Personal Statements

[CuriousLad]

Any recommendations or tips for writing personal statements? I wrote a few already but am not sure if they're any good. Applying this upcoming cycle...

[JungleMean]

It’s difficult to give good general advice beyond what’s available through google. Are there particular issues you’re having?

[CuriousLad]

43 minutes ago, JungleMean said:

It’s difficult to give good general advice beyond what’s available through google. Are there particular issues you’re having?

I think my only issue is knowing whether or not it is the right way to write a personal statement. I have never done one before so I'm not sure if the structure that I used is appropriate for law school. Just a story which links how I became interested in law school, why I want to go to a specific law school, then why I believe I am prepared for law school, and a conclusion that brings them all together. I read online that this style can be good and bad.

[MyWifesBoyfriend]

4 hours ago, CuriousLad said:

Just a story which links how I became interested in law school

Follow the prompt. The vast majority of Canadian law schools will ask a question that boils down to “why law school?” Having a standard statement that answers this question with an open-ended conclusion that you can tailor for each school will save you time. In my opinion, Osgoode’s was the most difficult since you need to write two separate statements that are ~2,500 characters each. My statement for Osgoode was my only “unique” statement insofar as I couldn’t rely on my standard statement.
 

I would say avoid canned or cliche narratives. It’s highly unlikely you’ve wanted to be a lawyer since you were 12. The hardship story can be dicey too. 
 

Just be organic. Avoid needlessly complex diction that would betray a sense of insecurity in your writing, and actually take some time to reflect on why you want to do professional school. It doesn’t need to be sexy. I literally wrote about how much I loved academic writing in my statement and I got into every school I applied to. 
 

Otherwise, it seems like you’re on the right track based on what you’ve written here.

[WiseGhost]

If you send me a draft, I will comment on it.

My general advice would be to avoid copying American-style statements, which can devolve into creative writing exercises. The easiest way to write a good statement is to keep it simple. You only need to establish three things in a personal statement: why law, why me, and why X school. Out of these three things, why me is the most important. The school already knows that you're interested in them because you spent the time to write an application, and they know you're interested in law because you are applying to law school. 

The structure below works for most statements.

1. Hook sentence. 

2. Story section. In this part, link the hook sentence to an anecdote that gives the reader insight into your background/skills/personality and explains why law.

3. "Most likely to succeed" section. Explain what qualities make you likely to succeed as a law student and substantiate them through experiences. Ex: "I have honed my time management and organizational skills. As a student at UniversityU, I maintained Y GPA while working full-time as a DJ at Toys R Us."

 4. "Why X school" section. Mention a couple of reasons you are interested in the school, ideally ones which indicate that you did some research. 

5. Closing line. Reiterate your strong interest in attending.