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Related Discussions
How to Write a Personal Statement Without (Almost) Any Notable Experiences?
bobbutwith8characters
Free Trial Member
Disclaimer: I do have one personal experience that may be worth writing about. I had something of a nervous breakdown on campus, and it served a catalyst for beginning treatment of my depression. I'm "back to normal," now, but all the online advice I've read recommends against writing about depression. I believe I can write a compelling personal statement about my recovery from depression. But I think the risks are too high. For example, law school is going to be a challenging time in my life, and the admissions people won't know for sure I won't slip backwards. Ideally, I wouldn't write about depression.
That being said, I truly have nothing else going for me. Every personal statement sample I've seen from T14 schools is at least supplemented by noteworthy experiences, such as demanding work, internships, or hobbies. I don't have any of that. My most complicated job was working as a teacher's assistant for one semester about a subject I had no passion for, and my only extracurriculars are some very basic volunteering. I volunteered for a gubernatorial campaign and with Syrian refugees. But I was mostly posting signs for the campaign, and I was simply correcting the pronunciation of Syrian refugees who read aloud to me.
Perhaps one event that could inspire a personal statement was when I stayed over-time as a teacher's assistant to help a student who suffered a brain injury. But I can't imagine writing a long or even compelling statement based on that alone.
Thanks for reading. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Comments
Have you tried out 7Sage's admissions course for $15? There might be something in there that'll set off a spark for you!
It's not necessarilly a good idea if you don't view them as sugnificant in your life, but I imagine either a gubernatorial campaign or working with Syrian refugees could be significant enough to write a personal statement about.
I also think that you could craft a compelling statement out of learning to handle the anxiety and nervous breakdowns. I think you might be overestimating the riskiness of such a statement, but I haven't researched it much. I also think writing it to use for reach schools might makes sense even if it was risky.
Ultimately, you should write about ehat is important to you. If that's Syrian refugees write about them. If it's politics write about your gubernatorial experience. If it is overcoming your anxiety then I would probably write about that. If it's something else you want to brainstorm and find it.
Once you find your topic of importance to you connect it to your desire to practice law and attend Law School.
Good luck!
@FerdaFresh Thank you for the advice. Had no idea there was a $15 option.
I think the admissions course will probably help, as @FerdaFresh suggested. A major takeaway I had after completing the admissions course was that your PS should really try to convey "this is who I am" rather than "look at this thing I did." In their PS, people often do tell stories about experiences they have had because it allows them achieve the ultimate goal of helping admissions committees gain a clear picture of who they are as a person. But I think it is definitely possible to have a strong PS without having to focus on one particular life event or experience.
@LindsMitch is exactly right. 100%
I'm not sure if every law school will view it that way though- someone in my immediate family wrote their personal statement on their battle with depression and anorexia, and how the Canadian government failed to properly fund rehabilitation centres for those with debilitating eating disorders. Keep in mind, on top of this, this person was not a stellar student for the first few years & had no job experience due to their mental illness (took them about 6 years to complete their undergrad). Yet, they got into law school at the school of their dreams. We actually think that their PS did wonders; it helped explain the uncompetitive grades and lack of experience, while also setting the stage for the kind of law they want to be involved in & what inspired them to keep pushing despite the odds. Not everyone who suffers from mental illness is able to bounce back & apply to graduate schools and move forward in their life; in my opinion, they have twice the weight that other students have on their shoulders when applying, studying, etc. I think a PS on that could be really inspiring!
@kshutes13 Thank you for the anecdote; that's very inspiring.
@LindsMitch Thank you for your advice. Would you happen to know if any of the sample personal statements in the course dealt with depression or other mental health issues?
@imadl95 Within the course, there are a number of sample PS that you can read, I don't remember one specifically about depression/mental health but that of course doesn't mean you shouldn't write about it. I really would recommend the course to you, I think you'd find it very helpful. There is a whole section on just topic selection, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to go about writing really personal topics or issues that were especially challenging without making it sound like you're throwing a pity party.
I also really liked a section in the course that looks at real PS before and after edits, so you can see the evolution of some of the essays and how it is possible to really fit any topic into a single-story, narrative style. There is also a really helpful brainstorming exercise in the course that may help you come up with a new topic if you aren't sold on writing about your experience with depression.
For $15, I would say it is definitely worth it.
I can also vouch for the admissions course! I felt I was in a similar situation at one point; I felt I did nothing throughout college except survive mental health problems. But even I've found a wonderful, not-"overcoming mental health" topic to write on (although writing on mental health is a viable option as @kshutes13 rightly points out). There is a great line that @"David.Busis" has quoted at some point somewhere. The gist of it was... you have a story to tell if you've lived a day past birth. In other words, you have a story to tell the admissions committee, you just might not see it yet. The editing services are also fantastic, the team are amazing. But try the course first.
I think “quiet” personal statements can be just as successful as really “flashy” stories about rescue diving in a hurricane, offering humanitarian aid in a war-torn country, etc. The most important thing is that your PS must be well written. Quiet stories with smaller stakes might be easier to pull off in just a few pages. Take heart!
I'm writing about rescuing a three week old kitten. I tried to write about this incredible life experiences I had, but it never felt authentic until I wrote about saving and raising that infant animal. A personal statement should feel like YOU. It should show off everything about yourself you want to talk about. I wanted to show off my resolve and durability, while also being able to acknowledge when i've done something wrong. If you are genuinely concerned about writing about your depression, you can find another topic, that while it may seem small... is actually quite mighty.