statement of purpose phd law

Application Toolkit: Written Statements

On this webpage, you will find our advice and guidance for approaching the two written statements in the application.

Beginning with the application for Fall Term 2024 enrollment, we now require that all applicants submit a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Perspective. Although it is no longer an application component, much of the advice we shared about the personal statement may still be useful to applicants as they develop their Written Statements. We have preserved that information on this toolkit for your reference.

Changes to the J.D. Application Components

Instructions

Every applicant must submit both a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Perspective, responding to the prompts below. Each Statement must be one to two pages in length, using double-spacing, one-inch margins, and a font size that is comfortable to read (no smaller than 11 point). We expect every applicant to use at least one full page for each Statement.

Statement of Purpose : What motivates you to pursue law? How does attending law school align with your ambitions, goals, and vision for your future?

Statement of Perspective : The Admissions Committee makes every effort to understand who you are as an individual and potential Harvard Law School student and graduate. Please share how your experiences, background, and/or interests have shaped you and will shape your engagement in the HLS community and the legal profession.

Blog Advice

• Visit the Admissions Blog
• View All Written Statements Blog Posts

Changes to the J.D. Program Application Components

August is here, and that means the J.D. Admissions Office is finalizing our application for the 2023–2024 cycle before it opens on September 15. One exciting change for this year: we have reworked our essay requirements and prompts.

August 4, 2023

Should you include a “why Harvard” statement in your application?

Each year at this time, we receive questions about how applicants should express interest in Harvard Law School. Include a “Why Harvard” essay? Talk about HLS in the personal statement? Maybe an addendum on this topic? The answer to all these questions is the same: no, that’s not necessary.  Let’s start with the separate “why

December 2, 2022

Overrated/Underrated Part 3

Continuing our Overrated/Underrated series, this week, we shift our focus to highlight some of the overrated approaches that we recommend applicants avoid as they craft their applications. 

November 17, 2021

Overrated/Underrated Part 1

The J.D. Admissions team recently came together to offer their thoughts on some underrated and overrated approaches that applicants might take towards their HLS application. We hope you’ll find some of these nuggets useful.

September 9, 2021

Real Talk: The Personal Statement

For our first entry in the Real Talk series, Associate Director Nefyn Meissner shares advice on approaching the personal statement.

August 6, 2020

Personal Statement Advice

The personal statement is “an opportunity to give the Admissions Committee a better sense of who you are as a person and as a potential student and graduate of Harvard Law School.” But what does that mean to us?

November 6, 2018

Podcast Advice

Navigating law school admissions with miriam & kristi.

Miriam Ingber (Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Yale Law School) and Kristi Jobson (Assistant Dean for Admissions at Harvard Law School) provide candid, accurate, and straightforward advice about law school admissions — direct from the source. They will be joined by guest stars from other law schools to discuss application timing, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and more.

• View All Episodes

Written Statements Workshop

Our Statement Workshop provides applicants with straightforward advice on how to craft essays with a reflective activity and guiding questions to consider.

We do understand mistakes happen. You are more than welcome to upload an updated document through your status checker. We will review the new material alongside what has been previously received.

Note that when you complete your application and hit “submit”, the information contained in your application may not be altered or deleted in any way by you as an applicant or by us as an admissions team.

Yes. Reapplicants will need to submit new written statements with their application.

We ask that transfer candidates also address the reason(s) for applying for transfer enrollment. Please visit our Transfer Applications Components for more information.

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Statement of purpose/personal statement for grad school, law school, med school, (recommended) interactive learning module:   writing your statement of purpose, download pdf handout:  writing your graduate school application essay, download pdf handout:  writing your personal statement for law school, download pdf handout:   writing your personal statement for medical school, download pdf worksheet:   personal statement brainstorming, watch recorded workshop:   writing a graduate school application essay.

When you apply to graduate school or for a research fellowship, you will probably be asked to write a statement of purpose (also known as a personal statement) as part of your application packet. The interactive learning module and handouts will give you advice on writing your SOP while also teaching you generalizable writing skills that you can apply to future situations.

These materials will familiarize you with the following topics:

Writing for your audience’s values and priorities

Using compelling and credible detail to persuade your audience

Organizing so your audience will find the information that is important to them using their preferred reading strategies

Seeking personalized feedback to strengthen your grad school application documents? Schedule an appointment with one of our consultants now!

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

Congrats! You’ve chosen a graduate program , read up on tips for applying to grad school , and even wrote a focused grad school resumé . But if you’re like many students, you’ve left the most daunting part of the application process for last—writing a statement of purpose. The good news is, the task doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming, as long as you break the process down into simple, actionable steps. Below, learn how to write a strong, unique statement of purpose that will impress admissions committees and increase your chances of getting into your dream school.

What is a statement of purpose?

A statement of purpose (SOP), sometimes referred to as a personal statement, is a critical piece of a graduate school application that tells admissions committees who you are, what your academic and professional interests are, and how you’ll add value to the graduate program you’re applying to.

Jared Pierce, associate director of enrollment services at Northeastern University, says a strong statement of purpose can be the deciding factor in a graduate student’s admission.  

“Your statement of purpose is where you tell your story about who you are and why you deserve to be a part of the [university’s] community. It gives the admissions committee the chance to get to know you and understand how you’ll add value to the classroom,” he says.

How long should a statement of purpose be?

“A statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words,” Pierce says, noting that it should typically not exceed a single page. He advises that students use a traditional font at a readable size (11- or 12-pt) and leave enough whitespace in the margins to make the statement easy-to-read. Make sure to double-space the statement if the university has requested it, he adds. 

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you understand how to format a statement of purpose, you can begin drafting your own. Getting started can feel daunting, but Pierce suggests making the process more manageable by breaking down the writing process into four easy steps.

1. Brainstorm your ideas.

First, he says, try to reframe the task at hand and get excited for the opportunity to write your statement of purpose. He explains:

“Throughout the application process, you’re afforded few opportunities to address the committee directly. Here is your chance to truly speak directly to them. Each student arrives at this process with a unique story, including prior jobs, volunteer experience, or undergraduate studies. Think about what makes you you and start outlining.”

When writing your statement of purpose, he suggests asking yourself these key questions:

• Why do I want this degree?
• What are my expectations for this degree?
• What courses or program features excite me the most?
• Where do I want this degree to take me, professionally and personally?
• How will my unique professional and personal experiences add value to the program?

Jot these responses down to get your initial thoughts on paper. This will act as your starting point that you’ll use to create an outline and your first draft.

2. Develop an outline.

Next, you’ll want to take the ideas that you’ve identified during the brainstorming process and plug them into an outline that will guide your writing. 

An effective outline for your statement of purpose might look something like this:

• An attention-grabbing hook
• A brief introduction of yourself and your background as it relates to your motivation behind applying to graduate school 
• Your professional goals as they relate to the program you’re applying to
• Why you’re interested in the specific school and what you can bring to the table
• A brief summary of the information presented in the body that emphasizes your qualifications and compatibility with the school

An outline like the one above will give you a roadmap to follow so that your statement of purpose is well-organized and concise. 

3. Write the first draft.

Your statement of purpose should communicate who you are and why you are interested in a particular program, but it also needs to be positioned in a way that differentiates you from other applicants. 

Admissions professionals already have your transcripts, resumé, and test scores; the statement of purpose is your chance to tell your story in your own words.

When you begin drafting content, make sure to:

• Provide insight into what drives you , whether that’s professional advancement, personal growth, or both.
• Demonstrate your interest in the school by addressing the unique features of the program that interest you most. For Northeastern, he says, maybe it’s experiential learning; you’re excited to tackle real-world projects in your desired industry. Or perhaps it’s learning from faculty who are experts in your field of study.
• Be yourself. It helps to keep your audience in mind while writing, but don’t forget to let your personality shine through. It’s important to be authentic when writing your statement to show the admissions committee who you are and why your unique perspective will add value to the program.

4. Edit and refine your work.

Before you submit your statement of purpose:

• Make sure you’ve followed all directions thoroughly , including requirements about margins, spacing, and font size.
• Proofread carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Remember that a statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words. If you’ve written far more than this, read through your statement again and edit for clarity and conciseness. Less is often more; articulate your main points strongly and get rid of any “clutter.”
• Walk away and come back later with a fresh set of eyes. Sometimes your best ideas come when you’re not sitting and staring at your computer.
• Ask someone you trust to read your statement before you submit it.

Making a Lasting Impression

Your statement of purpose can leave a lasting impression if done well, Pierce says. It provides you with the opportunity to highlight your unique background and skills so that admissions professionals understand why you’re the ideal candidate for the program that you’re applying to. If nothing else, stay focused on what you uniquely bring to the classroom, the program, and the campus community. If you do that, you’ll excel.

To learn more tricks and tips for submitting an impressive graduate school application, explore our related Grad School Success articles .

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in March 2017. It has since been updated for thoroughness and accuracy.

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Writing a PhD Statement of Purpose

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Writing the Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should convince the admissions committee that your achievements show promise for your success in graduate study. Think of the statement of purpose as a composition with four different parts.

Make sure to check on the appropriate departmental website to find out if your statement should include additional or specific information.

Part 1: Introduce yourself, your interests and motivations

Tell them what you’re interested in, and perhaps, what sparked your desire for graduate study. This should be short and to the point; don’t spend a great deal of time on autobiography.

Part 2: Summarize your undergraduate and previous graduate career

a) Research you conducted. Indicate with whom, the title of the project, what your responsibilities were, and the outcome. Write technically, or in the style of your discipline. Faculty are the people who read these statements.

b) Important paper or thesis project you completed, as well as anything scholarly beyond your curricular requirements.

c) Work experience, especially if you had any kind of responsibility for testing, designing, researching or interning in an area similar to what you wish to study in graduate school.

Part 3: Discuss the relevance of your recent and current activities

If you graduated and worked prior to returning to graduate school, indicate what you’ve been doing: company or non-profit, your work/design team, responsibilities, what you learned. You can also indicate here how this helped you focus your graduate studies.

Part 4: Elaborate on your academic interests

Here you indicate what you would like to study in graduate school in enough detail to convince the faculty that you understand the scope of research in their discipline, and are engaged with current research themes.

a) Indicate the area of your interests. Ideally, pose a question, define a problem, or indicate a theme that you would like to address, and questions that arise from contemporary research. This should be an ample paragraph!

b) Look on the web for information about departments you’re interested in, including professors and their research. Are there professors whose research interests parallel yours? If so, indicate this. Check the specific program; many may require you to name a professor or professors with whom you might work.

c) End your statement in a positive manner, indicating your excitement and readiness for the challenges ahead of you.

Essential Tips

1. What the admissions committee will read between the lines: self-motivation, competence, potential as a graduate student.

2. Emphasize everything from a positive perspective and write in an active, not a passive voice.

3. Demonstrate everything by example; don’t say directly that you’re a persistent person, show it.

4. If there is something important that happened to you that affected your grades, such as poverty, illness, or excessive work, state it. Write it affirmatively, showing your perseverance despite obstacles. You can elaborate more in your personal statement.

5. Make sure everything is linked with continuity and focus.

6. Unless the specific program says otherwise, be concise; an ideal essay should say everything it needs to with brevity. Approximately 500 to 1000 well-selected words (1-2 single space pages in 12 point font) is better than more words with less clarity and poor organization.

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose | Example

Published on February 13, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on June 1, 2023.

When you apply for graduate programs or scholarships, the admissions committee is looking for more than just a list of grades. The statement of purpose (also known as a statement of intent or motivation letter) is your chance to stand out from the crowd and showcase your motivation, skills and potential. It should:

• Outline your academic or professional interests and goals
• Discuss relevant skills, experience and achievements
• Demonstrate why you’d be a good fit for the program

Table of contents

Successful statement of purpose example, requirements and prompts, personal introduction, experience and achievements, goals and motivations, fit with the program, tips for an effective statement of purpose, other interesting articles.

The torment of the Founding Fathers is responsible for my interest in Classics. My desire to learn Latin stemmed from reading American Revolutionary-era history during junior high and high school, and particularly from the countless Latin quotations I found in John Adams’ writings. Always eager for a challenge, I was intrigued by the American founders’ accounts of the torture of learning such a difficult language. In my first semester at university, I started learning Latin and thoroughly loved it. As I learned more and more about classical civilization through the language, I realized that I was passionately interested in many aspects of the field of Classics. I have since taken courses on mythology, art and archaeology, and religion, on ancient history, and on the classical tradition. I have also learned Greek, of course, starting with an intensive two-semester course at the university’s summer school. My experience studying abroad in Florence and traveling through Italy and Greece intensified my zeal for the field and, in particular, fueled my ambition to specialize in classical archaeology.

My personal philosophy of life is that everything is connected, and this conviction drives my desire to study Classics. The most rewarding moments for me are discovering and investigating connections – both broad ones, between fields and disciplines, and more specific ones, like the relationship between a piece of literature and an object of material culture. My liberal arts education has equipped me with a broad base of knowledge in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts, and in the honors program I pursued independent projects exploring academic and personal connections, including a paper on ancient Mayan astronomy, a self-observation study on the effects of nutrition and hydration on exercise performance, and a paper on the influence of political context on the changing artistic representations of John Adams. By seeking out connections between seemingly unrelated areas of academia, I have acquired a well-rounded outlook which helps me approach new ideas with both a range of prior experiences and a mind always open to different interpretations.

In accordance with my personal philosophy, I have also continued to explore connections within Classics and between Classics and other fields. In 2007, I published an article in my university’s undergraduate humanities journal; inspired by my studies in Florence, I compared representations of the birth of Venus in ancient and Renaissance literature and art. My major academic achievement to date, however, has been my senior honor thesis on John Adams’ connection to the Classics. Funded by a Hilldale Research Fellowship, I conducted research in the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society and in John Adams’ personal library at the Boston Public Library on the influence of the classical tradition on Adams’ worldview and how he consciously modeled himself on classical ideals. It was particularly fulfilling to connect historical and classical research in writing about the figure most responsible for instigating my study of the Classics.

As well as my research skills, I have demonstrated proficiency in the classical languages, winning prizes for both Latin and Greek translation from the Classics Department, as well as receiving an enthusiastic nomination from the department for the Pearson Fellowship from the American Philological Association. I am also the president of the undergraduate Classics Society, which allows me to share my enthusiasm for Classics with other students and the larger community.

One of the most appealing aspects of studying Classics is the vast range of topics encompassed by the field. Because my interests are broad and I value an interdisciplinary approach, I would like to pursue graduate study ultimately leading to a PhD in Classical Archaeology. Archaeology in itself is, of course, a multi-faceted field, requiring knowledge of history, language, anthropology, and various scientific and technological methods. I have already started building my skills in this area: I participated in a microartifact analysis from the excavation of a Maya site in Belize as part of an honors project, and this summer I will take part in two archaeological projects in Turkey after working as a research assistant on related material in the spring semester. This PhD program includes many other opportunities I am eager to explore, such as palaeography and papyrology courses, and especially the variety of fieldwork and museum experiences available. I believe that my strong background in the classical languages and wide range of courses on classical civilization and archaeological methods have prepared me well for this program, and I am convinced that, guided by my philosophy of interconnectedness, I will flourish in this program.

The first step is to read the application instructions. These should include the length of the document (usually 1-2 pages), any formatting requirements, and often a question or prompt that indicates what you should focus on.

In some cases, you might also be asked to submit a personal statement . Similar advice applies to both of these documents—both should give a sense of who you are, what you’ve done and what you want to do. But a statement of purpose is often more formal, tightly focused on your academic background and your suitability for the program.

If you are working on multiple applications, don’t try to write a one-size-fits-all text—tailor your statement of purpose to each program. Make sure to respond to the prompt and include all the information you’re asked for. A typical statement of purpose prompt looks like this:

Your focus will be slightly different depending on whether you’re applying for research-based academic programs (such as a PhD ) or professional qualifications (such as an MBA). But all statements of purpose should contain the following elements.

This is your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions committee and let them hear your voice. The statement of purpose shouldn’t tell your life story, but it should give a glimpse into who you are.

Academic and personal background

Give an overview of your academic background, and show what drives your interest in this field or profession. You might want to include some personal background too—your family history, social circumstances, personal relationships and life experiences have all shaped your trajectory and perspective. What unique insights will you bring with you?

Characteristics and personality

Think about aspects of your character that make you well-suited for graduate school. Don’t just list generic adjectives—give examples that demonstrate your strengths and show why they’re relevant.

• Are you organized enough to handle a high-pressure workload?
• Do you have the creativity needed to develop original ideas, or a systematic mindset perfect for problem-solving?
• Do you have strong leadership skills, or are you great at working collaboratively?

Avoid including irrelevant autobiographical detail in the statement of purpose. Everything you include should be aimed at showing why you’d be a strong candidate for the program.

Your experience shows that you have the necessary skills to succeed in graduate school. Don’t just summarize everything you’ve done—pick out some highlights to build a clear picture of your strengths and priorities, illustrating how you’ve learned and developed along the way.

Academic experience

If you’re applying for a research-focused program, such as a PhD, show your knowledge of the field and outline your research experience. This might include:

• A brief summary of your thesis or final project
• Courses that you found particularly valuable
• Projects you contributed to
• Publications
• Presentations
• Extracurriculars that gave you relevant skills or experience

Professional experience

If you’re applying for a professional program, such as an MBA, outline your experience so far and show how it relates to your career plans. This might include:

• Past or current job roles
• Projects you led or participated in
• Internships
• Voluntary work
• Training courses

In all cases, give specific examples with details of what you worked on, what you achieved, and what you got out of the experience.

As well as showing that you’re prepared for the program, explain what you expect to get out of it. What are your motivations for applying? How do you plan to make the most of its opportunities, and how will it help you achieve your goals?

Academic motivations

For academic programs, indicate your research interests, showing how they follow from and build upon what you have studied so far. This might include:

• A subfield that you want to strengthen your expertise in
• A specific problem or question that you’d like to address
• An initial idea for a research project
• A theoretical or methodological approach that you want to develop

This isn’t the place for an in-depth research plan, but it’s a chance to show your enthusiasm and knowledge of your field.

Professional motivations

For professional programs, outline your career aspirations and show how your experience informs your goals. This might include:

• The next step you want to take in your career. What position are you aiming for and how will the program help you achieve it?
• Your motivations for a career change. Can you make a link between your previous experience and your new direction?
• Your long-term goals. Where do you want to be in five or ten years, and how do you see yourself getting there?

The admissions committee wants to know that you’re genuinely motivated to complete the program, and the clearer your plans, the more convincing your commitment.

It’s important to show not only why you want to study this subject, but also why you want to do it in this particular institution and department.

• Do your research, and mention particular classes, specialisms or faculty that attracted you.
• Show why you’re a good fit. Do your priorities align with the values and culture of the institution? What will you contribute to the department?
• Discuss the specific skills, knowledge and experience you expect to get from the program.

The statement of purpose isn’t only about selling yourself—it’s about illustrating an ideal match between you and the program.

Once you’ve made sure to cover all the key elements, you can work on strengthening and polishing the text. Follow these tips to make your application the best it can be.

Stay focused

It can be tempting to try to cram in everything you’ve done, but a good statement of purpose requires careful selection to craft a focused narrative. One way to do this is by building your text around a central theme—for example, a character trait, an intellectual interest, or a career goal.

This strategy helps structure your text and puts your priorities centre stage. Link each paragraph back to the central idea, making it clear how everything fits together.

Think about your structure

The structure of a statement of purpose is somewhat flexible, as long as you include all the relevant information in an order that makes sense.

For example, you might start with a chronological story of where your interests began, or you might open with your goals and then select a series of examples that show your capacity to achieve them. If you’re desperate to study in this specific program, you could lead with a summary of why it’s your ideal choice, and then elaborate on each aspect to show why you’re a perfect fit.

The important thing is that the text showcases your strengths and motivations in a compelling, coherent way. As in any other piece of academic writing, make sure each paragraph communicates one main idea, and that each sentence flows smoothly and logically from the last. Use transition words and topic sentences to move between paragraphs.

Add meaning to your resume

The bare facts of your achievements—grades, prizes, work experience—are already included in your graduate school resume and transcripts. Use the statement of purpose not to repeat yourself, but to add personal meaning and texture to these facts.

If you got top marks for your thesis, describe the research process and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the topic. If you completed an internship or participated in a project, explain what new skills you learned and which aspects you found most valuable. If you already have lots of experience in the field, show how each step developed your skills and shaped your current plans.

Revise, edit, proofread

Your statement of purpose isn’t only about the content—it’s also a chance to show that you can express yourself fluently, confidently and coherently in writing. Spend plenty of time revising, editing and proofreading your text before you submit.

Make sure you stay within the recommended length, and check if there are any specific formatting requirements. If not, use a standard 12pt font, 1-inch margins and 1.5 line spacing.

When you have a final draft, our professional statement of purpose proofreading service can offer an extra pair of eyes to make sure every sentence is perfect.

Proofread my statement of purpose

Checklist: Statement of purpose

My statement of purpose clearly responds to the prompt.

I have introduced my academic, professional and/or personal background.

I have described any relevant experience and shown my development over time.

I have highlighted key achievements that demonstrate my talents.

There is a clear connection between my previous experience and my future plans.

I have explained how the program will help me achieve my goals.

I have mentioned specific aspects of the program, department and institution that appeal to me.

Every paragraph focuses on one central idea.

The paragraphs are organized in a logical order and tell a clear, coherent story.

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for PhD Admission

The dreaded doctoral statement of purpose — every PhD program asks for it, but why is it so difficult to write? Writing a strong statement of purpose is essential to getting into your top PhD programs. A PhD statement of purpose gives admissions committees an introduction to your research interests and why their specific program is of interest to you.

Like a cover letter for a job application, a great statement of purpose allows you to highlight your strengths, interests and experience. If you need statement of purpose advice, keep reading for guidance on how to write a successful statement of purpose that will make your PhD application stand out.

Statement of purpose vs. personal statement

Though the two may sound similar, they’re not necessarily interchangeable. A personal statement gives insight into who you are, while a statement of purpose is meant to showcase what you want to do. Rarely will you be asked to write a personal statement for a PhD program.

As you go through the PhD application process, you will likely see schools requesting either a statement of purpose or a research statement. In most cases, they're both looking for the same thing. Admissions committees want to know about your academic background, your research goals and what you hope to accomplish as a candidate in a PhD program.

Your research goals should align with faculty research

Being admitted to a PhD program is a great feeling, but if you enroll in a program that doesn’t match your research interests or help support your career goals, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment later down the road.

Applying for admission to a program is all about fit. Faculty reviewers are looking for students who best represent the department’s mission and will help them obtain their research objectives.

By the time you apply, you should have a solid understanding of what the department’s primary research and content areas are, as well as which faculty members you’d like to work with more closely. This might mean finding information about what their labs do and reading published articles related to their work.

Be sure to include how your interests and past experiences align with the work that they do and how you would be an active contributor to those endeavors. This approach shows that you took the time to look into their program, so the committee will be more willing to invest theirs in reviewing your application.

Don’t be afraid to address your weaknesses

Many people assume they should avoid listing their shortcomings in their essays. The whole point of applying to a program is to impress the reviewers, right? But constructively addressing your weaknesses can be a great way to demonstrate how this program can help you achieve your academic goals.

Look at the catalog and read through the courses that are part of the program. If there is a particular class that fascinates you, talk about how it could help you obtain a new skill or a better understanding of a concept that you’ve struggled with before.

This demonstrates that you are actively seeking programs to help you better your education. It also exhibits that you’re mindful of what areas of your knowledge need some improvement, which shows maturity and the ability to self-assess.

Keep it succinct

If your program of interest does not specify a page word or word limit, it’s best to assume that your statement should not exceed two pages total. It should be enough to give them a glimpse of who you are and what you have to offer but not share your life story.

The aim is to communicate how and why this particular program will help you meet your academic and career goals. Limited space means you must prioritize what you include in your statement.

Create an outline before you start writing to ensure you are including points that are relevant to your application and the program to which you are applying. Your statement is also an example of how well you can write. By framing your essay before you write it, you can avoid stream-of-consciousness writing that can often come across as undefined and incoherent.

Proofread! And read it over and over

When you think you have a finished product, read your essay out loud. This makes it easier to catch typos, poor grammar, and oddly worded sentences. If you have a friend who is also applying to grad school, help each other out by editing each other’s essays.

Having someone else read your statement and ask questions can help you clarify your points and make it more compelling. Your statement is your one chance to present yourself professionally in your own words. The occasional mistake is excusable, but messy writing will make them think you lack attention to detail.

Before you hit submit on that application, be sure that you have attached the correct document for the right institution. It can be very embarrassing if your statement mentions the wrong faculty member’s name or refers to another school’s library! It could also cause the reviewers to think you are not as serious about their program.

You’ve spent a good amount of time perfecting your application, so take your time to review everything before you submit it so you can rest easy knowing you’ve presented your best.

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College of liberal arts and sciences, guidelines for statement of purpose.

AKA "Personal Statement"

Guidelines for Statement of Purpose (“Personal Statement”):  

2-3 well-written pages; should address the following:

• Why apply to this program? What makes CLJ and UIC a good fit for your personal and professional goals? Mention potential faculty members you know or might want to work with.

• What makes you a good candidate for this program? (writing, research or creative skills; personal characteristics or experience; involvement in activism, organizations or personal involvement with CLJ related matters)

• What are your professional goals (including what you intend to do with the degree; we will not hold you to it)?

• What do you intend to study? For MA, discuss your research area or research interests. For PhD, be as specific as you can with your research topic, methodology, research questions. (We will NOT hold you to it, and it does not have to be fully developed. We recognize that students change their topic during their education.)

• If there are any gaps or points of interest / contention in your other application materials (grades, records, a bad semester), we recommend that you discuss it in your statement.

• Tell us about yourself and any unique skills or other areas of your life we should know about.

For PhD students, focus on: 

Areas of Intended Study; Research and Teaching Experience and Goals; Intellectual Fit with Program and Faculty at CLJ/UIC

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Gre prep online guides and tips, 7 successful statement of purpose examples.

Not sure what graduate schools are looking for in a statement of purpose? Looking at successful graduate school statement of purpose samples can help! In this guide, we’ll orient you to what makes a great statement of purpose or letter of intent for graduate school. Then we’ll provide you with four successful statement of purpose examples from our graduate school experts. We’ll also provide analysis of what makes them successful. Finally, we’ll direct you to even more helpful examples that you can find online!

The Graduate School Statement of Purpose: An Overview

A statement of purpose (also called a letter of intent or a research statement) introduces your interests and experience to the admissions committee. For research-focused programs, like most PhDs and many master’s degrees, your statement of purpose will focus primarily on your past research experience and plans. For more professionally-focused graduate programs, your statement of purpose will primarily discuss how your pursuit of this professional program relates to your past experiences, and how you will use the skills from the program in your future career.

A statement of purpose for grad school is also where you sell the admissions committee on why you belong in their program specifically. Why do you fit there, and how does what they offer fit your interests?

What’s in a Great Grad School Statement of Purpose?

Here are the essential elements of a strong graduate school statement of purpose:

Clear Articulation of Goals and Interests

A strong statement of purpose will clearly and specifically lay out your goals in undertaking the program and what you hope to accomplish with the degree. Again, for a research-focused program, this will focus primarily on the research project(s) you want to undertake while you are there. For a more professional program, discuss what interests you within the professional field and what skills/knowledge you hope to gain through the program.

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You should be as specific as possible in discussing what interests you. Use examples of particular phenomena, tools, or situations that you find exciting. If you are vague or say that everything in the field interests you, you run the risk of seeming unfocused or not actually that passionate.

Don’t worry that being too specific will box you into a particular research area or subfield during your entire tenure in graduate school. Your program understands that interests change—they won’t be pulling out your research statement to cross-reference with your dissertation proposal!

Evidence of Past Experience and Success

A great graduate school statement of purpose will also show programs that you have already been successful. They want applicants that will be able to follow through on their research/professional plans!

To this end, you’ll need to provide evidence of how your background qualifies you to pursue this program and your specific interests in the field. You’ll probably discuss your undergraduate studies and any professional experience you have. But be sure to draw on specific, vivid examples.  You might draw on your thesis, major projects you’ve worked on, papers you have written/published, presentations you’ve given, mentors you’ve worked with, and so on. This gives admissions committees concrete evidence that you are qualified to undertake graduate study!

Interest and Fit With the Program

The third essential ingredient to a great statement of purpose is to clearly lay out why you and the program are a good fit. You should be able to identify both specific reasons why your work fits with the program and why the program suits your work/interests! Are there particular professors you’d like to work with? Does the department have a strong tradition in a certain methodology or theory you’re interested in? Is there a particular facet to the curriculum that you’d like to experience?

Showing that you and the program are a match shows that you chose the program thoughtfully and have genuine interest in it. Programs want to admit students who aren’t just passionate about the field. They want students who are genuinely enthused about their specific program and positioned to get the most out of what they have to offer.

Strong Writing

The final essential piece of a strong statement of purpose or letter of intent is strong writing. Writing skills are important for all graduate programs. You’ll need to demonstrate that you can clearly and effectively communicate your ideas in a way that flows logically. Additionally, you should show that you know how to write in a way that is descriptive but concise. A statement of purpose shouldn’t ever be longer than two pages, even without a hard word limit.

Admissions committees for humanities programs may be a little more focused on writing style than admissions officers for STEM programs. But even in quantitative and science-focused fields, written communication skills are an essential part of graduate school. So a strong statement of purpose will always be effectively written. You’ll see this in our statement of purpose for graduate school samples.

Real, Successful Statement of Purpose Samples

In this section, we’ll present four successful graduate school statement of purpose examples from our graduate school experts, along with a brief commentary on each statement. These statements come from a diverse selection of program types to show you how the core essentials of a statement of purpose can be implemented differently for different fields.

Note: identifying information for these statements have been changed—except for example four, which is my statement.

• Statement of Purpose Sample One: Japanese Studies MA

This statement of purpose is notable for its great use of space and its vivid descriptions. The author is able to cram a lot into about a page. She discusses how she came to her two primary research interests (and how they are connected). She integrates this discussion of her interests with information on her past experiences and qualifications for pursuing the course of study. Finally, she includes details on her goals in pursuing the program and components of the program that interest her. Her examples are specific and fleshed-out. There’s a lot very cleverly included in a small amount of page space!

Additionally, the language is very vivid. Phrases like “evocative and visceral” and “steadily unraveling,” are eye-catching and intriguing. They demonstrate that she has the writing skills necessary to pursue both graduate study and her interest in translation.

• Statement of Purpose Sample Two: Music MM

This sample is fairly long, although at 12 point Times New Roman it’s under two pages single-spaced. The length of this statement is partially due to the somewhat expansive nature of the prompt, which asks what role music has played in the applicant’s life “to date.” This invites applicants to speak more about experiences further in the past (in the childhood and teen years) than is typical for a statement of purpose. Given that this is for a master’s degree in music, this is logical; musical study is typically something that is undertaken at a fairly young age.

This statement does an excellent job describing the student’s past experiences with music in great detail. The descriptions of the student’s past compositions and experiences performing new music are particularly vivid and intriguing.

This statement also lays out and elaborates on specific goals the student hopes to pursue through the program, as well as features particular to the program that interest the student (like particular professors).

• Statement of Purpose Sample Three: Economics PhD

One of the first things you’ll likely notice about this statement is that it’s a little on the longer side. However, at 12 point Times New Roman font and single-spaced, it still comes in under 2 pages (excluding references). It makes sense for a PhD statement of purpose sample to be longer than a master’s degree statement of purpose—there’s more to lay out in terms of research interests!

The writing style is fairly straightforward—there’s definitely a stronger focus on delivering content than flashy writing style. As Economics is a more quantitative-focused field, this is fine. But the writing is still well-organized, clear, and error-free.

The writer also gives numerous examples of their past work and experience, and shows off their knowledge of the field through references, which is a nice touch.

• Statement of Purpose Sample Four: History of the Book MA

This is actually my statement of purpose. It was for a program that I got accepted to but did not end up attending, for a Master’s in the History of the Book. You’ll notice that the two essay prompts essentially asked us to split our statement of purpose into two parts: the first prompt asked about our research interests and goals, and the second prompt asked about our relevant experience and qualifications.

I’ll keep my comments on this graduate school statement of purpose sample brief because I’ll do a deep dive on it in the next section. But looking back at my statement of purpose, I do a good job outlining what within the field interests me and clearly laying out how my past experiences have qualified me for the program.

Obviously this statement did its job, since I was accepted to the program. However, if I were to improve this statement, I’d change the cliche beginning  (“since I was a child”) and provide more specificity in what about the program interested me.

Deep Dive Analysis of a Sample Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

Next, we’ll do a paragraph by paragraph analysis of my statement, statement of purpose sample four. I’ll analyze its strengths and suggest ways I could shore up any weaknesses to make it even stronger.

Essay 1: Academic Interests

To refresh, here’s the first prompt: Please give a short statement that describes your academic interests, purpose, objectives and motivation in undertaking this postgraduate study. (max 3500 chars – approx. 500 words)

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Paragraph 1

Since I was a child, my favorite thing has always been a book. Not just for the stories and information they contain, although that is a large part of it. Mostly, I have been fascinated by the concept of book as object—a tangible item whose purpose is to relate intangible ideas and images. Bookbindings and jackets, different editions, the marginalia in a used book—all of these things become part of the individual book and its significance, and are worth study and consideration. Books and their equivalent forms—perfect bound, scrolled, stone tablets, papyrus—have long been an essential part of material culture and are also one of our most significant sources of information about the human historical past. Through both the literal object of the book, the words contained thereon, and its relationship to other books—forms of context, text and intertext—we are able to learn and hopefully manage layers of information with which we would otherwise have no familiarity.

First, the good: this paragraph does a good job introducing my academic interest in the book-as-object, and shows off pre-existing knowledge both of the study of material culture and literary theory. Additionally, the language is engaging: the juxtaposition of “tangible” and “intangible” in the beginning and phrases like “perfect bound, scrolled, stone tablets, papyrus” lend life to the writing and keep the reader engaged.

If I were to go back and improve this paragraph, first, I would absolutely change the first sentence to something less cliche than talking about my childhood. I might try something like “My love of books is a multifaceted thing. I don’t only love them for the stories and….” Second, I would chill out on the em dashes a little bit. Three sets in one paragraph is a little excessive. Finally, I might actually cut this paragraph down slightly to make more room word-wise later in the statement to discuss what specific things about the program interest me.

Paragraph 2

Furthermore, blogs, webcomics, digital archives, e-readers, and even social media sites like tumblr and Facebook have revolutionized the concept of the book by changing how we share and transmit ideas and information, just as the Gutenberg printing press revolutionized the book all those years ago in the fifteenth century. Once again there has been an explosion both in who can send out information and who can receive it.

This paragraph briefly and effectively introduces my other main academic interest: how new technology has changed the concept of the book-as-object. The tie-back to the printing press is a nice touch; it’s a vivid example that shows that I’m aware of important historical moments in book history.

Paragraph 3

I am deeply interested in the preservation of the physical book, as I think it is an important part of human history (not to mention a satisfying sensory experience for the reader). However I am also very concerned with the digitization and organization of information for the modern world such that the book, in all of its forms, stays relevant and easy to access and use. Collections of books, archives, and information as stored in the world’s servers, libraries and museums are essential resources that need to be properly organized and administered to be fully taken advantage of by their audiences. My purpose in applying to the University of Edinburgh’s Material Culture and History of the Book is to gain the skills necessary to keep all forms of the book relevant and functional in an age when information can move more radically than ever before.

This paragraph actually has a focus problem. Since it covers two topics, I should split it into two paragraphs: one on the integration of my two interests, and one on my goals and interests in the program. I could also stand to expand on what features the program has that interest me: professors I’d like to work with, particular aspects of the curriculum, etc.

In spite of these things, however, this paragraph does a good job clearly integrating the two academic interests related to the book I introduced in the first two paragraphs. And the language is still strong —“satisfying sensory experience” is a great phrase. However, I’ve been using the word “information,” a lot; I might try to replace with appropriate synonyms (like “knowledge”) in a couple of places.

Paragraph 4

Additionally, I intend on pursuing a PhD in Library and Information Sciences upon completion of my master’s and I feel that this program while make me uniquely suited to approach library science from a highly academic and interdisciplinary perspective.

This final paragraph offers just quick touch on my future goals beyond the program. It’s typically fine for this to be relatively brief, as it is here, just so long as you can clearly identify some future goals.

Essay 2: Relevant Experience

The second prompt just asked me to describe my relevant knowledge, training, and skills.

As a folklore and mythology student, I have gained a robust understanding of material culture and how it relates to culture as a whole. I have also learned about the transmission of ideas, information, stories and pieces of lore among and between populations, which is an important component of book history. Folklore is also deeply concerned with questions of the literary vs. oral lore and the tendency for text to “canonize” folklore, and yet text can also question or invert canonized versions; along with this my studies in my focus field of religion and storytelling have been deeply concerned with intertextuality. One of my courses was specifically concerned with the Heian-period Japanese novel The Tale of Genji and questions of translation and representation in post-Heian picture scrolls and also modern translations and manga. In addition to broader cultural questions concerned with gender and spirituality both in historical Japan and now, we considered the relationships between different Genji texts and images.

This is a strong, focused paragraph. I relate my academic background in Folklore and Mythology to my interests in studying the book, as well as showing off some of my knowledge in the area. I also chose and elaborated on a strong example (my class on the Tale of Genji ) of my relevant coursework.

I also have work experience that lends itself to the study of the book. After my freshman year of college I interned at the Chicago History Museum. Though I was in the visitor services department I was exposed to the preservation and archival departments of the museum and worked closely with the education department, which sparked my interest in archival collections and how museums present collection information to the public. After my sophomore year of college and into my junior year, I worked at Harvard’s rare books library, Houghton. At Houghton I prepared curated collections for archival storage. These collections were mostly comprised of the personal papers of noteworthy individuals, categorized into alphabetical folders. This experience made me very process-oriented and helped me to understand how collections come together on a holistic basis.

This paragraph also has a clear focus: my past, relevant work experience. Discussing archival collections and presenting information to the public links the interests discussed in my first statement with my qualifications in my second statement. However, if I were to revise this paragraph, I would add some specific examples of the amazing things I worked on and handled at Houghton Library. In that job, I got to touch Oliver Cromwell’s death mask! An interesting example would make this paragraph really pop even more.

Finally, in my current capacity as an education mentor in Allston, a suburb of Boston, I have learned the value of book history and material culture from an educational perspective. As a mentor who designs curriculum for individual students and small groups, I have learned to highly value clearly organized and useful educational resources such as websites, iPad apps, and books as tools for learning. By managing and organizing collections in a way that makes sense we are making information accessible to those who need it.

This final paragraph discusses my current (at the time) work experience in education and how that ties into my interest in the history of the book. It’s an intriguing connection and also harkens back to my discussion of information availability in the paragraph three of the first statement. Again, if I were to amp up this statement even more, I might include a specific example of a book-based (or book technology-based) project I did with one of my students. I worked on things like bookbinding and making “illuminated manuscripts” with some of my students; those would be interesting examples here.

This statement is split into two parts by virtue of the two-prompt format. However, if I were to integrate all of this information into one unified statement of purpose, I would probably briefly introduce my research interests, go in-depth on my background, then circle back around to speak more about my personal interests and goals and what intrigues me about the program. There’s not really one correct way to structure a statement of purpose just so long as it flows well and paragraphs are structured in a logical way: one topic per paragraph, with a clear topic and concluding sentence.

More Statement of Purpose Examples

We’ve provided you with four great graduate school statement of purpose examples from our graduate school experts. However, if you’re looking for more, there are other sample letters of intent and statements of purpose for graduate school online. We’ve rounded up the best ones here, along with some strengths and weaknesses about each example.

Majortests Statement of Purpose Sample

This is a fairly straightforward, clearly written statement of purpose sample for a biology program. It includes useful commentary after each paragraph about what this statement of purpose is accomplishing.

• This statement of purpose sample is well-organized, with clear topic sentences and points made in each paragraph.
• The student clearly identifies what interests her about the program.
• The student proactively addresses questions about why she hasn’t gone directly to graduate school, and frames her professional research experience as a positive thing.
• She gives a tiny bit of color about her personality in a relevant way by discussing her involvement with the Natural History Society.
• In general, discussing high school interests is too far back in time unless the anecdote is very interesting or unusual. The detail about The Theory of Evolution is intriguing; the information about the high school teacher seems irrelevant. The student should have condensed this paragraph into a sentence or two.
• While this statement is cogently written and makes the candidate sound competent and well-qualified, it’s not exactly the most scintillating piece of writing out there. Some of the constructions are a little awkward or cliche. For example, the “many people have asked me” sentence followed by “the answer is” is a little bit clunky. This is probably fine for a STEM program. But just be aware that this statement is not a paragon of writing style.

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UC Berkeley History Statement of Purpose Sample

This is a graduate school statement of purpose example from the UC Berkeley History department’s PhD program, with annotations from a professor as to why it’s a successful statement.

• The author is able to very clearly and articulately lay out her research interests and link them to past work she has successfully completed, namely, her thesis.
• She is able to identify several things about the program and Berkeley that indicate why it is a good fit for her research interests.
• She addresses the time she spent away from school and frames it as a positive, emphasizing that her use of time was well-considered and productive.
• Her writing is very vivid, with excellent word choice and great imagery.

While very well-written and engaging, this sample statement of purpose for graduate school is a little bit on the long side! It’s a little over two single-spaced pages, which is definitely pushing the limits of acceptable length. Try to keep yours at 2 pages or less. Some of the information on the thesis (which comprises over half of the statement of purpose) could be condensed to bring it down to two pages.

Pharmacy Residency Letter of Intent Sample

This is not technically a sample letter of intent for graduate school because it’s actually for a pharmacy residency program. However, this example still provides illumination as to what makes a decent graduate school letter of intent sample.

• This is a serviceable letter of intent: the writer clearly lays out their own goals within the field of pharmacy, what qualifications they have and how they’ve arrived at their interests, and how the program fits their needs.
• The writing is clearly structured and well-organized.
• The main weakness is that some of the writer’s statements come across as fairly generic. For example, “The PGY-1 Residency Program at UO Hospitals will provide me with the opportunity to further develop my clinical knowledge, critical thinking, teaching, research, and leadership skills” is a generic statement that could apply to any residency program. A punchier, more program-specific conclusion would have amped up this letter.
• While the writer does a decent job providing examples of their activities, like working as a tutor and attending the APhA conference, more specificity and detail in these examples would make the statement more memorable.
• There’s a typo in the last paragraph —a “to” that doesn’t belong! This is an unprofessional blip in an otherwise solid letter. Read you own letter of intent aloud to avoid this!

NIU Bad Statement of Purpose Example

This is an ineffective graduate school statement of purpose example, with annotations on why it doesn’t work.

As you might imagine, the main strength in this document is as an example of what not to do. Otherwise, there is little to recommend it.

• The annotations quite clearly detail the weaknesses of this statement. So I won’t address them exhaustively except to point out that this statement of purpose fails at both content and style. The author includes irrelevant anecdotes and lists without offering a decisive picture of interests or any particular insight into the field. Additionally, the statement is riddled with grammatical mistakes, awkward sentence structures, and strange acronyms.
• You’ll note that the commentary advises you to “never start with a quote.” I agree that you should never start with a freestanding quote as in this example. However, I do think starting with a quote is acceptable in cases like the Berkeley history example above, where the quote is brief and then directly linked to the research interest.

Graduate School Statement of Purpose Examples: 4 Key Points

Graduate programs ask for statement of purpose to hear about your interests and goals and why you think you and the program would be a good fit.

There are four key elements to a successful statement of purpose:

• A clear articulation of your goals and interests
• Evidence of past experiences and success
• Interest and fit with the program
• Strong writing

We’ve provided you with four successful statement of purpose samples from our graduate school experts!

We also provided additional statement of purpose samples (and a sample letter of intent) for graduate school from other sources on the internet. Now you have all kinds of guidance!

What’s Next?

If you’re looking for more information on graduate school , see our guide to what makes a good GPA for grad school .

Not sure if you need to take the GRE ? See if you can get into graduate school without GRE scores .

Want more information about the GRE? We can help you figure out when to take the GRE , how to make a GRE study plan , and how to improve your GRE score .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

• Application guidance

Statement of purpose (SOP) for PhD: How to Write and Samples

Securing admission to PhD programs in the university of your dreams might seem difficult—however, it is not impossible. If you can convince the selection committee of your dedication and genuine interest in your research topic, you stand a fair chance of getting that seat. The key to your admission lies in a well-crafted and compelling statement of purpose that will sway the decision-makers in your favour. 

A statement of purpose is your chance to prove to the admissions committee that you have the potential and skills as a researcher. If you are hoping to pursue a PhD, you must put in the time and effort to craft an impressive SOP. This blog will help you understand how to write an interesting yet concise SOP with examples. 

Table of Contents

• How to Write a Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a PhD

General Examples of Statement of Purpose for PhD

• 10 Steps to writing an SOP for a PhD course

How to Write a Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a PhD Course?

Your statement of purpose for PhD must express your sincere interest in the subject matter. The following 10 tips will help you to draft an impactful SOP:

10 Steps to writing an SOP for a PhD course 

• Introduce yourself:

The whole purpose of the essay is to show the university who you are and your goals. It is better to get straight to the point and explain what inspired you to take up research in your particular field of study. Even if you do not have full clarity on your research topic, you can talk about what you are interested in exploring. Make sure you explain your field learning and what made you take up the specific topic. 

• Answer the question, "Why":

Next, it's time to answer some questions. Why do you want to obtain this degree? Why did you choose this particular field of study? Why have you chosen this university to pursue your higher education? 

• Explain how you will be a good fit: 

It would help if you answered why you think you will be a good fit for the program and why they should consider you a potential candidate. For this, you should have a relatively strong knowledge of the program to express how your interests align with it. 

• Express your intellectual curiosity:

You can discuss what excites you about the program and your chosen field of study. Explain why you enjoy doing research and ensure to substantiate your claims with relevant examples.

• Demonstrate your skillset and experience 

In this section, you can highlight any previous experience you have in doing research and explain briefly about it. You can also describe the skills that you think might be relevant. For instance, you can mention your skills in programming languages like C++ and Python if you are doing research in the field of Computer Science. Make sure to mention the recognitions you have received for the skills. 

• Mention work experience, if any 

If you have any relevant work experience, be sure to mention it in your Statement of Purpose for PhD. However, only emphasise this experience if it is directly related to your proposed research.

• Be open about any past setbacks: 

If you have any "black marks" on your record, such as poor grades, leaving a college program or any other issues, it is strongly advised that you do not try to hide these from the admissions committee. Instead, address them head-on in your letter. Showing how you successfully rebounded from setbacks will bode well for you.

• Short and long-term goals:

It's always good to give a brief of your short-term and long-term goals and how this degree will assist you in achieving them. It is also essential to consider any future research areas you may want to explore and how they could potentially impact the community. Your vision for your career 10-15 years from now is a crucial indicator of your thought process and how you plan to integrate your degree into your life.

• Edit and proofread several times: 

To avoid your essays having any typos, poor grammar or other mistakes that could have easily been fixed, ensure that you always edit and proofread your work. A well-written essay is a sign of a competent researcher.

• Circulate your statement:

Asking your recommendation writers to review your college application essays is a great way to get feedback. It will also help ensure that what they write is consistent with your thoughts and experiences. If you have drafts of your essay completed early enough, don't hesitate to ask for their input. Most faculty members are more than willing to help their former students, given adequate notice.

Read more:  How to write an effective statement of purpose?

If you are looking for PhD SOP samples, it is essential to remember that there is a specific way to provide all of your relevant information to the institutions. It is crucial to keep your statement concise but informative. Here are two samples to help you give an idea.

PhD SOP Sample 1

I've always been interested in how physics can explain the things we see and experience in our everyday lives and phenomena beyond our usual perception. My childhood fascination with Physics led me to choose my college major and, ultimately, my career path. 

My interest in complex phenomena only grew during my studies. I am passionate about understanding the impacts of radioactive waste on our world. I pursued an interdisciplinary degree in Physics and Environmental Science to develop the skills needed to become a researcher in this field. My goal is to find effective methods for reducing the harmful effects of radioactive waste on our environment.

After completing my degree, I gained valuable work experience at an Environmental Protection Agency, where my responsibilities included examining sites for radioactive leakage and measuring the damage. This experience motivated me to pursue a PhD in Physics so I could find ways to control such situations. I want to be equipped with the necessary knowledge that will allow me to conduct meaningful research and find effective ways of managing radioactive waste.

The University of Essex is my top choice for several reasons. First and foremost, it has an excellent reputation. Secondly, the opportunities and mentorship available for the particular subject are incomparable. And finally, I know that I would be able to make a meaningful contribution to the community here. I am confident that my practical experience and strong motivation will be significant assets as I pursue my studies and career.

PhD SOP Sample 2

My parents are farmers, and I grew up helping them with crop production and food preparation. I was always curious about the scientific basis for farming, canning, and cooking methods, which led me to major in nutrition and food science. I want to understand the science behind what my family has been doing for generations and use that knowledge to improve our food habits. 

I completed my undergraduate studies in biotechnology and then went on to do a master's in food technology. For my dissertation, I chose the topic of "XXX", which was of great interest to me. My training at XYZ gave me insight into industrial-level operations concerning nutrition, microbiology and contaminants in the food industry.

Whilst doing my master's, I became particularly interested in food safety and quality assurance, as well as post-harvest technology of fruits and vegetables, food processing and bioprocess engineering. I did a little project on "ABC" and wrote my dissertation on "XYZ". Through working in various laboratories across the country during my studies, I gained experience with multiple techniques used in food preservation.

I am passionate about researching food commodities, fruits and vegetables, and their wastage to synthesise nutritional and bioactive components and convert them into functional foods. I believe that food safety is of the utmost importance, and I hope to learn more about this topic through this doctoral program.

There are numerous reasons for choosing Southern Cross University, and one of the main reasons is your highly competent faculty. The research work done by Prof. ABC on Fruits and Vegetables sparked my interest. I am interested in researching independently and working collaboratively with a team on projects that directly impact smaller communities and society as a whole. I am sure that Southern Cross University will help me achieve my goals and better serve society. I promise you won't find me lagging in my quest or effort, and I pledge to do my best in all the assigned tasks.

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SOP for Law Stu...

SOP for Law Students: How to Write Statement of Purpose for Law Students (LLM/LLB/JSD)

Students with a background in political studies, social studies, history and governmental studies, economics, journalism, philosophy, and other significant majors aspire to opt for higher studies in Law. Here, the sample SOP for law students play a crucial role in application to some of the top Law Schools, such as Cambridge University, Harvard Law School, and Oxford University. 

This is because these schools or universities assess capabilities, such as verbal communication abilities, and analytical skills through interviews along with the student’s writing skills, which are evident from their portfolios. Similarly, other key capabilities can be highlighted and substantiated through the statement of purpose for law students.

Planning to write an effective SOP for a law program? Let’s discuss that at length and understand the intricate facets of a good Law SOP.

What can lead a statement of purpose for law to be rejected right away ?

Ans. Plagiarism and poor syntax can get the SOP for law students rejected.

What is the best writing style of a SOP for law students ?

Ans. Conversational writing keeps the narrative engaging. So, write your SOP effectively maintaining a positive tone. 

How many SOPs to write for Law?

Ans. Each university requires a separate and original SOP. Hence, you need to write a different SOP for every university you’re applying to. Along with SOP, universities require statements of purpose as part of applications.

How to save and submit your LLM SOP sample?

Ans. SOPs have to be uploaded in PDF as part of the applications. This makes your LLM SOP sample look professional and eliminates the possibility of any formatting inconsistencies. Universities may also provide forms to paste contents of SOP for law as part of applications with or without the option to upload.

How to Draft Statement of Purpose for Masters in Law?

To start writing your SOP for law, brainstorm, free-write, and collect your thoughts. Your SOP for law students must be a dive into relevant life experiences, academic/professional background (if applicable), career goals, co-curricular activities, volunteering/community involvement, and more. 

So, refer to the effective guidelines given below to draft a stellar statement of purpose for masters in law programs. 

Introduction

What motivated you to choose law or justice as your interest? What is the strongest experience that led you to choose this field? For example , how you experienced social injustice while studying in your high school and you were stunned by the treatment or reaction of local law enforcement bodies to the situation that eventually became your motive or passion for Law related studies. 

• Begin your introduction with an attention-grabbing experience that is evocative of your journey into the field. 
• Alternatively, you can also begin with a social or political problem statement that you consider exploring in your future LLB/LLM program. 
• This is because some programs directly seek a statement of purpose sample for law that is more of a research proposal than otherwise. 

Second Paragraph

In this paragraph, building on the onset of interest in Law, discuss relevant academic and life experiences that have augmented your curiosity. How has each of these experiences pivoted your interest, streamlined it, or transformed it?

• Here, you can discuss relevant undergraduate experiences or courses through which you developed a particular interest in law. For example, you must have developed an interest in criminology or corporate law. 
• Touch upon a few course specifics and how these led you to develop your portfolio and inspired you to work on projects relevant to law interest. 
• You can discuss interesting projects you worked on or relevant co-curricular experiences worth sharing. Make sure that your experiences and abilities align with your interests in the law program you are applying for. 

Third Paragraph

Have you faced any setbacks in your academics? If you just made the cut or have lesser scores, you can mention that here. 

• Have you faced any other unique challenges or setbacks that have redefined your perspectives or interests? 
• How did you overcome these challenges and what is/are the positive outcomes of these experiences? 
• It’s essential to reflect on the lessons from these experiences to underscore your resilience.

Fourth Paragraph

You can discuss extracurriculars in this paragraph. Remember that universities are interested to know more than just academics. So, go ahead and speak about your hobbies, social work, volunteering, etc, here. You can also discuss workshops or certifications which you have taken to upgrade your skills. 

Fifth Paragraph

If you have work experience, add it here. However, if you don’t have work experience, you can discuss your internship experiences, reflecting on your specific learnings and take-aways. Identify a knowledge gap and the need for you to go for LLB/LLM.

• How has the work experience/s influenced your career goals? Why do you wish to go for LLB/LLM now? 
• Define your short-term and long-term goals. 
• How will the LLB/LLM program from a specific Law school help you achieve these goals? 
• How does the program align with your areas of interest?

Your conclusion needs to be equally engaging as your introduction.

• What capabilities equip you to contribute to the university?
• How can you be an asset to the university?
• What activities, clubs, sports, student associations, groups, etc, piqued your interests?
• What diverse experiences do you bring to your law graduate community? 

Suggested: Sample SOP for Undergraduate Courses

Now you know how to draft a statement of purpose for masters in law. However, to avoid any mistakes, let’s further check the do’s and dont’s!

Do’s and Don'ts of a Sample SOP for Law Students

Your statement of purpose for masters in law should be truthful, concise, engaging, and well-written. Remember that every experience that you present should be coherent and well connected. This leaves no space for grey areas. Follow these Do’s and Don’ts in your SOP for law students:

Suggested: How to Write a Good SOP?  

What are the Skills to Include in Your SOP for Law?

Your SOP for LLB/LLM should be in-depth and research-intensive. Law is a study of social and humanitarian justice. Students can go on to practice from the diverse career opportunities, such as criminal law, security law, insurance law, international law, foreign relations, and right to privacy. Based on these specialisations, law graduates can secure a role with employers in businesses, nonprofit organisations, law firms, and even with the government. Some graduates also set up their own businesses! 

Therefore, to ensure your seat with the university, showcase the following skills in your SOP to make it unique and appealing.

• Effective communication (verbal and written)
• Information analysis and research aptitude
• Academic/Research writing skills
• Understanding of law and enforcement
• Critical Thinking
• Creative problem-solving

Suggested: Common mistakes in Writing SOPs and Application Essay

SOP Requirements of Top Universities for Law (LLB/LLM) 

Most universities have similar SOP requirements as part of their respective applications. We’ve shortlisted a few top universities for LLM/LLB in Law and their SOP requirements. Let’s explore! 

Stanford Law School

If you are applying for LLM/SPILS (Stanford Program in International Legal Studies)/JSD (Juridicae Scientiae Doctor) at the Stanford Law School , follow these guidelines.

• LLM applicants should provide a statement of two to three pages, including experience in legal practice and answering the following questions. 
• What are your reasons for applying to the course? 
• What are your professional goals?
• How will you contribute to your future class at the New Law school and beyond?
• SPILS and JSD applicants should also provide a statement of two to three pages including the following.
• Applicant's interest in the chosen area of concentration within the course.
• The expertise and experiences of applicants.
• How the studies of SPILS or JSD will help the applicant in his/her professional, academic, public service, and policy-making related career?

2. University of Oxford

The University of Oxford has similar SOP requirements for different law courses, including Bachelor of Civil Law, MJur, MSc Law and Finance, or MSc/MPhil in Criminology and Criminal Justice. In the following section SOP or personal statement requirement for these courses has been mentioned. Let’s dive right into them! 

• A 300 words statement of purpose is needed. 
• It requires the applicant to write their motivation for applying for the course at Oxford.
• Mention their relevant experience and education, and the specific areas of interest that they intend to specialise in.

3. Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School requires a Statement of purpose from its applicants for JD courses or LLM. The SOP should be of two pages in length, double spaced, with font 11 or larger (preferably Times New Roman, 12 font size). However, for the LLM course, a word limit of 1500 has been suggested by the university. The statement should further demonstrate the following aspects:

• Your interest in applying to the chosen program.
• Clearly defined goals (in the program and after the program.)
• What are the expected outcomes of the program and how do these align with or help achieve your career aspirations?

Apart from these general instructions, every program specialisation in Law has unique requirements for SOP. Furthermore, the program-specific SOPs have similar word limits.

Suggested: 5 SOP Questions that Must be Answered

We understand writing an SOP can be daunting. But, don’t worry, Yocket is here to help you understand the nuances and draft a succinct SOP in terms of the format and guidelines. The SOP writing style for most countries remains the same. However, in the case of program-specific requirements, you can re-engineer the original draft to suit the above-mentioned law school requirements.

If you get stuck at any point, or need expert guidance/advice, reach out to Yocket counsellors for a free 15-minute consultation.

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Some of these samples have been accepted by top programs. They have been graciously shared by past applicants for educational purposes. We hope they inspire you to write your own.

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Description: In this Statement of Purpose Sample for MBA, the applicant evokes the loss of family business and a business degree that didn’t equip him with practical skills as the motivation for applying for an MBA. The applicant brings out the steps that he has taken to remedy this lack of practical experience and the skills that he looked forward to getting from the MBA program.

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Description: In this SOP, the applicant explains how growing up in a crime-ridden neighborhood with a police father informed her early views on crime prevention and the place of psychology. She places this early observations in their proper context by profiling the background of teenage offenders thereby underling the place of early trauma on future behavior.

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How to Write Statement of Purpose (SOP) for Ph.D. Admission: Sample & Example

• Updated On April 1, 2024
• Published In General

Every document is important in your PhD application when you present a profile to the admissions committee, AdCom. Each document, whether the Statement of Purpose (SOP), a research paper sample, research essay, resume, or Letter of Recommendation (LOR), can be a crucial factor or a tie-breaker when universities select candidates with similar profiles. 

Table of Contents

Therefore, the statement of purpose for PhD is very important in the entire application procedure. This blog contains all aspects of the SOP for PhD, including its format and requirements for top universities.

How to Write SOP for Ph.D.

Writing a Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a PhD requires candidates to express their interest in the subject honestly and passionately. To help you create an impactful SOP, here are a few simple guidelines: 

• Introduction: Start with a good introduction that catches the reader’s attention and clarifies your intention to pursue doctoral studies. Please describe your academic background and research interests briefly.
• Academic Background:  Explain your academic path, highlighting relevant courses, research projects, publications and achievements in the field. Explain how these experiences have prepared you for your PhD studies and influenced your research interests.
• Research Experience:  Tell us about any research experience, including internships, projects or cooperation. Tell us what you are doing, how you contribute, and what outcomes or insights you gained from this experience. Show your analytical and problem-solving abilities and your ability to collaborate independently.

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• Future Goals:  Define your long-term career objectives and how you can attain a Ph.D. that aligns with those goals. Explain how you will be able to achieve your objectives and contribute to your professional development by applying for this programme.
• Conclusion:  Clarify your main points and reiterate your enthusiasm for this program. Let me finish by saying you are ready and eager to contribute to the academic community.
• Proofreading & Editing: Please review your SOP closely to see if you have any grammar, spelling, or typing errors. Ensure that everything is clear, coherent and concise at all times. To improve the quality of your SOP, consider seeking feedback from professors, mentors and colleagues. 

Sample Statement of Purpose (SOP) for Ph.D.

Presenting key information to institutions in a structured manner is essential when searching for samples from the PhD SOP. Applicants should aim for a length ranging from 200 to 1000 words, tailored to the institution’s requirements when writing a PhD personal statement.

It’s important to strike the right balance; a statement should not be too lengthy, which can overload the reader, and it should not be too short, which could lead to a lack of clarity. To ensure that the message is effectively communicated, emphasis is placed on being concise yet informative.

Sample SOP for PhD: Sample 1

I grew up in Chandigarh and witnessed firsthand the effects of environmental degradation and climate change on our society. That experience awakened my passion for the environment, and I am determined to continue my studies in this area. I am excited to apply for the Master’s program in Environmental Studies at [University Name].

A commitment to understanding and dealing with environmental challenges shapes my academic journey. I’ve completed my undergraduate studies in environmental science and acquired a solid understanding of environmental principles and sustainable development.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with a wide range of organisations dedicated to protecting and developing our environment throughout my professional career. These experiences have given me valuable insight into the complex interaction between human activities and the natural environment.

I researched topics such as biodiversity conservation and adaptation to climate change because of my interest in environmental issues. One of my most memorable achievements was participating in the project to assess the impact of deforestation on local ecosystems in this region. This experience deepened my understanding of the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to environmental research.

In particular, my long-term objective in conservation biology and ecosystem management is to contribute to developing novel solutions for environmental problems. It will give me the knowledge and skills necessary to make a real impact in this area by studying for a master’s degree in environmental studies at [University Name].

The interdisciplinary approach and research opportunities offered by the Environmental Studies Programme at [University Name] are very attractive. I would be incredibly attracted to work with highly respected faculty members and participate in hands-on research activities. Given the alignment of my research interests and career goals, exploring specific topics related to the Specific Research Areas is especially important.

Lastly, I’m excited about continuing my studies at [University Name] and contributing to environmental studies. I’m sure I’m a strong candidate for the Master’s program because of my academic background, professional experience, and passion for protecting the environment. Thank you for considering my application.

Sample SOP for PhD: Sample 2

The dynamic world of business, and its profound impact on society, fascinated me as a young man. This fascination, coupled with a strong desire to make a positive difference through strategic leadership, has motivated my pursuit of a Master’s degree in Business Administration at [University Name].

I completed my undergraduate studies in Economics at [University Name], where I developed a solid foundation in economic theory and quantitative analysis. I’ve been equipped with a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, financial principles and strategic decision making through my studies.

I have acquired valuable experience working in various roles within the financial services sector following my college studies. These experiences have given me a firsthand insight into the complexity of business operations, financial management and strategic planning. I’ve sharpened my ability to analyse, manage and work as a team through my roles.

I am well aware of the effective business leadership through my professional experiences. I’m passionate about using the principles of business to drive innovation, sustain long term growth and positively contribute to society. I will gain the necessary knowledge, skills and network to meet these objectives by completing my Master of Business Administration.

With its reputation for academic excellence, diverse student population and emphasis on Experiential Learning, the MBA program at The [University of Name] is particularly appealing to me. I’m looking forward to working with respected faculty members and fellow students, exchanging ideas as well as gaining a perspective from different points of view. In addition, I’m looking forward to participating in hands-on projects and internships that will strengthen my practical skills as well as industrial knowledge.

My aim is to take a leadership role in the business sector, where I can make an impact on organisational growth and innovation after completing my MBA programme. In the end, my objective is to set up a business which will contribute positively to both the economy and society with its focus on sustainability of economic practice and community entrepreneurship.

Finally, I want to develop my business management knowledge and skills in order to make a significant impact on the global economy. I’m confident that the necessary tools and opportunities to achieve my objectives will be provided by the MBA program at [University Name]. Thank you for your consideration of my application, and I’m delighted to be able to contribute to a lively academic community at [University Name].

SOP for Ph.D. Admission Requirements for Top Universities

The requirements for a Statement of Purpose (SOP) when applying for a PhD program at top universities remain consistent in terms of the general approach to writing. However, variations exist in structure, word limit, and other specific guidelines depending on the individual university’s requirements. 

Here, we examine the SOP requirements for PhD applications at leading universities, per the QS World University Rankings 2024. 

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Writing a strong Statement of Purpose (SOP) is crucial for students applying to graduate programs. By using the tips and advice shared in this blog, you can effectively share your academic journey, interests, and goals with admissions teams. 

Remember, a good SOP shows your passion and readiness for advanced studies. With careful attention and effort, you can create an SOP that stands out and boosts your chances of getting into your desired program.

For more guidance on how to write SOP for PhD, you can contact our LeapScholar Team.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. what makes a good sop for a ph.d..

Ans. The applicant’s research interests, academic background and career objectives should be clearly stated in a good SOP for a Ph.D. To demonstrate their readiness for doctoral-level research and their contribution to the academic community, the SOP should strongly align the applicant’s interests with the programme’s offering. In addition, it should be well-written, concise and in line with the specific programme and its requirements.

Q. What are some of the mistakes you should avoid in an SOP?

Ans.  Avoiding typical mistakes when drafting an a SOP statement of purpose is essential. Stop using generic language and cliches that do not promote your individuality. Ensure your SOP is tailored to each program, demonstrating an understanding of their unique offers and how you fit in with the school community. Focuses on the relevant experience and achievements, omitting irrelevant details.

Q. What is the importance of SOP for a Ph.D.?

Ans.  In the case of Ph.D. admission, the statement of purpose of the SOP provides candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate their academic background, research interests and career aspirations. This enables applicants to demonstrate their compatibility with the programme’s objectives and faculty expertise, giving admissions committees valuable insight into whether they are suited for advanced research or a career in academic studies.

Q. How do I write a SOP for college admission?

Ans. When writing the Statement of Purpose (SOP) to be admitted into college, make sure that you highlight your academics, career aspirations and why you are a good fit for this program. Indicate the relevant experience, skills and achievements that align with your objectives while explaining how college resources and opportunities will meet them. Keep the SOP brief well-organised and tailored to the specific college or program you’re applying to.

Q. How do I start an SOP sample?

Ans. To start a SOP sample effectively, consider opening with a compelling anecdote, a personal reflection, or a statement of purpose that succinctly articulates your motivation and passion for the chosen field of study. This will set the tone for the rest of the document and draw the reader’s attention from the beginning.

Q. What is the format for the SOP statement?

Ans. The format for a Statement of Purpose (SOP) typically includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This introduction should provide an overview of your background and interests. Paragraphs should be added to the body highlighting your experiences in academia and industry, as well as particular successes and motivations. Lastly, the conclusion should summarise your main points and express your enthusiasm for this programme.

Q. Can I reuse an SOP for different Ph.D. programs?

Ans. While it is possible to apply the same overarching theme or experience to each SOP, it is essential to adapt each SOP to the specific requirements of the programme, the faculty, and the research opportunities. Using the same SOP without modifying it can be seen as generic and lacking genuine interest in the program. Personalising each SOP demonstrates your commitment and understanding of how you will align yourself with the goals and features of every program.

Q. Can I mention my weaknesses or challenges in my SOP?

Ans.  Generally, it is best not to mention weaknesses or problems explicitly in your Standard Operating Procedures. Instead, focus on highlighting your strengths, experiences and accomplishments. However, if you have overcome significant challenges that have shaped your academic journey or personal development, you may briefly mention them to demonstrate resilience and growth. Frame such experiences positively, emphasising what you learned and how it has strengthened your resolve to pursue your academic goals.

Q. How long should my SOP be?

Ans. Your Statement of Purpose (SOP) should be approximately one to two pages in length or between 500 and 1,000 words. Emphasising your academic background, research interests, career objectives, and why you are a strong candidate for the programme is essential. Keeping to the specified word count will ensure clarity and keep readers engaged while giving enough information about your qualifications and reasons for doing so.

Q. What tone and writing style should I use in my SOP?

Ans.  Keep your SOP professional and formal, but also add personality and enthusiasm to your chosen area of interest. To effectively communicate your motivation, experience and aspirations, you must be able to do so in a language that is easy to understand. As the Standard Opinion Paper is an official document for academic evaluation, do not be overly informal or superficial.

Q. How can I make my SOP stand out from other applicants?

Ans.  Make your SOP stand out by highlighting unique experiences, points of view and motivation. Share specific examples to highlight your achievements, skills, and passion in this area. Furthermore, demonstrate a deep understanding of the programme and show how your interests align with its objectives. Lastly, you must write a persuasive story which will appeal to the reader and give your candidacy an indelible impression.

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• Statement of purpose (SOP) for Law

It doesn't matter which country you choose to apply for your student visa. That could be the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or any other country, SOP is a mandatory application requirement.

A well-crafted comprehensive SOP plays a significant role in a successful study visa application for any country. This guide presents you a Statement of Purpose (SOP) sample for students looking to enrol on the law.

These are the quick tips you need to follow while composing your SOP for law:

• Mention when you developed a passion for your intended course, law.
• Present your independent research and reasons behind choosing law and Care, country and the university.
• Mention your academic achievements. Also, do not forget to write about your projects, research papers and experiences.
• Assert your career plans and how the chosen degree will help you achieve them.
• Talk about your goals based on your home country.

Statement of purpose (SOP) sample for law

Introduction.

I <your name>, feel gratified to introduce myself as a diligent LLB. Graduate knowing Law from <home country> with a mindset to pursue my further education in one of the renowned universities, The <applied university name>, Australia, with the ultimate goal to learn valuable skills and knowledge and accomplish my professional career goal back in <home country>. In this scenario, I have written this statement of purpose to demonstrate my academic and professional background so far, my reasons to choose <applied university name> and my future career goals.

Family Background

To introduce myself briefly, my name is <your name>. I was born on [date}. I am a permanent resident <address>, <home country>. I completed my Bachelor's degree in faculty of Law combined (LLB) in [date]. After completing my Bachelor's studies, I worked as Legal Officer at <company name> from [date] to now. I plan on pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) with a student visa to Australia.

Talking about my family members, I belong to a nuclear family, including my father, mother, elder brother and myself. My father, <father name>, is a manager at <company name>, my mother, <mother name> is a government school teacher at < company name>. My brother runs a company <name>, and he is CEO as well. I truly feel blessed to have such an encouraging family who has always given the utmost priority to my education and has always supported and motivated me through all the steps of my life.

Academic Background

In regards to academics, firstly, I attained schooling at <school name> located at <address>, securing a GPA of 3.33, first division in grade 10th in the year [year]. Secondly, I pursued high school at <college name> and completed in [date] with a GPA of 3.1. After that, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Law at <university name>, with a GPA of 3.5 in aggregate from [date]. 

Reason for not choosing my home country <country name>

Since I studied various subjects concerned with Law in my undergraduate programs, such as Financial crimes, Contracts, Organized crimes, Company Law, and many other courses where I came to learn that Law is a vast and more comprehensive perspective course, so I decided to gain depth knowledge of all aspects of Law and planned to study masters specializing in it. During my study course of bachelor and my working period as a Legal Officer, I gained an interest in subjects related to Money laundering, white-collar crimes, Cryptocurrency, etc. Due to this, I wanted to pursue my Master's in-laws consisting of these subjects. Though <home country> has a long history of education and many institutions provide master's degrees such as: <colleges name in your home country> and so on, which provides Masters courses, LLM in Business Law, Criminal Law, Human Rights, International Law, but none of the master's courses provide the subject that I am intrigued by. 

Likewise, if we look at legal practice and successful lawyers thriving in their career in <home country>, many of them have internationally recognized degrees from prestigious universities abroad. And also, big organizations tend to give more preference to students with an international degree than those with <home country> degrees. This is because even having the same faculty degree, the <home country> graduates only have theoretical knowledge. Still, international graduates will know international legal exposure, global culture, and accurate, practical understanding. Studying in <home country> can provide me with the LLM degree but will not provide the qualities crucial to becoming competitive in the actual work environment. These reasons explain why I do not want to continue my education here in <home country>.   

Reason for not choosing other countries

I started to search for International Post Graduate study in Law. Initially, I looked up to USA, UK, Canada and Europe, which are also chosen by many other <home country> students. Still, for me, the drawbacks outweighed those countries' positive aspects. I gathered information from various education fairs as well as from different websites. 

I rejected European countries from my list because many of those countries required us to learn their native language, which will be more time-consuming, and we cannot be perfect at their language even I worked hard to learn it. Since learning English in childhood, I have prioritised countries with English as a native language.  In regards to the USA, the admission and visa process of the USA takes a longer time as compared to Australia. Also, I found that one to two minutes of the oral interview is the basis for a visa which is quite unsatisfactory because I cannot present myself in those two minutes. Now, highlighting Canada, its weather condition is unsuitable for <home country>, as we are not used to extreme temperature changes back home. Similarly, in the case of the UK, everyone is aware of many unexpected shutdowns of educational institutes, ultimately damaging the future of many students.

Hence, by comparing the countries mentioned earlier, I decided to pursue my further education in Australia, as it is considered a safe destination in terms of personal safety and security, well-maintained infrastructure, low crime rate and high standard of health with a quality of life along with the quality of education with practical learning.

Reasons for choosing Australia

I ultimately chose Australia to pursue my master's degree over Canada, the UK, the USA and other European nations due to several educational facilities and non-educational circumstances like favourable climate, safety and so forth that this country has to provide to international students, as finally, the border restrictions have come to ease. 

I had an opportunity to visit Australia with my family and stayed there for around 10 weeks on a Tourist visa on the [date]. I got to experience the lifestyle and the dynamic environment with energetic and friendly people from around the globe. Just like you would know the taste of the whole cake by tasting only a piece of cake, in the same way by staying in Australia for a few weeks, I got to feel what my life would be like as an international student if I chose Australia as my future destination for my post-graduation study. 

Furthermore, every student dreams of studying in Australia because of its practical learning practices, renowned degree, availability of technologies, extensive research working environment, and diversity of education. A national policy called Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) ensures uniform and recognized progression for study. In addition to AQF, Australia also practices the ESOS (Education Services for Overseas Students) Act which is specially designed to ensure the standards for international students studying in Australia. This legislation, amended in 2000, delivers regulatory requirements for education and training institutions through the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). 

Australia is a fantastic destination to study due to the aspects mentioned above. After considering all this favourable information, I have decided that Australia is best for my education.

Reason for choosing Sydney, NSW

After deciding on Australia, I started looking at different cities. Sydney enchanted me with its geography, culture, environment, river and museums. The public transport and infrastructures are affordable. Also, looking into various reports published after research, I found that Sydney was recently ranked as one of the best student cities in 2022 by QS World University Rankings. Sydney is also recognized for its world best ranked educational institutions, and it is not very hard to find casual work for extra money as an international student, as it has numerous cafes, restaurants, marts, etc. The other reason for choosing Sydney is that my elder sister resides in Sydney, which will allow me to be near my family, even though I am far from my home country.

Why <applied university>

Among various universities like the University of ***, *** University, University of ***, University of *** and several others, I choose <applied university name> after researching and analyzing the research findings. I looked at major factors like quality of education, course structure, course duration, location and climate, and fee structure. Some universities have comparatively higher fee structures, some had lengthier or very shorter course duration, some were in unfavourable locations and some universities reviews are not well satisfactory.

I personally look over the reviews of existing students of *** university over the Internet and I am glad to find out that they were quite satisfied with the education provided by the university. <applied university name> is known for quality education, personalized care given to the students by the professors, student's mentors, modern technologies and equipment, as well as student support services. All these facilities will be very effective and helpful for me to pursue my master's degree effectively. <applied university name> provides all the facilities I expect from my educational institution.

Furthermore, the professors and teaching experts in <applied university name> are industry experts and highly qualified in their fields. Learning in a classroom from talented instructors providing one-to-one attention to students is an opportunity to learn effectively for me. <applied university name> recently ranked *** in the 2022 QS World University Rankings. Hence, I can also gain the opportunity to do some research work as a student.

Besides those factors, weather condition also significantly influences choosing <applied university name> as my destination. I found that in Sydney, on average, the temperature ranges from 20-26 degrees Celsius in summer and 9-19 degrees Celsius in winter, which is quite similar to the weather of my home country <home country>. I also discovered that the LLM degree provided by <applied university name> features subjects I am interested in. It has varieties of subjects to choose from, which was quite unlikely on other universities. 

Reason for choosing Master of Laws (LLM) for further study

Law has always attracted me from an early age and has guided our day-to-day activities since the beginning of human civilization. Studying law at my bachelor's level made me understand more about law, its theories, its necessity, and its practicability. I learned that law is a vast and broader course, and I just studied a slice of the cake. There is much more to be learned in the Legal field. As it infused me with more curiosity to learn about Law, I decided to pursue a Master in Law (LLM) with a dream of becoming an expert, qualified and learned lawyer in the Legal field. The LLM degree will provide me with training and guidance in legal and research aspects, critical analysis, and develop my skills in the understanding and applicability of law, which is vital in my coming days for being an expert and competitive person in the legal field. 

LLM course is of 1 year, in which students must complete at least 48 Units of Credit to graduate with the LLM degree. There are courses available to choose from for students to specialize in the following areas:-

• Chinese International Business & Economic Law
• Corporate, Commercial & Taxation Law
• Criminal Justice & Criminology
• Dispute Resolution
• Environmental Law & Sustainable Development
• Human Rights Law & Policy
• International Law
• Media, Intellectual Property & Technology Law

Alternatively, students can complete a generalist program by choosing courses across specializations. During the study period, the university also provides an option to choose to take an internship program. The internship will help me gain practical experience in the legal field, which will boost my skill, knowledge, communication skills and confidence. 

I firmly believe that LLM will develop my practical and theoretical knowledge along with my professional abilities to become competitive in the real legal world as a learned lawyer in future. LLM graduates, especially those with an international degree, have lots of opportunities here in my home country <home country> in various sectors like private sector, government sectors as well as in different national and international organizations in the position of Legal Advisor, Researcher, and Legal Officer, Master of Laws is a path to achieve my success in future, so I choose this program.

Future Career Plan

After completing my LLM degree, I will return to my home country <home country>, and utilize all the knowledge and experiences gained in Australia by working as a Lawyer here in <home country>. <home country> is a developing country with numerous market opportunities but lacks a competitive and skilled workforce. Various law firms like:<companies name>. I am aiming in such top tier law firm or *** in any of the post of Legal Officer, Legal consultant, or Researcher, where they provide a handsome salary of not less than *** per month with other facilities and incentives like health insurance, accommodation allowances, travelling bonus as well as vehicle facility.

With practical skills learned from <applied university name> with an internationally recognized degree and internship program, I will be regarded as a valuable asset if this <home country> marketplace in future. There would be enough chances for me in my home country to serve the nation and excel in my career as a lawyer. I have a desire to represent yet protect my country. For this purpose, I need to stay updated and learn how a developed country like Australia operates their educational institutions and return to my country and make amendments as per its requirement.

After gaining some years of experience in the legal field here in <home country>, I have a plan to establish a Law Firm here in my country which does not only provide legal advice, and legal services of prosecuting and defending clients but also provide pro bono services. In our country, many people have been a victim of injustice and have been wrongly convicted due to a lack of proper representation of them in court as a result of unawareness and enough funds. I want to mitigate this problem by gaining the right knowledge and experience and help by providing pro bono services. Hence, I have a goal to fulfil in <home country>. Also, I have my family here in <home country> to motivate me and help me with my life, so I want to return to my country and prosper in my career with my family alongside me while I shall also serve my country in its legal matters.  

Reason to return to home country, <country name>

Being a developing country, there is a wide range of opportunities in <home country> in the field of Law. I have always wanted to contribute to my country since childhood. My desire to develop the nation will bring me back to <home country>. Many people have been migrating out of the country for settlement but I, as a proud <home country> I citizen, believe that it is our responsibility to bring positive changes in our country.

My family is another main reason to return to <home country>. My whole family is in <home country>. I have respect and love attachment to my family and country. My family has always supported me financially and emotionally throughout my life. Parents support their children in order to fulfil their dreams, needs and desires. So, it is my responsibility to take care of them, make them happy by fulfilling their needs during their old age by enjoying culture and tradition, visiting places and relatives. I need to support them financially and emotionally and love them as they love me. 

The education and knowledge I will attain from completing Master of Laws (LLM) in the University of *** will greatly help me to shape my career and make a name for myself in <home country>. Youth like me if given the opportunity to study in a University like the University of *** and a country that has excelled as much like Australia, will not only help me in my personal career path but also help to shape my own country <home country> with the knowledge and education gained there, after my return. And I would definitely aim towards the career prospects and to fulfil my goal of establishing my own law firm and providing pro bono services to victims who are to receive justice. I hold a complete love and faith for my home country so after completing my LLM degree, I have a root desire to return back to my own native land and earn a life of being a respected person. I believe that I am a genuine student visa applicant for Australia.

Financial arrangements

My parents are going to be my sponsor for one year and I assure you that I belong to a sound financial background and a very supportive family which shall not hamper my study or stay in Australia during my course. My father, mother and brother will fund my study and living expenditure while I am in Australia. Overall we have an annual income of ***. In addition to this income, my parents have sanctioned an education loan for me from *** to cover my expenses in Australia. In addition to this, my father owns land with a valuation of **** based on a valuation report done by engineers. My sponsors are financially strong and mentally prepared to fund me during my study in Australia. Heartily thanks to all my family members for contributing so much of their effort to my education by understanding the essence of education in today's world. So, I assure you that there will not be any financial difficulties in the future during my study period in Australia.   

Aware of Australia Student Visa conditions

I want to state that, I am fully aware of the visa circumstances, and mentally prepared to obey all obligations, under the higher education visa system SSVF (Simplified Student Visa Framework) Student Visa Sub-class 500, which are:

• International students like me should provide evidence of Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) in order to commence the course.
• I need to maintain a minimum of 80% of attendance in college throughout the study program.
• I can work 40 hours per fortnight on a part-time basis during my study.
• I must score a minimum of 50% pass grade throughout the study program.
• I need to maintain Tuition and OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) up to date for the total duration of the study.
• I am not allowed to change education provider until 6 months upon enrollment.
• I need to notify the university/ Department of Home Affairs (DHA) about my residential address or contact details within 7 days of arriving in Australia and after that if any changes occur within a week.

Declaration

I am aware that in violation of any of these visa as mentioned earlier conditions, a visa may be cancelled and I have to return to <home country> before completing my chosen course. I promise that I will abide by Australian laws and not break student visa conditions. I look forward to the opportunity to pursue my academic career in <applied university name> and expand my knowledge, skills and wisdom which will have great significance in my home country <home country>.

(I with this declare that the information mentioned above by me is true with known to my knowledge)

Sincerely, 

……………

<your name>

<Passport no>

If you are having difficulty developing an SOP, check out this Statement of Purpose Template (SOP) | All you need to know . 

You can also have a look at other SOP samples:

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18 Law School Personal Statement Examples That Got Accepted!

This blog contains law school personal statement examples written by applicants who were successfully accepted to multiple law schools after working with our admissions experts as part of our  application review programs . Your  law school personal statement  is one of the most important parts of your application and is your best opportunity to show admissions officers who you are behind your numbers and third-party assessments. Because of its importance, many students find the personal statement to be daunting and demanding of the full scope of their skills as writers. Today we're going to review these excellent law school personal statement examples from past successful applicants and provide some proven strategies from a former admissions officer that can help you prepare your own stellar essay. 

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 44 min read

Law school personal statement example #1.

When I was a child, my neighbors, who had arrived in America from Nepal, often seemed stressed. They argued a lot, struggled for money, and seemed to work all hours of the day. One day, I woke early in the morning to a commotion outside my apartment. Police officers were accompanying my neighbors out of the building. They were being deported. In my teens, I was shocked to see that our kind, friendly neighbors had exhausted their last chance to stay in America as they lost a court appeal. 

Since that time, I have worked closely with the many immigrant families in my neighborhood, and now university town. I began by volunteering at a local community center. Together with social workers, I served food and gave out clothes to new arrivals. My diligent work ethic led to more responsibility, and I received training in basic counseling techniques, first aid skills and community services. Soon, I was tasked with welcoming new community members and assessing their health and social needs. I heard the many difficult stories of those who had traveled thousands of miles, often through several countries, risking everything to reach a safe, welcoming country. I was proud to contribute in some small way to making America welcoming for these individuals.

The community center is where I had my first formal contact with legal aid lawyers, who were a constant source of knowledge and support for those who needed assistance. I was struck by the lawyers’ ability to explain complex legal processes to nervous and exhausted incomers: law, I realized, was about more than procedure. I decided that I, too, would strive to balance a wealth of technical knowledge with my caring, compassionate personality.

As soon as I enrolled in university, I knew I had the chance to do so. In my very first week, I signed up to volunteer at the university’s legal aid center, where I worked closely with law professors and students on a range of cases. Academically, I have focused on courses, such as a fourth-year Ethics seminar, that would help me develop rigorous critical reasoning skills. More importantly, I knew that, given my experience, I could be a leader on campus. I decided to found a refugee campaign group, Students4Refugees. Together with a group of volunteers, we campaigned to make our campus a refugee-friendly space. I organized a series of events: international student mixers, an art installation in our student commons, and concerts that raised over $5,000 for the charity Refugee Aid. I am proud to say that my contributions were recognized with a university medal for campus leadership.

I have seen time and again how immigrants to the United States struggle with bureaucracy, with complex legal procedures, and with the demands of living in a foreign and sometimes hostile climate. As I plan to enter law school, I look back to my neighbors’ experiences: they needed someone who knew the law, who could negotiate with the authorities on their behalf, who could inform them of their rights—but they also needed someone who would provide a caring and compassionate outlet for their stresses. I know that Townsville University’s combination of academic rigor, legal aid services, and history of graduates entering labor and non-profit sectors will allow me to develop these skills and continue making contributions to my community by advocating for those in need.

• Thematic consistency: It focuses on just one theme: justice for immigrants. Each paragraph is designed to show off how enthusiastic the student is about this area of law. Personal statements—including those for law school—often begin with a personal anecdote. This one is short, memorable, and relevant. It establishes the overall theme quickly. By constraining their essay’s focus to a single general theme, the writer can go into great depth and weave in emotional and psychological weight through careful and vivid description. The personal statement isn’t a standard 3-paragraph college essay with a spotlight thesis statement, but it conveys similar impact through presenting a central focus organically, without resorting to simply blurting out “the point” of the piece.   
• Shows, rather than tells: Connected to this, this statement focuses on showing rather than telling. Rather than simply telling the reader about their commitment to law, the applicant describes specific situations they were involved in that demonstrate their commitment to law. “Show don’t tell” means you want to paint a vivid picture of actions or experiences that demonstrate a given quality or skill, and not simply say "I can do X." Make it an experience for your reader, don't just give them a fact. 
• Confident, but not arrogant: Additionally, this personal statement is confident without being boastful—leadership qualities, grades, and an award are all mentioned in context, rather than appearing as a simple list of successes. 
• Specific to the school: It ends with a conclusion that alludes to why the applicant is suitable for the specific school to which they’re applying and points to their future career plans. Thoroughly researching the law school to which you’re applying is incredibly important so that you can tailor your remarks to the specific qualities and values they’re looking for. A law essay writing service is really something that can help you integrate this aspect effectively. 

What Should a Law School Personal Statement Do?

1.      be unique to the school you’re applying to.

Students are always asking how to write a personal statement for law school, particularly one that stands out from all the rest. After all, advice from most universities can often be quite vague. Take this zinger from the  University of Chicago : “Write about something personal, relevant, and completely individual to you… Just be yourself.” Every school will have different requirements or content they want to see in a personal statement. This is why it’s a good idea to review specific guidelines for the school to which you’re applying. For example, you can read Yale Law School personal statement examples , Stanford Law personal statement examples , and an NYU personal statement to get an idea of what these schools look for.

2.      Demonstrate your skills and capabilities

For motivated students with the world at their fingertips, it’s a tough ask 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. Law is, after all, a profession that demands your language to be persuasive, and the personal statement is merely one of many exercises where you can demonstrate your language skills. 

3.      Meet basic requirements

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 2-4 pages. Georgetown Law School , for instance, recommends a 2-page personal statement but explicitly states that there is no official minimum or maximum. In general, length does not make a personal statement better. Rambling, meandering sentences and tiresome descriptions will only hurt the impact of your ideas, especially considering how many thousands of pages admissions committees have to churn through each year.  

In short, keep to 2 double-spaced pages, and only go below or above this is if you absolutely have to, and if the school to which you're applying allows it. You want to keep things as widely applicable as possible while drafting your personal statement, meaning that you don't want to draft a 4 page letter for the one school that allows it, and then have to significantly rewrite this for your other schools. Stick to 2 pages. 

4.      Embody what the school is looking for

Lastly, many law schools won’t offer hyper-specific prompts, but will give you general law school admissions essay topics to follow. For instance, the University of Washington’s law school provides a number of topics to follow, including “Describe a personal challenge you faced” or “Describe your passions and involvement in a project or pursuit and the ways in which it has contributed to your personal growth and goals.” These topics may feel specific at first, but as you begin drafting, you’ll likely realize you have dozens of memories to choose from, and numerous ways of describing their impact. While drafting, try to explore as many of these options as possible, and select the best or most impactful to use in your final draft.  

Want to write the perfect law school personal statement? Watch this video:

Law School Personal Statement Example #2

In my home community, the belief is that the law is against us. The law oppresses and victimizes. I must admit that as a child and young person I had this opinion based on my environment and the conversations around me. I did not understand that the law could be a vehicle for social change, and I certainly did not imagine I had the ability and talents to be a voice for this change. I regularly attended my high school classes because I enjoyed the discussions and reading for English and history, and writing came easily to me, but I wasn’t committed to getting good grades because I felt I had no purpose. My mindset changed as I spent time with Mark Russell, a law student who agreed to mentor and tutor me as part of a “high school to law school” mentorship program. Every week, for three years, Mark and I would meet. At first, Mark tutored me, but I quickly became an “A” student, not only because of the tutoring, but because my ambitions were uncorked by what Mark shared with me about university, the law, and his life. I learned grades were the currency I needed to succeed. I attended mock trials, court hearings, and law lectures with Mark and developed a fresh understanding of the law that piqued an interest in law school. My outlook has changed because my mentor, my teachers, and my self-advocacy facilitated my growth. Still, injustices do occur. The difference is that I now believe the law can be an instrument for social change, but voices like mine must give direction to policy and resources in order to fight those injustices.

Early in my mentorship, I realized it was necessary to be “in the world” differently if I were to truly consider a law career. With Mark’s help and the support of my high school teachers, I learned to advocate for myself and explore opportunities that would expand my worldview as well as my academic skills. I joined a Model UN club at a neighboring high school, because my own school did not have enough student interest to have a club. By discussing global issues and writing decisions, I began to feel powerful and confident with my ability to gather evidence and make meaningful decisions about real global issues. As I built my leadership, writing, and public speaking skills, I noticed a rift developing with some of my friends. I wanted them to begin to think about larger systemic issues outside of our immediate experience, as I was learning to, and to build confidence in new ways. I petitioned my school to start a Model UN and recruited enough students to populate the club. My friends did not join the club as I’d hoped, but before I graduated, we had 2 successful years with the students who did join. I began to understand that I cannot force change based on my own mandate, but I must listen attentively to the needs and desires of others in order to support them as they require.

While I learned to advocate for myself throughout high school, I also learned to advocate for others. My neighbors, knowing my desire to be a lawyer, would often ask me to advocate on their behalf with small grievances. I would make phone calls, stand in line with them at government offices, and deal with difficult landlords. A woman, Elsa, asked me to review her rental agreement to help her understand why her landlord had rented it to someone else, rather than renewing her lease. I scoured the rental agreement, highlighted questionable sections, read the Residential Tenancies Act, and developed a strategy for approaching the landlord. Elsa and I sat down with the landlord and, upon seeing my binder complete with indices, he quickly conceded before I could even speak. That day, I understood evidence is the way to justice. My interest in justice grew, and while in university, I sought experiences to solidify my decision to pursue law.

Last summer, I had the good fortune to work as a summer intern in the Crown Attorney’s Office responsible for criminal trial prosecutions. As the only pre-law intern, I was given tasks such as reviewing court tapes, verifying documents, and creating a binder with indices. I often went to court with the prosecutors where I learned a great deal about legal proceedings, and was at times horrified by human behavior. This made the atmosphere in the Crown Attorney’s office even more surprising. I worked with happy and passionate lawyers whose motivations were pubic service, the safety and well-being of communities, and justice. The moment I realized justice was their true objective, not the number of convictions, was the moment I decided to become a lawyer.

I broke from the belief systems I was born into. I did this through education, mentorship, and self-advocacy. There is sadness because in this transition I left people behind, especially as I entered university. However, I am devoted to my home community. I understand the barriers that stand between youth and their success. As a law student, I will mentor as I was mentored, and as a lawyer, I will be a voice for change.

What’s Great about this Second Law School Personal Statement?

• It tells a complete and compelling story: Although the applicant expressed initial reservations about the law generally, the statement tells a compelling story of how the applicant's opinions began to shift and their interest in law began. They use real examples and show how that initial interest, once seeded, grew into dedication and passion. This introduction implies an answer to the " why do you want to study law? ” interview question.
• It shows adaptability: Receptiveness to new information and the ability to change both thought and behavior based on this new information. The writer describes realizing that they needed to be "in the world" differently! It's hard to convey such a grandiose idea without sounding cliché, but through their captivating and chronological narrative, the writer successfully convinces the reader that this is the case with copious examples, including law school extracurriculars . It’s a fantastic case of showing rather than telling, describing specific causes they were involved with which demonstrate that the applicant is genuinely committed to a career in the law. 
• Includes challenges the subject faced and overcame: This law school personal statement also discusses weighty, relatable challenges that they faced, such as the applicant's original feeling toward law, and the fact that they lost some friends along the way. However, the applicant shows determination to move past these hurdles without self-pity or other forms of navel-gazing.  Additionally, this personal statement ends with a conclusion that alludes to why the applicant is suitable for the specific school to which they’re applying and points to their future career plans. The writer manages to craft an extremely immersive and believable story about their path to the present, while also managing to curate the details of this narrative to fit the specific values and mission of the school to which they’re applying.

What’s Great About This Third Law School Personal Statement? 

• Description is concise and effective: This writer opens with rich, vivid description and seamlessly guides the reader into a compelling first-person narrative. Using punchy, attention-grabbing descriptions like these make events immersive, placing readers in the writer's shoes and creating a sense of immediacy. 
• Achievements are the focus: They also do a fantastic job of talking about their achievements, such as interview team lead, program design, etc., without simply bragging. Instead, they deliver this information within a cohesive narrative that includes details, anecdotes, and information that shows their perspective in a natural way. Lastly, they invoke their passion for law with humility, discussing their momentary setbacks and frustrations as ultimately positive experiences leading to further growth. 

Want more law school personal statement examples from top law schools?

• Harvard law school personal statement examples
• Columbia law school personal statement examples
• Cornell law school personal statement examples
• Yale law school personal statement examples
• UPenn law school personal statement examples
• Cambridge law school personal statement examples

Law School Personal Statement #4

What’s great about this fourth law school personal statement.

• Engaging description: Like the third example above, this fourth law school personal statement opens with engaging description and first-person narrative. However, the writer of this personal statement chooses to engage a traumatic aspect of their childhood and discuss how this adversity led them to develop their desire to pursue a career in law.  
• Strong theme of overcoming adversity: Overcoming adversity is a frequent theme in personal statements for all specialties, but with law school personal statements students are often able to utilize uniquely dramatic, difficult, and pivotal experiences that involved interacting with the law. It may be hard to discuss such emotionally weighty experiences in a short letter but, as this personal statement shows, with care and focus it's possible to sincerely demonstrate how your early struggles paved the way for you to become the person you are now. It's important to avoid sensationalism, but you shouldn't shy away from opening up to your readers about adverse experiences that have ultimately pointed you in a positive direction. 

Why "show, don't tell" is the #1 rule for personal statements:

Law School Personal Statement Example #5

What’s great about this fifth law school personal statement  .

• Highlights achievements effectively: This writer does a fantastic job of incorporating their accomplishments and impact they had on their community without any sense of bragging or conceit. Rather, these accomplishments are related in terms of deep personal investment and a general drive to have a positive impact on those around them—without resorting to the cliches of simply stating "I want to help people." They show themselves helping others, and how these early experiences of doing so are a fundamental part of their drive to succeed with a career in law.   
• Shows originality: Additionally, they do a great job of explaining the uniqueness of their identity. The writer doesn't simply list their personal/cultural characteristics, but contextualizes them to show how they've shaped their path to law school. Being the child of a Buddhist mother and a Hindu father doesn’t imply anything about a person’s ability to study/practice law on its own, but explaining how this unique aspect of their childhood encouraged a passion for “discussion, active debate, and compromise” is profoundly meaningful to an admissions panel. Being able to express how fundamental aspects of law practice are an integral part of yourself is a hugely helpful tactic in a law school personal statement. 

If you\u2019re heading North of the border, check out list of  law schools in Canada  that includes requirements and stats on acceptance. ","label":"Tip","title":"Tip"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

Law School Personal Statement Example #6

What’s great about this sixth law school personal statement .

• Weaves in cultural background: Similar to the writer of personal statement #5, this student utilizes the cultural uniqueness of their childhood to show how their path to law school was both deeply personal and rooted in ideas pervasive in their early years. Unlike the writer of statement #5, this student doesn't shy away from explaining how this distinctiveness was often a source of alienation and difficulty. Yet this adversity is, as they note, ultimately what helped them be an adaptable and driven student, with a clear desire to make a positive impact on the kinds of situations that they witnessed affect their parents.  
• Describes setbacks while remaining positive: This writer also doesn't shy away from describing their temporary setbacks as both learning experiences and, crucially, springboards for positively informing their plans for the future. 

What’s Great About This Seventh Law School Personal Statement? 

• The writer takes accountability: One of the hardest things to accomplish in a personal statement is describing not just early setbacks that are out of your control but early mistakes for which you must take responsibility. The writer of this personal statement opens with descriptions of characteristics that most law schools would find problematic at best. But at the end of this introduction, they successfully utilize an epiphany, a game-changing moment in which they saw something beyond their early pathological aimlessness, to clearly mark the point at which they became focused on law.  
• The narrative structure is clear: They clearly describe the path forward from this moment on, showing how they remained focused on earning a law degree, and how they were able to work through successive experiences of confusion to persist in finishing their undergraduate education at a prestigious university. Of course, you shouldn't brag about such things for their own sake, but this writer makes the point of opening up about the unique feelings of inadequacy that come along with being the first person in their family to attend such a school, and how these feelings were—like their initial aimlessness—mobilized in service of their goal and the well-being of others. Their statement balances discussion of achievement with humility, which is a difficult but impactful tactic when done well. 

Law School Personal Statement Example #8

What’s great about this eighth law school personal statement .

• Shows commitment to the community: Commitment to one’s community is a prized value in both law students and law professionals. This writer successfully describes not only how they navigated the challenges in their group environments, such as their internship, the debate team, etc., but how these challenges strengthened their commitment to being a positive part of their communities. They don’t simply describe the skills and lessons they learned from these challenging environments, but also how these challenges ultimately made them even more committed to and appreciative of these kinds of dynamic, evolutionary settings.  
• Avoids negative description: They also avoid placing blame or negatively describing the people in these situations, instead choosing to characterize inherent difficulties in terms neutral to the people around them. In this way, you can describe extremely challenging environments without coming off as resentful, and identify difficulties without being accusatory or, worse yet, accidentally or indirectly seeming like part of the problem. This writer manages to convey the difficulty and complexity of these experiences while continually returning to their positive long-term impact, and though you shouldn’t seek to “bright-side” the troubles in your life you should absolutely point out how these experiences have made you a more capable and mature student. 

Watch this for more law school personal statement examples!

Law School Personal Statement Example #9

What’s great about this ninth law school personal statement  .

• The writer effectively describes how their background shaped their decision to pursue law: Expressing privilege as adversity is something that very few students should even attempt, and fewer still can actually pull it off. But the writer of this personal statement does just that in their second paragraph, describing how the ease and comfort of their upbringing could have been a source of laziness or detachment, and often is for particularly well-off students, but instead served as a basis for their ongoing commitment to addressing the inequalities and difficulties of those less comfortable. Describing how you’ve developed into an empathic and engaged person, worked selflessly in any volunteer experiences, and generally aimed your academic life at a career in law for the aid of others—all this is incredibly moving for an admissions board, and can help you discuss your determination and understanding of exactly why you desire a career in law.  
• The student shows adaptability, flexibility, and commitment: Additionally, this writer is able to show adaptability while describing their more prestigious appointments in a way that’s neither self-aggrandizing nor unappreciative. One of the big takeaways from this statement is the student’s commitment and flexibility, and these are both vitally important qualities to convey in your law school personal statement.  

Law School Personal Statement Example #10

What’s great about this tenth law school personal statement .

Shows passion: If you’re one of the rare students for whom service to others has always been a core belief, by all means find a novel and engaging way of making this the guiding principle of your personal statement. Don’t overdo it—don’t veer into poetry or lofty philosophizing—but by all means let your passion guide your pen (well…keyboard). Every step of the way, this student relates their highs and lows, their challenges and successes, to an extremely earnest and sincere set of altruistic values invoked at the very beginning of their statement. Law school admissions boards don’t exactly prize monomania, but they do value intense and sustained commitment.  

Shows maturity: This student also successfully elaborates this passion in relation to mature understanding. That is, they make repeated points about their developing understanding of law that sustains their hopefulness and emotional intensity while also incorporating knowledge of the sometimes troubling day-to-day challenges of the profession. Law schools aren’t looking for starry-eyed naivete, but they do value optimism and the ability to stay positive in a profession often defined by its difficulties and unpredictability. 

Every pre-law student blames their lack of success on the large number of applicants, the heartless admissions committee members, or the high GPA and LSAT score cut offs. Check out our blog on  law school acceptance rates  to find out more about the law school admission statistics for law schools in the US . Having taught more than a thousand students every year, I can tell you the REAL truth about why most students get rejected: 

Need tips on your law school resume?

8 Additional Law School Personal Statement Examples

Now that you have a better idea of what your law school personal statement should include, and how you can make it stand out, here are five additional law school personal statements for you to review and get some inspiration:

Law school personal statement example #11

According to the business wire, 51 percent of students are not confident in their career path when they enroll in college. I was one of those students for a long time. My parents had always stressed the importance of education and going to college, so I knew that I wanted to get a tertiary education, I just didn’t know in what field. So, like many other students, I matriculated undecided and started taking introductory courses in the subjects that interest me. I took classes from the department of literature, philosophy, science, statistics, business, and so many others but nothing really called out to me.

I figured that maybe if I got some practical experience, I might get more excited about different fields. I remembered that my high school counselor had told me that medicine would be a good fit for me, and I liked the idea of a career that involved constant learning. So, I applied for an observership at my local hospital. I had to cross “doctor” off my list of post-graduate career options when I fainted in the middle of a consultation in the ER.

I had to go back to the drawing board and reflect on my choices. I decided to stop trying to make an emotional decision and focus on the data. So, I looked at my transcript thus far, and it quickly became clear to me that I had both an interest and an aptitude for business and technology. I had taken more courses in those two fields than in any others, and I was doing very well in them. My decision was reaffirmed when I spent the summer interning at a digital marketing firm during my senior year in college and absolutely loved my experience. 

Since graduating, I have been working at that same firm and I am glad that I decided to major in business. I first started as a digital advertising assistant, and I quickly learned that the world of digital marketing is an incredibly fast-paced sink-or-swim environment. I didn’t mind it at all. I wanted to swim with the best of them and succeed. So far, my career in advertising has been challenging and rewarding in ways that I never could have imagined. 

I remember the first potential client that I handled on my own. Everything had been going great until they changed their mind about an important detail a day before we were supposed to present our pitch. . I had a day to research and re-do a presentation that I’d been preparing for weeks. I was sure that I’d be next on the chopping block, but once again all I had to was take a step back and look at the information that I had. Focusing on the big picture helped me come up with a new pitch, and after a long night, lots of coffee, and laser-like focus, I delivered a presentation that I was not only proud of, but that landed us the client. 

Three years and numerous client emergencies later, I have learned how to work under pressure, how to push myself, and how to think critically. I also have a much better understanding of who I am and what skills I possess. One of the many things that I have learned about myself over the course of my career is that I am a fan of the law. Over the past three years, I have worked with many lawyers to navigate the muddy waters of user privacy and digital media. I often find myself looking forward to working with our legal team, whereas my coworkers actively avoid them. I have even become friends with my colleagues on the legal team who also enjoy comparing things like data protection laws in the US and the EU and speculating about the future of digital technology regulation. 

These experiences and conversations have led me to a point where I am interested in various aspects of the law. I now know that I have the skills required to pursue a legal education and that this time around, I am very sure about what I wish to study. Digital technology has evolved rapidly over the last decade, and it is just now starting to become regulated. I believe that this shift is going to open up a more prominent role for those who understand both digital technology and its laws, especially in the corporate world. My goal is to build a career at the intersection of these worlds.

Law school personal statement example #12

The first weekend I spent on my undergrad college campus was simultaneously one of the best and worst of my life. I was so excited to be away from home, on my own, making new friends and trying new things. One of those things was a party at a sorority house with my friend and roommate, where I thought we both had a great time. Both of us came from small towns, and we had decided to look out for one another. So, when it was time to go home, and I couldn't find her, I started to worry. I spent nearly an hour looking for her before I got her message saying she was already back in our dorm. 

It took her three months to tell me that she had been raped that night. Her rapist didn't hold a knife to her throat, jump out of a dark alleyway, or slip her a roofie. Her rapist was her long-term boyfriend, with whom she'd been in a long-distance relationship for just over a year. He assaulted her in a stranger's bedroom while her peers, myself included, danced the night away just a few feet away. 

I remember feeling overwhelmed when she first told me. I was sad for my friend, angry on her behalf, and disgusted by her rapist's actions. I also felt incredibly guilty because I had been there when it happened. I told myself that I should have stayed with her all night and that I should have seen the abuse - verbal and physical harassment- that he was inflicting on her before it turned sexual. But eventually, I realized that thinking about what could, should, or would've happened doesn't help anyone. 

I watched my friend go through counseling, attend support groups, and still, she seemed to be hanging on by a thread. I couldn't begin to imagine what she was going through, and unfortunately, there was very little I could do to help her. So, I decided to get involved with the Sexual Assault Responders Group on campus, where I would actually be able to help another survivor. 

My experience with the Sexual Assault Responders Group on campus was eye-opening. I mostly worked on the peer-to-peer hotline, where I spoke to survivors from all walks of life. I was confronted by the fact that rape is not a surreal unfortunate thing that happens to a certain type of person. I learned that it happens daily to mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends. I also learned that most survivors try to manage this burden on their own, afraid of judgment and repercussions and fearful of a he-said-she-said court battle.

I am proud to say that I used my time in college to not only earn an education, but also to advocate for survivors of sexual assault. I protested the university's cover-up of a gang rape that took place in one of the fraternity houses on campus. I spearheaded a 'no means no' campaign to raise awareness about consent on campus. I also led several fundraising campaigns for the Sexual Assault Responders Group that allowed us to pay for legal and mental health counselors for the survivors who came to us for support. 

One of the things that this experience helped me realize is that sexual assault survivors often do not know where to turn when the system tries to tell them that it'd be best to just keep quiet and suffer in silence. My goal is to become one of those people that they can turn to for counsel and support. I believe that a law degree would give me the knowledge and tools that I need to advocate for survivors on a more significant scale. 

Need tips for your law school optional essays? Check out this infographic:

Law school personal statement example #13

I grew up in two different worlds. My world at home was full of people of various skin tones and accents. It was small, loud, and often chaotic in the best ways. I remember walking home and getting to experience music from across the world before I got to my apartment building. Loud reggaeton and afrobeat were always playing somewhere in the distance. Aunties and uncles usually stopped by unannounced and slipped money in your palm when they hugged you goodbye. And the smell of fried plantains was almost always present. 

My other world was in school. It was a much quieter, more organized world with white hallways, navy blazers, and plaid skirts. It was full of people who did not look or sound like me and teachers who thought my hair was "interesting." It was also full of great books and engaging debates about everything from foreign policy to the influence of Jazz on hip hop. 

I lived in these two worlds because I was born and raised in Xtown, but I went to a private school in a much richer neighborhood. I loved both of my worlds, but I hated that I had to act differently in both of them. When in school, I had to "code switch" to sound like I belonged there. When I was at home, all the people who shared the interests I was developing in school were either working or in college, so I had no one to talk to about them. 

My words never felt more divided until I started considering a career in law. I remember telling one of my uncles that I wanted to become a lawyer and his response was, "So you want to become the man, huh?" 

I wasn't surprised by his response, or at least I shouldn't have been. One of the things that I know for sure about the first world I lived in is that many of its inhabitants do not trust the law. I had believed this for so long simply because of the conversations that I would hear around me. However, in my second world, I was learning about all of these great freedoms and rights that the law was designed to give all Americans, and I wanted to bring those to my community. 

I started working on this during the summer before my final year of high school. I got an internship with the legal aid office in my neighborhood and spent three months learning from people who, like me, had grown up in Xtown and wanted to help people. During my time in the legal aid office, I understood that the people in my community did not trust the law for two main reasons: 1. They did not understand a lot of it, and 2. It had been used against people like us many times. 

I remember one particular case that Ms. Sharma - the lawyer I was learning from then and who still mentors me today - handled that summer. It was the case of a young mother who had received a notice of eviction from her landlord two days after refusing his advances. The man claimed that she violated her contract because she made homemade shea butter that she sold on Etsy. Ms. Sharma had me look through her rental agreement. After she confirmed that I was right in determining that the young mother had not violated her contract, she contacted the landlord to advise him that what he was doing was intimidation and sexual harassment. 

My experiences in the legal aid office with Ms. Sharma opened my eyes to the disgusting behavior of human beings, but it also gave me the opportunity to see that the law was my opportunity to use what I learned in my second world to help the community that I was raised in. I returned to school with a new motivation that followed me to college. In addition to completing my bachelor's degree in sociology and African American studies, I spent most of my college years participating in legal internships and community outreach programs. 

I believe that these experiences have given me the foundation I need to be a successful law student and, eventually, a lawyer who can truly be an advocate for members of his community. 

Law school personal statement example #14

One day, my parents noticed that the other children in my age group had been speaking and communicating, but I had not. At first, they thought that my lack of speech was just me being shy, but eventually, they realized that on the rare occasions that I did speak, my words were practically incomprehensible. It wasn't long before they took me to a specialist who diagnosed me with a severe phonological disorder that hindered my ability to verbalize the basic sounds that make up words.

I started going to speech therapy when I was three years old. I saw numerous speech therapists, many of whom believed that I would never be able to communicate effectively with others. Lucky for me, my parents did not give up on me. I went to speech therapy thrice a week until the 8th grade, and I gave every single session my all. I also spent a lot of time in my room practicing my speech by myself. My efforts paid off, and even though I didn't become a chatterbox overnight, I could at least communicate effectively. 

This was a short-lived victory, though. A year later, my speech impediment was back, and my ability to articulate words was once again severely limited. This complicated matters because it was my freshman year of high school, and I was in a brand-new school where I did not know anyone. Having been bullied in middle school, I knew first-hand how vicious kids can be, and I didn't want to be the butt of any more jokes, so I didn't try to speak at school. I knew that this was preventing me from making new friends or participating in class and that it was probably not helping my impediment, but I was not ready to face the fact that I needed to go back to speech therapy. 

Eventually, I stopped resisting and went back to speech therapy. At the time, I saw it as accepting defeat, and even though my speech improved significantly, my self-confidence was lower than it had ever been. If you ask any of my high school classmates about me, they will likely tell you that I am very quiet or timid – both of which are not true, but they have no way of knowing otherwise. I barely spoke or interacted with my peers for most of high school. Instead, I focused on my studies and extracurricular activities that didn't involve much collaboration, like yearbook club and photography. 

It was only when I was getting ready for college that I realized that I was only hurting myself with my behavior. I knew I needed to become more confident about my speech to make friends and be the student I wanted to be in college. So, I used the summer after my high school graduation to get some help. I started seeing a new speech therapist who was also trained as a counselor, and she helped me understand my impediment better. For example, I now know that I tend to stutter when stressed, but I also know that taking a few deep breaths helps me get back on track. 

Using the confidence that I built in therapy that summer, I went to college with a new pep in my step. I pushed myself to meet new people, try new things, and join extracurricular organizations when I entered college. I applied to and was accepted into a competitive freshman leadership program called XYZ. Most of XYZ's other members were outgoing and highly involved in their high school communities. In other words, they were the complete opposite of me. I didn't let that intimidate me. Instead, I made a concerted effort to learn from them. If you ask any of my teammates or other classmates in college, they will tell you that I was an active participant in discussions during meetings and that I utilized my unique background to share a different perspective.

My experience with XYZ made it clear to me that my speech disorder wouldn't hold me back as long as I did not stand in my own way. Once I understood this, I kept pushing past the boundaries I had set for myself. I began taking on leadership roles in the program and looking for ways to contribute to my campus community outside of XYZ. For example, I started a community outreach initiative that connected school alumni willing to provide pro bono services to different members of the community who were in need. 

Now, when I look back at my decision to go back to speech therapy, I see it as a victory. I understand that my speech impediment has shaped me in many ways, many of which are positive. My struggles have made me more compassionate. My inability to speak has made me a better listener. Not being able to ask questions or ask for help has made me a more independent critical thinker. I believe these skills will help me succeed in law school, and they are part of what motivates me to apply in the first place. Having struggled for so long to speak up for myself, I am ready and eager for the day when I can speak up for others who are temporarily unable to. 

“ You talk too much; you should be a lawyer.” 

I heard that sentence often while growing up because Congolese people always tell children who talk a lot that they should be lawyers. Sometimes I wonder if those comments did not subconsciously trigger my interest in politics and then the law. If they did, I am grateful for it. I am thankful for all the experiences that have brought me to this point where I am seeking an education that will allow me to speak for those who don’t always know how to, and, more importantly, those who are unable to. 

For context, I am the child of Congolese immigrants, and my parents have a fascinating story that I will summarize for you: 

A 14-year-old girl watches in confusion as a swarm of parents rush through the classroom, grabbing their children, and other students start running from the class. Soon she realizes that she and one other student are the only ones left, but when they both hear the first round of gunshots, no one has to tell them that it is time to run home. On the way home, she hears more gunshots and bombs. She fears for her survival and that of her family, and she starts to wonder what this war means for her and her family. Within a few months, her mother and father are selling everything they own so that they can board a plane to the US.

On the other side of the town, a 17-year-old boy is being forced to board a plane to the US because his mother, a member of parliament and the person who taught him about the importance of integrity, has been executed by the same group of soldiers who are taking over the region. 

They met a year later, outside the principal’s office at a high school in XXY. They bonded over the many things they have in common and laughed at the fact that their paths probably never would have crossed in Bukavu. Fast forward to today, they have been married for almost two decades and have raised three children, including me. 

Growing up in a Congolese household in the US presented was very interesting. On the one hand, I am very proud of the fact that I get to share my heritage with others. I speak French, Lingala, and Swahili – the main languages of Congo – fluently. I often dress in traditional clothing; I performed a traditional Congolese dance at my high school’s heritage night and even joined the Congolese Student Union at Almamatter University. 

On the other hand, being Congolese presented its challenges growing up. At a young age, I looked, dressed, and sounded different from my classmates. Even though I was born in the US, I had picked up a lot of my parents’ accents, and kids loved to tease me about it. Ignorant comments and questions were not uncommon. “Do you speak African?” “You’re not American! How did you get here?” “You don’t look African” “My mom says I can’t play with you because your parents came here to steal our jobs”. These are some of the polite comments that I heard often, and they made me incredibly sad, especially when classmates I considered my friends made them. 

My parents did not make assimilating any easier. My mother especially always feared I would lose my Congolese identity if they did not make it a point to remind me of it. She often said, “Just because you were born in America doesn’t mean that you are not Congolese anymore.” On one occasion, I argued that she always let me experience my Congolese side, but not my American side. That was the first time she told me I should be a lawyer. 

Having few friends and getting teased in school helped me learn to be comfortable on my own. I Often found refuge and excitement in books. I even started blogging about the books I read and interacting with other readers online. As my following grew, I started to use my platform to raise awareness about issues that I am passionate about, like climate change, the war in Congo, and the homeless crisis here in XXY. I was able to start a fundraising campaign through my blog that raised just under $5000 for the United Way – a local charity that helps the homeless in my city. 

This experience helped me understand that I could use my skills and the few tools at my disposal to help people, both here in America and one day, maybe even in Congo. I realized that I am lucky enough to have the option of expanding that skillset through education in order to do more for the community that welcomed my grandparents, uncles, aunties, and parents when they had nowhere else to go. 

The journey was not easy because while I received immense support and love from my family for continuing my education, I had to teach myself how to prepare and apply to college. Once there I had to learn on my own what my professors expected of me, how to study, how to network, and so much more. I am grateful for those experiences too, because they taught me how to be resourceful, research thoroughly, listen carefully, and seek help when I need it. 

All of these experiences have crafted me into who I am today, and I believe that with the right training, they will help me become a great attorney.

Law School Personal Statement Example #16

During my undergraduate studies, in the first two years, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do with my career. I enjoyed doing research, but I found that I became more interested in presenting the research than the process of contributing to it. I spoke to most of my science professors to ask if I could participate in their research. I worked in biology labs, chemistry labs, and in psychology classrooms working on a variety of projects that seemed meaningful and interesting. I gained new perspectives on study habits and mental health; the influence of music on the human mind; and applications of surface tension. I noticed that I was always taking the lead when we were presenting our findings to peers and research groups. I enjoyed yielding questions and addressing the captivating the audience with engaging gestures and speech. This was what led me to consider a career in law.

I always thought that I would become a scientist, so when I discovered that there were aspects of law that could be considered “scientific”, I was all ears. Still during my second year of undergraduate studies, I wanted to join an environmental awareness group, but noticed there weren’t any active. So, I took it upon myself to create my own. I wanted to do cleanup projects across the city, so I mapped out parks and areas that we could walk or drive to. I advertised my project to other students and eventually gained approximately fifteen students eager to help out. I was struck by the pollution in the water, the negligence of park maintenance. I drafted a letter to the municipal government and petitioned for a stricter environmental compliance approach. I wanted to advertise fines to hold polluters accountable, as there were hardly any to enforce the rules. A letter was returned to me stating that the government would consider my request. I felt a sense of gratification, of purpose; I discovered that I had the ability to enact change through policy. This drew me closer to the prospect of building a future in law, so I looked at other avenues to learn more.

I still wanted to find a way to bring together my love of science and discourse/communication. As a science student, I had the privilege of learning from professors who emphasized critical thinking; and they gave me a chance to learn that on my own. I took an internship as an environmental planner. There, I helped present project ideas to various groups, updating demographic/development information, and managing planning processes. I engaged in analytical thinking by looking at maps and demographic information to develop potential plans for land use. It was also the experience I was looking for in terms of a balance between science and oral communication. Using data analysis, I spoke to other planners and review boards to bring ideas together and execute a plan.

Through science, I learned how to channel my curiosity and logical thinking; as an advocate, I learned how to be creative and resourceful. Presenting research findings and being questioned in front of a group of qualified researchers, having to be sharp and ready for anything, taught me how to be more concise in speech. Developing an advocacy group dedicated to improving my community showed me what it lacked; it opened my eyes to the impact of initiative and focused collaboration. I was eager to begin another science project, this time with the environment in mind. It was titled “determining and defining the role of sociodemographic factors in air pollution health disparities”. I compiled and summarized relevant research and sent it over to a representative of the municipal government. In a couple of weeks, my request to increase advertising of fines in public areas was agreed to.

This Juris Doctor/Master in Environmental Studies program will allow me to continue deepening my knowledge of environmental law. With my goal of developing a career in environmental affairs, overseeing policies that influence land protection/use, I know that this program will give me the tools I need to succeed. With my experience working with large groups, I also believe I will fit into the larger class sizes at your institution. I understand the value of working together and how to engage in healthy discourse. With your Global Sustainability Certification, I will equip myself the expertise I need to produce meaningful change in environmental policy.

Here's how a law school advisor can help you with your application:

Law School Personal Statement #17

Growing up in a poor neighborhood, what my friends used to call “the ghetto”, I was always looking for my way out. I tried running away, but I always ended up back home in that tiny complex, barely enough room to fit all my brothers and sisters with my parents. My dad was disabled and couldn’t work, and my mother was doing her best working full-time as a personal-support worker. There was nothing we could do to get out of our situation, or so it seemed. It wasn’t until years later when I started my undergraduate degree that ironically, after I found my way out, that I began looking for a way to come back. I wanted to be a voice for people living in those bleak conditions; hungry, without work. Helpless.

Getting my degree in social work was one of the best decisions of my life. It gave me the tools to lobby for solutions to problems in poor communities. I knew my neighborhood better than anyone because I grew up there. I had the lived experience. I started working with the local government to develop programs for my clients; the people living in those same neighborhoods. We worked to provide financial assistance, legal aid, housing, and medical treatment—all things sorely lacking. My proudest moment was securing the funds and arranging surgery for my father’s bad hip and knees. I’m currently working on a large project with one of the community legislators to lobby for a harm reduction model addressing addiction in our communities.

With five years of experience as a social worker, I knew it was time for a career change when I learned that I could have more influence on public opinion and legislative decisions as a social-security disability lawyer. I knew firsthand that people victimized from racism, poverty, and injury needed more help than they were currently allotted. I knew that, from becoming and advocate and communicating with influential members of the local government, that I could do more with a law degree helping people attain basic needs like disability benefits, which are often denied outright.

This desire to help people get the help they need from local programs and government resources brought me to Scarborough, a small town outside of Toronto. I was aware of some of the issues afflicting this community, since I’d handled a few clients from there as a children’s disability social worker. Addiction and homelessness were the two main ones. I worked with children with ADHD or other physical/mental disabilities impairing their ability to attend school and function normally. I helped many of them get an IEP with the details of the special services they require, long overdue. I made sure each child got the care they needed, including special attention in school. Also noticing that so many of these families lacked proper nutrition, I organized a report detailing this finding. In it, I argued that the community needed more funds targeting lowest income families. I spoke directly with a legislator, which eventually got the city on board with developing a program more specifically for the lowest income families with residents under 18.

My goal has always been to be a voice for the inaudible, the ignored, who’ve been victimized by inadequate oversight from the ground up. Many of these groups, as I’ve witnessed firsthand, don’t have the luxury of being their own advocates. They are too busy trying to support their families, to put food on the table for their children. I’ve realized that it isn’t quite enough to work directly with these families to connect them with resources and ensure they get the support they need. Sometimes the support simply doesn’t exist, or it isn’t good enough. This is why I’m motivated to add a law degree to my credentials so I can better serve these people and communities. As a future social-security disability lawyer, I want to work with local governments to assist clients in navigating an assistance system and improving it as much as possible. This program will give me the access to a learning environment in which I can thrive and develop as an advocate.

Law School Personal Statement #18

“You’re worthy and loved”, I said to a twelve-year-old boy, Connor, whom I was supervising and spending time with during the Big Brother program at which we met. A few tears touched my shoulder as I pulled him into me, comforting him. He was a foster child. He didn’t know his parents and never stayed in one place longer than a few months; a year if he was lucky. I joined the program not expecting much. I was doing it for extra credit, because I wanted to give back to the community somehow and I thought it would be interesting to meet people. He confided in me; he told me that his foster parents often yelled at each other, and him. He told me he needed to escape. I called Child Protective Services and after a thorough investigation, they determined that Connor’s foster parents weren’t fit for fostering. He was moved, yet again, to a different home.

I wrote an op-ed detailing my experience as a Big Brother. I kept names anonymous. I wanted people to know how hard it was for children in the welfare system. Many of them, like Connor, were trapped in a perpetual cycle of re-homing, neglect, and even abuse. He and other children deserve stability and unconditional love. That should go without saying. I sent the op-ed to a local magazine and had it published. In it, I described not only the experience of one unfortunate kid, but many others as well who saw their own stories being told through Connor. I joined a non-profit organization dedicated to improving access to quality education for young people. I started learning about disparities in access; students excluded by racial or financial barriers. I was learning, one step at a time, how powerful words can be.

With the non-profit organization, I reached out to a few public schools in the area to represent some of our main concerns with quality of education disparities. Our goal was to bring resources together and promote the rights of children in education. We emphasized that collaboration between welfare agencies and schools was critical for education stability. Together, we created a report of recommendations to facilitate this collaboration. We outlined a variety of provisions, including more mechanisms for child participation, better recruitment of social service workers in schools, risk management and identification strategies, and better support for students with child protection concerns.

The highlight of that experience was talking to an assembly of parents and school faculty to present our findings and recommendations. The title of the presentation was “The Power of Words”. I opened with the story I wrote about in the op-ed. I wanted to emphasize that children are individuals; those trapped in the welfare system are not a monolith. They each have unique experiences, needs, and desires they want to fulfill in life. But our tools to help them can be improved, more individualized. I spoke about improving the quality of residential care for children and the need to promote their long-term development into further education and employment. Finally, I presented a list of tools we created to help support a more financially sustainable and effective child welfare system. The talk was received with applause and a tenuous commitment from a few influential members of the crowd. It was a start.

Although I lost contact with Connor, I think about him almost every day. I can only hope that the programs we worked on to improve were helping him, wherever he was. I want to continue to work on the ground level of child welfare amelioration, but I realize I will need an education in law to become a more effective advocate for this cause. There are still many problems in the child welfare system that will need to be addressed: limited privacy/anonymity for children, service frameworks that don’t address racism adequately, limited transportation in remote communities, and many more. I’ve gained valuable experience working with the community and learning about what the welfare system lacks and does well. I’m ready to take the next step for myself, my community, and those beyond it.

Assuredly, but this length varies from school to school. As with all important details of your law school application, thoroughly research your specific schools’ requirements and guidelines before both writing and editing your personal statement to ensure it fits their specifics. The average length is about 2 pages, but don’t bother drafting your statement until you have specific numbers from your schools of choice. It’s also a good idea to avoid hitting the maximum length unless absolutely necessary. Be concise, keep economy of language in mind, and remain direct, without rambling or exhaustive over-explanation of your ideas or experiences.

You should keep any words that aren’t your own to a minimum. Admissions committees don’t want to read a citation-heavy academic paper, nor do they respond well to overused famous quotes as themes in personal statements. If you absolutely must include a quote from elsewhere, be sure to clearly indicate your quote’s source. But in general, it’s best to keep the personal statement restricted to your own words and thoughts. They’re evaluating you, not Plato! It’s a personal statement. Give them an engaging narrative in your own voice. 

Admissions committees will already have a strong sense of your academic performance through your transcripts and test scores, so discussing these in your personal statement is generally best avoided. You can contextualize these things, though—if you have an illuminating or meaningful story about how you came to receive an award, or how you enjoyed or learned from the work that won you the award, then consider discussing it. Overall though, it’s best to let admissions committees evaluate your academic qualifications and accomplishments from your transcripts and official documents, and give them something new in the personal statement. 

When you first sit down to begin, cast a wide net. Consider all the many influences and experiences that have led you to where you are. You’ll eventually (through editing and rewriting) explain how these shape your relationship to a career in law, but one of the best things you can give yourself during the initial drafting phase is a vast collection of observations and potential points for development. As the New England School of Law points out in their, “just write!” Let the initial draft be as messy as it needs to be, and refine it from there. It’s a lot easier to condense and sharpen a big draft than it is to try to tensely craft a perfect personal statement from nothing.  

Incredibly important, as should be clear by now! Unlike other specialties, law schools don’t usually conduct interviews with applicants, so your personal statement is in effect your one opportunity to speak with the admissions committee directly. Don’t let that gravity overwhelm you when you write, but keep it in mind as you edit and dedicate time to improving your initial drafts. Be mindful of your audience as you speak with them, and treat writing your personal statement as a kind of initial address in what, hopefully, will eventually turn into an ongoing dialogue.  

There are a variety of factors that can make or break a law school personal statement. You should aim to achieve at least a few of the following: a strong opening hook; a compelling personal narrative; your skills and competencies related to law; meaningful experiences; why you’re the right fit for the school and program.

Often, they do. It’s best for you to go to the schools you’re interesting in applying to so you can find out if they have any specific formatting or content requirements. For example, if you wanted to look at NYU law or Osgoode Hall Law School , you would find their admissions requirements pages and look for information on the personal statement.

There are lots of reasons why a personal statement might not work. Usually, applicants who don’t get accepted didn’t come up with a good strategy for this essay. Remember, you need to target the specific school and program. Other reasons are that the applicant doesn’t plan or proofread their essay. Both are essential for submitting materials that convince the admissions committee that you’re a strong candidate. You can always use law school admissions consulting application review to help you develop your strategy and make your essay stand out.

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How long should a Personal Statement be? Is there any rule on that?

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hello V! Thanks for your question. Some schools will gave very specific word limits, while some will not. If you do not have a limit indicated, try to stick to no more than a page, 600-800 words. 

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The goal of the  Harvard Integrated Life Sciences  (HILS) Preview Weekend is to provide an in-person academic professional development and community building experience for prospective HILS PhD program applicants who have not previously had the opportunity to visit Harvard and become familiar with its programs and resources. Core to the mission of the HILS Preview Weekend is the promotion of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in STEM.

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Mandatory DEI Statements Are Ideological Pledges of Allegiance. Time to Abandon Them.

Council on academic freedom at harvard.

On a posting for a position as an assistant professor in international and comparative education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, applicants are required to submit a CV, a cover letter, a research statement, three letters of reference, three or more writing samples, and a statement of teaching philosophy that includes a description of their “orientation toward diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.”

At Harvard and elsewhere, hiring for academic jobs increasingly requires these so-called diversity statements, which Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning describes as being “about your commitment to furthering EDIB within the context of institutions of higher education.”

By requiring academics to profess — and flaunt — faith in DEI, the proliferation of diversity statements poses a profound challenge to academic freedom.

A closer look at the Bok Center’s page on diversity statements illustrates how.

For the purpose of showcasing attentiveness to DEI, the Center suggests answering questions such as: “How does your research engage with and advance the well-being of socially marginalized communities?”; “Do you know how the following operate in the academy: implicit bias, different forms of privilege, (settler-)colonialism, systemic and interpersonal racism, homophobia, heteropatriarchy, and ableism?”; “How do you account for the power dynamics in the classroom, including your own positionality and authority?”; “How do you design course assessments with EDIB in mind?”; and “How have you engaged in or led EDIB campus initiatives or programming?”

The Bok Center’s how-to page mirrors the expectation that DEI statements will essentially constitute pledges of allegiance that enlist academics into the DEI movement by dint of soft-spoken but real coercion: If you want the job or the promotion, play ball — or else.

Playing ball entails affirming that the DEI bureaucracy is a good thing and asking no questions that challenge it, all the while making sure to use in one’s attestations the easy-to-parody DEI lingo. It does not take much discernment to see, moreover, that the diversity statement regime leans heavily and tendentiously towards varieties of academic leftism and implicitly discourages candidates who harbor ideologically conservative dispositions.

In addition to exerting pressure towards leftist conformity, the process of eliciting diversity statements abets cynicism. Detractors reasonably suspect that underneath the uncontroversial aspirations for diversity statements — facilitating a more open and welcoming environment for everyone — are controversial goals including the weeding out of candidates who manifest opposition to or show insufficient enthusiasm for the DEI regime.

Detractors also reasonably object to what they see as a troubling invitation to ritualized dissembling. A cottage industry of diversity statement “counseling” has already emerged to offer candidates prefabricated, boilerplate rhetoric.

Candidates for academic positions at Harvard should not be asked to support ideological commitments. Imagine the howl of protest that would (or should) erupt if a school at Harvard asked a candidate for a faculty position to submit a statement of their orientation towards capitalism, or patriotism, or Making America Great Again with a clear expectation of allegiance? Such pressure constitutes an encroachment upon the intellectual freedom that ought to be part of the enjoyment of academic life.

Demands for DEI statements are also counterproductive to efforts to undo the effects of long overlooked invidious social discriminations in academia. It is important to remember that the DEI ethos did not emerge from nowhere — it emerged from a laudable determination to free academia of attitudes and practices that impeded potential contributors for prejudicial reasons, thereby depriving institutions of higher learning of useful talents.

Universities are under a legal, moral, and pedagogical duty to take action against wrongful discriminatory conduct. But demands for mandatory DEI statements venture far beyond that obligation into territory that is full of booby-traps inimical to an intellectually healthy university environment.

By overreaching, by resorting to compulsion, by forcing people to toe a political line, by imposing ideological litmus tests, by incentivizing insincerity, and by creating a circular mode of discourse that is seemingly impervious to self-questioning, the current DEI regime is discrediting itself.

It would be hard to overstate the degree to which many academics at Harvard and beyond feel intense and growing resentment against the DEI enterprise because of features that are perhaps most evident in the demand for DEI statements. I am a scholar on the left committed to struggles for social justice. The realities surrounding mandatory DEI statements, however, make me wince. The practice of demanding them ought to be abandoned, both at Harvard and beyond.

Randall L. Kennedy is the Michael R. Klein Professor at Harvard Law School.

His piece is part of the Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard’s column , which runs bi-weekly on Mondays and pairs faculty members to write contrasting perspectives on a single theme. Read the companion to Kennedy’s piece here.

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