When applying to law schools, you may have the opportunity to submit written responses in addition to a personal statement. The three most common supplemental essays are the diversity statement, prompted responses and addenda, each of which the Law Admissions Lowdown discussed in a previous post.
Now let’s look more closely at the types of prompted responses you may encounter on law school applications and your best strategies for tackling them.
[Discover five ways to strengthen your law school application.]
— Open-ended: Perhaps the most notorious example of an open-ended prompt prospective students might encounter is Yale University Law School‘s required 250-word essay that asks applicants to write about “a subject of your choice.”
The Georgetown University Law Center has similarly open-ended prompts among its optional essays, such as “Prepare a one-minute video that says something about you” and “Fill a 5.5″ long by 2.5″ wide box in any way you’d like.”
The open-endedness of these prompts is intentional. Admissions committees are interested in seeing how you creatively and intellectually engage with the prompt. When brainstorming responses, embrace the playfulness without getting silly.
One applicant I worked with planned to submit a “Calvin & Hobbes” comic in response to Georgetown Law’s fill-the-box prompt. I asked the applicant to consider whether there was anything she hadn’t yet communicated through her personal statement, diversity statement and letters of recommendation.
Mock trial had been a huge part of her undergraduate experience and she opted instead to write a response to a different prompt about captaining the team during a time of internal discord. The essay highlighted her leadership and conflict resolution skills in ways that the Calvin & Hobbes comic couldn’t have.
[Learn how to brainstorm unique law school personal statement topics.]
When tackling an open-ended response, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Narrow the scope by focusing on your interests — such as extracurricular activities, hobbies or volunteer work — that did not fit into the narratives of your other essays. What important aspects of yourself do you still want to share?
— School-specific: A school-specific prompt asks applicants to identify why they’re applying to a particular law school. For example, a University of Michigan–Ann Arbor Law School prompt asks applicants, “What do you believe Michigan has to offer to you and you to Michigan?”
The University of Pennsylvania Law School defines the program’s philosophical strengths and then asks applicants, “What defines you? How do your goals and values match Penn Law’s core strengths?”
The University of California–Los Angeles School of Law takes an even more focused approach in its optional essay prompt and asks applicants to identify a specific program they believe they can contribute to and explain how prior schooling, extracurricular activities or work will help them make distinct contributions.
UCLA’s prompt is a good one for any law school applicant to consider, because it pinpoints how to tackle the brainstorming process for these school-specific essays. Think about how your skills, accomplishments and goals align with the school’s specific programs.
Then identify why the school appeals to you and express in concrete terms what contributions you hope to make as a law student, using your prior experiences as evidence. If you decide to include a response to this kind of prompt, make sure to remove school-specific research from your personal statement to avoid repeating yourself.
— Character and fitness: Another common type of prompted response focuses on an applicant’s character. For example, Pepperdine University Law School‘s mission encourages students to adhere to high moral and ethical standards. The school asks applicants to “share how you would contribute to this unique community.”
And one of the University of Michigan Law School’s supplemental essay prompts asks, “What do you think are the skills and values of a good lawyer? Which do you already possess? Which do you hope to develop?”
For these essays, articulate your values and use experiential evidence to support your claims. And ensure your essays target the individual prompt, especially when the supplemental essay is required.
Taking shortcuts, such as only submitting your diversity statement rather than addressing the prompts, as I know one applicant did, could result in a major setback with the school.
[Find out how to discuss diversity in law school applications.]
When you review each application, also look for opportunities where you might be able to consolidate. Schools may have prompts that ask about a similar topic.
For example, the University of Michigan and Georgetown University both ask about a failure, setback or mistake. A carefully crafted essay on this topic could work for both of these programs. It’s also possible your essay could work for open-ended prompts such as the one from Yale.
Ultimately, a supplemental essay should enhance your application. Identify worthwhile skills, accomplishments and insights to write about. Your strongest topics will likely work for different supplemental prompts, but make sure to appropriately tailor your essays to each program.
Want advice on how to make the most of your supplemental responses? You can reach me at lawadmissionslowdown@usnews.com.
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How to Tackle Supplemental Law School Essay Prompts originally appeared on usnews.com
