This is the word for word Personal Statement (who gave me permission to use it) of an applicant who elevated above a top law school’s medians and was admitted. Kudos to her and many thanks for letting me share! - I sit and I play. I play until it is too dark to read my music. Then comes that indescribable moment, sought by all musicians, when thinking becomes subordinate to instinct. The music is no longer just s
Check this one out (and thanks to Mr. Albrecht for working so well with us and giving us permission to share)!
Here is a personal statement from last year’s transfer cycle we think worked very well. The results were equally strong, 1 (top 6) school applied to, 1 (top 6) admit. - The dissolution of Dewey & LeBoeuf in 2012 led to my realization that the law is like classical music. Dewey’s implosion occurred the spring before I had planned to begin law school; it was the same year that I first applied to Princeton Law. As I
Added July 24th Not many applicants have such an incredibly gripping experience to convey, but everyone has their own emotionally important event. Put the reader IN your story, just like this client of ours did. -Mike The door slammed shut and now, it was just me, three other guys, and one dead man in the room. None of us -- that is, the four of us who were alive -- had ever washed a dead body before, but the phone call I received the day before would soon change that. A congregant from my mos
Another example [http://blog.spiveyconsulting.com/homerun-law-school-personal-statement/] of an applicant who was admitted to their dream school and stood out with a wonderfully sincere and powerful Personal Statement. We will keep sharing exceptional examples of how to do the process -- these matter so much. -- Mike I sat, pondering both the murky nature of the grey slush on the floor and my own murky future as my university applications sat on an admission officer’s desk somewhere. Then I t
Hi Mr. Spivey, I wanted to thank your for your review of my resume in yesterday’s U.S. News & World Report article on law school resumes [http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2017-02-02/a-law-school-resume-that-made-the-cut] . Surely, my success is due in-part to your willingness to support prospective applicants via your guidance on the Top Law Schools forums. I do not believe I would have applied to Harvard without the encouragement I felt from readin
IMPORTANT NOTE: As of 2023, most law schools no longer ask for a “diversity statement,” instead opting for a broader category of essays that we are calling “experience/perspective essays” or “E/P essays.” You can read examples of successful E/P essays here. We've been asked for examples of diversity statements many times; below are several great ones. It is important to note that diversity statements are truly optional, and not everyone should write one. Contrary to what you may have heard, it
This is another example about how writing about something differentiated and sincere about you — not targeted to an anonymous file reader — works. This client punched above her numbers at multiple schools and received several handwritten notes about how exceptional her Personal Statement was. Always remember, the target audience of the Personal Statement is you, not an admissions committee. With this advice alone you will do well. Enjoy! -Mike-
Below is what a completely filled out law school applications looks like. And it is a great one — this person received multiple scholarship offers from elite schools and attended law school on a full ride. Please note that anything identifiable has obviously been changed and also note that it would be a very bad idea to copy any part of these essays and use for your own :) That said, I believe this is the first time anything like this has been posted online and we hope it can be both helpful an
