Too redundant of a topic? Forum

[gb47]

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[Ramius]

The answer would have to be that it really depends. It runs the risk of coming off as one dimensional and flat. You'd possibly make the reader think, "Ok, I get it. You played lacrosse and were really good at it. What else is there about you that I should remotely care about?" It also is potentially problematic because you're talking about something that is pretty non-academic in nature, and many schools want insight into your academic abilities. That being said, this is not an automatic non-starter topic. You have a lot of positive qualities you can showcase within this topic, like your leadership abilities, work ethic, etc. The crux of this topic will lie in how you tell the story. If your coach is speaking to your work ethic and dedication, simply telling a story that shows that will do nothing for you. You can do positive things with this topic and you should absolutely try it out. No one can tell you whether or not it's a good topic until you write something to be reviewed. Until then, give it a shot and see what happens. Just always remember to focus on the message you want to send and how you're going about sending that. Good luck!

[tbesancon]

I wrote my personal statement about competing in the PAC 12 for track and field. Athletics bring so much to the table, more than people realize. But you have to be able to talk about those particular aspects, not solely a game winning goal (i have no idea what a scoring point is called in lacrosse).

For example: being a student athlete involves leadership, time management, criticial thinking and analyzing, listening skills, and the ability to handle stress and pressures unlike most of your typical law school applicants. Were you an Academic All American? Distinguished Scholar Athlete? PAC 12 Academic Champion? The admissions committee will want to read about those qualities and how athletics has developed them for you. What I did was really think about how being a student athlete helped me stand a part from the crowd - and not only by having the jersey. Once I realized the above aspects, I was able to develop a personal statement that incorporated my distinct individual qualities that they wouldn't be able to see from my application or resume.

I think it's a great idea to use your coach for a LOR. They know us better than any professor, thats for sure. Just be certain that your personal statement is more about you on the inside, something that your coach would just be supplemental for. You don't want to reiterate the same thing twice.

May I ask where you are considering applying? I applied to schools last cycle but decided to sit out this year and reapply - just to get some experience first. Nearly every school I was admitted to (~16, waitlisted at 3) wrote a very personal admissions letter to me saying how much they desire a student athlete to add to their new class. You can PM me and I will give you the list of them!

[gb47]

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[rutgers17]

the way you've described it sounds like it could work, but I just came across this and figured I'd share...

http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/admissi ... trick.aspx

not saying it's a definite no, but something to think about if you feel your application relies very heavily on lacrosse. Good luck!