…(essays, LORs, etc.) are outstanding. I spent months on my personal statement, and I’m really glad I did. I wrote additional essays for Stanford, NYU, Georgetown, and Duke. I did Kira for Northwestern and Berkeley. I submitted a diversity statement everywhere but Stanford (error in judgement).
Applicant wisdom
Advice applicants left on their LSD.Law profiles, searchable by topic, school, and stats.
47 entries matching "personal statement"
Admitted to University of Michigan…T-3 school once told me that one way to write an excellent personal statement is to weave a thread through one’s past, present, and future. This writing technique, when used effectively, can help applicants convey to admissions officers a full and clear picture of their personal story. Admissions officers want to be…
Go Hoos! Personal statement matters, and your interview matters. Numbers only get you to the interview. If you’re STEM, that’s a big boost wherever you go. Adcoms and employers will assume you’re intelligent and logical, so make sure to have your personality shine when you apply! Also, don’t forget to be real…
…and was denied. NYU - Applied to RTK, but used my personal statement as my RTK essay. UPenn - Wrote Core Values Essay. Applied for Toll PI Scholarship and was denied. UVA - Nothing extra. Really considered writing a Why Virginia, but ultimately didn’t. Duke - Nothing extra. UMich - Wrote optional essay on meeting a…
…more time than you think you need to on crafting your personal statement and essays. I submitted Why X, Optional Essays, etc at every school I applied to with the exception of TAMU and ASU (which coincidentally were two WL). I’m convinced my PS and essays carried my cycle as I feel I had really compelling topics and…
…to be able to write an artistic or intimate memoir as a personal statement if you don’t want to–especially if that’s not your style. Write with honesty and show schools how you got to where you are today, what your goals/values are, and why you’ll be a great lawyer. Good luck!
…the essays. Try out first drafts of different potential personal statement topics before you lock in on one. You want to find the topic you can not only write about in a compelling way, but that will showcase what you have to offer. And if you think waiting another year to apply will make a material difference in…
…my Berkeley and Northwestern apps because I wrote on my personal statements that I would attend if admitted—I don’t recommend doing this.
Personal statement and narrative is SO important. had a near perfect cycle applying to schools where i was below median LSAT for all of them. work experience is important!
Admissions is about distinguishing yourself from others. So do this in any way possible, whether that’s through a high LSAT, unusual resume, or interesting personal statement. Basically, do everything in your power to make the admissions officer remember YOU (in a good way) out of the stack of 40 files they just read.
…of rec by the end of June. Write a first draft of your personal statement by then too, so that the PS is completely done by mid-August and you can start writing optional essays then.
…to make sure that each part of your application (your personal statement, your resume, and your optional essays) tells a cohesive story; and to be deliberate in formulating your list of schools to apply to. The law school application cycle is impossible to predict, and the process can be incredibly stressful. Make…
…male, born and raised in the Midwest, middle class. First person in my family to go to law school, but that isn’t very unique. KJD who graduated in three years from University of Alabama with a double major in Philosophy (with a Jurisprudence concentration) and History. Minored in English. Had a 4.11 uGPA at the…
…Do all the optional essays you can. Write multiple personal statements on different topics and then choose one based on what felt natural. Never turn in an application the same day you finish. Review with a fresh set of eyes before hitting submit. It seems like a lot of work to study and take the LSAT. It seems like…
APPLY EARLY! I submitted all applications except for Penn and NYU in early September. While I had strong personal statements and wrote optional ‘Why X’ essays for Berk, Duke, Mich, UVA, Georgetown, GW, and Vanderbilt, I think being in the first wave of applicants in the early fall helped me stand out. I also highly…
Though my “softs” are individually T4, I have an outrageous amount of them; thus, on an overall basis, they may be considered T3. STEM Major. Wrote Diversity Statement for all schools. Wrote a tailored Why X for about 1/3 of applied schools (e.g., Berk, Penn, Duke, etc.) My advice is to focus on overshadowing your…
I don’t really know what I’m doing. But if I had to say, here’s my best advice: Knock it out of the park on the personal statement. The advice I got was to be memorable – so I did not write about law (although I had a few sentences in the end). Draft early (like really early) and get help from the best writers you…
…applications I wrote most optional essays and felt that my personal statement was fairly impactful. I had three letters of recommendations from professors and supervisors who I know quite well. My undergad was a large public flagship university in the Great Plains and I had four majors (not the most challenging…
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