xx Forum

[dmarieb]

xx

[AlexandraHope]

I'm pretty new to this... so take my advice with a grain of salt, but there isn't anything that really grabs my attention and makes you stand out. After reading your PS, and going to the bathroom I really don't remember that much about it. Have you looked at the examples in the sticky thread? They have a couple of REALLY good ones.

[rinkrat19]

This is a resume dump. It tells me almost nothing about you as a PERSON that I couldn't get from your resume.

A PS...
1. Introduces a bit of your personality to the person reading it.
2. Illustrates certain positive qualities you possess, with the implication that these qualities will make you a good law student/lawyer.
3. Shows you are a good writer.
4. Shows you can follow the school's directions for writing and submitting the PS.
5. Entertains, or at least holds the attention of, the person reading it.
6. OPTIONAL: Illustrates why you want to go to law school in general/this particular law school.

[dmarieb]

xx

[Betty Smith]

This is a bit HIGH on emotions. Honestly, yes it does motivates and explains your struggle but I think you can use it as a positive point. I like the way you have written this PS and I am sure this can be improved

[rion91]

Upon graduating I obtained a position at XYZ, a XYZ company in Orlando. Working at XYZ has allowed me to work with attorneys, Clients, the Court, and legal documents on a daily basis. I have worked in the legal field, at XYZ, for over two years as of this writing.

Write about a particular experience you had at this company.

[Psychosis]

It looks like you want to cover a lot of ground, going all the way from your upbringing to some of your more recent experiences.

I would suggest focusing on a single episode from your life and trying to craft a strong narrative around it. Your experiences growing up or with XYZ might be most ripe for a unique story. I would stay away from stories about your academic career. Bear in mind that everyone applying to law school has gone through college so talking about that won't really set you apart.

Just my two cents..

[rdawkins28]

Just out of curiosity, how much does a PS matter for UM?

[dmarieb]

xx

[FutureSuperLawyer]

Top ranked schools may care about your personal statement. But schools like U. Miami (as opposed to U. Michigan) are desperately trying to keep their LSAT and GPA medians from collapsing (which would lead them to fall in the rankings) and to attract enough students who will pay full tuition to keep the faculty rolling in money. So, they will care about your LSAT, GPA and willingness to pay full tuition. If your LSAT is really low they will also be worried about admitting you because you may fail the bar exam (they need an 80% pass rate to stay accredited). There is one other extremely important factor in admissions, but its not your personal statement, its your skin color. If you hispanic or african america your chances rise significantly.

I know this seems like bad news given what I am sure is your passion to help people through the law. But the reality is that most grads of U. Miami emerge with enormous debt and little hope of a job that will allow them to pay it off. Sadly, public interest jobs where you can help kids are some of the hardest to get. People really want these jobs because they make you eligible for unbelievably generous loan repayment programs (the gov't basically forgives all of your loans after 10 years and only required limited payments before then).

If you really want to help kids, may I suggest becoming a teacher. In Chicago a teacher's salary rises to about 75k after 5 years, you can never be fired and only have to work 2/3 of the year. Plus you get a giant pension. Most U. Miami grads can only dream of that kind of a job.