A personal statement is a succinct description of your life–or a particular element of it–written down. This is your time to demonstrate to admissions staff who you are and why you are requesting admission to their institution using a show-me approach.
When admissions officials read your law school personal statement, they gain an understanding of you as a person, not just another applicant. They want to know why you want to attend law school and why you would be an excellent fit for their program.They seek for trends across your life’s history, such as overcoming hardship, forging a path, and demonstrating perseverance. It is therefore important that you write a compelling personal statement.
Stay Relevant
This is your opportunity to shine in a written statement. Avoid wasting space on elements that are irrelevant to your story or the personal portrait of yourself you wish to present. Because you only have a limited amount of space, choose your words wisely.
Be Creative
Your personal statement should be free-flowing. Avoid using obscure terms that need the admissions officer to consult a dictionary to comprehend. Consider yourself at an interview with an interviewer: prepare your story and convey it creatively.
Be a Good Storyteller
Tell the Admissions Officer why you want to attend law school and why you want to apply to their institution. Even if you majored in law as an undergraduate, you must still create an engaging tale about your life, not simply regurgitate material previously included on the application.
Consider your options creatively. Discuss academic and personal accomplishments. Have you ever done any volunteer work related to your legal career? What actions did you take that resulted in a shift in the way things are done?
If you have a high LSAT score and a good GPA but are interested in a school that is not listed in the top ten, it is prudent to highlight why you are interested in this specific school.
Utilize the Statement to Join Missing Dots
If you have been out of undergraduate education for an extended period of time and there are gaps in your CV, utilize the personal statement to explain this.
Additionally, if you have held numerous different professions in a short period of time, attempt to connect those experiences and how they relate to, or may relate to, a career in the field of law. Avoid the appearance of a job hopper.
Do Not Use Cookie-cutter Phrases
Avoid using common words and expressions. Ascertain that your personal statement does not read like it was plucked from a how-to book. Consider the admissions committee poring over hundreds of applications and reading the same statements:
“I am certain that I will succeed.”
Repeated, overused statements have a depleting effect on the mind.
Consider how to structure your story in a favorable way. If you know someone who has attended law school and is skilled with the art of writing effective personal statements, request that they read yours and provide criticism. Allow someone to read it to you. Ascertain that it is factually correct.
Present a Captivating Personal Statement
Make certain that your personal statement is intriguing and immediately grabs the Admissions Officers’ attention. It must be devoid of errors, original, and interesting. Vary the structure of the sentences.
Utilize online grammar checkers to improve the quality of your essay and to assist in the creation of exciting material (if need be).
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