I do a lot of LSAT prep here. After all, it’s in the name: The LSAT Blog
But as we all know, there's more to getting into the law school of your dreams than just getting a killer score on the LSAT.
Today I wanted to highlight something I’ve put together to help you conquer that elusive beast:
The Personal Statement
Personal statements can be hard because you have so much freedom. You can basically say anything you want, and that lack of guidance can cause a serious case of writer’s block.
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| Behold, your worst enemy. |
In situations like this, a little bit of direction can go a long way --
So I’m about to drop on you a ton of direction from personal statement consultant Margaret Klein Salamon.
That’s not to say you have to wait until you're done with your LSAT prep to write a personal statement. It can actually be a welcome distraction if you feel like you're hitting a wall after your 500th Logical Reasoning question.
So what’s in this little gem? Well, chapters include:
- Cracking the Code: Conceptualizing the Personal Statement
- Connect to Stand Out: The Four Goals of the Personal Statement
- Soul Searching Meets Strategizing: Planning the Personal Statement
- Where the Rubber Hits the Road: Writing The Personal Statement
- Obsessives, Welcome Home: Editing the Personal Statement
And each of those chapters has several sections within them. The book's short enough that you'll actually read it (31 pages), but it goes into some DEEP detail on some of these.
Ready to get started?
You can get Personal Statement Triumph: A Comprehensive Guide to the Law School Personal Statement for only $19.97:
Not sure if this is for you?
Here's a free sample from the book:
Most applicants realize that a goal of the personal statement is to impress, but they are usually incorrect about how that goal should be accomplished. People think that the way to impress is to load up the essay with impressive content. For example, “After returning from scaling Kilimanjaro in record time, I founded 3 clubs at my school to benefit underserved children, which now command a total budget of $250,000.” This strategy— which I call the “resume blast”—fails badly because readers do not like being blasted by your accomplishments, no matter how great they are! Admissions officers, just like anyone else, do not enjoy listening to, or reading, bragging.
You should impress your reader with your essay, itself. Imagine your essay like an acting audition. If an actor came into an audition and started talking about what a good actor he was, the director and producer would be annoyed. They would say, “If you’re so great, show me!” That is what you need to do in your personal statement. A compelling, sincere, well-structured, well-executed, and flawlessly edited personal statement is extremely impressive. It shows several talents and abilities, self-reflection, poise, confidence and thoughtfulness.
This is not to say that your essay has no room for (some of) your accomplishments. It does! You should include impressive content in your essay; you should just use a very light touch. Remember, being impressive is the SECOND most important goal of the essay, and the first goal, being liked, should not be sacrificed for it.
You can get Personal Statement Triumph: A Comprehensive Guide to the Law School Personal Statement for only $19.97:
Other stuff:
-This is a PDF you can download instantly. You can use Adobe Reader to open the file.
-The instant download link will be sent to whichever email address you submit.
P.S. This guide paired with my Unlimited Edits service is a lethal combination.
Sincerely,
Steve "takin' care of admissions business" Schwartz
P.P.S. If you consider how much money you'll make from getting into a better law school...or getting more scholarship money...$19.97 is such a tiny drop in the bucket.