Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Apply for Membership

Categories

Personal Statement about How to Change the World (I know I know...)

goodbhaviourgoodbhaviour Free Trial Member
in Law School Admissions 54 karma

Hey 7Sagers!

Bringing up a touchy subject here, but I have been told to stay away from PS that talk about how to change the injustice/horrible world through law (in your PS). Does the same apply if you have personally gone through tough circumstances, poverty, or grew up in a country with such?

Further, I have been looking at many example essays (both admitted and rejected students) and it seems to me like many of the ADMITTED students talk about "securing rights and liberties for disadvantaged individuals" or "changing the world through law" aka making the world a better place. Now I realize there are a lot of different factors that can cause these individuals to be accepted, but nonetheless I couldn't help but notice a trend of these essays being admitted, when people are told to stay away from them...

Thoughts?

Show Related Discussions

Comments

  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27900 karma

    Just stay away from vague generalizations and abstractions. You don't want to give them a political/philosophical treatise. If you have a personal story of injustice that you've drawn broader lessons from, I think that would be great. You need to tell a story, and you must be the protagonist.

  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma

    Your dilemma is often talked and written about by admissions professionals. The real reason they generally advise students to stay away from these topics is that they are rarely written well. @"Cant Get Right" nailed it when he mentioned staying away from political treatises and vague abstractions/generalizations. This is so often what the PS of someone writing about these things ends up reading like.

    If you have a personal story to tell that can be written without becoming any of these things, then I think you'll be fine. Just note how the admitted student's essays tell their story and through it persuade the schools they will be successful students and attorneys.

  • Freddy_DFreddy_D Core Member ⭐
    2983 karma

    I agree with the above. If you have a compelling and personal reason, then go for it. Vague platitudes about changing the world will most likely hurt more than help.

  • goodbhaviourgoodbhaviour Free Trial Member
    54 karma

    Thank you all! This was actually a huge help :) Ugh... love this community.

Sign In or Register to comment.