Another religion in PS question... Forum

[SnoDog]

Hey guys, I had another question about discussing religion and faith in a PS or DS.

What I'm wondering is, what if the PS/DS is being written for a Christian law school, such as Pepperdine in CA? From what I've gathered so far, it seems like Pepperdine is fairly religious in its activities and mission goals, and I was wondering how the topic of religion, faith, and spirituality from the likes of another Christian in a PS or DS would sound to an adcomm.

I understand this is a hot issue that is best avoided in PSs for secular law schools, but thought it might be different for church-affiliated ones. Many thanks in advance for any input.

[tmplge]

Im probably not the person to be answering this but I would assume it is going to take much research and even more writing talent to pull it off. I think its safe to say religion is probably a touchy subject even in these circumstances. I juist wouldn't take the risk, time, and effort and having the wrong adcom read it aftyer all is said and done.

[theadvancededit]

It depends on how you're addressing the topic of religion. Will you be talking about something even slightly controversial? Or are you citing their religious mission as part of why you want to attend a Christian law school?

If you're doing the former, then it's advisable that you consider your topic very carefully. If you're doing it for shock value, then don't do it-- it's not worth it. If it's something that you feel is deeply intrinsic to what you're about, then consider doing it in the most non-divisive way possible. Here's a thread from the Admissions forum that goes into it what I mean: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2&t=168072

If you're discussing religion as a reason for wanting to attend a particular school, then treat it like you would a "Why X" essay.

[SnoDog]

Awesome, thank you guys for the advice and suggestions.

Any more input from the rest of you guys would be of great help as well. Please remember, my question is mainly concerned specifically with how the topic of religion can tie into a PS/DS for a church-affiliated law school, rather than a secular one.

Does anybody have any personal experience or second hand experience knowing of somebody who attended a Christian law school for example? Pepperdine is one of the schools I am interested in, and I am also a Christian - My Christianity makes me who I am, and I feel like my faith/spirituality has helped me through my struggles in life, as well as my Christian values move me to help others. Volunteering at my church for example.

So there isn't anything controversial that I would talk about; just things like my Christian values. Now I wouldn't really consider even going into a topic like this in a PS for a secular law school, but Pepperdine is church-affiliated, and it seems like they are fairly open about their religious mission goals.

[No13baby]

If you stick to what you discussed above, this shouldn't be a problem and will probably help, if anything. It might be best placed in a "Why X" statement that you can send off to Christian law schools.

[Bshaw]

I think Pepperdine School of Law is religious but does accept everyone. I hear the new Dean is not that religious at all, so the mission may change overtime.

[Seneca]

If you stick to what you discussed above, this shouldn't be a problem and will probably help, if anything. It might be best placed in a "Why X" statement that you can send off to Christian law schools.

THIS. Especially if you're planning to apply to any law schools that aren't religiously affiliated. You'll get your point across in a Why X statement, and I'm sure there is something else of value you can and should discuss in a PS. And do your research on other seemingly religiously affiliated schools before even sending that kind of Why X statement - not all apparently religious law schools reflect the same level of religiosity as their undergraduate counterparts (take Seattle U, Loyola, etc).