CATEGORY - PERSONAL STATEMENTS

March 3, 2010

Admissions Tip: Page and Word Limits

With applicants putting the finishing touches on their applications, the question of how strictly applicants need to adhere to page and word limits is perhaps more popular than ever. Law school candidates naturally have a good deal of information they want – and need – to convey in the limited amount of materials, and getting the important ideas down under restrictive page and word counts is a difficult task. While it might be tempting to run a bit beyond the guidelines to slip in that one extra thought, it’s important to keep the reasons for these limits in mind.

In addition to being a forum for explaining your goals and sharing your story, the essays also serve as a test of the applicant’s ability to communicate clearly and concisely, not to mention follow directions and answer a question. Because law schools and future employers place a premium on all of these elements, adhering to word counts ultimately works to the candidate’s advantage.

The other consideration is the reader’s time. Because of high application volume and the need to give every applicant fair and thorough consideration, schools are forced to limit the amount of information in each file. If you consistently extend your answers beyond the suggested limits, you are essentially asking the reader to give you more time than they are devoting to the other applicants. In other words, if you were to ignore the word or page limits and overshoot by 30% throughout, this might imply that you consider yourself to be 20% more interesting than everyone else who applied.

Therefore if a school gives you a page limit (e.g. 2 pages), the most you should go over is approximately 2.5 pages,  without excessive margin manipulation or font size reduction.  Diversity statements and “why School X” essays should be around one page (if not indicated otherwise), and addenda should be as concise as possible.

If a school gives you a word range (e.g. 250-750 words), you should ideally stay within that range.  However, if a school gives you a simple word count (i.e. 250 words) it’s generally acceptable to exceed the word limit by 10%.

In terms of the other end of the length issue, it is likely unwise to consistently fall more than 10% below
the word limits or use less than 75% of the page limit, as this is valuable room in which to share further information about your candidacy.  Similarly, not using the full word count or page length might signal a lack of effort, experience, or accomplishments.

What are your best strategies for writing concisely?  Feel free to share your thoughts below.

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# posted by admin @ 9:00 am in Admissions Tip, Personal Statements

February 24, 2010

Admissions Tip: The Advantage of Experience

Law school applicants range from current college seniors to those who have been out of college and working for several years.  Today we’d like to offer some guidance to those applicants who have been in the working world for a substantial amount of time and are now interested in going back to school to become lawyers, as there are several ways these J.D. candidates can stand out from relatively younger applicants in a helpful manner.

1. Use your experience to your advantage. For applicants who have spent some time in the working world, it’s important to demonstrate that their professional experience has been valuable to them.  This value includes personal growth and a better understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses, which can be easily explained through professional accomplishments and challenges.  In your personal statement (and possibly interview), it’s therefore important to show that the time you have spent out of school after gaining your undergraduate degree has helped you improve and therefore better prepared you for law school and a career as a lawyer.

2. Know what to write about. As we’ve stated before, the broad prompts for the personal statement can often be a challenge for law school applicants, regardless of their current status in the academic or working world.  However, for applicants who have been out of school for quite some time, this is the perfect opportunity to explain how you’ve spent this time, and more importantly, how your work has led you to the decision that you need to gain a law degree to progress in your career.  Law schools are sometimes hesitant to accept relatively older applicants, expecting that that these people are more interested in a change than the rigors of law school and a legal career.  Therefore in your personal statement, it’s important to demonstrate that your work experience has led you to make an informed decision regarding your interest and commitment to law school and being a lawyer.

3. Know what they will value. Because relatively older applicants have been out of school for a few or more years, the adcom looks to other sections of their applications to gauge their current abilities and potential.  These applicants should not that their LSAT scores, work experience, personal statements, and recommendations carry greater value than their undergraduate academic records.  This may be good news for applicants who did not perform as well as undergraduates; however, these applicants will need a particularly strong LSAT score to demonstrate their academic abilities to the adcom.

For all of our readers who have been out of school for a few years, how have your working experiences been helpful to you thus far in the application process?  Feel free to share your comments below!

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# posted by admin @ 9:00 am in Admissions Tip, Personal Statements

February 17, 2010

Admissions Tip: Positive Positioning in the Personal Statement

As we’ve stated in other Admissions Tips, the personal statement is the prime opportunity for law school candidates to express themselves in the application process.  Therefore it’s important that in this section of the application, candidates present themselves positively, therefore effectively show the admissions committees why they would be good additions to the law school community.  We offer some tips below to help law school applicants put their best food forward in doing this and writing their personal statements.

1.  Put yourself at the center. In talking about your future goals or in elaborating on your academic or work experience to date, you will want to put yourself in the picture, indicating what you would like to do in the short and long term or what role you specifically played in the various projects or assignments at work.  Your personal statement is meant as an opportunity to provide the adcom with greater insight into your candidacy and what sort of person you are and lawyer you will be in the future.  Thus, elaborating on what others have done or talking generally about the state of your field of interest will not appear a meaningful discussion unless you can demonstrate how the material relates to you and pertains to your goals and interests.

2.  Focus on fully realized successes. In writing about an accomplishment or achievement, it’s important that applicants’ stories and projects are ones in which a positive outcome has been accomplished or is ensured, as potential successes are not actual ones.   Talking about a project that is ongoing or that is just starting to come together will not be as meaningful as one in which an applicant has already displayed leadership, initiative and creativity in accomplishing a goal.  Though ultimate impact may have not yet been observed (an example being an unknown verdict in a trial), one’s goals in the project should already have been attained (meaning, for example, that an applicant already built and/or motivated a team to achieve the desired end).

3.  Keep it positive. Many law schools ask for applicants to reflect on their unique interests, background, life experiences, and perspectives, and how these components would add to the diversity of a class.  Although this is a good opportunity to discuss what you feel makes you unique, it’s important to focus on how you have grown from these experiences and the positive outcomes—law schools want to see how people are able to make the best out of bad situations and use obstacles to find further success.  Therefore in describing any disadvantages or challenges you have encountered in your life, it’s important to focus on how you are a stronger person because of your experiences and why this would make you a good addition to the law school community.

We hope these essay-writing tips are helpful for those working on their personal statements and other law school essays.  We love hearing back from our readers, so feel free to respond below - what’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

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# posted by admin @ 8:00 am in Admissions Tip, Personal Statements

February 10, 2010

Admissions Tip: The Comparison Trap

Picking up our earlier tips regarding essay-writing, we wanted to take some time today to discuss a frequently-made mistake in the application process. In their desire to make their case to their target law schools, many applicants devote sentences and even paragraphs to explaining why the school in question is their “first choice” and arguing its superiority over other schools.

Though certainly understandable, this is actually not a very productive exercise. Let’s consider a few reasons why, from the schools’ point of view:

1. Tell me something I don’t know. A popular strategy – and not always bad one – for applicants seeking to demonstrate their fit with one school above any other is to study its website to understand the program’s self-determined selling points, and then profess an interest in those. The thing that essay writers don’t always consider is that while a school’s distinguishing characteristics might be the factors that set it apart from others, this is not necessarily what the admissions committee wants to read about in an applicant’s essays. The very admissions officer reading your file spends months every year pushing this marketing message out to prospective students. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t touch briefly on these key points (the schools highlight these for a reason), only to suggest that to put together a really compelling application, it’s important to push beyond high-level differentiators and immediate association and demonstrate that you’ve learned about the program on a deeper level. In making room for this level of detail within a restrictive word limit, cutting other schools out of the picture is a great starting point.  As always, we’d like to recommend the in-depth Clear Admit Law Guides to help applicants pinpoint the unique offerings of their target law schools and discuss them effectively in their applications.

2. Enough about us, let’s talk about you. It’s not uncommon for applicants to become so engrossed in explaining how their target program differs from other law schools that they neglect to really articulate how their own interests, personality and preferences fit into the picture. Very nearly every school requires that prospective students use their personal statement to explain how the law degree is necessary for them to accomplish their goals, but there’s not a single one that adds “better than any other law school.” Though schools may explicitly inquire about other target programs if an applicant advances to an interview, at this early point the adcom is much more interested in hearing about the candidate and his or her fit with the school. It’s a bit premature to assure a school that it’s your #1 when the adcom hasn’t even decided whether they’re interested. Better to use all the space at your disposal in the essays to cover your experiences and accomplishments, share your aspirations and showcase your research on the law school.

3. I bet you say that to all the girls. Seriously, though, if an applicant goes out of his way to profess that Chicago is the best school for him, is his first choice, etc., the Chicago Law School really has no assurance that this applicant hasn’t written an equally passionate love letter to regional rival Northwestern University Law School. If a strategy seems likely to work in one place, might as well use it everyplace, right? Yes, it’s generally true that schools prefer to admit students who are excited about their program and seem likely to attend, but actions speak louder than words. The details of campus visits and conversations with students and alumni are far better topics to cover in your essays. To invoke a classic essay-writing maxim, “show, don’t tell” the adcom that you care. Further, the best way to convince the adcom that you “only have eyes for their school” is to not mention any other school at all.

We hope that this offers a number of helpful “do”s to offset this big essay “don’t.” It’s true that the deadlines are looming, but there is still plenty of time to get an in-depth understanding of your target law schools and engage members of the community. Happy writing and researching!

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# posted by admin @ 8:00 am in Admissions Tip, Personal Statements

December 9, 2009

Admissions Tip: Optional Essays

As we’ve previously discussed, most law schools require only one personal statement that has no required topic.  Therefore questions of whether to answer optional essays and, if so, what to say, are ones that loom large for many law school applicants at this time of year.  Today we wanted to take some time to suggest a few considerations that applicants might want to take into account when making this call.

How can it benefit you?
Many applicants may feel as though an optional essay is labeled as such because all the important information regarding their candidacy is contained within the application requirements.  However, answering optional essays is the perfect opportunity for law school applicants to share additional and helpful information to the adcom.  Instead of cramming everything into your personal statement, optional essays give you the chance to discuss different aspects of your background and interests, illustrating you as a multi-dimensional candidate to the adcom.  In addition, making the effort to respond to optional essays demonstrates your initiative and work ethic, as well as your genuine interest and commitment to the law school (especially if the optional essay asks students to explain their interest in the law school program).

Is it relevant?
Perhaps this goes without saying, but the only information worth sharing in an optional essay is that which will make a material difference in your candidacy.  Although some optional essays have specific topics, others simply ask for additional information that applicants feel is important to share with the adcom.  In responding to these broad prompts, it’s wise to think carefully about a school’s other essay questions, as each of these topics affords applicants a chance to introduce the information about their background and interests that they consider to be most important.  Your objective should be to provide as complete a picture of your candidacy as possible within the framework of a school’s required essays and to only introduce information in an optional essay that you could not have covered elsewhere without sacrificing something more essential.  For that reason, we suggest that applicants explain negative subject in addendum essays, as is often required, leaving the optional essays free for positive information about the applicant.

Is it concise?
It’s always a good idea to keep in mind that by answering an optional essay, you are creating extra work for the person reading your file. While this should not dissuade you from addressing a topic that you have deemed important based on the considerations above, it’s very important that you demonstrate good judgment by limiting your comments to the most relevant information and keeping your response as direct and concise as possible, as well as adhering to any word or page limits set by the law school.

We hope that these general guidelines have both helped to clear up some confusion and shed some light on the optional essay issue.  Good luck writing!

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# posted by admin @ 8:00 am in Admissions Tip, Personal Statements

October 14, 2009

Admissions Tip: Finding Focus in the Personal Statement

Welcome to the Clear Admit Law Blog Admissions Tip, a new feature that will be appearing semi-regularly on our blog to provide law school candidates with helpful advice for the application process.  This week, we’d like to provide some guidance for those law school applicants who are thinking about beginning or have started to write their personal statements.  Because most law schools offer broad guidelines for the personal statement, it can be a challenging endeavor to find your focus and respond effectively.  However, we hope that the following guidance helps make this aspect of the application process a little easier for law school candidates.

1.  Take time to reflect: Before diving in and beginning work on your personal statement, it’s often fruitful to think carefully about all of the stories and accomplishments at one’s disposal. These can include experiences from the professional realm, formal outside activities, college clubs, experiences growing up and even more casual hobbies and interests. A comprehensive, reflective approach should enable you to arrive at the essay topics that are most impressive and in line with your overall positioning.

2.  Keep it current: In considering which examples to explore in a personal statement, one should choose college and post-college experiences to elaborate on, as these experiences will appear to have the most relevance for your application and provide the greatest insight into the person you will be on the campus of the law school.  In other words, if your essays prominently feature stories from high school, you are likely making a strategic mistake.  Younger applicants may find examples from college their strongest, as they may not have accrued the same leadership and teamwork experiences that older applicants with more work experience have.  All applicants, though, should include at least one recent story across their materials.

3.  Establish balance: It is crucial that your personal statement presents a consistent and compelling picture of who you are, what you’ve done, and what you bring to the table; the adcom is looking for students who are interesting, well-rounded, and likely to make a contribution to the school both in and out of the classroom. In selecting topics for your personal statement from your list of possibilities, remember that it’s ideal to have a balance of stories covering your full academic and professional career and to introduce your interests and involvements outside of work.

Happy writing! Stay tuned to this blog throughout the autumn for additional writing tips for your personal statement.

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# posted by admin @ 2:00 am in Admissions Tip, Personal Statements

May 8, 2009

Yale Law School Personal Statement 2009-2010

The Yale Personal Statement is as follows:

Provide a typed statement of no more than three pages explaining why the study of law is important to your professional growth and development.

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# posted by admin @ 2:46 pm in Personal Statements, School: Yale

William and Mary Law School Personal Statement and Optional Essay 2009-2010

The William and Mary Personal Statement and Optional Essay are as follows:

William & Mary Law School evaluates applicants in many areas beyond test scores and academic transcripts. Indeed, important academic objectives are furthered by classes comprised of students having talents and skills derived from diverse backgrounds. Please attach a brief personal statement which might identify factors such as activities or accomplishments, personal or cultural background, career goals, or special talents that you believe would contribute to the Law School community and would support your application to William & Mary Law School.

An additional essay may be submitted. This optional essay should describe an event in your life of which you are especially proud. Provide information not included in your required personal statement that focuses on academic achievement, situations in which you have overcome significant challenges, or any other event that you think will help us obtain a sense of your ability to function successfully in a complex world.

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# posted by admin @ 2:44 pm in Personal Statements, School: William and Mary

Washington and Lee Law School Personal Statement and Optional Essay 2009-2010

The Washington and Lee Personal Statement and Optional Essay are as follows:

Your personal statement should give the Admissions Committee a sense of the person behind the objective credentials presented in your application and supporting documents and should not be a restatement of your resume in narrative form. Your statement should be no longer than 3 pages of double space, Times Roman, 12 point text. We regularly receive outstanding personal statements that fill only a single page; a lengthy statement is not required

Optional: You may electronically attach a 500 word double-spaced essay discussing the manner in which you dealt with an ethical dilemma. Failure to submit this optional essay will have no negative effect on your application.

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# posted by admin @ 2:43 pm in Personal Statements, School: Washington and Lee

Vanderbilt University Law School Personal Statement 2009-2010

The Vanderbilt Personal Statement is as follows:

Please present yourself to the Admissions Committee by writing a personal statement. You may write about your background, experiences, interest in law, aspirations, or any topic that you feel will help readers of your application get a sense of you as a person and prospective law student. If you are applying electronically, please attach your statement to the electronic application form. Please limit your statement to two pages.

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# posted by admin @ 2:37 pm in Personal Statements, School: Vanderbilt

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