With applications at an all-time high and space at an all-time low every component of your law school application is important including your personal statement. Much of your application will be set in stone such as GPA, LSAT Scores, and recommendations. What you still have control over is your essay so that is where you should focus your efforts.
Your law school personal statement is where you get the opportunity to show what qualities you bring to the table that may not be gleaned from the other components of your application. The top law schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Stanford often look for “the intangible qualities” that cannot be determined by just numbers. The top tier law schools have plenty of candidates that have good academics so they use the personal statement to look for that special something in an applicant. Law school admissions officers refer to this process as “looking beyond the numbers.”
Admissions officers at the top schools evaluate each applicant as an individual so there is no need to try and write your personal statement according to what they want to hear. They want to know each applicant as a person so your essay should reflect a genuine tone that provides a window into your soul. Law school admissions officers recognize hyperbole when they see it. Here are some other tips to follow that will help you write a winning statement:
Show Don’t Tell
You need to show the law school admissions committee you possess all of the qualities of an outstanding law school student. So what’s the difference between showing and telling? Telling: “I’m believe in giving back to my community” Showing: “One weekend each month I volunteer my time at a local homeless shelter and also mentor young people as a member of The Boys and Girls Club.” Showing provides concrete examples and there is no need to tell them you believe in giving back to your community because they are already thinking that.
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
No one can write a successful law school personal statement on their own but too many cooks in the kitchen is just as bad. It’s like having too many ingredients in a meatloaf – it goes from great too grow pretty quickly. You’ll want to use 2-3 editors. They should be looking for tone, grammar, logical flow, and originality. Your editors should be know you well enough to know if the statement sounds genuine and they should also be comfortable to give you an honest critique. It is a must that they are good writers as well. Not all family and friends will meet these criteria so be prepared to say no.
Community Involvement
Although there is no “prototypical law student” you will need to show a track record of community involvement. That is important to law school admissions committees. You’ll want to show how you’ve been involved in your community and how you plan on contributing to the law school if admitted.
Leadership
For the most part it does not matter what your academic major was or what your interests are. What does matter is that you showed leadership qualities in you endeavors. You will want to show the committee you have a track record of leadership with concrete examples throughout your essay.
Your law school personal statement is where you get the opportunity to show what qualities you bring to the table that may not be gleaned from the other components of your application. The top law schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Stanford often look for “the intangible qualities” that cannot be determined by just numbers. The top tier law schools have plenty of candidates that have good academics so they use the personal statement to look for that special something in an applicant. Law school admissions officers refer to this process as “looking beyond the numbers.”
Admissions officers at the top schools evaluate each applicant as an individual so there is no need to try and write your personal statement according to what they want to hear. They want to know each applicant as a person so your essay should reflect a genuine tone that provides a window into your soul. Law school admissions officers recognize hyperbole when they see it. Here are some other tips to follow that will help you write a winning statement:
Show Don’t Tell
You need to show the law school admissions committee you possess all of the qualities of an outstanding law school student. So what’s the difference between showing and telling? Telling: “I’m believe in giving back to my community” Showing: “One weekend each month I volunteer my time at a local homeless shelter and also mentor young people as a member of The Boys and Girls Club.” Showing provides concrete examples and there is no need to tell them you believe in giving back to your community because they are already thinking that.
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
No one can write a successful law school personal statement on their own but too many cooks in the kitchen is just as bad. It’s like having too many ingredients in a meatloaf – it goes from great too grow pretty quickly. You’ll want to use 2-3 editors. They should be looking for tone, grammar, logical flow, and originality. Your editors should be know you well enough to know if the statement sounds genuine and they should also be comfortable to give you an honest critique. It is a must that they are good writers as well. Not all family and friends will meet these criteria so be prepared to say no.
Community Involvement
Although there is no “prototypical law student” you will need to show a track record of community involvement. That is important to law school admissions committees. You’ll want to show how you’ve been involved in your community and how you plan on contributing to the law school if admitted.
Leadership
For the most part it does not matter what your academic major was or what your interests are. What does matter is that you showed leadership qualities in you endeavors. You will want to show the committee you have a track record of leadership with concrete examples throughout your essay.
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