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The Basic
Essay Question (back
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We found the
following essay question on a recent application to an Ivy
League law school. While the question varies somewhat from
school to school, this is basically what you can expect:
You may
wish to submit a statement or essay supplementing required
application materials, which would provide the Admissions
Committee with information regarding such matters as personal,
family or educational background, experiences and talents
of special interest, one’s reasons for applying to
law school as they may relate to personal goals and professional
expectations, or any other factors which you think should
inform the Committee’s evaluation of your candidacy
for admission. Such a statement should be submitted with
the application materials.
However, most
law school applications don’t even give you that much.
The most common “question” we found was a simple
line that said “Personal Statement,” followed
by a fearsome blank space, leaving content and direction
wide open. At the other extreme, one school offered this
as a topic:
“Restriction
of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of
all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could
easily defeat us.”— William O. Douglas
Respond.
Regardless of
the essay topic, there are a few essential ingredients to
a successful essay. First, the introduction must be compelling;
it’s the most important part. A good first impression
makes the reader want to keep reading.
Second, because
most applications officers spend six to eight minutes evaluating
your essay, you need a strong finish—one they will
remember.
If you accomplish
these two tasks, the reader is going to pay more attention
to your essay—and that’s good news and bad news.
The bad news: he’ll be more likely to find errors
or typos (of which there should be none). The good news:
you’ve got a great opportunity to make a personal
connection with someone deciding your law school fate.
One law school
admissions officer noted that dull, unmotivated personal
statements work directly against the applicant. A bad personal
statement can indicate a cavalier attitude, and even applicants
with high LSAT scores and high GPA’s have been denied
because of a bad essay.
The University
of Kentucky College of Law has one of the best web sites
we’ve seen, with straightforward advice about the
personal statement that’s appropriate for any application.
Some of the points are
- Writing skills
are the key to success as a law student. Your readers
will expect a well-edited, well-composed essay.
- While you’ll
probably write your essay in the first person, avoid starting
every sentence with “I.”
- Your reader is most likely a 50-year-old law professor
who is not amused by gimmicks. Don’t use any. He
or she will be more impressed by strong, declarative sentences,
well-structured paragraphs, and an interesting topic.
- But, that’s not to say that your essay should
be lifeless. Remember, you’re trying to stand out
in a positive sense.
Finally, if
you have a choice of questions, go for the one that best
suits you and the school to which you’re applying.
All law schools are not alike. When you applied to undergraduate
universities, you may have written one essay and used it
on eight applications. For law school, expect to write several
essays. Yes, it’s a lot more work, but if you’re
a borderline student, a unique essay that addresses the
individual school can make a big difference in the admission
decision.
For more, see
http://www.uky.edu/Law/admissions/pers_st.htm.
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