My PS topic has nothing to do with law school Forum

[ns77770]

I actually do not have a good reason for wanting to go to law school, so I decided to write about a unique experience I had during an internship I did. IMHO it is well written (and for this discussion, lets assume it is). So my question is: Do personal statements really have to mention law school? Can I just write about a unique experience I had, and how it helped me grow (especially if the statement represents me as a strong writer)?

[Adjudicator]

It is my impression that admissions committees are probably tired of hearing peoples' thoughts about law and law school and would rather hear about your experience.

[ns77770]

It is my impression that admissions committees are probably tired of hearing peoples' thoughts about law and law school and would rather hear about your experience.

That's kind of what I figured. And I don't really have a "good" reason for wanting to attend law school (And I suspect most early 20 somethings coming straight out of college don't).

[Adjudicator]

It is my impression that admissions committees are probably tired of hearing peoples' thoughts about law and law school and would rather hear about your experience.

That's kind of what I figured. And I don't really have a "good" reason for wanting to attend law school (And I suspect most early 20 somethings coming straight out of college don't).

Again, I suspect that "reasons" are overrated... most people want to go to law school because they want to be a lawyer and make money. It isn't rocket science and I'm sure admissions committees know this. Law is a traditionally good and socially desirable career path.

[re-applicant]

At the same time, a lot of deans in interviews state that they're looking for some coherent sense of where you came from and how you got to this point, and some say they want to understand why you're applying (dean of Yale Admissions, for instance). I think its a difficult line to ride. You have to be able to explain why you're doing this almost implicitly without waxing on about what law is and why it interests you.

[xyzzzzzzzz]

It is my impression that admissions committees are probably tired of hearing peoples' thoughts about law and law school and would rather hear about your experience.

That's kind of what I figured. And I don't really have a "good" reason for wanting to attend law school (And I suspect most early 20 somethings coming straight out of college don't).

Again, I suspect that "reasons" are overrated... most people want to go to law school because they want to be a lawyer and make money. It isn't rocket science and I'm sure admissions committees know this. Law is a traditionally good and socially desirable career path.

While Ad comms might not care that you don't have a solid reason (schools where you have the rights numbers will let you in and take your money), you might want to try to find one for yourself, especially if you are straight out of ug. Just my 2 cents.