PS Topic Advice Forum

[Redsfan320]

Hey TLS, having trouble picking a PS topic, hoping for some help. Here are the ideas I have now:

1. Being home-schooled. This was definitely interesting and helped shape my personality, and also is relatively unique. If I don't use this as a PS topic, I've seen where some have used it as a diversity statement topic in the past, but I don't know how good of an idea that is either.

2. Starting college at 16 and almost failing out my first year. If this is not my PS topic, it will almost definitely be a GPA addendum, but the more I think about it, the more I realize what a positive turning point in my life that was, which starts to actually seem like a good PS topic. After coasting through high school, it's really what forced to develop a work ethic, led to me getting into a major I liked, etc. Seems easy to connect with why I would do well in law school.

3. I coached youth baseball for several years. This was fun, but I don't really see a great way to connect it to why I should be admitted to law school.

4. I worked at a fast-food restaurant for a couple years, half that time as a trainer. This taught me how to push through doing grunt work as well as leadership skills, but that seems like a pretty bland PS topic to me.

Besides formative life events, people also seem to use stories about one particular day that changed their life, where they went somewhere or meant someone or something, but I'm not really coming up with anything in that area. Let me know what you think about my topics, as obviously I'm having trouble coming up with much. Thanks.

320

[galadriel3019]

I'm sure this isn't as direct an answer as you'd like… but to be honest until you sit down and write out a draft of any of these topics, it's really hard to say what is good or not. You could write an excellent personal statement using any of these topics, likewise any of these ideas could become on paper a weak personal statement depending on the direction you take it in. I had problems deciding what I should write about until I tried writing, and then I could see what flowed and what did not. Good luck!

[brinicolec]

2 sounds like an interesting story but I agree with the person above me. Try writing about these and see if one comes easier.

[maybeman]

Writing about being homeschooled could be a solid statement. Focus on a few examples of unique projects you did and how you grew, etc., etc. Regardless of age, nearly failing out of college is probably not a good experience to center a PS on.. feel free to take that with a grain of salt though

[Mark Aldridge]

Hey TLS, having trouble picking a PS topic, hoping for some help. Here are the ideas I have now:

4. I worked at a fast-food restaurant for a couple years, half that time as a trainer. This taught me how to push through doing grunt work as well as leadership skills, but that seems like a pretty bland PS topic to me.

This sounds like the most interesting. I bet you have some hilarious anecdotes you could pepper throughout your PS about the fast food life.

[Deardevil]

The last one does sound like it could make for some neat storytelling.
Personally, I'd go with the second, as it may contribute a lot more to your education.