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Advice on PS

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:31 pm
by mediation_86
I have written two PS for two different kinds of schools.One for schools who asks for expunged records and another for schools who do not. (I have a criminal record but it is expunged)

For the schools who asks for expunged records:
I have written a 2-page ps that mentions my arrest, but not in explicit detail. I used it as a way to make the case that it was a wake-up call because I was hanging around the wrong crowd at the time I was arrested. (My charges were moral turpitude crimes but they were dropped and dismissed) I mentioned how my parents were struggling immigrants and that now after being in trouble with the law, I wanted to pursue law to pay back to myself, my family and society. I mentioned slightly about my academics (dual degree), and focused mainly on the incident that matured me to a hard-working individual today and why I want to pursue law.

should i focus more on the details of the arrest? or should i mention more scholastic achievements?

for the schools who do not ask for expunged records:
I mentioned how an event dramatically affected my outlook academic wise and career wise. From that incident (seeing my father in a near-death state) I pulled together and it was a life-changing experience. from that moment on, academically I basically have been getting 3.8 and better each quarter. Deans honors list three times, etc. I mentioned how this affected my life and how this made me to be a more matured, and hard-working individual.


If you were me, which would you use for all law schools? or should i stick with the decision to submit two different ps for different schools. I figured if I needed to write a criminal record addendum, that I should mention my arrest in a positive impact in my ps for those schools who asks for expunged records. What would you guys do in my case?

Re: Advice on PS

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:14 pm
by hokie
you can use your arrest as a topic/focus point within your PS; I would leave out any "technical" details and list them separately in an addendum (which I see you are writing). As long as you explain the charges well in a concise manner, there is no need to go into further detail about how you learned from it in your PS (unless, of course, it truly has had a significant impact on your life). Also I wouldn't grocery list activities and achievements in your PS; they have your resume for that. It's hard to say without seeing your actual essays but coming from personal experience, I found it much easier to just write one well-written PS and tailor it slightly for specific schools if needed.

Re: Advice on PS

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 5:29 pm
by mediation_86
ok thanks, is anyone willing to go over my ps? I will pm you it