5 Tips to Write a Law School Personal Statement that Gets You In

5 Tips to Write a Law School Personal Statement that Gets You

In

By http://accepted.com

While there』s no getting around the fact that LSAT scores and GPA matter a

great deal in law school admissions, the personal statement is the one place where law school admissions faculty get to know you and your reasons behind studying law.

Below are 5 tips – based on real-life scenarios – that have successfully

helped my clients get into law school, even when their scores were on the low

end for their schools of choice.

1. Write for clarity – not for 「literary.」

Sometimes, my clients read law school personal statements that are written

like beautiful poetry. Many of those essays are successful. But, there are a lot

more law schools grads who aren』t poets. It』s more important to be CLEAR and SPECIFIC than it is to write

inspirational phrases.

2. Highlight your work experience – it counts for a lot.

I have had a lot of clients who are able to use their work experience to show

maturity and growth beyond undergraduate. Especially if you have been working

for more than one year, it』s important to talk about that work in a way that

highlights the skills you gained from the job. The most successful essays show

how the applicant has matured – especially in terms of working with others – as

evidence they are ready for law school.

3. Think about how you would approach the law and try to integrate

that into your essay.

I often explain the best personal essays in terms of talking both

about internal experiences

and external experiences. In other words, describing a

particular experience you had is important and valuable, but the essay must also

explain how that experience changed the way you thought about others and

yourself. Law is about how individuals interact with society, and schools value

individuals who are capable of thinking about themselves and others in that

light.

4. Combine the professional and the personal.

In line with the advice above, the very best essays combine the personal and

the professional. If you have a unique background, how has that contributed to

your work (paid or unpaid)? How have you used your own personality or skills to help others? Essays

that are most successful show connections between the applicant』s personal life

and their community or professional life.

5. Be genuine.

The most important aspect of any essay is a sense that the writer is being

genuine. Unfortunately many of my clients initially try to replicate the essays

of others or a writing style they admire. I then work with them to restore their

voice to their writing.

If you struggle with finding your own voice, try writing the first draft of

your essay in the form of a letter to an acquaintance or colleague – someone who

knows you, but not very well. Explain in your own words why you are interested

in law school. Opt for simpler words and shorter sentences over convoluted

phrasing that 「sounds good.」 Remember that the content of the writing is always

more important than the sound of it. 「Fancy」 writing that is devoid of content

simply turns the reader off.

Many people approach writing their personal statement with dread, even those who

think of themselves as strong writers. Remember that the law school personal

statement is a very specific form of writing with its own conventions – it』s not

a poem, a novel, or a screenplay. It needs to be both personal and professional,

providing the reader with insight into how you think and how you act.

My most important tip for every applicant is to give yourself enough time to

revise the personal statement and to get another』s point of view on the content

and writing.

Work one-on-one with a law school admissions expert who will guide

you through the process of creating a winning personal statement.

以上內容摘自：

https://blog.accepted.com/5-tips-to-write-a-law-school-personal-statement-that-gets-you-in/

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