| Whether you're submitting a personal
| |
| | conflicts and problems you faced? If you
|
| statement, a statement of purpose, or a
| |
| | write, "I have excellent time-management
|
| diversity essay, make sure to follow
| |
| | skills," back up that statement by
|
| these rules:Rule #1: Edit and Proofread,
| |
| | pointing out that you graduated in the
|
| Then Proofread Again Your grammar,
| |
| | top 10 percent of an engineering program
|
| spelling, and punctuation must be
| |
| | that 40 percent of engineering freshmen
|
| flawless. When in doubt, pullout those
| |
| | drop.Rule #5: Respect Page Limits and
|
| old standbys The Chicago Manual of Style
| |
| | Other Minutiae If a school gives you a
|
| and Strunk & White. If grammar, spelling,
| |
| | page or word limit, abide by it. And
|
| and punctuation aren't your strong
| |
| | follow the spirit of the rule as well as
|
| points, enlist a friend to help (and give
| |
| | the letter -- don't get too sneaky with
|
| you a tutorial, while you're at it).
| |
| | fonts, margins, and line spacing.
|
| There's no excuse for a college graduate
| |
| | Admissions officers won't cut you any
|
| to mess this up. And beware the
| |
| | slack if your essay comes in under the
|
| spell-check trap -- it won't catch
| |
| | page limit but makes them go cross-eyed
|
| "right" when you should have written
| |
| | because the font or line spacing is so
|
| "write," and it won't catch your
| |
| | small. If a school doesn't specify a
|
| "commitment to pubic service." (You
| |
| | length, a good rule of thumb is two to
|
| laugh, but I saw that typo as a law
| |
| | three pages, double-spaced, in
|
| review editor.) Always have a second pair
| |
| | eleven-point Times New Roman, with
|
| of eyes proofread your essays before you
| |
| | one-inch margins all around. When in
|
| send them off.Rule #2: Nothing Cutesy
| |
| | doubt, shorter is better than longer. As
|
| Anything cutesy or gimmicky will make
| |
| | an admissions officer buddy of mine likes
|
| admissions officers groan. Stay away from
| |
| | to say: "The vast, vast, vast majority of
|
| the following:Essays in the form of
| |
| | just-out-of-college applicants (almost
|
| poetry
| |
| | all applicants, really) are not
|
| Essays in the form of a legal brief
| |
| | interesting enough to fill six pages.
|
| ("For all the reasons cited above, the
| |
| | Show me that you understand my time is
|
| admissions committee should admit
| |
| | valuable, and show me that you understand
|
| Petitioner to Slamdunk Law School.")
| |
| | how to pick out what's really
|
| Essays in the form of an obituary
| |
| | important."Make sure to put your name and
|
| ("Tracy Johnson died the most respected
| |
| | Social Security number in a header and
|
| jurist of her time.")
| |
| | page numbers in a footer, just in case
|
| Essays in the form of an interview
| |
| | your file goes splat and has to be
|
| Crayons, construction paper, perfume, or
| |
| | reassembled. Also, identify in the header
|
| illustrated essays, no matter how
| |
| | what essay question you're answering, if
|
| sophisticatedRule #3: No Legalisms
| |
| | you're given more than one option or are
|
| You're not a lawyer yet, so your use of
| |
| | submitting more than one essay ("Personal
|
| legal concepts or terminology will most
| |
| | Statement," "Optional Essay #3," etc.).
|
| likely demonstrate that you have no idea
| |
| | By the way, you don't need to give your
|
| what you're talking about, not to mention
| |
| | essay a title like "Morris 405" or
|
| the fact that legal writing is considered
| |
| | "Jorge." I added those titles in the
|
| god-awful by the rest of the world,
| |
| | appendix essays so that I could refer to
|
| including admissions officers. Many
| |
| | them easily in this chapter.Don't submit
|
| applicants, for example, refer to a
| |
| | pages that are crumpled, stained, or
|
| company or a person violating someone's
| |
| | smell like pot smoke -- most admissions
|
| right to free speech, when, in fact, the
| |
| | officers really aren't looking for that
|
| First Amendment applies only to
| |
| | contact high. Really, your essay
|
| government restrictions on speech. And by
| |
| | shouldn't smell like any kind of
|
| all means, steer clear of anything in
| |
| | smoke.And finally, if you're getting too
|
| Latin.Rule #4: Show, Don't Tell Back up
| |
| | close to your material and think you're
|
| any general statements with examples and
| |
| | losing perspective, turn to the sample
|
| anecdotes. If you write, "The student
| |
| | essays in the appendix to keep your
|
| presidency taught me that leadership
| |
| | big-picture objective in mind. Can you
|
| means more than delegating," tell us how
| |
| | see how much more engaging and revealing
|
| you learned that lesson. What were the
| |
| | the good ones are?
|
