Law school personal statement - writer's block
As corny as it sounds, the journey of a 1,000 miles really does begin with a single step, so I'll help you get started by breaking the whole thing down into small pieces.
Because, like I've said before, it really does help to begin with the end in mind.
Of course, every Law school personal statement - writer's block has to be different and unique to the individual, but I've put together loose template for how to write essays, so that you can structure effective law school admission essays.
In this lesson, I'm giving you a 7-step plan to take you from staring at a blank document to hitting "submit" on the final draft of your Llw school personal statement - writer's block:
Step 1: Decide your goals.
Before starting any big project, it's necessary to know what you're trying to accomplish. The law school personal statement is about showing off your personality...those qualities that don’t come through in the rest of the application. Think about what you want to emphasize. Is it your determination in the face of challenges? Your creativity and quirkiness? Your loyalty? Make a list, and keep the goals in mind when planning the law school personal statement.
Step 2: Choose a story to tell.
Law school personal statement topics are just meant to be jumping-off points - you can really write almost anything. Either way, you'll always get to decide what you write about.
In my opinion, it's best to tell some kind of story about yourself. Choose which story or experience is most interesting and significant, and would allow you to best accomplish the goals you laid out in step one.
Step 3: Outline the structure.
Before you start writing, decide how you'll structure your law school personal statement. One common and effective structure is to start with a paragraph about yourself, then tell the story, then talk about the significance of the story. Another option is to start with the story, then connect it to your personality. Of course, there are other potential structures that you might decide to use. Deciding the structure FIRST will make writing the law school personal statement less intimidating and make the final draft more organized and coherent.
Step 4. Outline the content, step-by-step.
Now that you have the structure, you can outline each part. To do this, just write bullet points in chronological order, covering what you want to say and remembering how it relates to the goals laid out in step one. You can write just a few words for each bullet point, but the more detailed your outline is, the easier the next step will be.
Step 5: Write it!
You knew this part would come eventually! You already have the outline, now put it in full sentences. Vary your sentence structure, add transitions, similes, descriptive words, and all that other stuff English teachers (and admissions officers) love!
Step 6: Trim it down or bulk it up.
Now that you have a rough draft, it's time to think about length (word count).
If the law school personal statement is too short, make sure that it's accomplished all the goals you laid out. If you're convinced that it's already complete, add more descriptive details and anecdotes. While this will obviously make your essay longer, but it'll also make it more readable and interesting.
If the rough draft of your law school personal statement is too long, go back and trim the fat. Do you have any sentences that are redundant or that don't introduce new information? Depending on how many words you're over the limit, you might have to make some difficult decisions. If all else fails, get a trusted friend or parent to read the essay over and tell you what is essential, and what needs to go.
Step 7: Edit, edit, edit!
Step 1: Decide your goals.
Before starting any big project, it's necessary to know what you're trying to accomplish. The law school personal statement is about showing off your personality...those qualities that don’t come through in the rest of the application. Think about what you want to emphasize. Is it your determination in the face of challenges? Your creativity and quirkiness? Your loyalty? Make a list, and keep the goals in mind when planning the law school personal statement.
Step 2: Choose a story to tell.
Law school personal statement topics are just meant to be jumping-off points - you can really write almost anything. Either way, you'll always get to decide what you write about.
In my opinion, it's best to tell some kind of story about yourself. Choose which story or experience is most interesting and significant, and would allow you to best accomplish the goals you laid out in step one.
Step 3: Outline the structure.
Before you start writing, decide how you'll structure your law school personal statement. One common and effective structure is to start with a paragraph about yourself, then tell the story, then talk about the significance of the story. Another option is to start with the story, then connect it to your personality. Of course, there are other potential structures that you might decide to use. Deciding the structure FIRST will make writing the law school personal statement less intimidating and make the final draft more organized and coherent.
Step 4. Outline the content, step-by-step.
Now that you have the structure, you can outline each part. To do this, just write bullet points in chronological order, covering what you want to say and remembering how it relates to the goals laid out in step one. You can write just a few words for each bullet point, but the more detailed your outline is, the easier the next step will be.
Step 5: Write it!
You knew this part would come eventually! You already have the outline, now put it in full sentences. Vary your sentence structure, add transitions, similes, descriptive words, and all that other stuff English teachers (and admissions officers) love!
Step 6: Trim it down or bulk it up.
Now that you have a rough draft, it's time to think about length (word count).
If the law school personal statement is too short, make sure that it's accomplished all the goals you laid out. If you're convinced that it's already complete, add more descriptive details and anecdotes. While this will obviously make your essay longer, but it'll also make it more readable and interesting.
If the rough draft of your law school personal statement is too long, go back and trim the fat. Do you have any sentences that are redundant or that don't introduce new information? Depending on how many words you're over the limit, you might have to make some difficult decisions. If all else fails, get a trusted friend or parent to read the essay over and tell you what is essential, and what needs to go.
Step 7: Edit, edit, edit!
I can't stress it enough! Edit it 1,000 times, and get your teachers, parents, siblings, neighbors, and friends to do the same. Even if you're the next Shakespeare and think your law school personal statement is perfect as it stands, keep editing. You'll be glad you did.
While feedback from people you know can be useful, as I've mentioned before, it comes with its own set of drawbacks. It's hard to say no to feedback from people you know and respect if you disagree with the changes they want you to make. And it's sometimes hard for people you know to be 100% honest about what they think.
Feel free to reach out to me for help and feedback from me, personally.
YOUR ACTION STEP
If you've been facing writer's block, whatever point you're at in this 7-step plan, move on to the next step!
If you've been facing writer's block, whatever point you're at in this 7-step plan, move on to the next step!
For example, if you haven't yet chosen a story to tell (Step 2), choose one using the strategies I've given you in previous articles (like the free-writing technique or the writing prompts).
Talk soon!
Steve
Talk soon!
Steve
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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