Gearing up for Law School: The Hallmarks of a Good Personal Statement

Are you wondering how law school admissions committees evaluate applicants? Take a closer look at your law school requirement checklist. Notice the papers and other requirements asked of you, and you would have an idea of what the evaluators’ criteria for judging are. You are looked at as a student, as an employee (if applicable), and even as a person. That’s what the personal statement is for.

But what exactly is a personal statement? A personal statement, as a requirement for law school application, is an essay about you. For the evaluators of your application, the personal statement serves as personal.

-a substitute for an interview,
-a sample of your writing,
-and a sample of how you argue.

Your personal statement is your representation. And since you’re trying to persuade the evaluators to take you, you’d better be good at presenting yourself. Here’s how:

-Plan you personal statement. Ponder on what to write about. Your choices on the content of your personal statement would demonstrate what your priorities and values are.
-Write about yourself. Write about your interests, your experiences, the people you value, the challenges you’ve been through, and things of that sort. Don’t talk about anything else, unless the focus is still on you.
-Always take note of your readers. What do they need and want to know? Be careful not to bore or confuse them.
-Don’t write to impress them.
-Don’t use titles and quotes.
-Explain only those things that the other required documents could not explain.
-Let your personal essay be a real image of you: write in your own style, use your own voice, be sincere, and draw inspiration from your own experiences.
-Don’t force it. Give yourself enough time to be able to carefully plan and craft your essay.
-Read and reread your essay once in a while. Make sure it is free of grammar, spelling and logical errors.
-Prioritize more recent experiences, stronger arguments and personal experiences.
-Demonstrate certainty in what you want and why you want it.
-Some schools give questions to be answered in personal statements. In such cases, remember to address and answer the questions.
-Be specific. Don’t bombard your readers with words of wisdom, cliches or general statements. Speak with concrete facts.
-Find an angle that focuses on what you want the readers to remember.
-Invest on your first paragraph. It should catch your reader’s attention, which the succeeding once must be able to sustain.

-End with a strong point or statement that would create an impact on the reader’s memory.
-Use your essay to address the weak links and points of your law school application.
-Remember that the following serve as added advantage if you are applying for a law school:
—community or public service experience
—exposure to different places, cultures and people
—leadership experiences
—knowledge about the law school, its strengths and history

Photo Credit : maverick2003

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