Tip #1: Use Your Own Voice
There’s no magic “formula” for the perfect law school personal statement.
In other words, you can’t just Google “law school personal statement,” find a template, and fill in the blanks.
If you follow that process, you’ll miss the opportunity to tell your own story in your own unique voice. And, that’s precisely what admission officers are looking for.
On top of that, your reader will know exactly what you’ve done.
Law school admission officers read more personal statements than they can count, but they can instantly spot an essay that’s been created from a template. It will sound forced and unnatural – exactly the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve.
For every student I work with, I find out the story that makes them unique. Whether you’ve overcome an obstacle, developed a passion for a particular activity, or have known you’ve wanted to practice law since you were a young child, that’s what you’ll show in your statement.
That honest and meaningful story is in you, and we can work together to pull it out.
And, when you’re writing the most honest and meaningful version of your story, your unique voice will come out naturally.
Tip #2: Show What You Have to Offer
Using an authentic voice to tell your story is only half the battle. Admission officers also want to know what you’ll bring to their school.
This is where I see a lot of students struggle.
What value can you bring to your law school of choice?
Unfortunately, it’s not enough to say “great LSAT and GPA,” “a great work ethic,” or anything to that effect.
Admission officers see that all the time.
Plus, your transcripts speak for themselves. If you’re a hard working student, they’ll already see that based on your grades, test scores, and recommendation letters.
So, your law school personal statement is the place to explain something different that makes you valuable to the school.
The law school personal statement is an opportunity you have to seize. You have to show officers what you would bring to the campus.
In other words, pretend the law school is asking you, “If we were to accept you, what would be in it for us?”
Here’s how one student of mine, Emily, answered that question.
You may remember Emily from one of my previous emails. She wrote her law school personal statement about her experience with Spanish and becoming a bilingual immigration paralegal
Not only did her law school personal statement have an authentic voice, it also showed her school what they’d gain by accepting her: a bilingual student who could learn and take classes in both Spanish and English, and connect with clients as a future immigration attorney.
(By the way, Emily got accepted to her top-choice law school!)
So, what story can you tell in your authentic voice that describes the value you’d bring to your top-choice school?
It’s a lot to think about, and I’d love to help.
Maybe you’ve already done some brainstorming, or perhaps you have a blank slate and just don’t know where to start. No matter where you are with your law school personal statement, I can show you what to do next to make it happen.
We can work together to find out how you can craft a story that will get you into your dream school. Reach out and let me know what you’re thinking at the moment.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Steve
P.S. If you’ve found my examples from other students helpful, I’d be glad to share more. While you don’t have to have the same or even similar circumstances, sometimes learning about others can be helpful to stir up some ideas about your own experiences. Emily's just one of 1,000+ success stories I can share.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment