Willing to read PS's Forum

[FunkyJD]

I wrote a bunch of PS's last go around, so I have a feel for 'em. Happy to critique yours. I'm paying it forward to thank the people on this forum who helped me out last cycle.

If you want me to read yours, please:

1. PM it to me; copy & paste text
2. Briefly (250 words or less) give me any details that you feel might be relevant for me to know

What I will do:
1. Highlight what I think is good and also help troubleshoot problem areas
2. Give you some other things to consider

What I won't do:
1. Write or re-write your PS for you
2. Correct every line of grammar that's problematic. I might write something along the lines of "watch for this problem, for example, in paragraph 3."

Also, don't take my suggestions personally. Take 'em or leave 'em.

Fire away.

[screenname123456789]

Sent mine. Thanks so much!

[FunkyJD]

Awesome. I've got three in my inbox right now. I'll look at those and try to turn them around to y'all by this evening. Keep 'em coming.

[Sinra]

....

[FunkyJD]

The shop is now closed for tonight, but I'll be available to read and critique some more statements tomorrow.

[FunkyJD]

Slowly but surely reading the rest in my inbox. Taking a break for now, but will get to some more later tonight.

[wdp]

Thanks for any input!

[Cat on the roof]

Thank you so much, Funky

[FunkyJD]

No problem, guys. Thanks for your patience. I'm working through my inbox, and have just one more to critique and return. So check your inboxes.

Or should I say, CHECK YOU INBOXES.

[FunkyJD]

Alright, my inbox is empty now. If you've sent me a PS to read, I've responded. Good luck to y'all!

[casterfield]

Thanks a lot, FunkyJD! You've seriously been a tremendous help.

[The Gentleman]

PM'd

[FunkyJD]

Thanks a lot, FunkyJD! You've seriously been a tremendous help.

No problem. Rock n roll.

[osumccoy.348]

Sent!

[FunkyJD]

Haven't forgotten y'all; prepping for some job interviews. Will try to attack these by tomorrow night.

Edit: Even if I don't acknowledge receipt, know that see the ones in my inbox tonight, and will try to get to them in the order received.

[Mike088]

PM'd.

[FunkyJD]

Alright, after a day of travel, I've finally gotten -- I believe -- to all of the PS's that were sent to me through about 5pm on Tuesday. If you sent your PS to me before then, check your inbox.

If you sent me a PS before 5pm on Tuesday, but somehow didn't get a critique from me, let me know. Otherwise, for everyone else, I'll try to get to you later today or tonight.

[Mike088]

Hope you didn't forget some us!

[FunkyJD]

Hope you didn't forget some us!

Nope. Just got back from a trip an hour ago, will read some more tonight.

[FunkyJD]

Folks, I have driven 300 miles today after taking care of some business, and I am knackered. I'm going to bed, and will attack some more tomorrow. Sorry if I haven't gotten to your PS yet, but I have done quite a few already over these past few days, and I did some more this morning and now tonight ... and still, you should really see my inbox. I'm just one person, doin' what I can. I need some superpowers so I can feed the multitude, so to speak.

Hopefully if you sent me your PS earlier this week (before Wednesday), I've gotten to it already; but if, per chance, I clicked on it and forgot to go back to it and read it, please remind me, or I might forget. But if you have sent your essay to me on Wednesday or later, and I haven't gotten back to you yet, no need to remind me -- I see it quite clearly here

Mike088, CHECK YOU INBOX, as they say; I did have a look at yours. (Kids, he wrote a good one.)

[FunkyJD]

Alrighty, I've sent out some more critiques tonight (err, this morning), so have a look. There are a couple essays left from this weekend that I will get to by Monday afternoon, as well as the re-read I promised to do, that's in my inbox. But overall, should be more or less caught up, and the rest to come in a few hours.

Hope you had a good weekend.

[FunkyJD]

Alright, I believe I'm caught up with the PS's that were submitted through Sunday. As we get closer to the first of the year -- and you get closer to submitting your apps ASAP, unless you'd really like to sweat out your decisions until mid-April -- if I'm not able to get your essay before you feel it must be submitted, here are five things to keep in mind:

1. You've written a great essay. Wonderful! It was flowing prose. Tell me, did you bother to tell the adcomm why you want to study law and/or be a lawyer, and why you want to study law at their school, as opposed to another? Adcomms like to know this stuff!

2. The three most common grammatical mistakes that I've seen involve the use or misue of semi-colons; the use or misuse of commas; and spelling out numbers that should be written as numerals (with few exceptions, numbers ten and over, unless they start a sentence). Consult with a Strunk and White guide, or the Chicago Manual of Style (aka, the Bible of grammar) if you have questions about those issues.

3. Large blocks of text are hard to read. Break up paragraphs that are bigger than about five or six lines (if single spaced) at logical breaking points. (And if you can't do that easily, rewrite so that you can.) If your essay is double-spaced, use your best judgment on that. Do not turn in essays that are hard to read.

4. Telling an anecdote or a great story can be fine, but the best anecdotes relate directly to your decision to study and practice law. Adcomms read a lot of essays. Don't waste their time. Be sure that you're applying for a law degree, and not a degree in creative writing.

5. When you're done writing, stop writing. Don't fall into the cliched trap of trying to come up with a grand-slam conclusion. Just stop writing. Efficiency with words is more important than trying to be the Great American Essayist.