The Effective Personal Statement: How to Write It
September 8th, 2008
“Where do I start?” You may be asking yourself this question now that you’re at the point of writing
your personal statement. Sure, the many ideas in the sample law school personal statements are
helpful but what’s the best line to start your essay? For guidance, here are tips you can follow to
come up with a personal statement that is not just effective, engaging, interesting and unique but is
also sure to get you accepted into your preferred law school.
Tip 1: Spare enough time to write.
Cramming the writing of a personal statement is a big no-no. You have to spare enough time to
write so that you will be relaxed and will be able to express your ideas as clearly and concisely as
possible.
Tip 2: Think about and list down your ideas about significant moments in your life.
People often have a lot of ideas that they initially want to include in their essays. While many of their ideas are interesting, many are unnecessary for the theme of a personal statement. You may
experience this longing to say many points about yourself in your personal statement but you should
remember to focus on the essentials.
List down your ideas first then sort them out later. Choose the ones that are relevant to the essay
such as what makes you different from most applicants. Are you an immigrant or part of a minority?
What are your career plans? What are your achievements or weaknesses and how have you learned
from them?
Tip 3: Cite reasons for wanting to be accepted to law school.
Make sure that the reasons you cite are yours, are genuine, and are out of a reasonable realization.
Perhaps you may say that your experience as an intern in a legal organization or the legal classes
you have attended made you desirous to pursue a legal career. You may also say what you know about law and law school after reading materials about the field. In addition, you may state what aspect of law is appealing to you.
Tip 4: Organize and outline your ideas.
There is nothing more important than organizing and outlining ideas when writing. Especially in a
persuasive essay like a personal statement, organized and outlined ideas bring the point clearly to
the readers. So focus and arrange your ideas logically. Make every word count in your personal statement because law schools require a maximum number of words. In addition, the first sentence or paragraph of your personal statement must get the reader’s attention and sustain it until the end.
Tip 5: Edit and revise.
To show the admissions committee how much of an expert writer you are, you must edit your personal statement. Typographical and grammatical errors are unacceptable so edit with a keen eye. Ask a writing expert, a friend or a teacher to read your essay and provide constructive criticism. Finally, if you have to rewrite, do so to make your personal statement satisfactory and pleasing to read.
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