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David Busis
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- David Busis
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Comments
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I've edited a lot of personal statements, and I've never once encountered one that needed to be longer than about 2.5 pages. Try cutting an unnecessary paragraph from every page, an unnecessary sentence from every paragraph, and an unnecessary word …
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Another test: if you can point to a semester that dragged down your GPA because of an extenuating circumstance, definitely write a GPA addendum. If you averaged a 3.3 for all four years and have no explanation, definitely don't. If your GPA hovered …
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Add your GPA if it's good (above the median for your target schools). Add a Personal section with some interests if you have room. If nothing else, it gives AOs something to ask you about in an interview.
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You can abbreviate after the first mention if it will be clear to readers what you're talking about. For example, if the National Christian College Athletic Association is an entry's header, it's definitely fine to say, in a bullet point, "Edited NC…
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You could state a goal—"I want to use my JD to help/facilitate/improve X"—or a general area of interest, like dispute resolution. You don't have to get specific or prove your interest; admissions officers know you'll tack one way or the other in law…
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As the others said, you don't have to pivot to law school unless the school asks about your motivation for applying—but it's a tidy way to end many essays. About 4/5s of the essays I edit wind up gesturing at the applicant's professional ambitions.
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@Jessica_Kuba not at all. You can add as many recommendations as you want. When you apply, you'll get to choose which recommendations to send. The only danger is sending the wrong recs by accident.
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@badgalriri You might be able to request another letter from him without deleting him. Let us know.
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@DEC_LSAT If I had thousands of applications to read, I'd be irritated (1) by someone overselling her "diversity", and (2) by someone who made me read an essay that didn't tell me anything relevant or interesting.
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It's not a bad idea to write one, but you'll have to come up with something more convincing than "Eh, I didn't care that much." You might write about the fact that you weren't ready for college, you regret not taking your classes seriously enough, a…
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TL;DR: Only if you can write an awesome one. Some people advise you to write one no matter what, but I think they forget why diversity statements exist in the first place: not to give you a second bite at the apple (essay-wise), but (duh) to help t…
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Good idea! Focus on the LSAT first. I'll be here.
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Hi everyone, First of all—yes, it *really* means unlimited editing for one essay. I have gone back and forth with some people upwards of twenty times. There's no time limit, either. And yes, I do both grammar and content. To clarify, if we finish…
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As far as I know, every school that asks about C&F issues will ask you to explain what happened if you check yes. That's what I mean by addendum.
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Apologies if I'm repeating information, but first of all—you're not fucked. Based on anecdotal experience, your C&F issues will be a thumb on the scale, but probably won't outweigh your numbers. Here's how to write a good C&F addendum: 1.…
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@desire2learn leave off the high school award; keep only the college award. The earlier version of the same award wouldn't add anyway.
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I'd be willing to wager my neat little "Admissions Editor" badge that you can meet the school's requirements and make your essay better by eliminating unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences. Try ignoring your essay for a day or two (so you can se…
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There's a jungle of advice out there, but the schools themselves have the last word. When Berkeley says that you don't have to explain why you're interested in law, they really mean it. If another school doesn't ask why you're interested in law, you…
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@mk940808 You're allowed to explain why you want to be a lawyer even if the prompt is open ended.
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I agree with @MrYC1995. Ask your professors for letters now; it's nice to give them some runway, and you want a chance to ask someone else if one falls through. Then make a schedule for yourself that prioritizes LSAT studying. If you're someone who …
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Thanks, Dillon. @DEC_LSAT if you purchase an Admissions Package, I edit all the essays myself.
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Some law schools, especially T-14 schools, offer open-ended prompts. Others want to know why you want to be a lawyer. The cardinal rule is that you should tell a story. Even if you're writing about your motivation, you should tell a story about your…
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Thanks, guys!
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I'm going to do another round of lightning consultations this week or next. But for now, +1 on @montaha.rizeq's excellent advice.
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@sweetsecret, @"Alex Divine" is right that getting your application in before the December LSAT score may let you skip ahead in the queue—this is advice I myself have given, and advice that other law school consultants have given as well—but if you'…
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On the one hand, admissions officers won't look amiss at a cancellation. On the other hand, schools increasingly look only at your highest LSAT score, because that's the only number they have to report to the ABA (who then reports it to USNWR). So r…
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Admissions Starter has a couple videos on choosing a personal statement topic—and much more. Check it out! As @"Cant Get Right" said, you don't need to write about teaching sign language to disabled children. Write about an important experience or …
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Hmm—I'd guess that most admissions officers won't have a problem with it, but there's a chance that someone might value it less. Any chance you can ask the boss to resubmit without you?
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Yes! You have to submit all your transcripts, and they'll look at them.
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Sorry @strasvery. You'll still have to submit your transcript, and the adcom will still see it.