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Wow, I thought I knew where that was going at first.

This all hinges on how well-known this story is. If you're talking about a group that people would recognize immediately from your description, then I wouldn't recommend drawing attention to that. It sounds like (at least from what you said) most people still have a negative perception of this group, and I think that could hurt you pretty badly if you make it central to your application.

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Is this just a business or a business related to religion? If the different beliefs were of a religious nature, then it could fall under the religion part of a DS. You might think about leaving the business name out. Not sure you should focus on journalism very much in the DS. Maybe just mention that you pursued journalism because of mistreatment but only do that in passing. It's hard to tell if this topic would be worth it without reading an actual statement, unfortunately.

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Sure. I'll take a look at it. It's just hard to judge whether this would be helpful to your application without seeing a lot of detail. The statement would need to be carefully written. You might try not mentioning the group was labeled a cult, only that it was a religious-based business that faced discrimination.

Dear Mr. Archer,

Thank you so much for your advice and for offering to read my DS! I'll PM you sometime tomorrow after I write a really rough draft to see if I'm going in the right direction. I really appreciate your help!

I have to say that solely based on your wording here, I'd be hesitant to admit you to law school. What you describe sounds like a fringe religious group, and that doesn't inspire warm and fuzzy feelings in the majority of the population. And bear in mind that I don't even know what the negative press for this group looked like.

I don't doubt that this was a very formative experience for you, but you have to consider how a neutral observer will react to your telling of events. It sounds like even a Google search on their part would reveal a lot of stories that you don't want an admissions office associating with you.

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I think it really depends on how you talk about your experiences. If you sound like a hoot, you will leave admission officers puzzled and doubting if you are the diverse addition they need in their school. But I am thinking this will not be the case here.

One thing I've learned through speaking with admission officers is that they want to read about how you think (can gauge a sense of maturity and determination), how your background has shaped you, and how you attach meaning to your personal experiences. You can certainly do that in a really unique way here if you craft a narrative that is through-provoking, even if not "safe". I personally am already very interested in seeing how such a statement reads coming from you. I am interested in understanding how you reconcile your religious teachings with what has been said in the media, what lit a fire in you, and what career direction you see possible with that fire.

Dear YBF,

Thank you for your feedback and advice on the general direction! I really appreciate your help as well. Would you also be willing to take a quick look at my rough draft? I would love to hear your detailed input!

I would review if you wanted to PM me.

Definitely sounds like a topic that could go either way!

Dear Guybourdin,

Thank you for offering to read my DS! I'm in the process of cutting it down to 350 words, which I seem is the standard for a DS, right? But I'll be sending them to you and those who also offered to read it soon

YBF-W wrote:I think it really depends on how you talk about your experiences. If you sound like a hoot, you will leave admission officers puzzled and doubting if you are the diverse addition they need in their school. But I am thinking this will not be the case here.

One thing I've learned through speaking with admission officers is that they want to read about how you think (can gauge a sense of maturity and determination), how your background has shaped you, and how you attach meaning to your personal experiences. You can certainly do that in a really unique way here if you craft a narrative that is through-provoking, even if not "safe". I personally am already very interested in seeing how such a statement reads coming from you. I am interested in understanding how you reconcile your religious teachings with what has been said in the media, what lit a fire in you, and what career direction you see possible with that fire.

Sure! I'd love to read and send my thoughts.