By the time you’ve finished taking the LSAT, it can often feel like you’ve passed the biggest hurdle to your law school application process. The endless hours of studying are over, and you have a sense of which schools might be a good fit for you. Your transcript is mostly set, and the last big step remaining before you send off your applications is your personal statement.
This article will provide you with tips for crafting a compelling, unique personal statement - it's an opportunity, not an obstacle!
In the midst of what can be an emotionally and mentally exhausting process of applying to law school, writing the personal statement can feel like busy work. While it is easy to lose motivation at this point in the process, thinking about the personal statement as an opportunity to 1) reflect on what actually drives you to apply to law school and 2) humanize yourself by sharing your story with the admissions committee can make an otherwise arduous task into an enjoyable one.
Getting Started
A good starting point for your personal statement is asking yourself why you are applying to law school. Maybe it is because you have a specific kind of change you want to make in the world. Maybe it is because of a broader set of values you have that you think you can honor with a law degree. Maybe it is because of a formative experience in your life that you hope to prevent others from experiencing. Whatever the immediate explanation, it can be helpful to think a few steps back and try to define the moments, people, places, or experiences, that have led you to care about the cause that most directly drives your interest in the law. Think through the commitments that take up the most of your time and try to figure out what connects them to your desire to go to law school. Interests that might initially appear to be wildly unconnected could end up being driven by a more cohesive set of values and beliefs than you originally expected.
Benefits of this Approach
Identifying the beliefs driving your actions will help you to more deeply understand your decision to apply to law school, setting you apart from the competition and allowing you to present a compelling narrative to admissions officers, who, more likely than not, will recognize the sincerity behind your statement. Moreover, weaving together the varied components of your life will leave you with a better understanding of yourself and what drives you, which will serve you well no matter where you end up for law school.
Summary
In the flurry of activity surrounding applying to law school, it is easy to lose sight of why you decided to apply in the first place. In the midst of an otherwise chaotic process, writing your personal statement can be an opportunity to check in with yourself and recenter around what really matters to you. While no strategy guarantees success, starting with the basics and then digging deeper into what drives you to act will allow you to present an authentic narrative grounded in a genuine sense of self.
Comments