I remember it clearly: After having decided to go to law school, I eagerly awaited the release of the application materials. It was time to roll up my sleeves and do what was necessary to take the first step towards getting into my dream school. I felt pride when I hit that “Print” button on my computer. A first sense of accomplishment. I organized the documents neatly, cleaned up my desk to avoid distraction and let in fresh air to prepare my mind for the upcoming process. I wanted to do it right. As I skimmed through the application documents day in and day out, I realized, however, there was still a lot of work ahead of me. I filled in the blanks first, LSAT score and undergrad GPA, rearranged my resumé. Somehow though I kept putting off what seemed like the most daunting task of them all: the personal statement.
Students around the globe have a myriad of reasons to apply for their study programs. However, almost all are united in their struggle of crafting a personal statement that will be a winner. To me, that is a fascinating realization. Many of the students we work with will ask us, “How to write a personal statement?”, “How do I convince the admission committee?”, “How do I get started?” Shouldn’t it be a breeze to write about yourself? After all, what is required is a personal statement. It is your statement. You get to choose what you want to share and write about. Why do we feel so intimidated by writing about ourselves?
We will leave that question to the psychologists. What matters to you is how you can tackle the task and draft a great personal statement. It will come as no surprise that there simply is no single recipe for success. However, pay attention to the following tips and you will get yourself on the right path:
1. Be prepared for multiple drafts: It is virtually impossible to create a persuasive and polished personal statement right off the bat. You need to get comfortable with the idea of thinking, re-thinking, drafting, re-drafting, finalizing and re-finalizing just to drop that page and start over. Well, maybe it will not be all that frustrating. But you get the message. When you start with the right attitude, that you must go through a number of rounds of drafts, you will feel less frustrated and are most likely to keep trying until you get it right.
2. Zoom in and zoom out: It may seem so simple. But many applicants get lost in the details and forget that their personal statements have a purpose. It must tell your story. Remind yourself constantly why you are writing what you are writing. Find the right balance between the little details and tie them in with the overarching storyline. Not only will that help you write an active and persuasive personal statement, it will also help you to stay focused.
3. Write with comfort: This brings me back to the fascination for the psychology of personal statements. Writing your personal statement should be a breeze, because you are writing about yourself. Maybe it is not all that easy, but you get the idea. When you are struggling from one sentence to the other, fail to connect the dots and feel like you would much rather walk away from your desk, you just might need to remind yourself of our first tip (Be prepared for multiple drafts). When the writing flows naturally, ideas keep coming and you are beginning to reflect on yourself, seeing patterns in your story, you are on the right track. You will be feeling a sense of comfort, because you are now writing your personal statement.
Hopefully, this post has eased the pressure. Roll up your sleeves, print those documents, organize them, clean up your desk and get started. Ideally, it will now feel less daunting than it did to me at the time.
Reach out to us for a free consultation to learn how our services can support you in the upcoming application process. We offer highly specialized expertise in helping our clients navigate and optimize their chances of getting admitted to their desired programs. As trained lawyers, we add our advocacy skills to polish your application documents and are passionate about making them a winning case.