Personal Statement Length Forum

[SEATTLEITE188]

Is a 2.5 page personal statement, double space, 12 font Time New Roman, too long? Many of the law schools I am applying to do not specify length of their personal statement.

[itsfine]

I think you would be better off getting it down to two pages just for neatness and easiness for the adcomms.

i think its like the unwritten law to have it at most two pages....sorta like a resume not going over one page.....it just may be frowned upon.

then again, maybe ur personal statement is amazing and is just fine at its current length....but chances are u can bring it down a little (and it may even get better since ull get rid of unnecessary parts....) and thatll work better.

[calicocat]

2.5 pages is probably max when there is no specified length. My opinion.

[Dany]

Cut it down to two pages. It's what the majority of schools ask for, and even though there's no specified length for the schools you're applying to, I'm sure most of them will be two pages. Also, your PS will be better for it. Sensible editing can really help polish a PS, and it will be more streamlined, easier to read, and have a more powerful impact when you remove unnecessary words and phrases. If you can't find anything to cut out (it's often very difficult to edit your own writing) then give it to friends/family, a professor or advisor, your school's writing lab/center, or someone on TLS.

Good luck!

[You Gotta Have Faith]

I agree with all of the above. Edit it down to 2. It will come across much stronger that way. Often, less is more.

As an aside, if you have already narrowed it down (say from 4 pages) and would have trouble taking it down any more, then perhaps you are trying to discuss too many things. Focus on what is really important.

All that said, 2.5 pages is far from an unbearable length. I've heard of worse, and much worse. It will do the trick. I just think it would be better if you could make it slightly shorter.

[Jockin Jay-Z]

Eskimo's right. When I cut down my 4 page PS for a few schools to 2 pages most places require, I noticed how much...cleaner...it was. Sure, some content was lost, but it was the least important content.