Law school personal statement rumors

There are a lot of rumors about the law school personal statement going around. Alumni, other law school applicants, and yes – sometimes even pre-law advisors – are guilty of spreading information that might not be entirely true. For students applying to law school, it can be difficult to determine what’s true and what’s not.

While some mistruths are more innocent than others, there’s one lie about the law school personal statement that’s seriously dangerous to believe: Your law school personal statement doesn’t matter if you have a good GPA and LSAT score. Yikes! This is totally untrue. And think about it: not only is it false, but it doesn’t really make sense, does it? If all law schools looked at were LSAT scores and GPAs, then why would there be a law school personal statement in the first place?  An extraordinary law school personal statement can increase your chances of getting into a school – especially if you don’t have remarkable grades and LSAT scores. But even if you do, the law school personal statement is still important. You can bet that admissions officers will still certainly read it, so not putting effort into your law school personal statement will backfire. Some of the students who have come to me for help have outstanding GPAs and LSAT scores, as well as a wide variety of extracurricular activities. When they first reach out to me, they typically think these factors are enough to get them into their top choice law school, and that the law school personal statement is really only supplemental. Yet, for students with their sights set on top-notch schools, the law school personal statement is much more than that. Take my student Michelle, for example. She wanted to get into Yale, which was certainly a “reach school” for anyone! Between her grades, LSAT scores, and work experience, it certainly seemed like she had strong-enough credentials to have a decent chance at getting into her top-choice school. When she came to me for help, I had to explain to her that the law school personal statement was more than just a “supplement” to her application. It was her opportunity to show admissions officers something more than just numbers and facts. It gave her the chance to showcase a bit of her personality, and what made her unique as an applicant. With that new perspective, Michelle wrote an outstanding essay that helped her get into her top choice, Yale Law School! So, no matter what, don’t believe the lie that the law school personal statement isn’t important. It’s important for everyone, even if you have excellent grades and LSAT scores. Until next time, Steve P.S. Now that I’ve shown you just how important the law school personal statement is, you can make sure you’re on track to writing an excellent one of your own. Take a look my list of the questions every law school personal statement should answer for a little extra help from me!

Recommended Resources: 1. Law School Admissions Coaching Get personalized 1-1 help on every aspect of the law school admission process -- or just the law school personal statement. 2. Law School Admissions Guide I've written a concise guide to the law school admission process with tips on completing every aspect of your applications from start to finish. It's a small price to pay for a whole lot of guidance, and it's short enough that you'll actually read the whole thing. 3. Law School Admissions Cheat Sheet Quick-reference guide for the law school personal statement, the "Why X?" essay, and the law school résumé. (You can also get it with the LSAT Cheat Sheets.)

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