Law school personal statement stress

For as long as it has existed, the law school personal statement has been a source of stress for students planning to continue their education. Unfortunately, as more students have their sights set on top law schools than ever before, competition to get into those law schools is increasing. That means the law school personal statement will probably always be a stressful process. But aside from the fierce competition of getting into, say, a top-14 law school, what else makes the process so mentally and emotionally challenging? In my experience, many applicants find the law school personal statement more stressful than even the LSAT! Why?

Because the law school personal statement is unlike anything most applicants have ever written before. It’s not a persuasive essay, nor is it a research paper. It’s certainly not the five-paragraph essay you’ve been writing since grade school, nor is it simply a creative writing exercise. Doing something completely new for the first time can make us nervous. But when you’re doing something new for the first time that also has such a significant impact on your future, it can be terrifying.    But there’s good news. Although the law school personal statement is indeed important – perhaps even the most important component of your application -- after your LSAT score and GPA, of course -- it may not need to be as stress-inducing as you think. One way to alleviate some of the stress of the law school personal statement is to remember admission officers are just people, too. (You can see that from my discussions with them on the LSAT Unplugged YouTube channel and podcast.) And here’s what one undergraduate admission officer had to say about the process: “Sometimes, the fear or the stress out there is that the student thinks the essay is passed around a table of imposing figures, and they read that essay and put it down and take a yea or nay vote, and that determines the student’s outcome. That is not at all the case.”   This quote comes from Tim Wolfe, an associate provost for enrollment and dean of admission for the College of William & Mary. Wolfe further clarifies that he simply views the essay as “one more way to learn something about an applicant.”   He also says that while he’s seen well-written essays, they don’t always send a powerful message about the student who wrote them, and they wind up being forgotten. On the other hand, essays that convey student’s personality and experiences are the ones that truly stand out. Ultimately, the process of writing the law school personal statement will always be stressful. But as long as you’re delivering a clear and powerful message that can really resonate with your audience, you may not have to be as worried as you’d think. Until next time, Steve P.S. Part of making as powerful an impact as possible with your law school personal statement starts with choosing the right topic. While many topics are similar in nature, selecting the general theme that best aligns with your unique experiences is important. Find out how to do that with these guides.

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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