Why does everyone on TLS have a personal statement Forum

[masterthearts]

that either says they are poor, disadvantaged, disabled, or have had multiple horrific events happen in their lives?
Are people making this stuff up?

[mr_toad]

FWIW, mine doesn't. It's not because I bravely chose to ignore some awful things in my past, it's just that the worst that's ever happened to me would not impress anyone. There's a nice essay by Sandy Cisneros in which she writes "I am the only daughter in a family of six sons, and that explains everything." That's kind of what the personal statement is, in my opinion. Your chance to show them what explains you in a way that helps them understand you, the person, in the context of your life and goals. That's a gross oversimplification, but still. That said, if I'd had awful stuff that contributed to why I wanted to become a lawyer, I probably would have used it.

[rinkrat19]

that either says they are poor, disadvantaged, disabled, or have had multiple horrific events happen in their lives?

I don't.

My mom died when I was 23 but I didn't mention it in my PS. Aside from that, I had a stable, middle-class suburban upbringing. My parents stayed married, no one was abused, no one did drugs, no one faced hideous bigotry, no one had awful health troubles or disabilities.

It is possible to write a good PS without any tragedy or disaster.

[ShuckingNotJiving]

why does everyone on TLS ....

use extreme words like everyone, always and never when they aren't called for?

if you look, you'd see that a lot of people have written about work experiences / interests without a modicum of anything you spoke of.

[Fresh]

that either says they are poor, disadvantaged, disabled, or have had multiple horrific events happen in their lives?
Are people making this stuff up?

Yeah brah, peeps be makin dis junk up...