Why am I annoyed by this? Forum

[TRH189]

While contemplating which route to take with writing my personal statement, I cannot help but pick up on some reoccurring themes. Now, while there is nothing wrong with telling a compelling story about yourself, it seems that most of the personal statements I have read all echo a similar storyline. Some discuss the challenges and adversity they have faced or overcome, while others tell the same type of “sob story” heard countless times. Look, we all have a story to tell, but I can’t help but feel annoyed by reading the same story over and over. Deciding how to tell your story is no small task, which is why I am struggling with conveying mine. But since law school admissions personnel read thousands of personal statements a year, I can’t help but wonder if they get sick of the sob stories too. Perhaps, this is why I am having a difficult time deciding how to go about writing my statement. Can anyone relate to this feeling, or am I just over complicating this?

[Biggiesloths]

I can totally relate. I've been told to stay away from "sob stories" unless it is relevant and an actual "sob story," lol, which I agree with. Sometimes I wonder if the people reading this have gone numb from reading so many "sob stories." I wonder if they simply fly through the pages. I worry about standing out too, but like you said, I can't think of a darn thing that would make me stand out. I'm a pretty normal candidate IMO. My professor tells me I have "better softs than I think" but I just don't agree. I have a hard time trying to pick which "identity" I want to go with - a first gen. college student? a woman? an immigrant? A minority, but not a URM? I have no clue.

[cathy951107]

I am having the same problem.

I have written 6 drafts with almost same content but different ways to express.
They all seem terrible and I don't know what to do.

[dogger]

I did not write about anything related to the aforementioned topics. I wrote about a personal interest and how it shaped me.