Why SMU? Help appreciated Forum

[ZSR10]

alright so I have nailed down the personal statement and now am wrapping up the Why SMU paragraph. Here is what I have, what do you think?

Attending the SMU Dedman School of Law has been a dream of mine since I first saw the campus upon moving to Dallas/Fort Worth area. After researching and speaking with several lawyers I have decided that Dedman is indeed the best choice for me. Being a voracious reader, the sheer size of the Underwood Law Library was a substantial factor in my research and really made me feel like Dedman is where I need to be. Wanting to practice in the Dallas area upon graduation, I feel that Dedman is in the best position to provide me with that dream due to its central location and its wide alumni base in the area. In addition to my own research, a good family friend who I have known since I was a child, Jim Lovell of Dumas, Texas, told me of his time at SMU law and suggested that I would be an excellent fit there. With the insistence of a man whom I strongly admire, there is no question that Dedman is the school for me. I am particularly interested in the Oxford summer program as I have always wanted to study at Oxford and have a very strong interest in International Law and practicing law from a global rather than national standpoint. I believe that not only is SMU Dedman the perfect fit for my ambitions, but that I will be a great fit at SMU Dedman and will be able to truly excel at my studies and be able to give back to the school during my education and afterward.

[CanadianWolf]

Why SMU Law School ?

Because I want to live & work in Dallas, Texas.

[Mce252]

I guess the size of the library at your undergrad institution was too small to quell your reading ambitions. Anything you say besides something extremely personal or related to their location, ranking and prestige will not support your argument very well. Keep it simple and focus on the things you actually know about SMU.

[ZSR10]

ya our library here at Baylor is a freaking joke. So that should be removed? I was trying to show that I have really done my research and really looked into the law school.

[merichard87]

alright so I have nailed down the personal statement and now am wrapping up the Why SMU paragraph. Here is what I have, what do you think?

Attending the SMU Dedman School of Law has been a dream of mine since I first saw the campus upon moving to Dallas/Fort Worth area. After researching and speaking with several lawyers I have decided that Dedman is indeed the best choice for me. Being a voracious reader, the sheer size of the Underwood Law Library was a substantial factor in my research and really made me feel like Dedman is where I need to be. Wanting to practice in the Dallas area upon graduation, I feel that Dedman is in the best position to provide me with that dream due to its central location and its wide alumni base in the area. In addition to my own research, a good family friend who I have known since I was a child, Jim Lovell of Dumas, Texas, told me of his time at SMU law and suggested that I would be an excellent fit there. With the insistence of a man whom I strongly admire, there is no question that Dedman is the school for me. I am particularly interested in the Oxford summer program as I have always wanted to study at Oxford and have a very strong interest in International Law and practicing law from a global rather than national standpoint. I believe that not only is SMU Dedman the perfect fit for my ambitions, but that I will be a great fit at SMU Dedman and will be able to truly excel at my studies and be able to give back to the school during my education and afterward.

The sentence structure seems very, uhhhhh basic? Also, you say over and over and over and over again that Dedman is, the best choice for you, the place you want to be, where you need to be.

[Mce252]

My advice is that if you want to show you have done your research, be much more specific in your reasoning and again, be extremely personal about how the law school meets your needs. Otherwise, just go with the location and general Dallas prestige.

The library comment was a joke... It is hard to imagine that you do not have access to the reading material necessary to keep you reading as often as you like...and in any subject.

[dakatz]

If size of library is a big deal, then Cooley all the way

[ZSR10]

I will take the library part out but I'm actually being serious when I say that the library here at Baylor is absolutely terrible. This is a rough draft so I'm definitely going to give it a little more depth and such.

[Marionberry]

The Why SMU statements is not that big a deal, from everything I've heard. It only has to be a paragraph. Do you want to work in Texas/Dallas and is SMU a good school to do that? There ya go. As long as you take the time to do it, and your numbers are up to snuff, you'll be fine.

[CSCS Trainer]

alright so I have nailed down the personal statement and now am wrapping up the Why SMU paragraph. Here is what I have, what do you think?

Attending the SMU Dedman School of Law has been a dream of mine since I first saw the campus upon moving to Dallas/Fort Worth area. After researching and speaking with several lawyers I have decided that Dedman is indeed the best choice for me. Being a voracious reader, the sheer size of the Underwood Law Library was a substantial factor in my research and really made me feel like Dedman is where I need to be. Wanting to practice in the Dallas area upon graduation, I feel that Dedman is in the best position to provide me with that dream due to its central location and its wide alumni base in the area. In addition to my own research, a good family friend whom I have known since I was a child, Jim Lovell of Dumas, Texas, told me of his time at SMU law and suggested that I would be an excellent fit there. [With the insistence of a man whom I strongly admire, there is no question that Dedman is the school for me.] - remove -run on sentence. [I believe that not only is SMU Dedman the perfect fit for my ambitions, but that I will be a great fit at SMU Dedman and will be able to truly excel at my studies and be able to give back to the school during my education and afterward.] - run on