Law school personal statement: turning negatives into positives

When many students set out to write their law school personal statements, they think about what makes them great applicants. That could be a great LSAT score or GPA, volunteering, work experience, or expertise in a sport or hobby.  But in the law school personal statement, simply describing what makes you great is a mistake.  Law school admission officers want more.

And I’ll let you in on a little secret I usually only share with the students who work with me: Law school admission officers want to know how you became great. What does that mean? Well, let’s take Michelle for example. I mentioned her briefly in my previous email. You might recall that I helped her get into her top-choice law school, NYU. I’d like to share Michelle's story with you.  Michelle excelled in sports. So much so, in fact, that she'd been recruited by a prestigious college for her athletic abilities, where she’d also have access to national athletic recruiters. She knew that by attending the school, it would give her a better opportunity to play in the "major leagues." Clearly, Michelle had a lot going for her. But her law school personal statements doesn’t stop with her strengths – nor should yours. After spending a short time at her undergraduate college, Michelle realized she was in the minority in terms of race and religious views. The school did not have a welcoming environment, and because she knew it would limit her ability to succeed, she decided to transfer. Her story doesn’t end there, either.  Even though her next school was more culturally diverse, strict transfer regulations prohibited her from partaking in sports to the best of her abilities. She grew frustrated, and in trying to advance as a player despite her circumstances, her academics suffered.  Michelle's grades were mediocre due to absences and missed assignments. She soon realized that if she didn’t make a choice, her schoolwork would suffer – and potentially, so would her future. She finally found the right fit: a college with an accepting community where academics were most important. While going through three schools and having to make the difficult decision to give up sports might seem like a “failure,” Michelle shows us that she’s actually overcome her hardship.  She learned to prioritize what’s most important in her life. She also shows us that while some students struggle to achieve “balance,” what worked best for her was choosing to commit to one thing (her studies) fully, instead of underperforming in two separate endeavors. Michelle's example shows us that the law school personal statement isn’t just about highlighting your strengths.  It’s also a chance to show law schools the sacrifices you’ve had to make to become strong. What sacrifices have you made? What are some hardships you’ve had to overcome to get to where you are today? I’d like to hear about them, and discuss how we can turn your hardships into a winning law school personal statement.  Most importantly, like Michelle, I’d like to help YOU get into your dream school. Reach out and let me know what’s giving you trouble at the moment, or if you have any questions about the law school admission process. Talk soon, Steve P.S. I know I’ve talked a lot about the law school personal statements in my articles, but if you’re like many of the students I work with, you’re probably also wondering about some other important steps of applying to law school. One task you absolutely shouldn’t wait on is requesting letters of recommendation. Your professor will appreciate you asking as early in advance as possible. But before you do, be sure to check out my check out this advice on getting awesome letters of recommendation. P.P.S. I've published several law school admission coaching sessions on personal statements and recommendation letters on LSAT Unplugged.

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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Why law school personal statement feedback can hurt you

At one point or another, you may have heard about having “another set of eyes” check over your work. Perhaps you’ve had a peer, tutor, or parent glance over an important essay before handing it in. It’s a good practice to follow.  But not with the law school personal statement.

Many of the students I work with are shocked when I share this with them. I understand why. After all, the law school personal statement is critically important to your future. Wouldn’t you want as many eyes as possible looking it over? Not quite. Let’s find out why. For starters, each of your readers will have their own opinions about how your PS should sound. Some may prefer certain writing styles, while others might think you should write differently. It’s impossible to please everyone, and by the time you try, you’ll wind up overcomplicating your personal statement. (Especially if you try to list every single activity you’ve ever done, instead of focusing on one.) Ultimately, you’ll be writing your law school personal statement to please everyone else, when in reality, the only opinion that truly matters is that of the admission officer who reads it.  Here’s the thing: your friends may be well-meaning, but they aren’t admission officers. Neither are your family members, or even your teachers. Why does that matter? Because even if they know what great writing looks like, they still don’t know exactly what law schools are looking for. They haven’t consulted with law school admission officers. (However, I’ve chatted with, and gotten to know, dozens of them - and you can listen to - and watch - those conversations on the LSAT Unplugged podcast and YouTube channel.)  As a result, everyone who reads your personal statement drafts will recommend changes based on what they think admission officers want to hear. The problem is, things change. In fact, LSAT and law school admission policies have changed a lot in recent years. So, in order to ace the law school personal statement, you really only need to have one other set of eyes read it – someone who’s up-to-date in the world of law school admissions.  I can help. I have plenty of insights I’ll be sharing in upcoming articles, but I won’t know which ones are most helpful to you without seeing exactly where you are in your writing process. If you let me help, I can show you some ways to write the law school personal statement your dream school's admission officers will want to read. And, instead of having teachers, friends, and family members read and critique your work, you’ll be saving time by only having to polish your personal statement for one set of eyes. My approach has worked for hundreds of students. Michelle, for instance, worked with me to develop a flawless law school personal statement for the officers at her top-choice law school, NYU. Her statement on overcoming hardships was precisely what they wanted. Unsurprisingly, she was accepted! Where do you want to go to law school? Let’s find out how to get you there. Shoot me an message so we can talk about your most important audience: the admission officers at your top-choice law school. Looking forward to hearing from you. Steve P.S. Want to find out what Michelle wrote about? Keep an eye out for my next article, where we’ll talk about how you can use your hardships to your advantage for acing the law school personal statement .

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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Law school personal statement: how to choose the right words

If you’ve ever used Microsoft Word, you’re probably familiar with its very handy thesaurus tool. (If not, here’s how it works: you can right-click on a word, and it will give you a list of similar words you can use as a replacement.)  It certainly works wonders when you’re trying to wow your professors, but what about law school admission officers? Not so much.  As you’ve found out from my previous articles, the same rules just don’t apply when it comes to writing the law school personal statement.  Here’s why: when a simple word works, it’s best to leave it. When students try to replace perfectly suitable words with long, fancy synonyms, it’s often an attempt to sound more intelligent. But law school admission officers can see right through it. That’s not to say that using synonyms makes you look less intelligent. It just means law school personal statements aren’t necessarily a place for you to “show off.” Rather, they’re a place for you to make a meaningful impact on your reader: the admission officer.  And you can do that with simple language.   (The Hemingway App is a great tool for this.) So, just how important is word choice in the law school personal statement? Probably not as important as you might think… but it still matters.  In fact, what matters most when it comes to word choice is selecting words and phrases that showcase your authentic voice, instead of trying to write like someone you’re not. This is good news for you, because it will simplify the writing process . When students first start working with me, one of the things they tend to overthink is word choice. They expect to get each word out perfectly on the first draft. Oftentimes, they spend a lot of time thinking carefully about the next word as they’re typing. In doing so, they lose focus and get off track. After meeting with me just a couple times, they discover how to stop overthinking and instead write more naturally. (I have a few useful tips students always find helpful, and I’d be glad to share them with you, too.) By freeing yourself from having to choose every single word perfectly, you can get your point across more easily with simple, effective language. Then you can go back and fix as needed. So how will you know which words to leave, and which should be changed for better flow and readability? That’s where I can help. Not only have I showed countless students how to master the law school personal statement by achieving a natural, genuine voice, but I’ve also spent lots of time getting to know admission officers to find out precisely what they’re looking for. When I chatted with a former Harvard Law School admissions officer, she told me they typically review thousands of applications each cycle. Will your law school personal statement have the power to stand out? Let’s make it happen – just reach out, let me know what you’re struggling with, and how I can help. Will share more soon, Steve P.S. Sometimes, writing the law school personal statement isn’t just a matter of finding the right word. It’s also about getting the words out in the first place. If you’ve been putting off your first draft because you don’t know where to start, I’m here to help. You can come to me at any stage of the process – whether you haven’t begun or you have a draft ready but it needs some polishing. In the meantime, watch for my future articles to get more advice. P.P.S. For more, you can see me working with students during live law school admissions coaching sessions on the LSAT Unplugged YouTube channel and podcast.

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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What law school admission officers look for

If you’ve been reading my articles so far, you may have noticed a common theme I share with students is using the law school personal statement to “stand out.” It’s critically important to the entire law school application process, but don’t just take my word for it. Instead, I’ll share some tips from my conversations with law school admissions officers (posted on the LSAT Unplugged YouTube channel):

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.  P.P.S. For more, you can see me working with students during live law school admissions coaching sessions on the LSAT Unplugged YouTube channel and podcast.

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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Your law school personal statement - unlearning English

Many of the students I’ve helped get into their top-choice law schools are surprised to find just how much they have to “unlearn” after college. Because many colleges have lecture-style classes, professors can only give students so much room for creativity.

Nearly ALL of the college students and grads I encounter are familiar with two main types of writing: research papers and persuasive essays.

Here’s the problem: the law school personal statement is neither of those.

It’s certainly not a research paper.

It’s persuasive in a way, but it’s much more than that.

It’s also similar to a narrative essay, but it’s not strictly that, either.

Truly, the law school personal statement is its own breed. It won’t be quite like anything you’ve ever written before. And that’s why students struggle with it so much.

So, how can you conquer it? The trick is to unlearn what you know about essay-writing.

Start fresh.

You may have discovered by now that I take a unique approach to the law school personal statement. I show the students I work with how to get noticed in a good way, instead of sounding like everyone else.

Most importantly, I help my students discover how to write for an entirely different audience.

Unless you write creatively for fun, you’ve probably only written for one audience so far: your professors. The problem is, professors are not law school admissions officers.

You’re not writing the law school personal statement to receive a grade.

Instead, you’re writing to make a meaningful impact on a person who gets to decide on a major aspect of your future.

That’s why your law school personal statement has to be approached differently – because it IS so vastly different from your previous work.

How can you tackle it?

First, I’ll show you some of the things you need to unlearn. For example, unless you’ve taken creative writing classes, you’ve probably had it drilled into your head that you should never use “I” or “me” in an essay.

Well, that approach won’t really work for the personal statement, will it? After all, it’s supposed to be about how an experience has shaped you into the person you are now, and how that relates to your decision to attend your top-choice law school!

The law school personal statement is very much about you, so you can’t not say “I,” “we,” or “me!”

To get students thinking about themselves (instead of simply writing to get a good grade), one of the first things I show them is how to write well in the first person.

(Sure, you already know how to write using “me” and “I,” but there’s a major difference between just writing in the first person and writing well in the first person.)

Because it’s something you didn’t do often English classes, it may take a little getting used to. Don’t worry – I have lots of tricks to help you get comfortable with it quickly before you get started on your personal statement.

There are lots of other things you’ve been taught in college that you’ll probably have to unlearn to write your best law school personal statement possible. I’d love to share them with you – just reach out to me if you’re curious!

Steve



P.S. Even though I talked a lot here about “unlearning” certain things from your English classes, there are still many things you’ve learned already that WILL be very important when writing your law school personal statement. Everything from proper grammar to correct punctuation will matter, but we’ll get into details like that later on. Just keep an eye out for my upcoming articles for more tips, or reach out to me now to find out what you need to know most before getting started. 

P.P.S. Check out my law school admissions coaching sessions on YouTube to see what it's like to work with 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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