ARE YOU PREPARING YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION AND WONDERING HOW TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD
OF APPLICANTS? MOST LAW SCHOOL APPLICATIONS IN THE U.S. AND CANADA REQUIRE THE CORE OF
THE APPLICATION ITSELF, A PERSONAL STATEMENT, LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION, YOUR LSAT’S,
AND MORE… SO IN THIS VIDEO I’LL GO OVER THE THREE MOST CHALLENGING LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION
COMPONENTS AND GIVE YOU TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE THOSE SECTIONS STAND OUT IN THE SELECTION
PROCESS… HI! I’M NATALIE STOBERMAN AND I’M AN ADMISSIONS
ASSOCIATE HERE AT BEMO. BEFORE WE GET STARTED, SUBSCRIBE ON WHATEVER SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNEL
YOU’RE WATCHING THIS ON SO YOU DON’T MISS ANY OF OUR UPCOMING VIDEOS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE
US TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION, CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE OR BELOW THIS VIDEO
TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION. F-Y-I... CHECK OUT THE TIME STAMPS IN THE
DESCRIPTION OF THIS VIDEO TO NAVIGATE TO SPECIFIC SECTIONS OF THIS VIDEO THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED
IN. HERE’S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO COVER: PERSONAL STATEMENT VS. STATEMENT OF INTENT
DIVERSITY STATEMENT REFERENCE LETTERS
LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION TIPS AND WE'RE GIVING AWAY $50 AMAZON GIFT CARDS
EVERY WEEK TO THE BEST COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS… SO COMMENT BELOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN! WE ALSO
HAVE SOME STELLAR ADVICE ON HOW TO PREPARE A MEMORABLE LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION, I’LL
TALK ABOUT THAT MORE TOWARDS THE END OF THE VIDEO SO MAKE SURE YOU WATCH TO THE VERY END…
LET’S GET STARTED! LAW SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT VS. STATEMENT
OF INTENT STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS ASKING HOW TO WRITE A
PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR LAW SCHOOL, PARTICULARLY ONE THAT STANDS OUT FROM ALL THE REST…BUT
BEFORE I BEGIN DISCUSSING SOME LAW SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT TIPS, WE NEED TO CLARIFY
THE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN A “PERSONAL STATEMENT” AND A “STATEMENT
OF INTENT” FOR YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION... THERE ARE COMMON MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT WHAT
IS EXPECTED FROM EACH... AND AT TIMES,SOME SCHOOLS MAY USE THESE TERMS INTERCHANGEABLY.
THE OVERALL PURPOSE OF ASKING FOR EITHER A LAW SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT OR FOR A STATEMENT
OF INTENT IS TO PROVIDE THE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT:
WHO YOU ARE; WHY YOU WANT TO BE ADMITTED TO THE PARTICULAR
PROGRAM; AND OTHER UNIQUE, INTERESTING, AND RELEVANT
INFORMATION THAT CANNOT BE FOUND IN YOUR TRANSCRIPTS OR FROM YOUR REFERENCES...
FOR MOTIVATED STUDENTS WITH THE WORLD AT THEIR FINGERTIPS, IT’S A CHALLENGING TASK TO NARROW
YOUR CHARACTER DOWN INTO A FEW HUNDRED WORDS! BUT THIS IS EXACTLY THE POINT OF SUCH GENERIC
GUIDELINES… TO CHALLENGE ASPIRING LAW STUDENTS TO PRODUCE SOMETHING UNIQUE AND CONVINCING
WITH MINIMAL DIRECTION BY THE UNIVERSITY…. DON’T FORGET, LAW IS A PROFESSION THAT DEMANDS
YOUR LANGUAGE TO BE PERSUASIVE... AND THE PERSONAL STATEMENT IS JUST ONE OF MANY EXERCISES
WHERE YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE YOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS…. WHILE THE LAW SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT IS
ABOUT FAR MORE THAN JUST FOLLOWING ESSAY DIRECTIONS, YOU STILL NEED TO KEEP BASIC FORMATTING AND
LENGTH RESTRICTIONS IN MIND... MOST LAW SCHOOLS ASK FOR A 2-PAGE PERSONAL STATEMENT, BUT LENGTHS
CAN RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 PAGES... GEORGETOWN, FOR INSTANCE, RECOMMENDS A 2-PAGE PERSONAL
STATEMENT BUT STATES THAT THERE IS NO OFFICIAL MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM. IN GENERAL, LENGTH DOES
NOT MAKE A PERSONAL STATEMENT BETTER. BUT RAMBLING SENTENCES AND TIRESOME DESCRIPTIONS
WILL ONLY HURT THE IMPACT OF YOUR IDEAS, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF PAGES ADMISSIONS
COMMITTEES HAVE TO FLIP THROUGH EACH YEAR…. ESSENTIALLY, WRITING A LAW SCHOOL PERSONAL
STATEMENT OR A STATEMENT OF INTENT PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO STAND OUT FROM THE
REST OF THE APPLICANTS BY MAKING YOUR STORY HEARD. YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE FOLLOWING:
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO APPLY TO THE PARTICULAR PROGRAM...
HOW YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, ALONG WITH YOUR FUTURE EDUCATION, WILL SHAPE YOUR SHORT-TERM
AND LONG-TERM CAREER GOALS... WHEN YOU BECAME INTERESTED IN THE FIELD AND
DEVELOPED YOUR CAREER GOALS… PERSONAL EXPERIENCES THAT MAY HAVE STEMMED
FROM EVENTS IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE INCLUDING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY; HISTORY; EDUCATION; EMPLOYMENT;
WORK EXPERIENCE; VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE; TRAVELS; SPECIAL ATHLETIC ABILITIES...
READING LAW SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLES CAN BE USEFUL IN UNDERSTANDING HOW TO ORGANIZE
AND DRAW ON THESE DIFFERENT KINDS OF EXPERIENCES... IN THE CASE WHERE YOU ALSO HAVE TO SUBMIT
A STATEMENT OF INTENT, KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION COMPONENT IS TAILORED
TOWARD YOUR SPECIFIC FIELD OF STUDY AND CAREER GOALS. IN THIS CASE, YOU WANT TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS
SUCH AS: WHAT FIELD OF LAW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPECIALIZE
IN AND WHY?... WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE FIELD, AND
HOW HAS THAT EXPERIENCE CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR GROWTH IN THE FIELD?...
WHAT COURSES WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE TO MEET YOUR CAREER GOALS?...
AFTER YOU COMPLETE THE PROGRAM, WHAT DO YOU PLAN ON DOING WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
YOU DEVELOPED?... AND, WHAT SOFT SKILLS DO YOU HAVE THAT WILL
HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE PROFESSION?... DIVERSITY STATEMENT
LAW SCHOOL DIVERSITY STATEMENTS SEEM SIMPLE ENOUGH AT FIRST GLANCE, BUT CRAFTING A UNIQUE
ESSAY THAT DOESN’T SIMPLY REGURGITATE ELEMENTS OF YOUR LAW SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT IS HARDER
THAN YOU MAY EXPECT…. DIVERSITY STATEMENTS DEMAND CONCISE BUT SOPHISTICATED INTROSPECTION,
WHICH CAN BE OVERWHELMING… DON’T WORRY THOUGH—WITH SOME BASIC GUIDELINES AND A
FEW EXAMPLES, YOU CAN EASILY CRAFT A STANDOUT DIVERSITY STATEMENT THAT COMPLEMENTS AND ENHANCES
THE REST OF YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION… UNDERSTANDING THE ULTRA-SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF
THE LAW SCHOOL DIVERSITY STATEMENT IS THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN BEGINNING
YOUR DRAFTS. AT FIRST GLANCE, IT’S HARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO AVOID MAKING IT SOUND
JUST LIKE YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT…. AFTER ALL, ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF WHO YOU ARE
IS CENTRAL TO BOTH ESSAYS... AND SINCE A BIG PART OF THAT IS SHOWING BOTH THE SOCIAL AND
PERSONAL FORCES THAT HAVE SHAPED YOU, IT MAY SEEM DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHAT INFORMATION
GOES WHERE…. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES
THAT CAN HELP YOU ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS. FIRSTLY,, IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT
THE DIVERSITY STATEMENT IS ALMOST ALWAYS CONSTRUCTED IN RESPONSE TO A SPECIFIC PROMPT... WHILE
THE PERSONAL STATEMENT IS ALMOST NEVER CONSTRAINED TO A SPECIFIC QUESTION AND USUALLY ASKS YOU
TO EXPLAIN WHO YOU ARE IN A BROAD SENSE... THE LAW SCHOOL DIVERSITY STATEMENT SERVES
AS A DEEPER, MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION OF HOW YOU UNDERSTAND YOURSELF IN RELATION TO
THE WORLD... THINK OF THE PERSONAL STATEMENT AS MORE HEAVILY FOCUSED ON YOUR INTRINSIC
UNDERSTANDING OF YOURSELF, LIKE YOUR MOTIVATIONS AND THE EXPERIENCES THAT ILLUSTRATE THEM…
AND THE DIVERSITY STATEMENT IS MORE FOCUSED ON THE EXTERNAL FACTORS... IT’S STILL ABOUT
YOU, BUT THIS COMPONENT OF YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION NEEDS TO SHOW AN UNDERSTANDING
OF YOUR PLACE IN THE WORLD…. FOR EXAMPLE… THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
ENCOURAGES APPLICANTS TO “TELL AN INTERESTING, INFORMATIVE, AND PERSONAL STORY” IN 700-1400
WORDS... IN CONTRAST, THEIR GUIDELINES FOR THE DIVERSITY STATEMENT ASK STUDENTS TO “TELL
US ABOUT HOW YOU GREW UP” IN A MUCH SMALLER SPACE OF 300-350 WORDS... IN ESSENCE, THE
DIVERSITY STATEMENT IN NEARLY ALL CASES SIMPLY DOESN’T PROVIDE YOU THE ROOM TO STRUCTURE
A THOROUGH NARRATIVE THE WAY THE PERSONAL STATEMENT DOES. YOU STILL NEED TO TELL A VIVID
STORY AND FOCUS ON THE “SHOW, DON’T TELL” STRATEGY... JUST AS A STUDENT WRITING A MEDICAL
SCHOOL DIVERSITY SECONDARY ESSAY WOULD… YOU JUST HAVE TO BE VERY SELECTIVE ABOUT THE
EXPERIENCES YOU CHOOSE TO TALK ABOUT... LAW SCHOOLS WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR UNIQUENESS
HAS SHAPED YOU AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE PEOPLE AND SOCIAL STRUCTURES AROUND YOU...
EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY WANT TO SEE WHAT THIS ALLOWS YOU TO BRING TO THE SCHOOL AND
FELLOW STUDENTS IF ADMITTED... SO, WHAT QUALIFIES AS DIVERSITY? THERE ARE SOME TRADITIONAL CATEGORIES
OF IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE THAT ARE COMMONLY DISCUSSED IN DIVERSITY STATEMENTS, SUCH AS
THESE: RACIAL AND ETHNIC IDENTITY...
GENDER AND/OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION... RELIGIOUS OR IDEOLOGICAL AFFILIATION...
SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND... AND, EDUCATIONAL HISTORY…
KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF DIVERSITY TOPICS YOU CAN COVER… YOU ARE
ENCOURAGED TO EXPLORE A VARIETY OF DIVERSITY ELEMENTS THAT MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE...
REFERENCE LETTERS YOUR LAW SCHOOL RECOMMENDATION LETTERS MUST
BE EXCEPTIONAL…. DO NOT ASK FOR A LETTER FROM ANYONE WHO WOULD NOT DESCRIBE YOU AS
AN EXCELLENT AND OUTSTANDING CANDIDATE FOR LAW SCHOOL. YOUR REFEREES MUST BE ABLE TO
TALK ABOUT YOUR BEST SKILLS, YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND YOUR VIRTUOUS CHARACTER…
DON’T SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRE OR UNENTHUSIASTIC LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION.,THE WRITERS SHOULD
HAVE NO HESITATION TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A LETTER WHEN YOU APPROACH THEM…
IF YOUR CHOSEN REFEREE IS UNSURE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER ASKING SOMEONE ELSE AS THESE
LETTERS ARE MEANT TO ENHANCE YOUR APPLICATION AND MAKE YOU STAND OUT TO ADCOMS…. AFTER
LOOKING THROUGH HUNDREDS OF APPLICANTS WITH HIGH GPAS, LSAT SCORES, AND IMPRESSIVE PERSONAL
STATEMENTS, THESE LETTERS WILL INFLUENCE THE IMPRESSION YOU’VE CREATED WITH ALL YOUR
OTHER APPLICATION MATERIALS... THE TAKEAWAY IS THAT THESE LETTERS NEED TO EMPHASIZE YOUR
EXCEPTIONALITY IN ORDER TO MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION…
THE TWO MOST COMMON WAYS TO ASK FOR A RECOMMENDATION LETTER IS IN PERSON AND VIA EMAIL... APPROACHING
A REFEREE DIRECTLY ELIMINATES WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. TO DO THIS, YOU CAN VISIT PROFESSORS
DURING THEIR OFFICE HOURS OR CATCH YOUR EMPLOYER DURING A BREAK... MOST LIKELY THE PERSON WILL
GIVE YOU AN ANSWER RIGHT THEN AND THERE. IF THE ANSWER IS YES, YOU SHOULD ARRANGE FOR
A SECOND MEETING WHERE YOU WILL PROVIDE ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION FOR YOUR RECOMMENDER…
THIS INCLUDES THE DEADLINE OF APPLICATION, INFORMATION ON HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR LETTER,
YOUR TRANSCRIPTS, CV, LIST OF AWARDS, AND SO ON... IF YOU ARE ASKING THROUGH EMAIL,
WAIT FOR THEM TO RESPOND WITH A YES BEFORE SENDING IN ALL YOUR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS AND
SUBMISSION DETAILS... IF IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU HAVE TAKEN
YOUR PROFESSOR’S CLASS, IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO APPROACH YOUR PROFESSOR PERSONALLY... SEEING
YOUR FACE AND SPEAKING WITH YOU DIRECTLY WILL JOG THEIR MEMORY ON WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOUR
PERFORMANCE WAS LIKE IN THEIR CLASS... AN EMAIL DOESN’T QUITE HAVE THAT PERSONAL TOUCH
WHEN YOU’VE BEEN AWAY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME... FOR THIS REASON, TRY TO APPROACH
THEM AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER OR WHEN YOU ARE RECEIVING FEEDBACK... THIS IS WHEN THEY
WILL REMEMBER YOU AND YOUR SKILLS AND THEY MAY EVEN BEGIN DRAFTING THE LETTER SOON AFTER
YOU ASK… DON’T WAIT TO REACH OUT UNTIL YOU APPLY TO LAW SCHOOL, THIS COULD BE MONTHS
LATER… LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION TIPS
IT’S NOT A SHOCK TO SAY THAT THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS WHO GAIN ACCEPTANCE INTO LAW SCHOOL
HAVE A VERY HIGH GPA ALONG WITH A VERY COMPETITIVE LSAT SCORE... BUT, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT
HIGH GPA AND COMPETITIVE LSAT SCORES DO NOT GUARANTEE YOU A SEAT IN A LAW SCHOOL... THERE
ARE MANY STUDENTS WHO HAVE A GPA THAT IS LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE ACCEPTED GPA, ALONG WITH
LOW LSAT SCORES, AND GAIN ACCEPTANCE... WHILE OTHER STUDENTS HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH GPAS AND
LSAT SCORES THAT DO NOT RECEIVE A LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE... THESE SCORES AREN’T THE SOLE
DECIDING FACTOR IN YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION AND WILL NOT GUARANTEE YOU ADMISSIONS...
SO HOW DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO GAIN ACCEPTANCE WITH LOW GPA AND LSAT SCORES
OVER THOSE STUDENTS WITH MUCH HIGHER SCORES? THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE... THEIR LAW SCHOOL
APPLICATION IS OUTSTANDING!... AND WE WANT TO PASS THOSE TIPS ONTO YOU TO ENHANCE YOUR
LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION... TIP #1: START AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE…. IDEALLY,
YOU SHOULD BEGIN PREPARING YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION AROUND 3 TO 4 MONTHS IN ADVANCE
OF YOUR SUBMISSION DATE... THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO REALLY POLISH YOUR APPLICATION AND
HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED YOUR ‘BEST SELF’...
TIP #2: MAKE SURE THAT YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION HIGHLIGHTS THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE IMPORTANT
TO LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS COMMITTEES… SO, THINK OF YOUR LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION SKILLS,
PROFESSIONALISM, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.... THIS MEANS THAT YOU WILL NEED TO INCLUDE THOSE
LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE THE REQUIRED CHARACTERISTICS... TRY TO REVIEW
SUCCESSFUL LAW SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLES FOR INSPIRATION...
TIP #3: LOOK INTO HOW TO WRITE A PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR LAW SCHOOL, AND HAVE OTHERS
REVIEW AND EDIT YOUR APPLICATION PRIOR TO SUBMITTING IT TO LAW SCHOOL... A PEER, FAMILY
MEMBER, PROFESSOR, OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL THAT CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH APPROPRIATE FEEDBACK
CAN HELP YOU REVIEW YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION... A SECOND PERSPECTIVE NOT ONLY HELPS YOU IDENTIFY
ANY GRAMMATICAL AND SPELLING ERRORS, BUT IT CAN ALSO ALLOW YOU TO GENERATE IDEAS FOR IMPROVEMENT…
TIP #4: LASTLY, CHOOSE YOUR REFEREES WISELY... NOT ONLY SHOULD YOU PICK REFEREES THAT CAN
PROVIDE STRONG LETTERS OF REFERENCE THAT HIGHLIGHT YOUR ABILITIES, BUT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT
THEY ARE ABLE TO CONVEY THE SAME MESSAGE THAT YOU ARE COMMUNICATING IN YOUR APPLICATION...
WITH THIS IN MIND, MAKE SURE YOU PROVIDE YOUR REFEREES WITH A COPY OF YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION…
THOSE ARE OUR TIPS FOR CREATING A SUCCESSFUL LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION... CHECK OUT OUR BLOG
TO READ MORE ABOUT LAW SCHOOL APPLICATIONS AND HOW TO STAND OUT... I HAVE INCLUDED THE
LINK IN THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS VIDEO FOR EASY ACCESS... IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO HELP
YOU WITH YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION, CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE OR BELOW THIS VIDEO TO SCHEDULE
YOUR FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION... HOPEFULLY YOU ENJOYED THIS VIDEO SO PLEASE SUBSCRIBE,
LIKE AND LEAVE A COMMENT. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION
THAT I DIDN’T COVER, LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION AND I WILL GET BACK TO YOU
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE... DON’T FORGET THAT WE'RE GIVING AWAY $50 AMAZON GIFT CARDS EVERY
WEEK TO THE BEST COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS… SO COMMENT BELOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN. THANKS
FOR WATCHING AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME.