How to Write Law School “Why Us” Essays
By Sydney Montgomery, Executive Director & Founder
When applying to law school, it can be a bit overwhelming with all of the information and writing you have to do. Especially when it comes to the “Why Us” essay. You may wonder how you can perfect your essay to convince your first choice law school in accepting you to their program. In short, all it really takes is to be genuine. With enough research and preparation, your essays can deliver sincerity in interest to a specific law school. Law schools want to hear about why their program would be suitable for you and how it can bring you success along the way.
In today's blog, we guide you through on what goes into these “Why Us” essays, how to write them and what to avoid while ensuring the utmost form of an honest, personal essay.
The Fundamentals of “Why Us” Essay
To begin with, different law schools will have different instructions and requirements. It is important to note their specific prompts or fundamentals such as page length, word count and format when writing essays. Usually, these essays range from 300-600 words in one page and are double spaced but it is truly dependent on the law school so pay close attention to instructions in the application! Within these rules, it is important to make these essays personal between you and your choice of law school.
Be Specific: You want to build a connection between you and the law school. This doesn't mean to include everything on their website but definitely research what specific program and opportunities they offer that appeal to you. You can also connect their specific values to your own and how it relates to your aspirations as a future law school student to prove your interest.
Include Personal Stories: Think of your application like a puzzle. The experiences and stories you have to share are all pieces of the puzzle that shapes the person you are today. Talk about your personal story or your upbringing and how it plays a role in your choice of pursuing law education. It is crucial to include pieces of you in the essay so law institutions can understand how you are best fitted for them.
How to Prepare
If you don’t have any experiences to share, start creating them now! Having experiences and connections is a good way to prepare for writing your “Why Us” essay. Being involved with the law community can be impactful for law schools to consider you.
Build Connections: Don't be afraid to contact law school professors, students or alumni. Get involved by participating in discussion with admission sessions or engaging yourself directly with these individuals to talk about their experiences and their personal perspectives with law school. Their stories can help support your essay in creating your own unique story.
Visit the Campus: While creating personal connections are important, understanding the campus community is important as well. Go around campus and see what intrigues you whether that can be the community, the environment, the resource programs or the learning opportunities they offer! Stepping foot on campus can give you a better insight on what to include in your essay.
What to Avoid
Now that we went over what is important to include in your “Why Us” essay, here are some things to avoid:
Don't be Repetitive: While it is okay to mention some values they have on their website that aligns with yours, try not to repeat everything they say on it. This also includes avoiding repetition in your personal and diversity statements. They already know that about you and instead, they want you to expand on these ideas and how you can further them for your future education in law.
Don’t Overpromise: If you're applying to an institution that isn't your top choice, you do not have to lie and say they're your first choice. Be honest and express your interest and what attributes the school has that can help support you to become a great lawyer.
Disorganization: Make sure to follow an outline to avoid looking unorganized in your essay structure. It is important to have a clear format for the admissions office to easily follow.
Avoid Focus on Reputation: Highlighting your accomplishments does matter but it shouldn't be your main focus. These essays are to express your reasoning for pursuing law education and how your personal qualities are fitting for the law school.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the "Why Us" essay is your chance to show why you're a perfect fit for the law school of your choice by puzzling the personal and genuine storytelling of an essay. By carefully following instructions, preparing yourself by creating connections,getting experience and knowing what to avoid, you can increase your chances of standing out to the admissions committee.
The team at Barrier Breakers® Admissions Advising is here to support you through this law school application cycle! Whether that is finding essay writing guides or getting essay reviews, we provide a variety of services to assist your journey for law school. Through our services such as personalized one-on-one counseling, Essay Editing Support, our free Essential Guide to Applying to Law School, or our Application Boot Camps, there is definitely something we can do for you to help make this process a little bit easier. We also offer discounts to first-generation, BIPOC, and other marginalized students!
As always, feel free to reach out to us at hello@barrier-breakers.org with any of your questions! You can also submit a question to be answered on our weekly Break Into Law School® Podcast, streaming wherever your favorite podcast service is.