Personal Statement or Diversity Statement or both? Forum

[e_mac7]

Hi All!
Just took the Dec LSAT yesterday so good luck to all my fellow test takers .
I'm applying to LS as a Mexican American/European woman and have heard mixed messages from admissions people regarding personal statements vs. diversity statements. I've heard to just write about my diversity in my personal statement, others have said to submit both.
What do you all recommend?

[Ramius]

If you can reasonably craft a personal statement separate from your diversity statement, it can only help, right? Obviously, if your biggest selling point is the diversity you bring to the school, then you might as well highlight that in the personal statement, as it will probably be given the most weight, but if you find a way to dissect your diversity statement from your personal statement, go at it and hope that they love the batch of cabbage you're selling.

[e_mac7]

If you can reasonably craft a personal statement separate from your diversity statement, it can only help, right? Obviously, if your biggest selling point is the diversity you bring to the school, then you might as well highlight that in the personal statement, as it will probably be given the most weight, but if you find a way to dissect your diversity statement from your personal statement, go at it and hope that they love the batch of cabbage you're selling.

Thanks. How much of a boost does being URM give anyway? I've never known, just always knew there was the option of having both/either a PS and DS

[NavyOfficer23]

If you can reasonably craft a personal statement separate from your diversity statement, it can only help, right? Obviously, if your biggest selling point is the diversity you bring to the school, then you might as well highlight that in the personal statement, as it will probably be given the most weight, but if you find a way to dissect your diversity statement from your personal statement, go at it and hope that they love the batch of cabbage you're selling.

Agreed. Although I think your PS could be more about why you want to be a lawyer, and an experience that motivated you. If you separate out the DS, your PS could be short and sweet - 1 1/2 pages.