Skip to main content

Take 5 Steps to Craft a Great Law School Personal Statement

By U.S. News & World Report

With law school application season approaching, many applicants have begun the process of writing their personal statements.

Writing a personal statement early accomplishes two goals. First, it gets the most significant and time-consuming aspect of preparing the application out of the way. Second, it enables one to submit the application as early as possible.

This week, I’ll outline the five-step process I use with my clients to make sure they write the best possible personal statement, and how much time one should spend at each step.

[Learn to polish your law school personal statement.]

1. Brainstorm: I encourage applicants to spend a lot of time thinking about all aspects of who they are long before they put pen to paper. This brainstorming and introspection process is essential to identifying the themes and experiences that will be the backbone of both your personal statement and your application as a whole.

Brainstorming often unearths characteristics and experiences that may not seem relevant to a law school personal statement at first glance, but provide important information about the applicant in a personal way.

Even if you end up writing a more traditional personal statement, such as one primarily about a significant academic accomplishment or work in the legal field, your essay will benefit from sprinkling in anecdotes from other aspects of your life.

One client of mine wrote an essay primarily focused on her academic successes, but she was able to connect her determination and perseverance in the academic setting to her passion for triathlons and the rigorous training involved. She would not have made that connection without the brainstorming process we engaged in together as a first step.

I encourage applicants to spend up to two weeks brainstorming, ideally bouncing ideas off friends, family and people familiar with the law admissions process.

[Get tips on what not to do in a law school personal statement.]

2. Make an outline: This may seem like an unnecessary step in drafting a personal statement, but it serves an important purpose. It separates the structuring of the essay from the writing and other more specific aspects of crafting a personal statement. Getting the structure of the essay settled before drafting enables you to focus solely on conveying your ideas as effectively as possible once you do start writing.

Once you’ve settled on the key themes for your application and personal statement, the outlining process will usually take less than a week. You should put together a preliminary outline, sit on it for a couple of days and then revisit it with fresh eyes.

3. Write several drafts: Many people I work with initially either want to write their personal statement quickly so that they can submit their applications as soon as possible, or simply want the process to be over so that they don’t have to think about it anymore. The tendency is to write an essay in one sitting without revising. Fight that tendency.

I remember working with one client who really struggled with the writing process, and wanted to submit his first draft with only a few minor changes. After some cajoling, I convinced him to work with me on several rounds of drafts.

His first draft did a great job describing his academic passions and achievements, but didn’t connect his academic interests to each other or to his interest in becoming a lawyer. Creating this coherence is essential to crafting a powerful personal statement. At the end of the process, he and I both agreed that the personal statement was worlds better than the first draft, and he ended up being admitted at both of his top-choice schools.

You should expect to spend two to three weeks going through the process of drafting and revising your personal statement.

[Check out five mistakes to avoid in law school application essays.]

4. Get feedback: Although it is always helpful to get feedback from an admissions counselor or someone else who knows the law school application process well, I recommend that applicants also get feedback from people who know them well as a person, such as a family member or close friend.

After people who know you well have read your essay, ask the if your voice comes through and if the essay captures an important aspect of who you are. Ask if there is anything else about you that you think might fit into the essay.

This kind of feedback will often lead to important additions and revisions that help ensure that the essay is an authentic representation of the applicant.

5. Proofread: This advice may seem obvious, but it is imperative that you proofread your essay at least twice. If possible, have someone else whose grammar and proofreading skills you trust proofread it as well.

Although making a minor typographical error in your essay will not automatically disqualify you, it does not create a good impression on admissions staff and suggests that you did not exercise the attention to detail that is so important as a lawyer. I recommend proofreading your essay twice, in two different sittings, on two different days.

What are you writing your personal statement about? Let me know in an email or tweet me.

More from U.S. News

Early Decision May Not Be Right for Strong Law School Applicants

Get Insight Into How Law Schools View LSAT Scores

Law School Case Study: Improve a Strong Application

Take 5 Steps to Craft a Great Law School Personal Statement originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote