Top Law Schools

I plan to ED to Penn, and I've finished the first draft of my personal statement, which explains why I want to go to law school. I plan to write a couple of the optional essays, and I have to choose from the list of topics they give.

I thought that I would have to write a "Why Penn" essay, but that isn't one of the optional essay topics. Actually, there's a "How will Penn contribute to your five-year plan after law school?" essay, but I was expecting to write a "Why Penn (in general)" essay.

Would it be fine if I included in my other essays specific reasons why I want to go to Penn, as opposed to writing an entire essay dedicated to that topic?

Thanks!

grimfan wrote: Would it be fine if I included in my other essays specific reasons why I want to go to Penn, as opposed to writing an entire essay dedicated to that topic?

If you write a supplemental essay for a school and it doesn't help explain why you want to go to that school, you're doing it wrong.

Bildungsroman wrote:

grimfan wrote: Would it be fine if I included in my other essays specific reasons why I want to go to Penn, as opposed to writing an entire essay dedicated to that topic?

If you write a supplemental essay for a school and it doesn't help explain why you want to go to that school, you're doing it wrong.

Good point. But they only give you 1 double-spaced page, and I run out of space very quickly.

Step 1: Come up with a post-LS Five Year Plan
Step 2: Write about how Penn will help you get there.

This is effectively a Why Penn essay, but they make it more specific to your post-graduation plans.

Tiago Splitter wrote:Step 1: Come up with a post-LS Five Year Plan
Step 2: Write about how Penn will help you get there.

This is effectively a Why Penn essay, but they make it more specific to your post-graduation plans.

This sounds like good advice. Thanks!

If you are reaching a bit (seeing you are ED), also focus on why you are a good fit for Penn (may take a bit of research to write something good).

Does Penn take a "Why P" more seriously than one of the other optional essays? Because one of the optional prompts spoke to me in a way that the "Why P" didn't.

PSUdevon wrote:Does Penn take a "Why P" more seriously than one of the other optional essays? Because one of the optional prompts spoke to me in a way that the "Why P" didn't.

I don't know if any one is better than others, but they seem to like the art/literature one - they quote a few at orientation. I would just write 2 if you feel that you should write the why Penn one, but like another prompt better.

r6_philly wrote:

PSUdevon wrote:Does Penn take a "Why P" more seriously than one of the other optional essays? Because one of the optional prompts spoke to me in a way that the "Why P" didn't.

I don't know if any one is better than others, but they seem to like the art/literature one - they quote a few at orientation. I would just write 2 if you feel that you should write the why Penn one, but like another prompt better.

The art/lit was the one I was leaning towards. Worth it to write both?

Would it be overkill to write all 4 optional essays? Because a 1 page essay isn't that much.

PSUdevon wrote: The art/lit was the one I was leaning towards. Worth it to write both?

Totally, as long as the 5-year isn't cheesy. You'd probably be fine without writing it, if you don't really have much to say, since you are PA local (assuming you went to PSU) and you are committing through ED.

r6_philly wrote:

PSUdevon wrote: The art/lit was the one I was leaning towards. Worth it to write both?

Totally, as long as the 5-year isn't cheesy. You'd probably be fine without writing it, if you don't really have much to say, since you are PA local (assuming you went to PSU) and you are committing through ED.

Yeah, neither of those are the case.