The personal statement is an essential part of your application package that can determine whether or not you will be accepted into law school. Because of this fact, it is important to try and do your best when writing your personal statement. A significant factor of doing well on your personal statement is knowing what to avoid when making your essay. In this article, you will learn about five mistakes that applicants commonly make when writing their personal statements for law school.
Mistake #1: Using gimmicks
One common mistake that people often commit when making their personal statement for law school is to make use of gimmicks to impress the readers. Whether it is writing the essay in crayons or paint, writing your statement as a poem or modeling it after a legal brief, you should avoid using gimmicks in your personal statement. Remember, this is a “personal” statement and you want to impress your audience while still respecting their expectations of you.
Mistake #2: Detachment from purpose
Another mistake that people often make in their personal statements is that they get detached from the purpose of the essay. In order to write an exceptional personal statement, you should be sure to focus on why you want to become a lawyer. Try to keep the topics, experiences and ideas that you write about relevant to your application to the law school.
Mistake #3: Ideas overshadowing actions
When writing a personal statement, it is easy to get caught up in the ideas, opinions and philosophies that you focus on. In line with staying relevant to the topic, you should also try to focus on the actions that you have taken as a result of these ideas, opinions or philosophies. In doing so, expound on how these actions and what you have learned from them will help you in your life as a student in law school and after graduation.
Mistake #4: Words, words and more words
Many people make the mistake of writing a personal statement that is too lengthy or too wordy. These are two mistakes that must be avoided at all costs. In order to avoid making your essay too lengthy, be sure to stay within the maximum word count given to you. Try to avoid wordiness in your statement. This will help you keep the essay straight-to-th-point, concise and interesting.
Mistake #5: Taking revisions for granted
Perhaps the most fatal error that is committed in personal statements are those that result from not taking the time to proof, edit and revise. Revision is one of the most important steps in the personal statement writing process. If you get tired of revising your own essay, have others take a look at it and give you their impressions. Always make sure that your final draft is final.
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