Strong law applicants tend to have carefully considered why they are applying to law school, and they understand that their application essays need to express their interest in a legal career.
However, many are stumped when law school applications ask them a narrower question: Why are you applying to this law school?
Most commonly, law schools may ask this question through a supplemental application essay, sometimes called a “Why X School” or “Why This School” essay.
For example, the University of Notre Dame Law School offers applicants an optional statement of no more than two double-spaced pages “to express a specific interest in Notre Dame Law School.” The School of Law at the University of California–Irvine has a mandatory essay of up to 750 words about why you are interested in their school.
Other schools may ask applicants to address this question within their personal statement with a short-answer prompt. It is also a common interview question. By asking applicants about their specific interest in a school, admissions officers turn the table on applicants. After all, applicants take pains to distinguish themselves by showing that their grades and test scores don’t reveal other factors that set them apart. With a “Why This School” question, law schools say: We’re unique, too. Why are you choosing us?
Ironically, many applicants have given little thought to what separates one law school from another! As you can imagine, admissions offices are not thrilled about this. They certainly don’t see themselves as gatekeepers to a generic, interchangeable institution.
Answering a “Why This School” essay can be frustrating. How do you articulate your interest without resorting to boilerplate flattery about a school’s prestigious faculty and beautiful campus?
Learn About a Law School Through an Event, Interview or Visit
Since many applicants apply to a wide range of law schools, they may not know much about each one.
One of the best ways to learn about a law school is at a law school forum or information session. Many schools host online events, which can be convenient for applicants unable to visit the law school in person.
[Look for these things Law School Visits: When to Go, What to Look for]
If you have a chance to speak with an admissions officer, you can ask good questions to learn more about how the school sets itself apart from others.
You may also learn about a law school by talking to current or former students about their experience on campus.
Research What a Law School Offers
Law schools value applicants who show they have done their research about where they are applying, because the investment of time and energy shows genuine interest and because research is a core legal skill.
Use search engines like Google News or LexisNexis to find any mentions of the school in the press. Did the law school recently open a new building or center, or announce a new policy that might affect your interest?
Most importantly, carefully review the law school’s website. Law school websites are one of the best ways to learn about a school: how it sees itself, what it offers and what’s going on. While law school websites might look unremarkable at first, close reading can reveal valuable details.
Compare multiple law school websites and notice the differences between them in style and content. Often, the words and images they use are meticulously crafted to present and promote a distinct identity. Without copying their phrasing word for word, reference these ideas in your essays to reflect an understanding of a school’s unique character while avoiding cliches and generalities.
Find Areas of Overlap
Law schools differ in their size, geography, culture, curricula, special programs, campus activities and many other ways. These distinctions provide perspectives on how each law school stands out.
Based on your research, make a list of strengths for each of your target schools that are relevant to your interests as a candidate. For example, if your personal statement is about your dream of becoming a prosecutor, look for clinics, research centers, programs, professors or distinguished alumni in the criminal law field.
[READ: How to Gauge the Strength of Law School Clinics.]
Focus on a Few Specific Points
When elaborating on the reason you are interested in a school, don’t try to “flood the zone.” Broad compliments may sound insincere.
In a “Why This School” essay or interview response, center your answer on a few concrete reasons.
Try to keep the reasons varied. For example, rather than mention three clinics you find interesting, think about other potential points of intersection, like a personal connection or a geographic interest.
Think realistically about your plans for law school and beyond. It would be more effective to thoughtfully explain why a professor’s research interests align with your own than to rattle off every relevant course in the catalog.
Ultimately, “why” questions are about connecting a law school to yourself. Answer with confidence by researching and identifying a few specific ways in which a school’s unique offerings match with what sets you apart.
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How to Write a ‘Why This Law School’ Essay originally appeared on usnews.com
