Anyone take a unique approach to a personal statement Forum

[awilson11]

My whole life, I have been a good writer, and have developed a distinct voice that emerges when I write confidently. When I write, I strive for this voice. Writing my personal statement has proved a challenge for me to get this across. I started writing about my experience working for a DC non profit and underprivileged middle school students. However, this is not something that significantly influenced my interest in law school, nor is public service something I plan on pursuing. I got some sudden inspiration the other day, and tried to write an intro paragraph based on it. A whole statement came out that I like and has my voice. I essentially made an analogy between the development of a talented pitcher (putting together his pitches into a whole better than the parts) to my path to law school, and related it back to sports law. I was able to talk about all of the things I want to highlight about myself without sounding insincere (which is what my original statements felt to me). I am getting advice from some application consultant and lawyer connections, but has anyone else taken a very unique approach to their personal statements?

Any thoughts are welcome

[kalvano]

There's nothing unique about what you described, really. They get thousands of "why I want to go to law school" PS's.

You're way better off with something that talks more about you and that you feel expresses something important than some generic, crappy "why I want to go to law school" essay.

[awilson11]

topic and method of PS is not unique, what I compared it to is unique. Highly doubt admissions officers read many statements talking about curve balls, nicknames, and sabermetrics and describing characteristics of myself as pitches. Sorry about being unclear on that. Your advice is still valid and useful though, so thanks.

Anyway, application consultants got back to me with some good advice, namely that I spend too much time on baseball, not enough time on me, which I agree with. I got too caught up worrying about getting a reader who has never seen a baseball game in their life. Sort of back to the drawing board, but I think I might be able to cull a paragraph by weaving together a few of my favorite parts of this draft.

[bk1]

topic and method of PS is not unique, what I compared it to is unique. Highly doubt admissions officers read many statements talking about curve balls, nicknames, and sabermetrics and describing characteristics of myself as pitches. Sorry about being unclear on that. Your advice is still valid and useful though, so thanks.

Anyway, application consultants got back to me with some good advice, namely that I spend too much time on baseball, not enough time on me, which I agree with. I got too caught up worrying about getting a reader who has never seen a baseball game in their life. Sort of back to the drawing board, but I think I might be able to cull a paragraph by weaving together a few of my favorite parts of this draft.

It has been done before. I would only do this if baseball is a seriously important part of who you are (i.e. you played it at some halfway decent level).

[CanadianWolf]

It is difficult to critique your completed, written personal statement before it is written or completed. Although it would be unique to submit your completed, written personal statement orally & uncompleted.