Smith Alum Member
    8 karma
    Hello,
    BIO: I'm a 32 year old single mother to a 6 year old. I have worked in law enforcement for the last 8 years. I have wanted to practice law since I was 11 years old but I have only recently made a decision to follow through.

    My biggest worry: My low GPA. I graduated college 10 years ago and was in a completely different frame of mind at that time. I need every other aspect of my application to outshine my GPA.

    Personal Statement Ideas: One option is to speak about my transition from law enforcement to pursuing the practice of law and how witnessing police brutality has lit a fire in me to fight for human rights. Another option is to speak about my community service efforts and how dedicated I am to making a difference in lower income areas.
  • yimeiyimei Member
    138 karma
    1. Your three-sentence biography:
    My name is Yimei Zhang and I am a senior in University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, studying History and Polisci. I was born and raised in China and have been studying in Hong Kong. I speak Cantonese, Mandarin and French.

    2. Your biggest worry about your application.
    LSAT. My June score was not satisfying despite I felt good with my PTs. I will study heartlessly for September.

    3. Two ideas for your personal statement.
    a) I have many different working experiences. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Brookings Institution in DC. I have been to 20 countries.

    b) I have come a long way since I set my mind to pursue JD degree. I transferred from HK, I chose a major that is difficult for non-native speaker over majors that would be easy for me, I worked in DC for a semester, and I studied French (I want to be an international lawyer).


    Thank you, David!
  • Grace...Grace... Alum Member
    339 karma
    Will this webinar be recorded and made available for us to watch later?
  • inactiveinactive Alum Member
    12637 karma
    @LSATmaster said:
    Will this webinar be recorded and made available for us to watch later?
    No. Admissions webinars are not recorded since most is available through the Admissions Starter course. You can pick up the Admissions Starter course here:
    https://7sage.com/enroll-admissions/
  • inactiveinactive Alum Member
    12637 karma
    Starting shortly!
  • diefor170diefor170 Member
    edited August 2016 129 karma
    missed this webinar so sad
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