Law school personal statement versions

Over the years, I’ve seen countless drafts of law school personal statements. As you might imagine, there’s been a broad range in terms of talent, skill, and readability. But the reason students come to me is always the same: they want to get into their dream school, and they know a thoughtful, well-written law school personal statement can help their odds. Unfortunately, writing the law school personal statement isn’t easy. Attempting to put some of your most important qualities or achievements into just 650 words might even feel impossible.

I typically categorize the law school personal statements I see into three main classifications, listed below. Which one does yours fall under? 1. “Complete Disasters” Fortunately, I can say with honesty that the law school personal statements written by students I work with do not fall into this category. Filled with grammatical errors and confusing writing, these law school personal statements are not just lacking skills; they’re lacking any degree of care whatsoever. The reason I don’t ever see these types of law school personal statements is because the students who come to me actually do care – in fact, very much so – about the law school application process. This means that they’ve at least put some level of effort into their law school personal statements. So, no matter how much help you think you may need, I promise this: if you’re concerned about the quality of your law school personal statement, then you’re already above this level. Anyone who cares has an application essay that can be perfected, and by no means is it a complete disaster! And, while the authors of the article say that law school personal statement with such extreme mistakes must either be “totally rewritten or scrapped completely,” I’d like to argue that there are almost always great ideas hiding in any PS which can be reshaped to build the perfect PS.  2. “Needs Improvement” Law school personal statements in this category can be fixed, but they’re deeply flawed. Most first – and even second or third – drafts of law school personal statements fall into this category. The foundation is there, but there are some adjustments that must be made.  For instance, many students approach the law school personal statement in the same way they would a normal English paper. They’ll include a thesis, main paragraphs, and a closing. However, this is not your typical five-paragraph essay. By seeing examples of exceptional law school personal statements, getting input from a professional, and incorporating some “show, don’t tell” writing techniques, students can take their law school personal statement from this category to a level of perfection. 3. “Great First Draft” On some rare occasions, students may ace the law school personal statement on their first draft. Maybe they’ve taken a few creative writing classes and have exceptional storytelling skills. Or, perhaps they’ve always been waiting for the opportunity to share this experience with the right audience. In any case, sometimes magic simply happens on the first draft. Still, even a law school personal statement that may appear perfect on the surface can always use a bit of fine-tuning. For one thing, another set of eyes can pick up on mistakes that may have been overlooked by the writer. For another, the expertise offered by someone who understands exactly what admission officers are looking for can provide new insights about how certain sections of the law school personal statement could be even further improved. Of course, you’ll never know if yours could use just a few tiny tweaks unless you ask for help. So, which of the last two categories does your law school personal statement fall into? No matter which, I’ll bet it could be even better. If you’d like help taking it even a step further – to the level of perfection – just reach out. Until next time, Steve P.S. If you’re confident that your law school personal statement is already perfect, keep an eye out for my next article! I’ll share the one thing you absolutely MUST do before submitting your law school personal statement. I’ll also feature another example from a student I’ve worked with, so don’t miss this one!

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.)

Free Stuff | YouTube | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Books | Courses