Personal Statements

What is the Committee looking for in the personal statement?

Broadly speaking, the Committee is looking for two things in the personal statement:

• Who are you: Will this applicant be a likeable and interesting addition to our community? Are you thoughtful and reflective? Will our professors and your classmates enjoy working with you and learning from your perspective?
• Writing ability: Can you communicate your thoughts effectively? Are you able to present information in a clear, organized and concise manner (much like you will be required to do in law school and as an attorney)?

Let each part of your application speak for itself and do what it is intended to do. Think about the personal statement as the fun and interesting part of your application. This is where we get to learn more about who are you as a person and go beyond the transcripts, test scores, and resume. Keep reading below for tips on what not to do. 

What should I write about in my personal statement?

We do not give you a specific topic or question to address because you are the best judge of what you should write about. Write about something personal, relevant, and completely individual to you. This may include writing about a significant aspect of your background, a quality or trait that you believe defines you, a transformative experience, or the things that interest and motivate you. Don’t worry so much about selecting a unique or novel topic (that’s hard to do considering there are thousands of law school applicants each year). Your statement will be unique if you are honest and authentic.

What are some tips for a successful personal statement?

There are few rules that apply to every applicant because of the individual nature of the personal statement, but here are some tips based on our experiences that can help out any applicant: 

• Be straightforward. Do not make it more complex than it is. We simply want a candid, well-written essay that helps us learn about you, your story, and your background. It's that simple. There are no points for creativity with the format.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread. Your personal statement must be free of errors - this is a sample of your writing and it should be a strong reflection of your written communication skills. Edit extensively and make sure to remove tracked changes. If you are unable to submit a law school application free of errors, the Committee have some concerns about your work product.
• Be concise and organize your thoughts. Remember your basic writing skills and essay structure. You want to present your ideas in a logical, clear manner (this is a very important skill for aspiring legal professionals).
• Make sure your personal statement is about you. This seems obvious, but keep the focus on you with any topic that you choose. Focusing on a family member or family history, a social or legal issue, or stories about others is a very common mistake. Even if you tell a moving and interesting story, it will not be a successful personal statement if it does not allow us to get to know you.
• Be yourself. We are confident that every one of our 5,000 applicants is unique. Just be yourself. Be honest. Do not write about something you think you are supposed to write about or rely too heavily on sample topics or model statements. A topic will not be effective unless it is appropriate for your specific application and background. Don’t try to fit your statement into a predetermined box.
• Write in your own voice. This makes your personal statement believable and authentic. Don’t use phrases and vocabulary that you wouldn’t normally use in writing and conversation. It is usually not a good idea to lead with a quote. We are looking for clarity and honesty.
• Make it personal. If someone else could write your personal statement, it probably is not personal enough. We often see this happen when applicants discuss a social issue or area of the law. Remember that you are not trying to educate the Admissions Committee about the law or any particular issue. Your goal should be to educate the Admissions Committee about you.

What are some of the common mistakes that I should avoid?

While what works for one individual will not work for another because the personal statement is so individualized, here are some common mistakes that we see from applicants: 

• Restating your resume. We will read your resume in detail and we want the personal statement to tell us something new about you. Resume restatements are one of the most common (and unpopular) errors.
• Listing your qualifications. Don't try to overtly sell yourself to the Committee. This isn't the place to convince us how qualified you are. Your qualifications will shine through in the other parts of your application. Let each part of the application speak for itself; this is the fun part where we get to know you.
• Typos and “tracked changes”. This one is obvious, but it happens a lot. Make sure to upload the correct version into CAS. The Committee does not like to see a personal statement proclaiming your desire to attend another law school.
• Legalese or Latin phrases. Avoid these completely.  
• Extensive discussions of the law, the role of attorneys, or your legal work experience. It is not necessary to discuss the law, tell us what type of law you want to practice, or convey the extent of your legal experience. It is not the place to show us how much you know about the law and legal experience is not a factor in admission. It is also not helpful to tell the Committee about the role of attorneys. Often, these types of personal statements can sound naïve, embellished, and leave us feeling like we did not learn anything about the applicant.
• Telling us you'll be a good lawyer because you like to argue. For a number of reasons, it is best to leave this out.
• Name-dropping. We think it is wonderful if the work of one of our faculty members has influenced you and you want to tell us about it. However, it is not necessary to cite names and programs from our website in your personal statement just for the sake of name-dropping. It detracts from the authenticity of your statement.
• Trying to cover too much. You don't have to cover your entire life story. Filter and use your discretion - we know that you have to make a choice and have limited space. Attempting to cover too much material often results in an unfocused and scattered personal statement. 

Is there a page limit on my personal statement? 

There is no page limit, but we generally find 2-3 pages to be sufficient in most circumstances. If it is longer, make sure that it is absolutely necessary and really interesting.  

May I submit a diversity statement or “Why Chicago” essay?

You may, but please do so only when they are important to your application. Remember that you are trying to be concise and genuine.

We believe that the personal statement is a wonderful place to discuss any aspects of your background (e.g., racial, ethnic, or religious identification, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, etc.) that are significant to you. If you find that you cannot include these topics in your personal statement, you may submit an additional diversity statement.

If there are genuine and informed reasons why you are particularly interested in studying law at Chicago, you are welcome to discuss them in an additional essay. Please note that these essays are only helpful if they are truly genuine and too many supplemental materials can detract from the clear and concise picture you are trying to give the Committee.