Ok, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of writing the personal statement.

Two entries ago, I explained that there are two different types of essays: the open topic vs. specific questions. In this entry, I’d like to further delve into what it takes to develop a first-rate "open topic" essay.

You can be successful in business without an MBA, but you cannot be a lawyer without a law degree. Therefore, the Admissions Committee is not able look at your past legal experience as a predictor for law school success. Instead, the Committee wants to see what successes in the past indicate that you will succeed in law school and beyond, hence, the personal statement.

Very few law schools offer official interviews, so the papers in your file need to stand on their own and reflect why a law school should accept you. It is through your personal statement that the Admissions Committee learns who you are, and what makes you special and different from the other thousands of applicants. This is the place to brag about yourself…the key is to not sound like you’re bragging.

There are generally two types of personal statements. I call the first one a general or "open topic" essay. The application may limit you to formatting or space requirements (no more than two pages double-spaced, or no more than 500 words, no smaller than 11 pt. font) but does not limit you to a specific topic. You can write about anything you wish.

The second type of essay may ask specific questions such as: Why do you want to go to law school? Why do you want to go to this law school? What kind of challenges have you overcome, how have your overcome them, and how has that shaped you into the person you are today? What three words best describe you? What do you consider your greatest achievements and disappointments in life?

Even if you’re crafting a general statement, the above questions are important ones to consider. It’s a very logical question to ask an applicant why he/she wishes to attend law school, and why mine? You could be applying to an MBA program. Why did you choose law? I do want to know if you’ve faced any challenges and how you’ve overcome them. What did you learn from the experience? Your answers show me your character.

In the following blog entries, I will:
→ Pose additional questions and suggest themes for you to consider when writing your essay
→ Suggest possible ideas as to how to format your essay
→ Discuss potential essay pitfalls

I would say that as consultants, we devote the most time in helping our clients write the personal statement. As I tell my clients, I want you to get frustrated but not so frustrated that you’re ready to throw your computer out of the window. You have the more challenging job: you have to take your life and condense it into three pages double-spaced, or 500 words. I get the easy part; I get to read it. And as I wrote in my previous entry, I looked forward to reading every one.