FAQs on Letters of Recommendation for your Law School Application

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m not very close with any of my professors, but have a great relationship with the volunteer manager at the legal aid clinic. Can I use her as a reference?

Law schools specifically look for recommendation letters to provide insight into a candidate’s ability to thrive in a challenging academic environment. You will need to have at least one reference from an academic source. Even if you aren’t close, providing specific examples from class discussions and course work will allow the professor to speak directly to the quality of your work.

Check with the law school, but most will accept supplemental recommendations. So you can also request a recommendation letter from your volunteer manager.

I’ve been out of school and working for a while now. Can I have my current supervisor write one of my recommendation letters?

Yes, if you have been out of school and working for a few years, you may ask your supervisor to complete a letter of recommendation. But you still must ensure you have one academic reference.  

The law school requires two recommendations, but will accept up to four. Do I need to submit four?

You do not need to submit the maximum number. Carefully consider the perspective and anecdotes that each of your potential recommenders could share. Pare down the number if you feel any of your recommenders will provide overlapping views of your abilities. However, if you have four strong relationships and each recommender can provide a unique view of your skills and character, then feel free to submit them all.

What if my recommender asks me, the applicant, to write the letter?

If a potential recommender puts you in a tough spot and only agrees to submit a letter that you’ve written, it is best to move on. It is often obvious to schools when an applicant has crafted the copy because of similarities in voice to other application components.

How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for your Law School Application

Good news! No one who hates you will agree to write you a Letter of Recommendation. It's too annoying of a task to bother with if you don't have nice things to say about someone. Still, some letters can be lackluster, especially if they're rushed or overly general. 

The University of Chicago Law School admissions blog describes a “standout” recommendation letter as one that provides, “specific and substantive discussion of your abilities as a student.” They look for “a discussion of particular examples of your work, possibly a research project or substantial piece of writing” and/or “qualitative comparisons to your peers and illustrative anecdotes.” 

There are ways to make sure recommenders are talking you up effectively. Here’s how to make the ask. 

Individualize your approach. What do you know about your potential recommender? Are they someone who will want a face-to-face conversation about this? Or are they someone who will be open to an email with an updated CV attached?

Remind them of your accomplishments. You're not telling them what to write—and they may well choose to highlight some of your other victories or qualities—but offering them a refresher to reference will make your request less of a burden. Your professors know the drill of writing law school references, but they have a lot of students, so a reminder of what you've done is still appreciated. Ex. "It was a privilege to be in a graduate course as an undergraduate. Attending office hours deepened my understanding of the material and provided me insight into strengthening my arguments for the paper, on which I earned an A. I also found that working with a group on the research project honed my abilities in research and developed my collaboration and leadership skills."

While you will want at least two of your recommendations to be written by those who can speak to your academic performance, you may also include a letter from a supervisor at a job or legal clinic where you volunteered. In this request, you want to tell the manager what it meant to you to work there and how you thrived. Ex. "Your recommendation would mean so much to me because this job reinforced my interest in the study of law. Working to support pro-bono immigration cases gave me a better understanding of the day-to-day work of a lawyer as well as additional insight into the necessary research and client-interaction skills required." OR "Working as an analyst in this consulting firm gave me significant experience with project and time management, developed my written and oral communication abilities, and improved my analytical skills. Over time I have increased my responsibilities. This summer I took on the role of team lead and now run weekly client meetings and oversee the analytic strategy and initial creation of client deliverables. I have also made myself available to newer project staff for mentoring and support.” 

If you're asking for a recommendation from someone who has never written one, loop them in on the qualities law schools are looking for and how you've exemplified them. Ex. "The schools that I am applying to value critical thinking and problem solving abilities, writing skills, and intellectual curiosity. I believe that my final group project on the early work of Chaucer showed my abilities in those areas.”

Go beyond the ask. After someone agrees to be your recommender, you're going to send them a "game plan" that gets into the experiences you’ve had and your accomplishments in greater depth than you did in your initial request. It is helpful to give each one a short portfolio of information, which should include:

• School names and submission date(s)

• Method for recommendation submission (e.g., LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service)

• Background information (academic, professional) and your future career goals

• Illustrative anecdotes from your work with this recommender, with particular emphasis on the following topics: analytical/critical thinking, writing/presentation skills, leadership, teamwork, personal characteristics you want to highlight (e.g., determination, intellectual curiosity), and your ability to grow from feedback. For example, the student who highlighted the Chaucer project can remind their professor what aspects of the presentation they worked on and reiterate that they organized the group's study sessions. You might also attach a copy of the associated paper that you submitted with your contributions highlighted. You get the gist. 

Say thank you in a unique way. Once someone has agreed to write your recommendation, do something nice for them. Send a memorable note, maybe even a small gift (a box of their preferred tea or some candy is nice) or offer to take them to lunch. This is common courtesy, but it's also going to remind them to submit their letter on time.

Who to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for your Law School Application

Recommendation letters are not going to make or break your candidacy for law school—ninety-nine percent of the time, applicant’s rec letters are filled with glowing reviews of their academic abilities and potential. But, if done right, a letter of recommendation can reinforce and expand upon key themes presented in other application components like your resume, personal statement, and essays.

Here are some actions to take to make sure this happens:

Consider Who Knows You Well

Most schools require two letters of recommendation and will accept up to three or four. At least two should come from academic sources (professor, teacher’s assistant, advisor) who can speak to your ability to thrive in a challenging academic environment. You may also submit letters of recommendation from nonacademic sources, for example a coach, professional manager, or volunteer coordinator. Of course, you will want to choose those you know will sing your praises, but also who can back up their claims (with specific examples) on your abilities in the areas of intellectual curiosity, problem solving, critical thinking, integrity, and perseverance. Don’t ask your family friend who is a Senator or Judge to submit a recommendation letter because you think his/her title will impress admissions committees. Save requests to contacts with significant influence at a specific school (say, they're donors or members of the board) for letters of support, which they can send separately from your application to the Dean of the law school. 

Take a Strategic Viewpoint

If your personal statement is anchored in a story that shows the reader your critical thinking and persuasion skills on a significant project, one of your recommenders could provide additional insight on this project in their letter. And remember, if one of your letters of recommendation further emphasizes your academic potential, the second should focus on other qualities, such as your ability to thrive in a collaborative environment. Furthermore, if you see gaps in your application, you may want to speak with one of your recommenders who could address them in his or her letter and share how you’ve grown from specific challenges. 

Law School Early Decision: The Pros and Cons

Considering an early decision law school application? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve summarized the pros and cons to applying early decision below:  

Pros

• Applying early decision will place you in a smaller “yield protection” applicant pool than applying regular decision. This can advantage you if you’re seeking to gain access to a “reach” school, as you have clearly demonstrated a commitment to the program and will definitely attend if admitted. Schools are always interested in protecting their yield. Do note that some schools grant automatic scholarships to all students admitted early decision, which increases the competitiveness of their early decision round (Northwestern and Berkley). 

• If you have a slightly lower than a school’s average GPA or LSAT score, applying early decision may help you to gain admittance to a school you may not have otherwise. 

• You will receive an expedited response—an accept, reject, or move to the regular decision pool. If you are moved into the regular decision pool, your preference for the program, shown through your initial early decision application, may benefit you as schools are looking for applicants who will accept their admission offers. 

Cons

• Early decision deadlines come… early. So you will need to finalize all of your application materials, which includes recommendations and test scores, earlier. For most early decision deadlines, you’ll need to complete the LSAT/GRE by October (confirm the deadlines on the school admissions page). 

• By committing to the law school, you are giving up your ability to negotiate for scholarships. In fact, we recommend that you do not apply early decision if financial assistance is an important factor for you. This is unless you are applying to one of the programs (Northwestern Pritzker or Berkeley) that award assistance to all early decision admittances, and you are comfortable with that financial award. 

• You may not be able to defer your matriculation to the school, if admitted via early decision. If the option to defer is important to you, confirm with the admissions office their policy on early decision deferrals prior to submitting your application. 

• You cannot change your mind. Your admissions decision is binding (you are contractually obligated to withdraw your other applications) and you must matriculate at the school if you receive an early decision acceptance…even if you find out that you’ve been accepted to a more appealing program. 

The bottom line is that applying early decision requires a great deal of commitment on your part. While it can bolster your chances for admission in some cases, you want to be 100 percent sure that you would attend a particular program regardless of financial aid. 

Law School Early Decision: What You Need to Know

Due to the rolling admissions at most law schools, prospective law students should submit their application materials as early as possible in the admissions cycle. But, if early is good, is early decision even better? Well… it’s complicated.

Submitting an early decision application is an appealing choice. Generally, the applicant pool is smaller. Classes are still open and waiting to be filled. Admissions officers provide expedited decisions, which can relieve a lot of stress. And, it provides the applicant a chance to demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm for the program, which can be highly beneficial. However, despite these positives, there are some complexities to consider. 

Early decision applications are (almost always) binding. If you are admitted to a law school early decision, you agree to withdraw all other applications and enroll. There is no leeway. It doesn’t matter if you were also accepted to the dream school that you thought you’d never get into or if your financing falls through and you find yourself in need of merit-based scholarship money. And, for the most part, if an applicant applies early-decision they forego the possibility of receiving any scholarships.  This is because they have already agreed to attend if admitted.  The school doesn’t have to woo them with money. 

Does it still sound like early decision may be right for you? Be sure to check out our tomorrow’s post , where we’ll summarize the pros and cons of submitting an early decision application.

Writing Tip: See Feelings as Information

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

See feelings as information. If you can state or allude to how an experience made you feel, you will paint a dynamic picture for the admissions team. You can include "negative" emotions like fear but also positive ones like joy, camaraderie, and pride.

We don't believe in self-aggrandizing but don't self-deprecate either. We think the "pride"-vibe you're aiming for is best explained by organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant: "Downplaying your achievements is not the antidote to appearing arrogant. Humility is acknowledging your weaknesses, not denying your strengths. Generosity is elevating others, not diminishing yourself. Owning your success doesn't make you a narcissist—it makes you a role model.”

(Bonus!) Understand that you will rewrite most things. Embrace it. Know now that having to write several drafts is not a failure. It is a way to success.

Writing Tip: Don't Shy Away From Fear

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

Show fear when it's applicable. Similarly, the "show no fear" image people often want to flaunt in their applications doesn't seem authentic because it isn't. You have many terrific qualities; being 100% fearless isn't one of them. You've experienced fear, whether it was about not finishing your Honors thesis on time or confronting a colleague about a sexist comment. Good. Fear helps you assess a situation, prepare yourself to address it properly, and take (sometimes very cautious) action. Addressing a fear can be quite humbling—it's another way to show vulnerability in your application. And fear can be a pathway to courage.

Writing Tip: Show Self-Awareness

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

Show that you're self-aware. Many of our clients shy away from sharing examples of their weaknesses or times they've made mistakes in their Personal Statement. But replaying a fumble is an opportunity to then share actions you took to remedy a situation and lessons you learned. That said, not every issue you present must be one that you've fully resolved. For example, say you're great at presenting ideas on paper but you have a hard time speaking up in professional settings. Likely, one beautiful, clarifying moment didn't change that forever. That's something you work on over a long period. You may share an anecdote where you spoke well in front of an intimidating group and how you prepared to do it. Then say how you will continue improving your verbal communication skills and how you plan to exercise that muscle regularly in the future. That's a stronger, more realistic take than "I will never have this problem again!”

Writing Tip: Remember what Resonates

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

Remember what resonates most with reviewers: Passion. Depth of Impact. Potential. We probably don't need to explain passion to you. Depth of impact means expressing how much an experience and your actions during it changed things within you and/or outside of you. Potential is you exemplifying one or more qualities that medical, law, or business schools admire: Leadership, collaboration, critical thinking, etc. You know these from your brainstorm “buckets."

Writing Tip: Emphasize Past Experiences

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

Emphasize past experiences. Focus on what you've done more than on what you want to do. So many of our clients think their essays should exclusively be about their fantasy future. But this isn't a magic carpet ride. Your rug must be on the ground. What you have accomplished and learned is the only proof that you are committed to the study and practice of medicine, law, or business. (Take note of that phrase because you should be reinforcing this commitment throughout your application.) 

MBA Application Tips—Letters of Recommendation (Part 3)

If done right, a letter of recommendation can reinforce and expand upon key themes presented in other application components like your resume, essays, and short answers. This week on the blog we’re reviewing some actions to take to make sure that happens.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have a great relationship with my college advisor. Would it be appropriate to use her as a recommender?

For entry into business school, it is best to ask supervisors from your full-time post-baccalaureate professional experiences.

What if I don’t feel comfortable telling my direct supervisor I am submitting applications to business school?

While it is preferred to have a recommendation from a current direct supervisor, it may not always be an option and schools understand. Be sure to address the situation in the optional essay; and ask a former boss and/or a professional colleague who is superior to you on an org chart to write a letter. Emphasize the positives of having this person write your recommendation too. Tell them your chosen recommender can speak specifically to your actions on a valuable project. Or that you worked under your ex-boss for a lot longer than your current one and felt they could give a thorough take on your strengths.

What if my recommender asks me, the applicant, to write the letter? 

Your supervisor might say, "I'm too busy; you write it, and I'll sign it." If a potential recommender puts you in a tough spot and only agrees to submit a letter that you’ve written, it is best to move on. It is often obvious to schools when an applicant has crafted the copy because of similarities in voice to other application components. 

MBA Application Tips—Letters of Recommendation (Part 2)

If done right, a letter of recommendation can reinforce and expand upon key themes presented in other application components like your resume, essays, and short answers. This week on the blog we’re reviewing some actions to take to make sure that happens.

Set Your Recommenders Up for Success

Give your recommenders enough time to meet your request. We suggest at least eight weeks prior to submission. It is also helpful to give each one a short portfolio of information, which should include: 

• School names, recommendation questions, and submission date(s)

• Method for recommendation submission (e.g., online via link)

• Background information (academic, professional) and your future career goals

• Illustrative anecdotes from your work with this recommender, with particular emphasis on the following topics: varied and growing work responsibilities, performance at a high level (as judged by your project managers and peers) in a team environment, personal characteristics you want to highlight (e.g., determination, intelligence, creativity and/or leadership), recognition/awards, accomplishments, and your ability to grow from constructive criticism

• (Optional) Illustrative anecdotes from your extracurricular/personal life that will allow your recommender to show your abilities in community-building, and present you as a well-rounded, caring, approachable, and motivated person who would contribute to the MBA community

The weakest type of letter is one that is too general—that lists your qualities but doesn't show them. The illustrative stories you provide (and you can do this in a bulleted list) should be unique for each recommender and should highlight the qualities you want the recommender to expand upon. These inputs will allow you to subtly influence the recommenders’ output and ensure the recommendation letters include concrete and varied examples that reinforce your existing application content. 

MBA Application Tips—Letters of Recommendation (Part 1)

Let's be real: Recommendation letters are not going to be what makes or breaks your MBA applications. Most don’t differentiate prospective students from one another in the minds of admissions committees. Ninety-nine percent of the time, they are filled with glowing reviews of an applicant’s leadership and/or innovation abilities and potential. No applicant asks a supervisor to write them a letter if there is any question the content of the letter could cast doubt on their candidacy.

But, if done right, a letter of recommendation can reinforce and expand upon key themes presented in other application components like your resume, essays, and short answers. Here are some actions to take to make sure that happens.

Select the Best Recommenders

Most schools require two letters of recommendation from supervisors who have overseen your work in full-time post-baccalaureate employment. Of course, you will want to choose those you know will sing your praises, but also who can back up their claims on your abilities in the areas such as innovation, leadership, and teamwork with specific examples. The writers of your recommendation letters should know you well. Don’t ask the CEO you’ve seen in the elevator a few times because you think his title will impress admissions committees. Save requests to very senior colleagues with significant influence at a specific school (say, they're donors or members of the board) for letters of support, which they can send separate from your application to the Dean of the business school. 

Take a Strategic Viewpoint

If one of your essays is anchored in a story that shows the reader your critical thinking and problem-solving aptitude on a significant project, one of your recommenders could provide additional insight on this project in their letter. And, if this first letter of recommendation further emphasizes your innovation potential, the second should focus on other qualities, such as your ability to thrive in a collaborative environment. Furthermore, if you see gaps in your application, you may want to speak with one of your recommenders who could address them in his or her letter and share how you’ve grown from specific challenges.  

Guidelines for Adding Hobbies to Your AMCAS Application

Hobbies. They are not a make or break component of the medical school (and later, residency) application, but they are an opportunity to provide the admissions committee with a view of the person beyond the test scores. Hobbies are also an effective way to demonstrate how you will add to the diversity of the incoming class, showcase qualities you will need as a medical student/physician, and/or provide insight into how you may relieve stress during medical school. 

Within the AMCAS application, hobbies belong in the Work & Activities section under the extracurriculars category. Applicants can provide up to four experiences under each category type, with a 700 character (with spaces) count, unless the experience is designated “most meaningful” (requires an additional 1,325 characters with spaces). 

Below are our guidelines for adding hobbies to your AMCAS application:

• Be current. If you played the trumpet in the high school band, but haven’t picked it up since then, consider what hobbies are more relevant to your life now. What do you turn to for fun, and what do you see yourself doing for stress relief in medical school?

• Be specific in your description. Provide a sense of how often, and how long you have been pursuing the hobby, as well as what the hobby entails. It’s great that you love to read, do yoga, and travel, but so do many others. In what unique ways have you engaged with your interests? Did you launch a monthly book club for discussing the NYT best sellers? Write book reviews for the school paper? Did you gain a yoga teaching certification or take part in a unique yoga retreat? Do you travel to particular destinations or participate in medical experiences abroad?

• State how your hobby has impacted your personal growth. Did an experience within your hobby contribute to a change in your perspective or influence your decision to apply to medical school? What attributes have you developed through your hobby that will benefit you as a medical student and physician (resilience, effective communication and collaboration skills, empathy, the ability to thrive in a diverse environment, etc.)? 

• When possible, provide an experience or milestone that differentiates your involvement in the hobby. Many people play an instrument, but fewer start a quartet or play in the university band. Many people enjoy running or fitness, fewer run the NY marathon to support a favorite cause/organization or start a running club. Providing the specific way(s) that you’ve engaged with your hobby will demonstrate to the admissions committee what you may offer to your incoming class. 

Your Medical School Application: Trust the (Writing) Process

We know that as the Secondary prompts start coming in, you’ll be tempted to sit down and start writing. Fight this urge. Instead, we encourage you to follow a writing process for each new prompt that comes in. Investing time in the pre-writing stages will result in a stronger essay and a better return on your time. 

Below is a writing process that we recommend. You will want to return your responses within two weeks of receipt, so start early to give yourself enough time to work through this iterative process and create your most compelling work. 

Begin with a brainstorm. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. If you have not yet created your brainstorm document, it’s not too late. This document will be immensely useful for writing Secondaries (and later, for interview prep!). 

Document your experiences, positive and negative, that prompted an evolution in your perspective—you know, those “ah-ha!” moments without which you would be a different student and/or person today. Then, record those experiences that will show the reader your abilities in critical thinking and problem solving, leadership, teamwork/collaboration, and empathy/connection, as well as those experiences that reinforced your interest in medical school. Capture as many details as possible, paying particular attention to what you thought, felt, said, and did in each situation. Your focus should be on adult experiences (from the start of college and later), though stories from your youth could comprise up to 20 percent of this brainstorm.

During your brainstorm, don’t limit yourself by worrying about a cohesive narrative, the quality of your writing, and/or the number/length of your stories. Simply focus on collecting those situations that helped to guide your path to this point and impacted your decision to apply to medical school.

Craft an outline. Select the key stories you will use to anchor your narratives. Remember that you’ll use your essays to go deep into experiences that demonstrate the traits you want to emphasize. Consider also your essay’s structure and how you can tell your stories in a way that will capture and hold the reader’s attention. 

Write. Keep in mind that you must be showing, not telling the reader who you are. In contrast to your Work and Activities section, which provides an overview of your experiences, your Secondary Essay responses should go deep into a story that allows the reader to come to their own conclusions about some of your character traits and abilities. Highlight how you’ve struggled, triumphed, learned, and how these experiences have developed you into the person you are now. Remember that what you’ve done and accomplished in the past is how you will prove to the admissions committee that you will be able to accomplish your future goals. 

Review. Revise. Repeat. Confirm your word count and read your essay aloud noting where you stumble. Make revisions as necessary. Once it reads smoothly, set it down and walk away for at least 24 hours. Then re-read it. Is it you? Is it personal and authentic? You want the reader to see the real person behind the applicant number. While we caution against “oversharing,” being appropriately vulnerable will create connection.

The MBA Application: A Results-Driven Resume (Part 2)

Keep the following tips in mind as you craft your resume: 

Focus on results. We can’t emphasize this enough. Make use of active verbs to showcase your contributions. And, where possible, provide hard numbers that exhibit the results you’ve achieved and the impact you’ve made. 

Keep it relevant. Your resume should only include experiences from the start of college onward, and should showcase your abilities in innovation, leadership, and teamwork. 

Review the Guidance. Some MBA programs instruct you to “submit a resume,” while others such as MIT Sloan or UPenn Wharton, provide specifications for your submission. Review the school’s admissions page to confirm any instruction on page limits, font, and format. 

If the school does not provide formatting guidance, you should keep it simple. Opt for left-justified text in an easy-to-read font—we prefer Garamond—sized between 10 and 12. Additionally, while it may be customary in some cultures to add a headshot to the resume, this is not recommended for U.S.-based MBA programs. 

Use proper grammar. Even the best writers can get worked up about creating resume text. Don’t overthink it. Use proper punctuation and the appropriate tense (present for current activities, past for past activities). Read each line aloud and make sure that it flows smoothly. Do not lean on corporate jargon, rather you will want to ensure that you explain what you did and your results in a way that a fellow MBA classmate in a different field would understand. 

The MBA Application: A Results-Driven Resume (Part 1)

A key piece of the MBA application is a resume. It should showcase the breadth of your experiences and accomplishments. But remember, it should not merely communicate what you did in each role and extracurricular endeavor; each entry should explore WHY what you did and accomplished was so important to you and/or your team and/or the organization as a whole. What results did you achieve?  What impact did you have?  What did you learn?

MBA resumes should include the following components and should be no longer than one page:

1. Education. List all degrees and include a bulleted list in the Education section of internships and extracurricular involvements you participated in while in college. 

2. Work Experience. Using results-oriented bullets, show your progression in responsibility throughout your career. Elaborate on the impact you’ve had and/or lessons you’ve learned. Note also any awards and/or honors and/or significant recognition that you have received.

3. Additional Information. This section can include significant extracurricular and charitable involvements you’ve participated in, languages you speak, as well as noteworthy skills, certifications, and memberships.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Personal Statement (Part 5)

In this blog series, we’ll be highlighting some of the most common mistakes we see applicants make as they approach the Personal Statement. Try your best to avoid them.

Having too many readers: Having too many readers review your Personal Statement is a common mistake. If you're an Apply Point client, consider asking two people besides your two Apply Point advisors (who work as a team) to read your essays. If you're not working with a consultant, you could ask up to four people to read your work but make that the maximum just so you won't be overwhelmed by input.

This is certainly not us saying that you shouldn't have any readers at all. You want eyes or ears on this, especially if they're attached to someone you respect who knows you well. In fact, the top question you should ask them is: "Does this sound like me?" Friends, family members, or a mentor can confirm if your essay gets your personality and best qualities across. That said, send them the edited, polished draft rather than your raw first draft. This way their suggestions and questions won't psych you out because you already have a good idea of what you want to present in your statement.

One more note on having too many readers: Never post your essay in an online forum, such as Reddit. Sharing thoughts and advice on the overall application process online with other prospective students is great, but if you post your essay, you'll have too many strangers giving input and you’ll be vulnerable to plagiarizers. 

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Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Personal Statement (Part 4)

In this blog series, we’ll be highlighting some of the most common mistakes we see applicants make as they approach the Personal Statement. Try your best to avoid them.

Using long quotes: A short conversation you had in an intense circumstance can be illustrative in a Personal Statement. It helps a reader picture the event. But making the point of your essay completely revolve around a long quote of someone else's thoughts about medicine, leadership, integrity, or whatever, makes it their essay, not yours. No literary celebrity, professor, professional you worked with, or dad is supposed to be the star of this show. 

Dwelling on childhood stories: Saying you played lawyer / doctor / businessman as a kid should not feature prominently in your Personal Statement. In fact, we'd skip it: It's not a unique sentiment. Schools don't care how long you've dreamed of taking this step—they care if you have the potential and drive to make it happen.

This doesn't mean that a flashback scene is never relevant. If your mom had cancer when you were eight years old, you grew up fast, and you learned things about the healthcare system and doctor-patient interactions that influenced your professional goals. That is noteworthy. But you need this essay to focus on your recent impactful experiences. Ones that reinforced your interest in this career path and gave you the skills applicable to excelling in a program. 

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Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Personal Statement (Part 3)

In this blog series, we’ll be highlighting some of the most common mistakes we see applicants make as they approach the Personal Statement. Try your best to avoid them.

Staying linear: You don’t need the essay to be linear. Imagine your intro paragraph as the opening sequence of a movie—the most thrilling ones start mid-scene. You want to see an action star in action, not waking up to a buzzing alarm clock. Don't save the excitement for many scenes later. Show yourself there, then explain how you got there. 

Overusing passive voice: Keep most of your sentences active. Passive voice can minimize your contributions and slow down your essay's momentum. Active sentences move the statement forward. 

There is flexibility, of course. Some passive sentences aren't slow-going or unnatural. Take the passive "My research has been accepted for an oral presentation at the National Impressive Conference." vs. the active "The National Impressive Conference has accepted my research for an oral presentation." Honestly, both sentences are fine. Neither goes on too long nor is confusing. Both read as a natural way of speaking—the passive one might be a little more natural. 

There are also times when you'll use passive voice for effect, accuracy, clarity, or flow. Just be mindful of how often you're doing it. 

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