What do you think about Anna Ivey's PS advice? Forum

[sillyputty]

I read through many of the threads and seems like a lot of you are saying that her suggestions are reliable guides to personal statement writing. I'm still curious though - is it true that writing "personal" essays that focus on a narrative or an event that reveal certain qualities of your personality is easier and more successful for admissions? I mean, many of her samples in the "personal essays" section showed great narrative arcs, but didn't seem so relevant to qualities people seek from law school students (exemplified in the Pretty Horses essay in my opinion). In contrast, TLS samples from their e-book seem to underscore the need to clearly highlight those specific qualities necessary in studying law (i.e. perseverence, organization) while they also suggest that a narrative "hook" is going to be helpful for a strong intro.

All in all, what do you all think about Anna Ivey's suggestions? Is there a saavy way to integrate our passions for law without having to go all out with the research and all as suggested in Anna Ivey's book?

[CanadianWolf]

LSAT score & GPA indicate whether or not one is qualified for law school while a PS primarily serves to humanize an application. Nevertheless, a PS is a chance to express yourself in any manner that you like as a means of increasing your chances for admission. There are many ways to sell yourself. If in doubt, then Anna Ivey's advice should be followed, in my opinion.