I recently focused on the process of writing a strong law school personal statement. In this week’s post, I’ll spend time discussing the second major piece of writing that many law school applicants write: the diversity statement. Although not everyone writes a diversity statement, they are becoming more and more common, even for those without traditional forms of diversity such as racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity.

Applicants who write both a personal statement and a diversity statement should make sure to understand how the two essays are different so that they can tailor their approach to writing each according to its characteristics. With that goal in mind, here are three ways that diversity statements differ from personal statements.

[Consider reasons to pursue law schools that value diversity.]

1. Subject m atter : The classic understanding of the personal statement is that it is an attempt to answer the question, “Why do you want to go to law school?”

This is very broadly true, but it can be approached in many different ways. Diversity statements, on the other hand, generally ask what diversity, broadly construed, you would contribute to the law school community.

Note, however, that some schools indicate in their descriptions of the diversity statement that they construe diversity more narrowly. This generally includes only racial, ethnic and gender or sexual identity. In your applications to those schools, make sure that your essay speaks directly to those types of diversity, and if it does not, do not submit it.

The important point here is that the two essays are not meant to address the same topic, but instead should complement each other. To do this, make sure to develop an overall strategy before beginning to write either essay. This way, you can make sure that both the topics of the essays and the specific events or experiences combine to create a complete picture of you, the applicant, without being redundant.

[See the U.S. News law school diversity rankings.]

2. Length: Schools vary in their length requirements for both the personal statement and the diversity statement, but in general a personal statement should be two to three double-spaced pages, while a diversity statement is usually significantly shorter. It’s often just one double-spaced page — sometimes a bit longer.

This means that you have to get to the point very quickly and discuss only one or a maximum of two events or aspects of who you are. In the personal statement, you can connect several elements, but when writing the diversity statement you must focus primarily on a single event, experience or characteristic.

Using only one event or experience to describe one’s diversity may be challenging, and requires you to think hard to come up with an anecdote that enables you to touch on several aspects of who you are.

One client of mine spent the first half of her diversity statement describing a formative experience she had performing traditional Chinese dance and then used that experience to discuss both her connection to her Chinese heritage and the discipline she learned while dancing.

[Get tips on planning early and often for law school essays.]

3. Tone : The most important aspect of the tone of each essay is that they authentically capture your own ideas and writing style. Personal statements tend to be a bit self-promoting, often discussing significant professional and academic accomplishments and recognition.

The diversity statement, on the other hand, should be much more reflective. Focus not just on what you have experienced, but also on why that experience makes you a diverse applicant in some way.

Although many personal statements discuss matters that are personal and sensitive, diversity statements are more likely to address such matters. Often the subjects pertain to some adversity or difficulty that the applicant has overcome.

The key from a tonal perspective is to discuss adversity without sounding self-pitying or suggesting that the adversity somehow excuses any flaws in the applicant’s profile.

Always end on a positive note, even when discussing difficult or negative experiences. I worked with a client who was HIV positive, a difficult topic to discuss, but we constructed a diversity statement about his experiences that focused on the strength that he gained through coping with his diagnosis.

Are you writing a diversity statement? If so, what are you writing about? Let me know in an email or tweet me.

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3 Ways Personal, Diversity Statements Differ in Law School Applications originally appeared on usnews.com