Personal Statements - Tips & Advice?

[Dano]

Hello,

I see a lot of topics on here recently about personal statements, probably because the deadline to apply is fast approaching. I had a few questions myself before I send my application off.

For the schools that have a general, one question/prompt section, I found myself telling my life story. Basically how I grew up, my adversities & struggles, my passions, talking about my experiences (work & volunteer), and obviously why I want to attend law school/become a lawyer. I see some people mention how "why X school" should be a few sentences, some argue more, but those were threads from a while ago. From my current revision I find myself just telling my story of how I went from a terrible high-school student to who I am today, and everything in between. Is there anything I'm missing besides the obvious prompts that certain schools ask direct questions for?

Thank you,

Dano

[WiseGhost]

I think that it is impossible to create a focused narrative by recounting your life story in 1000 words. The function of a personal statement is to convince adcoms that you're interested in law, capable, and would like to go to their school. Anything that doesn't support those points is extraneous.  

This is a good template to follow. 

1. Provide an anecdote that succinctly explains why you are interested in law and who you are as a person.

2. Describe the skills and experiences that make you stand out and explain how they make you likely to succeed as a law student.

3. Explain why you are interested in attending this particular school.