I write to express, not to impress. Therefore, what I write here is the tale of my physical but also spiritual and emotional journey. I write to share my story to help others who might be seeking this knowledge with the wish that this would lay another brick for their steps to where they are working toward.
I got accepted to UCalgary Law School on December 5 for Fall 2023 only a few days after applications closed. It has been a long journey to this point, with sleepless nights studying LSAT and writing my personal and minority statement. My journey started in August 2021 when the idea of attending law school germinated in my mind, then taking 2 LSAT exams with unpromising scores, getting rejected from UCalgary Law and UNB Law School in March and April 2022, back at studying LSAT again and taking the exam in October and finally got accepted in December. The whole process to the point that the acceptance letter came in was around a year and four months, and to the point where I actually attend school would be two years. It was definitely a marathon, however, my marathon might still be shorter than many so I am thankful for that.
Now, I want to share the reasons I think I got accepted very early on in the process, which many I’ve seen called it the Christmas acceptance as the acceptance letter comes right before Christmas break. If it could be wrapped as a present under the Christmas tree, it would definitely the biggest box for the whole year.
Every law school has its own algorithm for law school acceptance. The acceptance rate is around 9-11% at UCalgary from my calculation. It is a competitive process, and I would never thought I’d get accepted so early. To be honest, my LSAT was in the low 160s (much lower than those admitted on the same day; my GPA is standard, right at the average.
What I assume is that the special sauce I have is my strong personal statement and minority statement. My personal statement I think was the best that I’d written in my life. The words came to me at the middle of the night one night when I wasn’t able to fall asleep as I was occupied and pondering about why I wanted to attend law school. The personal statement came out beautifully not only with the convincing reason on why I wanted to pursue law school but also the choice of words and order of paragraph. I read it again and again after and I still couldn’t believe how I managed to do that. It was a miracle. To summarize the idea of my submitted personal statement, I wrote that I was always told, and I often tell myself this is not for me due to my intersectional stereotypes and prejudice. However, I chose this path because I would like to tell my story and inspire others in the same position of doubt and hesitance. I emphasized my acknowledgement that this would be a difficult step for me, but I know I would be a successful lawyer because of my determination, possessed skills, experience, and my intention to increase diversity in the justice system. I think it’s credibly important that you genuinely tell your story and intention in your personal statement. Not everyone has the same story, and law school selection committee will look for a convincing story told in a well-written manner. I suggest that you choose one single idea/angle about your choice/life and drill in one its different aspects. Also, make sure the single idea/angle is holistic enough that it would weave your characteristics and motivation that are valuable for law school, such as your experience, skills, maturity in thoughts and action, or how the idea of attending law school came to you. Use your 500 words wisely as those are not too many to work with.
Step 1: START WITH WHY. Think and write down why you want to pursue law school. Was there a trigger such as a special occasion that inspired you or gave you the idea? Was this because your relatives are lawyers and the exposure has given you experience and understanding of law? Whatever it is, write it down. If the reason is extrinsic and not intrinsic, e.i. your parents think/want you to attend law school or you like the fame and status of being a lawyer, I would highly recommend you to re-evaluate your decision before investing your time in this process.
Step 2: TURN IT INTO A COHERENT STORY. People don’t remember what you say but people will remember how you make them feel. And, coincidentally, stories bring about strong emotions. I am not telling you to write a novel. However, a strong piece of writing has opening, body and conclusion; while a good story would introduce a conflict/issue, the journey of detangling the mess, and finally share solutions/outcomes. Keep the story interesting and convincing with your choice of words and order of “events”.
Step 3: MAKE IT RELEVANT. The selection committee is very likely adverse to personal statements that are generic and can be used to apply for any law schools. If it’s your top choice, think about why it’s your top choice. If it’s your second or third, still make sure you have your reasons why it’s your second or third choice.