But when it comes to writing the law school personal statement, you probably don’t want to dedicate too much time to something that isn’t working. After all, you have deadlines to consider.
So, how will you know when it’s time to scrap an idea and start over?
Sometimes it’s obvious. It might dawn on you suddenly. Other times, it won’t be so clear.
If you’re in the process of writing your law school personal statement and you feel like something just isn’t right, you’re probably correct. That said, for many of the students I work with, the writing process is never exactly fun, either.
So, it can be hard to tell the difference between a personal statement that requires thought, patience, and polishing (which – trust me – they all do) versus one that simply needs to be started over. When that happens, it’s time to start fresh.
Here are five signs that it’s okay to scrap your draft and start over:
1. You have writer’s block – not just the kind where it takes a little while for the words to start coming, either. This version of writer’s block leaves you feeling like you would have no idea where to begin, even after spending a lot of time thinking about it.
2. You can’t seem to put your ideas in order. You have plenty of thoughts to support your main idea. Yet, when you write them out in your outline or first draft, they become jumbled and you find yourself having to switch points around multiple times.
3. You left it, came back, and are still frustrated. When students say they’re having difficulties, I’ll sometimes recommend they take a break and come back to the draftg in a day or so. If you’ve done that and still can’t figure out where to go with it, you might need to move on and try something different.
4. You don’t feel a connection to the topic. You might find this out while brainstorming, writing your outline, or even during the first draft. Even if it's logical and well-written, admission officers can tell when your heart’s not in it.
5. You read it back and don’t like it. This does happen, and it can be disappointing – especially when you’ve already put the effort in. But like I mentioned in #4, admission officers can tell when something was (or wasn’t) written with passion. If you don’t love your law school personal statement, chances are, your readers won’t, either.
Now, for the good news: once you’ve found out your main idea isn’t working, you don’t have to waste another second on it.
You now have a blank slate. The second time around, you can begin with the perfect topic from the very start.
How? By working with someone who’s an expert in law school personal statements.
Countless students have come to me frustrated with drafts that just aren’t working. All it takes is a little bit of discussion with me to unlock the right one.
If any of the situations above sound like yours, I want to help. I have a number of useful resources you can check out on my website, but nothing compares to my one-on-one law school admissions coaching sessions. They’re what helped students like Michelle get accepted to NYU, and many of my other students are currently attending Top 14 law schools as well.
Are you ready to start fresh? If so, reach out and let me know how I can help.
-Steve
P.S. I know it can be frustrating to start over, but it will make finding the right idea that much better. In fact, in my next article, I’ll share with you how you’ll know when you’ve found the right topic. And I’ll include some examples to help!
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