Mention class rank/lsat/GPA/awards in PS? Forum

[gmreplay]

Should I mention the following things in my PS?
-Class rank
-LSAT score
-GPA
-Honors Scholar award at my UG

Or alternately should they just be left in the resume? I don't want to duplicate work but I also don't want them to miss it.

[Ginj]

Should I mention the following things in my PS?
-Class rank
-LSAT score
-GPA
-Honors Scholar award at my UG

Or alternately should they just be left in the resume? I don't want to duplicate work but I also don't want them to miss it.

Just in resume.

/thread

[gmreplay]

Don't /thread me yet, I want to make sure I've got a number of opinions to back me up on this one.

[094320]

..

[OGR3]

Just in resume.

/thread

+1

[r6_philly]

I could see mentioning briefly class rank in PS if it's top of the class. Although I chose not to do it. But you can tout it as an accomplishment if you had to work hard/overcome some difficulties. Again I didn't. I just put it on my resume.

[Ginj]

Law School Personal Statements Advice - Not to do's - 7. Do not reiterate your academic accomplishments, unless they are not evident from your transcripts and test scores. As an example, a major family crisis or personal catharsis resulting in a drastic change in your grades is worth discussing, whereas your being on the Honor Roll most semesters is not. Furthermore, your grades are already documented on your transcript, and you should take this opportunity to give the committee information they cannot find in other parts of your application.

/thread

[maxm2764]

Just in resume.

/thread

Edit: /thread.

[r6_philly]

Law School Personal Statements Advice - Not to do's - 7. Do not reiterate your academic accomplishments, unless they are not evident from your transcripts and test scores. As an example, a major family crisis or personal catharsis resulting in a drastic change in your grades is worth discussing, whereas your being on the Honor Roll most semesters is not. Furthermore, your grades are already documented on your transcript, and you should take this opportunity to give the committee information they cannot find in other parts of your application.

/thread

"
In Junior year my ailing health forced me to withdraw from 3 classes and contributed to a lower than normal GPA, however I battled back and regained the #1 class ranking by the start of my final year ...
"

[094320]

..

[r6_philly]

Law School Personal Statements Advice - Not to do's - 7. Do not reiterate your academic accomplishments, unless they are not evident from your transcripts and test scores. As an example, a major family crisis or personal catharsis resulting in a drastic change in your grades is worth discussing, whereas your being on the Honor Roll most semesters is not. Furthermore, your grades are already documented on your transcript, and you should take this opportunity to give the committee information they cannot find in other parts of your application.

/thread

"
In Junior year my ailing health forced me to withdraw from 3 classes and contributed to a lower than normal GPA, however I battled back and regained the #1 class ranking by the start of my final year ...
"

That's an addendum, not a PS. Unless your PS is about you and your 101 struggles, but still, I wouldn't. It's not the purpose of the PS to make sure that they didn't "miss" any of it.

If your statement is about you overcoming your illness, or progression as a person. Don't think everything belongs in an addendum. Your "personal" statement is what you make it to be.

[DreamShake]

I'm with philly on this one--sometimes academic achievements belong in PS's, particularly when you're discussing a "comeback." They serve as examples that allow the essay as a whole to flow. In my own PS, I discussed how a developing interest in law led me to apply to a particular academic program, then I had a paragraph about how much I loved the program, how my enjoyment pushed me to gain some accolades, etc. The following paragraph discussed a caveat to that opportunity. In cases like this, the achievements fulfill an important structural role in the essay: they're the bridge between "I decided to do X" and whatever comes after. Having said that, such examples should never constitute the focus of a PS. Probably no more than a couple sentences at most, in fact.

Edit: removed some stuff

[Pleasye]

Just in resume.

/thread

I don't want to duplicate work but I also don't want them to miss it.

Considering 95% of the decision of whether or not to admit you is based upon half of your list (GPA/LSAT) I highly doubt they'll miss it.