3 Things to Avoid In Your Personal Statement
Your personal statement is one of the most important parts of your law school application and a poorly-written essay can ruin your chances of acceptance. Luckily, I’ve laid out the top 3 mistakes you should avoid when writing your law school personal statement.
Avoid cringy, vague statements
There is a phrase that is used very, very often, and it irks every application reader. That phrase is, “I want to give voice to the voiceless”. Don’t use this. Ever. Not only is it cliché, but it doesn’t really mean anything. These essays tend to overall be very vague and not focused on what area of law you want to affect change in. Don’t just say what you’re going to do, show me through stories and anecdotes. Telling me you want to give a voice to the voiceless doesn’t convince me why you are ready to go to law school and why law makes the best sense for you to achieve your goals. The admissions committee shouldn’t be left wondering why you can’t give voice to the voiceless with a public policy or documentary-making degree. Be specific. Be intentional. Talk about the kinds of change you want to contribute to and why you need a law degree to do that.
Avoid writing a narrative resume
Many students approach their personal statement as simply a regurgitation of their resume. The admissions committee already has your resume and they have your transcript. They already know where you’ve worked, where you went to school, and your grades and test scores. Your personal statement is not the place to simply repeat your work experience and credentials. This is boring and unhelpful. Use your personal statement as your chance to showcase to admissions who you are as a person and what your hopes and dreams are. The personal statement is a place for storytelling and a place to convince them that law school is the next logical step in your journey.
Avoid oversharing unhelpful things about yourself
Being honest is a wonderful trait, it really is. However, sharing with admissions that you never knew you wanted to study law and still have no idea what to specialize in is NOT boosting your chances of admission. The school doesn’t need to know that you feel lost. They don’t need to know that you first wanted to be a doctor and then changed your mind. They don’t need to know that you consider yourself a math whiz and struggle with your writing skills. Be intentional and strategic about what you choose to share in your personal statement. The personal statement can make or break your application so make sure you are painting an honest, yet impressive and enticing picture of yourself. Don’t share anything that is going to make them cast any doubt about accepting you to law school.
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