Rhetorical Fallacies when Writing Personal Statements for Law School

Applying to graduate school will require you to come up with an application essay. Your application essay should be able to hook the readers and persuade them to admit you into the MBA program you’re applying for. This is why your application essay uses some elements of a persuasive essay. This means you have to come up with arguments that will convince the readers that you deserve a slot at your dream MBA school. However, a common mistake MBA applicants commit is coming up with a persuasive personal statement that contains rhetorical fallacies. Read to know more about these rhetorical fallacies and to get tips in writing your essay.

Rhetorical fallacies can be divided into three types — emotional, ethical, and logical fallacies. These fallacies make your argument invalid or not strong enough to convince the readers to admit you into the school.

Rhetorical fallacies that may appear in law school personal statement

One example of a rhetorical fallacy you should avoid when writing your personal statement for law school is appealing to the emotions of the readers, or an emotional fallacy. You might be committing this error if your essay is full of tragic stories about your childhood. Keep in mind that you want the readers to admit you into the school because you deserve it, and not because they felt pity for you. Another fallacy is an ethical one wherein you are appealing to your false authority. An example is stating that since you graduated as one of the top ten of your class, you deserve a slot at your dream law school. The problem with this argument is that grades are not the only basis for school admission, and that having good grades doesn’t mean you’ll be a 100% successful law school student.

As for a logical fallacy, here is an example: In your essay, you state that studying in a certain school will make you a successful individual because that school produces a large percentage of successful lawyers. This argument is flawed because you are making a hasty generalization. Of course the school takes pride in its graduates’ success. However, this shouldn’t be your sole basis for your own success. A lot of factors can make or break your future as a law student and as a lawyer.

Tips for writing effective law school admission essays

Make sure to get rid of any rhetorical fallacy on your personal statement. While at it, check on the flow of your arguments. There may be no fallacy but if your essay doesn’t contain enough arguments, it is considered as a badly constructed essay. Check all grammatical issues, as well as the spelling and the tone of the essay.

The rhetorical fallacies are among the more subtle kinds of error on an admission essay. Because you are applying for law school, your logic and the way you think is also gauged through your essay. Anyone applying for law school should have more knowledge when it comes to persuasive essay writing that uses the right kind of arguments. Take note of these blunders to come up with a winning essay that’ll effectively convince your readers.

Related questions:

1. What are rhetorical fallacies on the admission essays?
2. What is an example of a fallacy?
3. What are the steps to make the essay as perfect as possible?

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