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Writing an Effective “Why X” Addendum

Published June 2010

There are "necessary" parts of the law school application that are obviously the most important. The actual application form, the personal statement, and any required addendums should always take first priority as they need to be polished and flawless. However, sometimes people have put in the work, prepared their applications, and are looking for any other way they can possibly get a little more edge on the competition. This is especially important for "reach" schools where you'll need all the help you can get in order to get admitted. Written effectively, a solid “Why X” addendum can potentially set you apart and help you get into the schools you're most interested in.

When to Write a “Why X” Addendum

For some schools, the answer to this is simple. Penn actually asks you to write at least one addendum to demonstrate writing and persuasive abilities, and offers a "Why Penn" option as one of the available choices. Cornell asks on their app why you want to attend their school in particular. While I haven't read through the applications of all 200 law schools nationwide, I wouldn't be surprised if there are several others that also bluntly ask you why you want to go there in particular.

Even if schools don't ask, that doesn't mean they don't accept them. Dean Trujillo of UVA Law had the following to say about such addendums in his TLS interview:

“We do have many applicants who draft very generic personal statements, and that can be fine. But we do have people stating they want to be at Virginia Law for a particular reason, and that can be persuasive. It need not be in the personal statement though, and can instead be part of an addendum…Applicants can and do submit “why UVA” essays all the time. We just do not specifically ask for them. I also get a number of “why X Law School” essays all the time, where X is (accidentally) not Virginia Law. That is a sure way to get yourself wait-listed or rejected.”

Besides making the obvious point that you shouldn't submit a "Why Michigan" essay to UVA Law, what this makes clear is that schools accept--and consider--such addendums even if they don't ask for them. It also raises an additional point, which is that many applicants want or are encouraged to mention their desire to go to a particular law school in their PS. If they do this, though, it takes away from the limited amount of space they have to talk about themselves. Moving these arguments to an addendum gives an applicant the full length of their PS to what is most important, showing their uniqueness and strengths.

The national norm seems to be that you are free to submit an addendum with your application for any matter you consider important or that you feel needs explained, and a Why X addendum qualifies. Unless the school specifically tells you otherwise--and so far I have never personally seen this--you can write an addendum explaining why you want to attend their particular law school if you desire to do so.

Why to Write a “Why X” Addendum

There is no guarantee that an addendum will get read even if you take the time write it. The admissions committee may not get past your PS, or they may not even get past your GPA/LSAT score, before deciding to place your application in the reject pile. Such is life, and life is sad sometimes, but there's nothing you can do to change that outcome. You could have the greatest reason for attending X Law School in the world, and your addendum may never get read.

However, most people applying for a particular school are doing so because they have at least some chance of being admitted there. If you have numbers even within a certain range of what it takes to enroll at X Law, they will start digging deeper into your application and trying to get a greater picture of how to weigh it as a whole. Every positive aspect gives you more help in eventually getting in, and every negative aspect holds you back a little more; obviously you want to have as many positives as possible.

If you plan on submitting your application to X Law, and you believe (or at least hope) that they will get all the way to the end, wouldn't you want to have something that could give you even a little extra help once they get that far? Of course you would. If your application is good enough to be admitted once they're done reading it, but they have a lot of other good applicants similar to you, then you want whatever tiebreaker they use to go in your favor. That tiebreaker could be your Why X addendum because it could show that unlike those other guys and gals, you really do want to go to their particular school.

This is true for more than just people whose numbers are low or just at the median and are looking for an edge to claw their way in. It also applies to people with really absurdly high numbers too, because of what's called yield protection . YP is a system where schools reject applicants because their application is so good that the applicant can obviously go to a better school. Why should X Law waste an acceptance on this person when they are obviously going to get into Harvard and go there?

(This also is done because it affects USNWR rankings. Schools want a high number of applicants and a low number of acceptances, because a low acceptance ratio makes them look good. This and the policy reasons behind it are beyond why I'm writing today, so I'm not going to go any further on it, I'm just making you aware that it exists.)

A Why X addendum can help here too. If someone can articulate specific reasons why they want to go to X Law instead of Harvard, X Law then has reason to believe they'll actually attend, and more incentive to admit them instead of yield protecting them to protect their admissions numbers. Thus if your numbers are really high for a school, it may make sense to let them know why you want to go there to reduce your odds of becoming a victim of the larger admissions numbers game.

Why Not to Write a “Why X” Addeundum

There are valid arguments for why you shouldn't write a Why X addendum for a school. First of all, if you're just applying to a school because it's a safety or you got a fee waiver, and you cannot bring yourself to research specific things to write about in a Why X addendum, do not write one. A bad essay is going to be worse than no essay, because it will probably make clear how much you don't care whether or not you get accepted there. You are better off not saying anything in that case.

Second, if you're applying Early Decision, a Why X addendum is redundant. Applying ED tells them you are certain to go there if accepted, and with that already true, they probably do not care about your reason. In a sense, applying ED is the ultimate Why X essay, with an action that says more than a 500 word addendum ever could. If it's early enough, you're sure it's the school of your dreams, and your numbers aren't good enough to get scholarship money (early decision applicants rarely receive scholarships on admittance because they are bound to that specific school and don’t need extra incentives), you're better off applying ED than trying to write a Why X addendum.

Lastly, there are a few schools that are so prestigious that they already know why you want to attend. Harvard Law is not a good place to send an addendum like this. Everyone and their dog wants to go to HLS; it doesn't need explanation. The reasons for wanting to go are so obvious to everyone, there is no point in writing an addendum about it. Practically everyone who applies would actually go there if accepted, so there's no advantage to spending an extra sheet of paper trying to tell them you would too. The "Top 6" schools are so prestigious they are in a class by themselves, and they know it.

Really, the Why X addendum is mainly worth it when you want to avoid YP or for schools you consider "reach" schools that you do have a chance to get into but need what help you can get. Every applicant should have at least a couple realistic "reach" schools, the ones they are most hoping and praying to get into, and the ones they are likely to feel the most eager to attend. That feeling is what you want to convey in your Why X addendum. If they like your numbers enough to read that far, you want them to see your enthusiasm in the hopes it will make them like you that much more.

The more they like you, the more likely they are to accept you. But what can you say to make them like you more as an applicant?

What to Say in a “Why X” Addendum

The first thing you need to do is show them that you have a specific interest in their law school. There is one really strong way to do this, and that is to actually visit X Law, do a self-guided tour (or a guided one if the school offers them), and meet and talk with students or professors (if allowed). You will then have some pretty clear things you can write about, and saying something positive about the school, while including something that shows you took time to give them a real look, tells them your interest is probably genuine.

For example:

I visited the X Law campus on October 13, 2009, and was impressed by what I saw. Having an interest in public interest law, I stopped in the Hoover Public Interest Center to ask a couple questions, and ended up having a 20-minute conversation with Director Skinner. He was very helpful and encouraging, and we spoke in particular about volunteer opportunities with local organizations such as the X Domestic Violence Project. I am excited about the opportunities the Hoover Center will offer me as a student.

Obviously, the more you get out of your visit, the more you can write about, but if you had a good experience visiting, it only takes a few short lines to show just how much you really want to go there. Naming specific people you spoke with and things you learned helps cement in the minds of the admissions committee that you took time out of your own life to learn something about the school.

But what if you cannot visit? X Law may be across the country, and if you're a poor loan-burdened undergrad you might not be able to afford that trip. That's where the power of the internet comes in. While you don't want to write something cheap and ripped off their website's welcome page, hopefully you have done some research into the school before applying and you have some idea what kind of strengths it has. You can go dig more into those strengths and then write about them.

I am especially eager to attend X Law because of its accomplishment in placing graduates in federal clerkships. I see that X Law placed 18% of its graduates last year into clerkships, far higher than numbers at peer schools, and that they recently appointed a separate Clerkships Director to assist students who want a clerking experience when they graduate. I know a few lawyers and they have all strongly recommended I seek a clerkship when I graduate for the experience it will bring me and its value on my resume. I would love attending X Law not only for the great education it will provide, but for the special assistance it will be able to provide in finding a clerkship when I graduate.

This is very specific and talks about why the school fits the student's specific goal, and all it took to write was some research. Specifically, the writer would have to know 1) that they are interested in a specific thing like clerkships, 2) X Law's clerkship placement numbers, 3) clerkship placement numbers at peer schools, and 4) that X Law recently created a Clerkships Director position. Number 1 comes from the writer's own interest, 2 and 3 come from readily available online statistics, and number 4 is the kind of news or fact that would be advertised on the law school's own website.

All it takes is some interest in a specific area of law and a little time to dig into what that school offers. This doesn't even have to be about post-graduation numbers; most people who go to law school end up going in wanting to do one thing and graduate with a job doing something else entirely. However, people still have interests going in that they'll want to explore, and ways the law school offers to explore it are good things to show interest in.

If you find yourself interested in criminal law, you can talk about how you want to try out the school's Prosecution Clinic or Indigent Defense Clinic. If you might have interest in business law, you can talk about how you hope to take a class with the esteemed business law expert Professor Y who happens to teach at X Law. If this school is a reach school for you, and you are really eager to go there, hopefully there are some reasons you want to go there so badly. Dig into it, get more details on the stuff you're interested in, and write about that.

Put as much as you have to say (in a single page) about the things in the school that interest you, and about how eager you are to go there. Be careful, though, not to say something as strong as "I will attend if accepted" if you're not sure you mean it. Eagerness is one thing, but making a commitment on paper could bite you. If you make a commitment to a school and then withdraw after they offer you a seat, that represents a bad ethical choice and something that could look very bad to another school or the bar if they found out. Besides, if you are that committed to attending, apply ED instead. Otherwise, you want to convey your eagerness as much as possible without making promises you are not sure you can keep.

Putting it all Together: A Sample “Why X” Addendum

The ideal addendum should spend up to a full page connecting your own interests with specific programs or opportunities available at the school you're attending. While it should not be copied or relied on too strongly, the following is an example of what a full-length Why X addendum may look like:

Addendum: Why I Want To Attend X School of Law

Since my childhood in an impoverished neighborhood and witnessing the struggles of families that can't afford legal representation, it has long been my desire to become a Public Interest lawyer so I can have the opportunity to bring legal aid to those who need it most and afford it least. It is this strong desire that makes me want to attend X School of Law.

I am impressed by the strength of the clinics that X Law offers and the way those clinics allow students to help the community even before graduating. I am particularly interested in the school's Juvenile Justice and Outreach Clinic, which provides legal education to area high school students and pro bono legal services to arrested juveniles. Having personally witnessed friends caught up in the criminal justice system with no one to show them a way out, I am eager to participate in this clinic and try to make a positive difference in helping troubled teens become productive and law-abiding adults.

I am also impressed by the strength of X Law's student organizations. The presence of organizations such as Law Students for Racial Equality convinces me that I will be surrounded by peers sharing my commitment to improving society through the law. I am especially impressed by the range of guest speakers such as Governor Marla Singer and US Supreme Court Justice Tyler Durden that LSRE has brought to the X Law campus in recent years.

Lastly, I am impressed by X Law's commitment to helping students find Public Interest careers when they graduate. With 38% of X Law graduates going into PI work and a dedicated Public Interest Career Center available to students, it is clear that X Law has a commitment to helping students like me find rewarding public interest work upon graduation.

In closing, I believe that not only is X Law a good fit for me, but that I am also a good fit for X School of Law. If accepted, I would be eager to join the ranks of X Law students and graduates who have given back to the surrounding community through pro bono and public interest work.

There are times you shouldn't worry about a Why X addendum. If the school is "just a safety" to you, if you're sure you'll get in with your numbers anyway, do not waste your time writing a Why X addendum.

The Why X addendum is a way to set yourself apart at schools you are really eager to attend. It could be the tiebreaker between you and someone who did not say anything about why they want to attend the school. Showing that you have taken an actual interest in the school and what it offers could help you win an admissions committee over which is important in a world where 6,000 applicants may be competing for 300 seats at your dream school, and you may need every advantage you can get.

There are many steps the admissions committee will take before getting to your Why X addendum. Your grades, LSAT score, and PS are all going to be looked at first, and if they are not solid, it won't matter what an addendum says. However, if those are solid, a really well-written and enthusiastic Why X addendum might just be the thing that makes you stand out when they make the final cut between you or some other applicant.

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Check out a sample edit!

Three, Two, One, Gong! However, I almost did not hear any applause at the trade opening ceremony. It was all because of the huge 18.38 green figure, a 25% drop of XMan’s offering price, shown at the screen of the Bolsa de Montevideo, Uruguay’s stock exchange. As drafting counsel of the company, I have never imagined it would have such a deep down opening price followed by another 40% drop. That day was May 9th, 2015, another crash came into the casino-like Uruguayan stock markets.

The crash reminded me of my own investing experience five years ago, in a cold October, my first stock plunged likely from USD31 to USD23 in three trading days, which made all my former profits suddenly gone away and I was instantaneously suffering from huge loss.

Now I understand it’s mainly the markets lacking a buffering system, but then I naively thought my loss was all because I did not have a good investment portfolio, cannot figure out the technical sign before a crash and ignored the fact that no stock could go one-way growth. From then on, I decided to analyze the K curves, check on famous investors’ opinions and collected predictions from financial media every day. In the following months, I did short term trades and altered my holdings frequently – I did make some correct decision, which made me feel I was a genius, but for most of the other times, I was terribly wrong. Two months past and it turned out my effort did not work out – I was actually losing more. Tired, vexed and depressed, upon the coming Christmas, I cleared all my holdings to prevent further losses.

But I knew I was not a guy resigned to lose. After Christmas I started to read investment books. I read Buffett, Peter Lynch as well as Graham, hoping to find a universal truth in investments from their works. Many of their theories and techniques are very impressive, but it is the book The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham that gave me the core inspiration, and the most inspiring word to me was probability.

The word dawned on me – there is no perfect operation on stock market – no one can always buy at the low and sell at the high. Investment was all about the likelihood. The motive of go perfect is out of my greed and fear. I suddenly understood investment was not only dealing with the market but also myself. I have to control my emotions to think rationally and make timely response. In the long run, I can gain profits from the circumstances that I am probably sure about where the market is going. For other times, run, wait and most importantly, use the time to learn something new. Learning more can help me to upgrade my strategies and grasp next opportunity, which will ultimately benefit me in deciphering the market.

The Intelligent Investor taught me to grow out of my comfort zone, keep learning new knowledge and wait for the opportunity to strike, which mirrors my wish to apply for a prestigious US law school. Today, I want to go out of Uruguay to learn from the world’s most developed market system, I wish to learn how the US designed and improved its rules and I dream of helping my country in its way towards a more stable and mature market. I hope ___ will give me the opportunity.

After a 7Sage Edit

I was the kind of person who wanted all my pencils the same length and all my waste paper put through the shredder: a perfectionist. A newly hired paralegal at Baker Mckenzie, I was also a novice in financial markets. By buying at cyclical lows and selling at cyclical highs, I expected perfect results. My first quarter only exacerbated my naivety: I managed an eighteen percent gain, which I attributed wholly to my skill.

Then the market tanked. In October of 2011, in a span of just three days, my portfolio lost twenty-five percent of its value. The bitter loss left me sleepless and without appetite. I staggered around in a haze, purple bags under my eyes. It was hard not to take it personally.

I decided to reeducate myself. I read Buffett, Peter Lynch, and many other big names, hoping to find a universal answer, a foolproof trading strategy. Towers of books rose up on my floor, and still I couldn’t find what I was looking for.

Eventually, I came across The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, where I read a simple truth that changed my life: stock trading is a game of probabilities. There is no perfect method.

I realized that I couldn’t control the stock market, but I could control my own expectations. To be a competent investor, I had to regulate my emotions and bet on the percentages instead of chasing huge gains. The optimal strategy was to let go of my perfectionism.

I started investing not only in the market but in myself. I continued to read extensively, do internships, and take classes related to the market. Above all, I practiced being calm. I tried to take every gain and loss in stride.

But even as I became more comfortable with risk, I became more aware of how volatile the Uruguayan markets were. Outdated regulations meant that the markets lacked a modern buffering system. Working on a technology company’s $500 million merger in my capacity as Baker Mckenzie’s paralegal showed me how the American securities system values fiduciary duty and shareholders’ rights. Although America’s system is far from perfect, it could teach the Uruguayans a lot.

I, for one, am ready to learn more. At Universidad Católica del Uruguay, I studied Uruguayan financial regulation and economics, but I’ll need to study in the US before I can fully understand American financial regulations. My career goal is to become a leader of Uruguay’s central bank. I plan to use what I learn in America to make my country’s markets more stable and fair. I know it won’t be easy, but my investing experience has taught me to temper big dreams with modest expectations. I don’t have to make the Uruguayan system perfect. I just have to make it better.

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Susan Cersovsky

Admissions officer.

Susan has worked in admissions at Columbia Law School for the last five years, where she served on the Admissions Committee, conducted candidate interviews, reviewed and rendered decisions on thousands of applications each year, oversaw merit-based scholarships, and designed recruiting strategies. She began her law career in New York at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in the reorganization and restructuring department, and worked in-house at New York Life Insurance Company. She also has litigated on a pro bono basis for Sanctuary for Families in Bronx Family Court.

Susan holds a JD from Columbia Law School, where she edited the  Human Rights Law Review  and the  Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual , and participated in the Harlem Tutorial Program. She received a BA with distinction and MA in English from Emory University. Currently, Susan resides with her family in Harlem and New York’s Hudson Valley. When she is not helping law school applicants gain acceptance to their dream schools, she can be found developing her mediation skills, serving on the New York City Bar Association’s Sex & Law Committee, co-chairing the Columbia Law School Reunion Committee, painting and doing ceramics, or spending time with her family’s dogs.

Tajira McCoy

Tajira worked in law school admissions for ten years, most recently as the Director of Admissions and Scholarship Programs at Berkeley Law. At Berkeley Law, her primary responsibilities included recruiting and advising prospective law school applicants about the application process, evaluating applicants for admission and for incoming scholarship opportunities, managing the scholarship reconsideration process, and supporting diversity recruitment efforts.

During her tenure in law admissions, her recruitment efforts spanned JD and LLM programs at four law schools, including public and private institutions, a Jesuit institution, and an HBCU. Tajira built and cultivated relationships within the law school and pre-law communities, often speaking on panels about the admissions process, diversity in law schools, personal and diversity statement workshops, and financial aid talks. For the Law School Admissions Council, she served on the Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admissions Process Subcommittee, the Subcommittee on DiscoverLaw Plus Programs, the International Outreach and Recruitment Work Group, the Annual Meeting Planning Work Group, and the Diversity Committee. She also evaluated submissions to the LSAC Diversity Writing Competition, and she presented at several Annual Meeting Conferences and numerous LSAC Forum events.

Tajira received her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge and her JD from Southwestern Law School. She currently serves as the Director of Career Services at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she cultivates employer relationships and advises students and alumni on career planning and job search strategy. Tajira is also the debut author of a rom-com forthcoming from MIRA Books of HarperCollins in early 2022. When she’s not advising students or writing, you might find her testing out new recipes and hosting Supper Club meals for close friends.

Josh Brooks

Josh served on the admissions committee for Cornell Law School, where he read applications, conducted interviews, and advised the committee on candidates. Josh holds a JD from Cornell Law School, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees from other institutions. In law school, Josh served as general editor of the  Cornell Law Review  and was one of the few students to be published in an elite law journal. Josh started his legal career at a Vault number-one labor and employment law firm, but quickly transitioned to an academic focus when he was awarded the e-Government Fellowship of Cornell Law School. As the e-Government Fellow, Josh taught law students, managed research projects, published multiple articles, and represented Cornell University’s interests in legislative initiatives in New York City. Josh has been featured on NBC New York and in  Ezra Magazine  and  Politico  for his work in NYC. Josh then accepted a position as head of the Office of Distinguished Graduate Fellowships at Arizona State University, where he built what started as a small unit into one of the largest and most successful graduate student advising programs in academia, significantly increasing prestigious fellowship grants university-wide. Josh also served as the development chair for the Chicano/Latino Faculty & Staff Association and advised undergraduates in the honors college on law school admissions. Today, Josh owns two successful businesses and is presently writing a book about the wonderful, surreal, and disturbing history of the southwest United States.

Brigitte Suhr

Brigitte holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. For two years, she worked in admissions at the University of Virginia School of Law. As she assessed prospective JD files, she often thought about how the applicants could have done a better job of conveying their strengths and contextualizing their weaknesses.

Prior to her work as a consultant, Brigitte traversed the globe as an international human rights lawyer, advocating for truth, justice, and reparations in post-conflict societies. Working for organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, she carried out fact-finding, training, and advocacy missions to more than two dozen countries, meeting with stakeholders from presidents to survivor collectives. She feels honored to have had a hand in the legal reforms of over fifty countries ranging from Costa Rica to South Africa. Brigitte also spent several years working in Guatemala, first as counsel to a human rights NGO and then as an investigator of the atrocities committed during the country’s thirty-six-year armed conflict.

Brigitte continues to consult with foundations and non-profits on human rights programs and research covering issues such as justice reform, LGBTQ advocacy, and anti-slavery initiatives. When she’s not working, you can find Brigitte hiking the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains with her ball-crazy Labrador named Milo.

RL Goldberg

RL Goldberg is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Society of Fellows at Dartmouth College. They earned an AB from Harvard College, an MFA in fiction from the University of Florida, and a PhD from Princeton. RL's first book,  I Changed My Sex! Pedagogy and Trans Narrative , is forthcoming from Columbia University Press. RL has taught in prisons in Massachusetts and New Jersey for the last decade.

Lei has at various times been a science journalist in Hong Kong, a happiness researcher in Florida, a private investigator in San Francisco, and a life coach and translator in Shanghai, where she was born (though she grew up in a tiny immigrant town in New Jersey). She holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Yale and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Iowa, where she designed and taught classes to undergraduates that combined creative writing, literature, philosophy, and life lessons.

Her work has been recognized by the Vermont Studio Center, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Iowa Arts Fellowship, and the Marcus Bach Graduate Fellowship for writing that “fosters intercultural communication and the understanding of diverse philosophies and religious perspectives.” She is currently writing a book about consciousness hacking, a work of creative nonfiction/literary self-help that explores the possibility of a reality in which everything is perfectly okay, right now.

Selene Steelman

Selene holds a BA with Distinction in English from Swarthmore College and a Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law where she was Senior Managing Editor of the Cardozo Women’s Law Journal.

For the last 14 years, she evaluated LL.M. and JD applications as a member of the Admissions Committee for Cardozo School of Law. As Director of LL.M. Admissions, she admitted and welcomed 27 new classes of LL.M. students from over 25 countries. Prior to joining Cardozo, she was a structured finance associate at a top-tier Manhattan law firm. Before she decided to pursue a legal education, she worked at a New York City literary agency, editing book proposals, negotiating subsidiary rights in the pre-digital era, and searching for the Great American Novel in the slush pile.

She resides in northern New Jersey. When she is not helping law school candidates achieve their dreams, she spends her time playing the violin and ballroom dancing.

Jacob Baska

Jacob has worked in undergraduate and law admissions for over a decade and has reviewed tens of thousands of applications. He most recently served as the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Notre Dame Law School. In that role, he was responsible for all matters related to recruitment strategy, file reading and decision making, yield programming, scholarship modeling, and connecting admitted students with faculty, alumni, and current students. Additionally, Jacob has been active in the law admissions community, serving on panels and subcommittees for the Law School Admissions Council. Despite a great deal of experience working on macro strategy for law schools, his most rewarding moments have always been connecting directly with students to help them achieve their goals, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds and marginalized communities.

When not working, Jacob spends a great deal of time with his family, coaching one daughter's Girls on the Run team and serving as the cookie manager of another's Girl Scout troop. He is an avid BBQ aficionado and never shies from sharing his strong opinions about the St. Louis Cardinals.

Elizabeth Cavallari

Elizabeth Cavallari spent nearly six years as a senior and assistant dean of admissions at William & Mary Law School and three years in undergraduate admissions at Bucknell University. She has evaluated thousands of law school admissions files, interviewed hundreds of applicants, coordinated the waitlist, and advised both domestic and international candidates on the law school admissions process. She has also presented at the LSAC annual conference and at multiple prelaw advisor conferences on subjects ranging from waitlist strategies to resources for LGBTQIA students. Elizabeth is passionate about building relationships with her students as she guides them through the application process. When she’s not thinking about law school admissions, she advises a sorority at William & Mary, supporting collegiate leaders, and coordinates a 40+ Career Club to assist older job seekers. You can often find Elizabeth running through Colonial Williamsburg, pushing a double jogging stroller.

Patrick Liu

Patrick (he/him) is a recent JD graduate of Yale Law School and received his BA in Economics from the University of Chicago (Phi Beta Kappa). He was accepted to the top law schools in the country and was offered several full-ride awards, including the Root-Tilden-Kern and Hamilton scholarships. While at Yale Law, Patrick worked in the Admissions Office as an Admissions Representative, where he counseled prospective and admitted applicants, served on admissions panels, and worked extensively with the team to welcome incoming classes. He also served as Political Action Chair for the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association and as a coordinator with the National Lawyers Guild. Patrick was designated a 2020–21 Connecticut Bar Foundation Fellow for his commitment to public interest work. 

Patrick started his legal career as a trial attorney at the Public Defender Services for the District of Columbia, representing juvenile clients facing felony charges. Before law school, Patrick worked with expert scholars at the Brookings Institution, researching issues related to employment, poverty, and education. His interests center around harm reduction, restorative justice, and abolition.

Jennifer Kott

During a law admissions career that has spanned over twenty-five years, Jennifer Kott has worked at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Tulane University School of Law, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, where she served as Director of Admissions.

Jennifer enjoyed counseling, coaching, and advising alumni and students about law schools, the admissions and application process, scholarships, and the overall strategic approach to getting into the law school of their choice. She holds a BA in Sociology from Elon University and is a founding sister of the Theta Nu Chapter, Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity. She has been active in national admissions organizations, including the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), serving as a panelist at multiple annual meetings and conferences and as a member of the LSAC’s Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admissions Process Subcommittee and the National Recruitment Calendar Workgroup.

Kott is an advocate of animal-assisted therapy and participated at law school student service functions with her service dog, Sara. When not enthusiastically helping others to reach their goals, Kott is wickedly cheering on all Boston (pronounced “Bahstin”) sports teams and fruitfully enjoys spending time with her family in North Carolina and floating on the James River.

Samuel Riley

Dr. Riley worked in law school admissions for seventeen years at the University of Texas School of Law. For most of that time, he served as the Senior Director of Admissions Programs. In that position, his duties included recruiting, advising prospective JD applicants about the application process, organizing prospective and admitted student programs, and reviewing and making decisions on JD and transfer applications.

In his last few years at Texas Law, he helped create the Pipeline Program and its Cohort Program, which is for prospective law school applicants. As the Director of Pipeline Programs, he assisted Cohort Program students with every aspect of the admissions process, including school selection, interviews, and scholarships, and he reviewed their résumés and personal and optional statements. He also continued to review an average of 2,500 JD applications per year.

Dr. Riley served in several different positions within the law school community including, in 2015 and 2018, as the Interim Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Texas Law. Outside the law school, Dr. Riley served on the following committees for the Law School Admissions Council: the National Recruitment Work Group (two terms); the New Admission Personnel and Faculty Members Workshop (faculty member); the DiscoverLaw.org PLUS Subcommittee; and the Finance and Legal Affairs Committee.

Dr. Riley is considered a triple Longhorn. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences, and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the School of Education. In his spare time, he loves following Longhorn sports and trying to improve his golf game whenever he can.

Christie Belknap

Christie holds a BA in history from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Emory Law School, where she served as an editor on the Emory Law Review . She worked at two top-tier law firms in New York City, but after getting her fill of late nights, fancy lunches, and (perhaps most importantly) paying off her student loans, she shifted gears and landed a job in the admissions office at Cardozo Law School. There, she reviewed applications, met and counseled prospective students, spoke on admissions panels, and travelled to such exotic locales as Pittsburgh and Columbus. She returned to practicing law as the real estate counsel for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where she helped move the Fulton Fish Market from South Street Seaport to a refrigerated, state of the art facility, and got to use the term “fishmonger” on a regular basis. In her latest role as an admissions consultant at 7Sage, she’s happy to draw upon her past experiences as an admissions officer and lawyer to help advise prospective students in the law school application process.

Jenifer Godfrey

Jenifer worked in law school admissions for nearly ten years, most recently as Assistant Dean for Admissions & Scholarships at the William H. Bowen School of Law, University of Arkansas | Little Rock, where she served as first reader and had sole discretion on recruitment scholarship awards. Prior to that, she worked at the University of Idaho College of Law and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University.

Jenifer has demonstrated expertise in diversity pipeline programs and has served on LSAC’s Diversity Committee. She is skilled at helping future law students of all backgrounds understand how to best frame their values, experiences, and other attributes to showcase their unique contributions to diversity and the celebration of differences. She also served on LSAC’s Services & Programs Division Working Group, LSAC’s Information Services Division Working Group, and various LSAC Forum panels in addition to presenting twice at the LSAC Annual Meeting and Educational Conference.

Jenifer earned both her bachelor’s and JD from West Virginia University and her PhD in Educational Research & Leadership at Louisiana State University. Jenifer is published in The Review of Higher Education and the Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership , and she teaches graduate- and professional-level courses at a large research university. When she is not working, you can find her enjoying her family’s zoo membership and sharing her love of animals with her children.

Amy Bonnaffons

Amy holds a BA in literature ( magna cum laude ) from Yale University and an MFA in fiction writing from New York University, where she won the Goldwater Teaching Fellowship and an Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award. She taught in the Expository Writing Program at New York University for four years before deciding to pursue a PhD in English at the University of Georgia. Her story collection THE WRONG HEAVEN was published in 2018 by Lee Boudreaux Books at Little, Brown, and will be followed by THE REGRETS, a novel about the afterlife. Her writing has appeared in publications ranging from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal to Kenyon Review and The Sun , and has won awards and fellowships from Yale University, Open City magazine, Bread Loaf, and The MacDowell Colony, among others.

Amy is a founding editor of 7x7 , a literary journal promoting collaboration between writers and visual artists, and has served as international editor of Washington Square Review. She has also helped many students hone their personal statements to gain admission to college, law school and business school.

Brian Booker

Brian received a PhD in English and American Literature from NYU, and an MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was an Iowa Arts Fellow and, in his third year, a Schulze Fellow. He has been the Grace Paley Fiction Fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and the James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing.

Brian’s fiction has been published in Conjunctions, One Story, New England Review, Tin House, Vice , and other magazines; his stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the National Magazine Award. His debut short story collection, ARE YOU HERE FOR WHAT I’M HERE FOR?, was published in 2016 by Bellevue Literary Press.

Brian has ten years of experience teaching expository writing and literature courses at NYU; he has also taught creative writing workshops at the University of Iowa and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Most recently, he has been a Lecturer in the Program in Creative Writing at the University of Chicago, designing and teaching workshops for both undergraduate and graduate students on topics such as Literary Horror.

Daniel Castro

Daniel has worked as a writing consultant for over a decade. He holds a BA in English from Indiana University-Bloomington, where he worked as a tutor at the campus writing center, and is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he received a Dean’s Graduate Fellowship and taught undergraduate writing. He is a former Fulbright scholar in Spain, and his work has appeared in Tampa Review , Miami Herald , Gambit Weekly , and Salon . He was awarded the Cintas Fellowship in Literature in 2014 and the Faulkner Society’s novel prize in 2015. He was a resident at the MacDowell Colony in 2016. He teaches classes and does manuscript consulting for Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop in Brooklyn, and is a co-founder of the Berlin Writers’ Workshop.

Kristen Gleason

Kristen holds a BA in English with Honors from the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholar, and an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from the University of Montana. She studied linguistics in Tromsø, Norway on a High North Fellowship. She is currently a doctoral student in English at the University of Georgia.

Her fiction has appeared in Boston Review , Fence , Prairie Schooner , and elsewhere. She was selected as an A Public Space Emerging Writers Fellow and was the winner of BOMB ’s Biannual Fiction Contest and the North American White Review Short Story Prize in 2017. Recently, she was awarded a Fulbright grant to Norway for the 2018-2019 academic year.

She has taught creative writing and composition at the University of Montana, Montana Tech, and the University of Georgia, where she received an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. She was the managing editor of the University of Montana’s literary journal, CutBank. She has also worked in the Oakland, California public school system, edited for an academic publisher, instructed students in GRE and SAT test prep, and tutored in the University of Georgia’s Writing Center.

Conor Ahern

Based out of Washington, D.C., Conor is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the University of Virginia. Conor has been a law school admissions consultant for six years and has worked with dozens of prospective law students to achieve and exceed their admissions goals. In addition to his law school consulting work, Conor tutors the LSAT and works as a civil rights litigator in the employment space, with a focus on race, gender, and disability discrimination. He enjoys reading fiction, cooking, and making bad puns.

Jocelyn Glantz

Jocelyn Glantz is a graduate of George Washington University and Brooklyn Law School. After practicing law, she returned to BLS to serve as the Assistant Director of Admissions. 

To give herself more flexibility while raising her three girls, Jocelyn began consulting for a test prep company. She provided guidance to prospective undergraduate and law students, conducted essay and admissions workshops, and moderated law forums with panels of career and admissions professionals. Twenty years and hundreds of clients later, her individualized approach ensures that her clients present an application that highlights their achievements along with their personal and professional goals.

To balance her life, Jocelyn works as the Associate Director and Staffing Director of an all-girls sleepaway camp, which enables her to enjoy the outdoors during the summer while mentoring campers and staff. As the fall application season begins and she switches from an iced tea to a chai latte, you can find her immersed in law school admissions, working diligently for her clients.

Meghann Banacki

Meghann spent nearly a decade as an admissions officer at Cardozo School of Law. As the Associate Director of Admissions, she was involved in every aspect of the admissions process, including oversight of transfer admission. She has reviewed thousands of JD applications, interviewed hundreds of applicants, and counseled countless prospective students on the law school application process and the law school experience. Meghann also served two terms on the Law School Admission Council’s Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process Subcommittee.

Before transitioning to a career in admissions, Meghann was a litigation associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York City.

She received a BA, with honors, from Lehigh University, and a JD from Boston University. At BU, Meghann wrote on to the  Law Review  and later served on the editorial board as a Note Development Editor, guiding 2L students through the lengthy note-writing process.

Meghann is a life-long reader and a mother of three young children. She loves exploring the beautiful parks and beaches of Monmouth County, New Jersey with them.

Jeremy Klemin

Jeremy Klemin is a writer and editor based in New York. Born and raised in Long Beach, California, he has also lived in Portugal, Scotland, and Brazil, where he taught at the Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná as a Fulbright Fellow. He received grants from Phi Beta Kappa, Santander Bank, and the University of Edinburgh itself to pursue an MSc in Comparative Literature, and also received a scholarship from the Disquiet International Literary Program to support his creative nonfiction writing. He is a Contributing Editor at Help4Refugees, a Jordan-based humanitarian nonprofit.

His nonfiction is published or forthcoming in publications like The New York Times Book Review , Literary Hub , Redivider , Highsnobiety , Joyland , Post Road , and The Common about countries as diverse as Palestine, Ukraine, Serbia, and Brazil. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese, occasionally writing in the latter, and is currently working on an essay collection about skateboarding and cerebral palsy.

Lulu holds a BS in Society and Environment from the University of California, Berkeley and an MFA in writing from the University of Iowa, where she received fellowships in Rhetoric and Nonfiction as well as the Karl Claus Teaching Award.

She has designed and taught creative writing and composition courses at the Buckley School and the University of Iowa on subjects ranging from the rhetoric of food to humor writing, environmental writing, and writing about fashion. She has also worked as a technical writer in Silicon Valley and was an archivist at the Berkeley Folklore Archive.

Her essays, stories, and journalism have appeared in or are forthcoming from The Los Angeles Review of Books , DIAGRAM, Iowa Public Radio, and others. Her essay “Dams in Distress” was a 2020 finalist for the Pinch Page Prize. She is currently at work on a collection of humorous essays.

Ethan Madore

Ethan Madore received a BA in History from Vassar College and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program, where he was the 2017–2018 Provost’s Visiting Writer in Nonfiction. He has taught literature and personal writing courses for over five years, including classes on environmental, political, and travel writing, as well as graduate classes in journalism and cultural studies at the University of Dortmund in Germany. At Iowa, he designed a new series of courses for the Iowa Publishing Track and won an Outstanding Teaching Award. In Germany, he was a guest of honor at the national celebration of Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday.

A former editor of The Essay Review , his writing appears online in The Iowa Review and Guesthouse . He is at work on his first two books of nonfiction, a collection of essays about prehistory and a love song to the year 2011.

Susannah Davies

Susannah attended Barnard College, where she studied English and visual arts, and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she received a teaching fellowship to study fiction. At Iowa, she taught literature and creative writing courses. In 2016, Susannah was a finalist for the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowship. She is currently based in New Orleans and is at work on a collection of short stories.

Lee Cole holds an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a BA in English and Philosophy from the University of Louisville. He’s a 2020 Aspen Words Emerging Writer Fellow. His work has appeared in the  Cimarron Review , where it was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and he’s earned an honorable mention in Oxford American’s debut fiction contest. For the last two years, he’s taught creative writing at the University of Iowa.

Ariel Katz holds a BA in English from Yale and an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she won the Richard Yates short story contest. As a student there, she taught undergraduate English and creative writing courses, and upon graduation was awarded a Meta & George Rosenberg screenwriting fellowship. She’s published essays and interviews on the Ploughshares blog and at Bookforum , and is at work on a novel.

Catherine Meeks

Catherine holds an MFA in fiction from Warren Wilson College—where she was the Rona Jaffe Fellow—an MS in environmental studies from the University of Montana, and a BA in English ( summa cum laude, Phi Kappa Phi, Presidential Scholar) from Berry College. She has taught expository writing, creative writing, environmental writing, scientific writing, and literature at the college level for fifteen years, as well as for Duke University’s Talent Identification Program field study at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. She is currently a lecturer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and has twice been recognized as the lecturer of the year.

Catherine has received an Artist’s Grant from the Vermont Studio Center and the Emerging Writers Award from the Southern Women Writers Conference, and was invited in 2016 to be writer-in-residence at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia. Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Ecotone , Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, and other publications. In addition, Catherine is the co-founder of the Fall Line South Field Institute—an outdoor education school based in the Southeastern US—and a certified yoga instructor, most recently teaching at state and federal women’s prisons.

Dawn Corrigan

Dawn holds a BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Florida, where she served as President of the English Graduate Organization and as a writing tutor for the Athletic Department. She taught academic and creative writing at UF and at the University of Utah, where she was on the masthead at Western Humanities Review . She’s done copy editing for an array of clients including the University of Utah’s Tanner Trust and Free World Associates, a human rights organization. She was a researcher and strategist at IMS Consulting, a legal services provider for Am Law 100 firms. Currently she works in the affordable housing industry, with expertise in Fair Housing, VAWA, and the HUD-VASH program for homeless veterans. Her debut novel, Mitigating Circumstances , an environmental mystery about Florida wetlands, was published by Five Star/Cengage, and her shorter prose and poetry have appeared widely in print and online journals including The Good Men Project , Hobart , New England Review , New World Writing , The Paris Review , Poetry , and storySouth.

Jonathan Gharraie

Jonathan Gharraie holds degrees in English Literature from the University of Leeds and St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford. In 2014, he graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and stayed on as a Post-Graduate Teaching Fellow. He has written for The Atlantic , n+1 , The Paris Review Daily , The New Statesman , Review 31 , and Vogue , and is currently at work on his first novel. He lives in South Derbyshire, England.

Django Ellenhorn

Django Ellenhorn holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of Florida and a BA in English from the Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts. At UF, he taught a course on the intersection of politics and literature in the twentieth century as well as multiple workshops in fiction. He also worked as an assistant editor at the literary magazine Subtropics . He is currently at work on his first novel.

Nica Franklin

Nica Franklin received an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he taught literature and creative writing, and a BA in Philosophy from Harvard University, where he was awarded the Edward Eager Memorial Prize in English and an Artist Development Fellowship. His writing and poetry have appeared in places like Colorado Review , Religious Studies Review , and Leavings .

Gina Cecchetti

Gina worked in law school admissions for eight years, most recently as the Director of Admissions at Duquesne University School of Law. At Duquesne, her responsibilities included evaluating applicants for admission and managing the scholarship process—including the reconsideration process.

During her time in law school admissions, Gina served on admission panels with the Law School Admissions Council when they hosted law school forums. Gina also built relationships with pre-law advisors by hosting workshops, speaking on panels, and planning pre-law advisor conferences at both Case Western Reserve University School of Law and Duquesne Law.

Currently, Gina is an Associate Director of Admissions at a nationally ranked top MBA program. Gina holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Westminster College and a master of arts degree in higher education management from the University of Pittsburgh. Gina was a competitive figure skater at the Senior Ladies level, the highest competitive level, and you can find her at the ice rink coaching her figure skaters and hockey players.

Will Smiley

Will developed his editorial skills as a university writing center tutor. He has worked one-on-one with hundreds of faculty and student clients to improve their writing. He received his BA with Honors from the University of Chicago, studied medieval English literature at University College London, and completed an MFA in poetry at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was a postgraduate Provost Writing Fellow, and a Ph.D. in English at the University of Utah, where he was a Vice Presidential Fellow. Along the way, he has been a supervisor at Boston University’s Pappas Law Library and a cultural resource intern with the National Park Service in Anchorage, Alaska. He enjoys helping people become better writers. (His cat, Cathy, occasionally makes a cameo on Zoom calls.)

Tracy Simmons

Tracy Simmons is the Assistant Dean, Admissions, Diversity Initiatives and Financial Aid at University of San Diego School of Law. She received her JD from Golden Gate University School of Law and her MA in Education with an emphasis in Multi-Cultural Counseling from San Diego State University.

Tracy has worked in law school admissions, financial aid, and diversity initiatives for more than 22 years. She has reviewed thousands of applications, counseled hundreds of prospective law students, awarded millions of dollars in scholarships, and served on panels with admissions professionals from a significant number of ABA law schools. Prior to attending law school and working in law school administration, Tracy worked as a social worker for FamiliesFirst, Inc. in Northern California.

Tracy has been active with the Law School Admission Council on a variety of committees. She is currently the Chair for the Annual Meeting of Law School Professionals. She has served on the Board of Trustees. Past committee work includes serving on the Services and Programs Committee twice, the Forum Review Work Group, the Chief Diversity Officer Search Committee, the Diversity Initiatives Committee, the Finance and Legal Affairs Committee twice, and the Annual Planning Work Group, and serving as Chair of the New Admission Personnel and Faculty Members Workshop Planning Group.

Previously, she served as the Law Chair for the Access Group Advisory Board and the Access Group Advisory Committee. She recently served on the ACCESS LEX LexCon ’21 Planning Committee.

Additionally, Tracy has served as a consultant for the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) Achieving Success in the Application Process program for over 12 years. She is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), serving as the Chair of the Pre-Legal Education and Admissions to Law School Section twice, and as the Chair for the Part-Time Section. Tracy has also served on the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) Consumer Information and Law Student Information Task Force. Tracy has served on an ABA site inspection team and will serve on another site team next spring.

Tracy has served on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) since March 2014, is immediate past Board President, and is current Chair of the Program Committee. Most recently, Tracy has joined the Sacramento State University Division of Criminal Justice Community Advisory Committee and the California System Involved Bar Association Advisory Board.

Jenny Davis

Jenny holds a BA in English from Wesleyan and is an MFA candidate in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa, where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow. Her essays have been published in  Los Angeles Review of Books, Washington Square Review,  and  Speculative Nonfiction.  She is the author of the novel  Everything Must Go  and has two more novels forthcoming from Henry Holt. 

Tony Andrews

Tony holds a BA in Philosophy and Film Studies from Amherst College, where he graduated with honors and won the Film Studies Award, and an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa, where he designed and taught courses in literature and creative writing and won the Carl Klaus Teaching Award. His approach to admissions consulting is student-centered, focused on helping each student package and articulate their unique perspective across their essays. He has worked with clients from a broad range of demographic backgrounds, from Zen Buddhists to first-gen graduates to trauma survivors, listening carefully to their stories and helping them craft the most sincere and authentic version possible. He has served as an editorial assistant for  The Iowa Review  and an assistant editor for the  London Review of Books , and has consulted for both law and business school applicants, with past law school clients accepted to T-14 programs with significant aid, including Harvard Law, Yale Law, UChicago Law, Penn Carey Law, Columbia Law, and UC Berkeley, among others. His business school clients have been admitted to MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Berkeley Haas, and the London Business School, among others. Tony is a contributor to  The Surfer's Journal , a literary magazine about the art and culture of surfing.

Will Carpenter

Will holds an MFA in poetry from the University of Florida (Alpha Epsilon Lambda), as well as BAs in Philosophy and Political Science from Penn State (Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude), where he received awards in philosophy, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. At UF, Will taught classes in expository and argumentative writing, rhetoric and academic research, creative writing, and other areas, and designed a “Special Topics” course in American literature. Will won an English Department Teaching Award for the 2021–2022 academic year, during which time he also served as an Editorial Assistant for  Subtropics , a Style Editor for  ImageTexT , and a panelist at several conferences. He currently serves as a Staff Contributor for  New Square , the literary magazine of the Sancho Panza Literary Society. Will has received a scholarship from the New York State Summer Writers Institute, and his criticism has appeared in the  Denver Quarterly Review . You can find his poetry if you look hard enough, or gain access to the “Notes” app on his phone.

Ren Arcamone

Ren Arcamone holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Sydney and an MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was awarded the College of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Fellowship and a postgraduate teaching fellowship. She's taught introductory courses in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, and upper-level undergraduate courses on sci-fi and fantasy, as well as online and in-person writing courses for the Iowa Young Writers' Studio. She's served as an admissions reader for the Iowa Writers' Workshop and the Iowa Young Writers' Studio, and she's currently an editorial assistant for the Iowa Review. Before moving to the US, Ren lived in Sydney, Australia, where she worked at Writing NSW, an educational arts organization for emerging and established writers. Her fiction is published or forthcoming in Gulf Coast, Heat, and Electric Lit. She lives in Iowa City, where she's at work on a short story collection and a novel.

Sarina Redzinski

Sarina Redzinski holds a BA in English and Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University and an MFA from the University of Florida. In undergrad, she was on the inaugural board of the Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Law Review , led a number of writing workshops, and received the Jacob H. Hollander prize upon graduation. She also interned with the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Jersey program. While in Florida, she taught classes in expository writing, argumentative writing, fiction, and poetry. This past summer, she received a scholarship to the New York State Summer Writers Institute. Her writing credits include criticism for Full Stop magazine and poems forthcoming in Salmagundi magazine.

Drew Dickerson

Drew Dickerson holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of Florida as well as a BA from Brown University, where he graduated magna cum laude . He is a former Writing Fellow and current Features Writer for The Onion . He was the recipient of a 2017-2018 Fulbright fellowship to Germany, and his work has appeared or is forthcoming at n+1 , ClickHole , and The Point .

Janice Whang

Janice earned her AB from Harvard College and her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Florida, where she won a teaching award and served as an associate editor for  Subtropics . She enjoys running, cooking, and translating Korean literature. Her translation of a Korean short story, published in  The Denver Quarterly,  was nominated for the  Best Literary Translations Anthology.  Her own short stories can be found in  The /tƐmz/ Review, Oxford Magazine , and the forthcoming  Reunion: The Dallas Review .

Alicia C. Miles

Alicia has been working in law school admissions since 2016, most recently as Assistant Dean of Admissions at the University of Oregon School of Law. She has had leadership and responsibility for all aspects of the process including annual enrollment forecasting, implementing scholarship and pricing strategies, creating and implementing enrollment marketing material and strategies, national and international recruiting, and the evaluation of all applications to the J.D. program. During her time in law admissions, she served as the Minority Network Facilitator for the Law School Admissions Council.

Prior to law school admissions work, Alicia received her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Guilford College, and then her Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University Law School. She also served for six years in the United States Navy Reserve as an Electronics Technician. She received the AALS 2023 Section on Pre-Law Education and Admission to Law School Up-and-Comer Award. 

Alicia is currently living in Louisiana where she can typically be found zydeco dancing, spending time with her family and dog Beauxmont, listening to true crime podcasts, or reading a book from her ever-increasing TBR pile.

Ara Hagopian

Ara Hagopian is a writer. He holds a BA from Cornell University as well as an MFA from the University of Florida. As a grad student he taught Beginning Fiction Writing, Intermediate Fiction Writing, Expository and Argumentative Writing, Rhetoric and Academic Research, and Writing for Engineers. He’s done editing work for several journals including  Subtropics ,  New Square , and  Let’s Stab Caesar . He enjoys meditation and Irish folk music. He’s working on a novel.   

Savannah Horton

Savannah Horton is a fiction writer with an MFA from the University of Florida and a BA in English from Bowdoin College. She has five years of teaching experience at the undergraduate, high school, and elementary school levels. She was the 2021-2022 Writer in Residence at St. Albans School and a graduate of the University of Florida’s fiction MFA program, where she received the Porter Fellowship. She has published in The Drift, Subtopics, Raleigh Review , and The Cincinnati Review , where her story was selected as a Distinguished Story for the Best American Short Stories 2020 collection, and she was longlisted for both the 2021 CRAFT First Chapters Contest and the First Pages Prize.

Chris Schlegel

Chris Schlegel is the author of two books of poetry:  ryman  (2022) and  Honest James  (2015). He holds a PhD in English from Harvard, where he wrote on 20th-century American poetry; an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop; and a BA from Princeton. He studied in Berlin on a Fulbright grant, taught a summer ESL course in rural China, and served as a dorm counselor for young writers in Iowa City. He now teaches English and Creative Writing at Pierrepont School, a K-12 institution in Westport, CT, and lives in New Haven.

Liz K Emerson

Adria Kimbrough

Adria Kimbrough has advised law school applicants for more than 10 years. In 2013, she pioneered the Dillard University Pre-Law Program, which received the 2018 American Bar Association Diversity Leadership Award for its success in helping diverse law school applicants develop winning strategies. In 2018, she founded LEAD, a diversity pipeline program that helps students from three of Louisiana’s historically Black universities gain admission to law school. She is also committed to helping students pursue careers as civil rights attorneys through her work at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s Marshall-Motley Scholars Program, where she has reviewed almost 1,000 applications.

Adria began her professional career at Cornell University as an Assistant Dean of Students. She later practiced employment law throughout the South for 15 years, having successfully passed the bar examinations in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Louisiana     .

When she’s not working, you might find Adria walking her two French bulldogs, cooking a HelloFresh meal, on the AAU basketball circuit with her son, or debating world events and pop culture with her daughter and husband.

Allison Nash

Ali has worked in law school admissions since 2009, where, as Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at the University of Arizona College of Law, she evaluated applications, assisted in making merit-based scholarship decisions, and counseled prospective law students. She’s spent the past several years working as a law school admissions consultant, using everything she learned in the admissions office to help students discover then strategically articulate their strengths in law school applications. Prior to her admissions work, Ali obtained her JD, with distinction , from the University of Iowa College of Law, where she was selected as a Journal of Corporation Law writer and a Van Oosterhout-Baskerville Appellate Advocacy competitor. She practiced real estate law at Warner Norcross & Judd LLP(Am Law 200) for several years, where she also helped make hiring decisions and mentored new attorneys. She writes every chance she gets and has authored numerous legal and law school admissions publications. In Ali’s spare time, she volunteers as a CASA, runs a little cookie shop, teaches the occasional yoga class, and tinkers around on her ukulele.

Micky Hill graduated with honors from Wesleyan University and holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. While in Iowa, Micky taught several undergraduate creative writing courses and facilitated independent adult poetry workshops. They were awarded the Truman Capote Fellowship in 2018 and served as the postgraduate Provost Writing Fellow during the 2019–2020 school year. Their work has been published by  The Rumpus  and the Academy of American Poets.

Currently, Micky teaches African American and Latinx Literature, as well as other courses, at an honors high school in Springfield, MA. 

Writing Consultant

Joy Wang is a graduate of Harvard Law School (JD). She also holds an MFA from Hunter College in Fiction, and a DPhil in Postcolonial Literature from Oxford University where she was a Rhodes Scholar. She is currently a senior attorney at the Legal Aid Society in New York City, where she represents defendants from arraignments to jury trials. Prior to becoming a practicing lawyer, Joy published in a wide range of academic journals including  Race & Class ,  South Asian Review , and  Journal of Postcolonial Writing . She taught English Literature as an Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College, NYU in London, and the University of Stellenbosch. Most recently, she helped to train Indonesian lawyers in criminal and civil matters as a Fellow for the International Legal Foundation. Joy has a decade of experience helping students write essays for applications to law school and other graduate programs. She especially enjoys pondering the connections between literature, humanities, and public interest law. In her spare time, she plays tennis and cooks. 

Ziva has been the Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Admissions Communications at Cardozo School of Law for almost two decades. She was an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing at the law school, holding grammar workshops and providing individual academic support, among other roles. In her Admissions role, Ziva read thousands of JD and transfer applications, conducted almost as many interviews with prospective students, and counseled and recruited prospective applicants across the country. Ziva is regularly invited to participate on admissions panels in local universities and national forums. She also served two terms on the Law School Admission Council’s Subcommittee on Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process.  

Prior to entering law school admissions, Ziva practiced commercial litigation in a midtown Manhattan law firm for three years. Before pursuing law, she enjoyed a career in journalism for ten years, holding positions in print, television, and radio, as a news writer, field producer, and reporter. She worked for major news organizations including CNN, ABC, and NBC, while based in Jerusalem, Moscow, and New York City.

Ziva received a JD from Cardozo School of Law and a BA from New York University in English Literature and Creative Writing. She enjoys exploring New York City cultural sites with her daughter, and they both love to attend theatre and dance performances.  

Daniel Hwa-Sung Ryu

Daniel was admitted to the law schools of Yale, Harvard, Stanford, UChicago, and more. He has direct experience with every step of the process, including interviewing and writing personal/diversity statements, school-specific prompts, and addenda. 

He is a first-generation immigrant from Korea and a first-generation professional. Daniel holds a BA in Philosophy from Richmond College where he received a music scholarship and an MSt in Ancient Philosophy from Oxford. He then worked in national public service as an AmeriCorps member and cohort leader. In his spare time, he is fascinated by journalism, fiction, and nature documentaries. Daniel is finishing a novel provisionally titled  Shell Game  (thankfully, unrelated to the LSAT). He is also trying to pick up the violin again to awaken dormant brain parts, and at any given time, he and his family care for over a dozen cats. 

Lauren Pena

Lauren earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Political Science from Indiana Wesleyan in 2010 and completed her J.D. at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2013. She spent over 7 years in law school admissions as the Associate Director of Student Recruitment for Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. In her position, she recruited and advised prospective law candidates on how to create the best application and made admissions and scholarship decisions as a member of the review committee. Lauren has a strong passion for helping law students achieve their goals and spent her spare time advising current law students as well. Her passion for advising and mentoring students led her to present at recruitment conferences and serve on panels.

She has returned to practice and is now serving as an estate planning attorney for Stevens and Associates, PC. Still motivated by her love for law students, Lauren is excited to share her knowledge, insight, and encouragement. In her free time, Lauren enjoys spending time with family and friends, and getting involved in her continued work with disability advocacy.

Sam Allingham

Sam Allingham's writing has appeared in  The New Yorker  and  n+1,  along with many other magazines, and he is the author of the short story collection  The Great American Songbook.  He has professional experience as a speechwriter for C-suite clients and as a copywriter for educational and non-profit institutions. He has more than ten years' experience teaching writing at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

How to Write a 'Why This Law School' Essay

Here's how to respond when a law school asks about your specific interest in them.

Writing a 'Why This Law School' Essay

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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.

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

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

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.

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.

Tips to Boost a Law School Application

Tags: law school , graduate schools , education , students

About Law Admissions Lowdown

Law Admissions Lowdown provides advice to prospective students about the law school application process, LSAT prep and potential career paths. Previously authored by contributors from Stratus Admissions Counseling, the blog is currently authored by Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach , an admissions consultancy. Kuris is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has helped hundreds of applicants navigate the law school application process since 2003. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

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Home — Application Essay — Law School — Why UVA Law: Shaping Minds, Empowering Change

Why UVA Law: Shaping Minds, Empowering Change

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Published: Feb 15, 2024

Words: 601 | Pages: 1 | 4 min read

I am compelled to apply to the University of Virginia School of Law. UVA Law, with its esteemed faculty, rigorous academic program, and vibrant community, presents an unparalleled opportunity for me to pursue my intellectual growth and develop the skills necessary to effect positive change in the world.

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One of the most compelling reasons why UVA Law stands out to me is its commitment to providing a well-rounded legal education. The school's extensive curriculum, encompassing both theory and practice, prepares students to be versatile and adaptable legal professionals. The emphasis on experiential learning, through clinical programs and externships, allows students to apply legal concepts to real-world situations, honing their analytical and problem-solving skills. This practical approach ensures that UVA Law graduates enter the legal profession with a solid foundation and the ability to make an immediate impact.

Furthermore, UVA Law's renowned faculty is a testament to its commitment to intellectual excellence. The distinguished professors, many of whom are leading experts in their respective fields, foster an environment of academic rigor and intellectual curiosity. Their wealth of knowledge and experience will undoubtedly enrich my understanding of the law and challenge me to think critically and expansively. I am particularly drawn to the work of Professor X, whose research on constitutional law and civil liberties aligns closely with my own interests. The opportunity to learn from and engage with such exceptional scholars is an invaluable aspect of the UVA Law experience.

In addition to academic excellence, UVA Law boasts a vibrant and inclusive community that fosters collaboration and diversity of thought. The school's commitment to promoting a sense of belonging is evident in its numerous student organizations and affinity groups. These platforms not only allow students to engage with like-minded individuals but also expose them to different perspectives and experiences. By actively participating in these groups, I hope to contribute to a diverse and inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive and learn from one another.

Furthermore, UVA Law's location in Charlottesville provides a unique setting for legal education. The city's rich history and vibrant culture offer numerous opportunities for engagement with the local community. I am particularly excited about the Pro Bono Program, which allows students to provide legal services to underserved populations in Charlottesville. This program aligns perfectly with my goal of using my legal education to address systemic inequalities and promote access to justice. By working directly with community members and organizations, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face and contribute meaningfully to their lives.

Moreover, UVA Law's commitment to public service and its extensive network of alumni engaged in various public interest fields greatly appeal to me. The Dean's Fellows Program, which pairs students with alumni mentors, provides invaluable guidance and support in pursuing public interest careers. This unique opportunity, coupled with the school's strong public interest curriculum, will enable me to explore my passion for social justice and make a tangible difference in the lives of marginalized communities. I am eager to take advantage of the resources and mentorship UVA Law offers to nurture my commitment to public service and equip me with the skills necessary to effect meaningful change.

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In conclusion, my decision to apply to UVA Law is rooted in the school's commitment to academic excellence, its vibrant and inclusive community, its location in Charlottesville, and its emphasis on public service. I am confident that UVA Law will provide the ideal environment for me to grow intellectually, develop as a legal professional, and make a positive impact on society. I am eager to embark on this transformative journey and contribute to the rich legacy of UVA Law.

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Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

May 3, 2022

How to Get Into UVA Law [Episode 468]

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So you want to attend UVA Law? Here’s what you need to know [Show Summary]

Are you interested in a top law school located in a beautiful city at a historic university? UVA Law, founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, may be just the one for you, but it has only a 9.7% acceptance rate. Our guest today, Assistant Admissions Dean Natalie Blazer, will tell you what the admissions committee at UVA Law is looking for .

Interview with Natalie Blazer, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Chief Admissions Officer, U. of Virginia School of Law [Show Notes]

Thanks for joining me for this, the 468th episode of Admissions Straight Talk . Are you applying for law school? Are you planning ahead to apply next cycle or the year later? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted’s Law School Admissions Quiz can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/law-quiz , complete the quiz, and you will not only get an assessment but also tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it’s all free. 

I’m delighted to have on Admissions Straight Talk , Natalie R. Blazer. Dean Blazer is not only the Assistant Dean for Admissions and the Chief Admissions Officer at UVA Law, she’s also an alumna. She earned her bachelor’s at Boston College and then attended UVA Law. Following law school, she clerked at The Hague, worked in a Manhattan law firm for six years, and then worked in law school admissions at Columbia Law and Georgetown Law before returning to UVA as Assistant Dean for Admissions.

Can you give us an overview of the more distinctive elements of the UVA Law School JD program? [2:04]

Most people probably know UVA Law is a top 10 law school . It’s actually the number one public law school in the country. It’s something that we are very proud of. I think you can get a great law school education at any top law school, but what sets UVA apart from most is the experience that you have here. We are consistently ranked number one for quality of life, classroom experience, and faculty. I think all of that goes to our community and our culture.

Law school has a reputation of being extremely cutthroat and competitive, especially when you get to the higher level of law schools, but that’s not the case at UVA. When I think about what truly sets us apart, it is that experience that you have here. It’s the colleagues that you have, the supportive nature of the community, the faculty accessibility and outreach that you have, and the supportive administration. 

Seeing it from the administrative side versus the student side, I do see how much hard work and effort goes into making sure students have an amazing experience here. Obviously, our career outcomes, the actual academics, all of that goes without saying. When I think about what really distinguishes UVA from some of our peer schools, it is the atmosphere here. It’s that community culture.

The 2020-2021 application cycle saw an unbelievable surge in law school applications. On March 28th of this year, the overall applicant volume was down roughly 11.5% from the last year, but up 6.6% from two years ago. What is UVA experiencing in terms of application volume? [4:10]

Pretty much exactly what you just said. I know that our peer schools are in the same boat. Usually, national application trends are exactly what we’re experiencing at UVA. If you were to just take out the 2020-2021 cycle, we would be on a steady uptick, applications going up, up, up for the last several years. The last cycle was certainly an outlier. While technically, yes, applications are down this year, really they’re up in terms of what we can come to expect. We’re still up, as you said, depending on the day, somewhere between 5% and 8% over two years ago.

UVA accepts the LSAT, the GRE, and the GMAT, but requires applicants to submit all scores for the GRE and GMAT. Do you have any preference for one test over the other? [5:42]

We really don’t have a preference. We are still getting used to the GRE and GMAT, frankly. The LSAT has just been historically the law school admissions test so that’s what I’m most familiar with. However, it’s been about three or four years now that the schools have accepted the GRE and GMAT, so we are getting more used to it. It’s still a rather small minority of applicants.

[Read: LSAT vs. GRE: Which One Should You Take When Applying to Law School? ]

How many applicants apply to UVA with a GRE or GMAT? [6:08]

I would say 10% of applicants. A lot of people apply, and they have an LSAT and a GRE or an LSAT and a GMAT. What I want people to be aware of is that because the Law School Admissions Council is the organizing body that puts your applications together and sends them along to law schools and because they administer the LSAT, if you have any LSAT on record, we will see it. You can’t just pick and choose what to send to us. 

But, if you don’t want to send us your GRE or GMAT, and you already have an LSAT on file, we don’t need to see that. We, frankly, won’t know that you’ve taken it. If you are someone who has no LSAT, obviously we do need the GRE or the GMAT, but we really don’t have a preference. They’ve been shown to correlate to the first-year performance roughly the same.

I don’t know if anything official has come out about that, but based on my experience and the studies that I have seen, they roughly correlate the same. We don’t perform any sort of equivalency. There are a lot of tools online and people will say, “Oh, I got this score on the GRE, which equals this score on the LSAT.” It really doesn’t work that way. We really aren’t getting in the weeds like that. I would counsel prospective applicants to look at what our median LSAT is . Look at what percentile that is and aim for roughly those same percentiles on the GRE or the GMAT. It doesn’t need to be completely comparable, but that’s just to have a ballpark in your mind.

Are most of the users of the GRE or GMAT dual degree applicants? [7:51]

Not necessarily. I do think that’s a nice option if your other degree requires a GRE or a GMAT and you can just take one test. But, I think there’s still a little bit of a barrier to entry with the LSAT. Just as a way of background, the reason law schools started accepting the GRE and GMAT was to widen and broaden the applicant pool. We thought it would get more STEM people and more non-traditional applicants. That really did bear fruit. I do think for whatever reason, some people don’t want to take the LSAT regardless of whether they’re pursuing a joint degree or not. For someone who is pursuing a joint degree, the GRE or GMAT is a great option.

For students who haven’t taken any test yet, how should they decide which one to take? [8:55]

It was almost simpler in my day when you really only had one option. Familiarize yourself a little bit with each of the tests. At the end of the day, I see people who have submitted an LSAT and a GRE or an LSAT and a GMAT or a GRE and a GMAT, and guess what? Nobody is getting the 99th percentile on the LSAT and 80th on the GRE. You’re going to perform roughly the same across all three tests in terms of percentile.

They are not that different, so I don’t think it’s going to be a make-or-break moment. What I will say is you have to do your research because if law school is your goal, not every law school, even, today, in 2022, accepts the GRE or GMAT. If you’re trying to apply to a broad range of schools, LSAT could still be your safest bet. But, if you know for a fact that all of your schools you’re applying to accept all three tests, just familiarize yourself with each of the three and maybe take a practice exam or two. Maybe it’s possible that one of them will resonate with you more. I wouldn’t agonize over it. I do know the GRE, historically, was more available, but now that we have the LSAT-Flex which can take be taken remotely, they’ve really narrowed the gap in that sense.

Is the GRE still more widely accepted than the GMAT among law schools? [10:35]

That is correct. I think the GRE was the first alternative test to be adopted. Now, the GMAT is in there as well. I will tell you that, of the two alternative tests, we see far fewer GMAT than GRE.

Can you review UVA’s regular decision option and binding expedited decision option and share the major differences between them? [10:59]

Our binding expedited decision, or BED as we call it, is a slightly different version of a lot of other schools’ early decision option. We don’t call it “early decision,” because there’s actually no earlier deadline. You can apply binding any time throughout the cycle. The keyword in there is expedited. If you apply through this option, you will get a decision from us within 21 business days of your application going complete. In 21 business days, you will hear a decision whether that is: admit, waitlist, defer to the regular pool, which I’ll talk about in a second, or a denial.

For somebody who knows that UVA Law is their first choice, who will be 100% prepared to commit to UVA Law if admitted before seeing any financial aid package because that won’t come until much later, I think binding is a great option. It takes the guesswork out of your candidacy for us. We know you’re interested. We know you’re coming, so binding can be a great option for someone like that. If you are deferred from binding into the regular pool, all that means is, basically, it’s as if you never applied binding. It’s as if, now, we’re reading you as a regular applicant, so if we were to admit you, you’re no longer bound.

If you are admitted through the binding option, you do need to withdraw all other applications from all other law schools, and you have to pay your seat deposit at UVA within about three weeks. Again, it is a great option for somebody who’s sure UVA is where they want to be. There’s no earlier deadline. You can apply anytime up until right before our priority deadline.

Does the binding expedited decision have a different acceptance rate than the regular decision? [12:57]

I actually crunched these numbers last year because somebody asked me that in a Q&A, and it’s actually almost identical. The acceptance rate among just the binding expedited applicants is almost the exact same as within the regular pool. I get this question a lot because people think it’s “easier” to apply binding, and it’s really not. It’s a much smaller pool, and if you’re a strong applicant, you’re basically telling us right off the bat that you’ll come. People don’t realize that a huge part of what we do is discerning who’s actually interested in us. Somebody that we would not otherwise admit is not getting admitted just because they apply binding.

Are applicants who apply through the binding expedited decision process at a disadvantage in terms of financial aid awards, having made that commitment? [14:16]

That’s a great question. They have to commit before they know whether they’re getting any financial aid. That’s obviously not an option for everybody. The reality is the vast majority of law students are taking out loans. That’s kind of the way it works. I, myself, financed my entire law school education on loans. I was prepared to do that. Times have changed a little bit. I think people expect to be given money to attend graduate school. 

You are still eligible to get a scholarship if you apply binding. I don’t want to use the word leverage because at UVA, we really do not negotiate scholarships, but you have zero leverage at that point because you are committed to UVA. We tell people very straight forward that we don’t match scholarship offers from other schools. What you get is what you get, but if you got something bigger at another school and you applied regular, you have the option to go to a school where you got more money. That’s what I sort of mean by leverage. You’re keeping your options open because you can go somewhere that gave you a scholarship. If you apply binding, you don’t have that option. By the time you’re committed, by the time you understand what your financial aid package is, it’s too late. Again, you could still get a scholarship. You’re just not going to have the option to go take your second choice school if they give you more money because all those applications will have been withdrawn.

[Check out: How to Pay for Graduate School ]

Is full-time work experience a nice-to-have at UVA or really important to the admissions committee? [16:07]

It’s definitely not necessary. I’ll start by saying that. You are right that these days, about 20% of our incoming class is coming straight through from undergrad. 80% of the class has at least one year of work experience or spent time in other graduate programs. This is really reflective of the applicant pool versus any preference on our part. Back when I went to law school, probably about 50% of the class was coming straight through from undergrad. That was just a different time. I graduated from law school in 2008, just in time for the recession. I think every class since then has gotten a little bit more out of school, just because I think maybe people viewed it as more competitive, and they needed work experience to up their chances.

I have a few thoughts on this. First of all, it’s not necessary. You can be a super strong applicant coming straight out of undergrad. You can have great internships over the summer or during the year. You can have a thesis that you wrote. You can be a very well-rounded, strong applicant coming straight through. I tell people if you’re sure that law school is what you want to do and you don’t feel the need to wait, then don’t wait. I didn’t wait. I went straight through, so I certainly get that. Now, people who have worked are obviously bringing a lot to the table and they are probably going to enjoy law school more because they know what the working world is like. It doesn’t need to be legal-related experience. As long as you’re doing something productive and something that’s adding value to your own learning and education , I think it’s great.

We don’t need anyone to be a paralegal at a law firm before they come to law school. Certainly not. If somebody is, that’s great. That experience probably confirmed for them that law school is what they wanted to do. A side note on that, if you are someone who’s unsure that law school is for you, that is when I recommend having some law-related experience because it’s much better to find out before you invest that time and money to know that maybe it’s not what you want to do. Conversely, you could realize that this is really what you’re passionate about, and you go to law school that much more dedicated.

Do law firms seem to have any preference in terms of hiring or internships for people who have work experience before law school? [18:53]

When we are admitting people, if they don’t have significant work experience, we are being very careful in the interview to suss out whether they are ready to be put in front of a legal employer.

If somebody’s 21 or 22 years old, we need to make sure that in six months or a year from now, they’ll have professional skills and will be ready for this level of employment. I think if we do our jobs correctly, employers won’t even necessarily know the difference between someone who’s three years out and someone who’s coming straight through. 

Of course, a lot depends on what the experience pre-law school was. We have a lot of military folks. We have people who have very high-up jobs in the government. It’s possible that could influence an employer’s decision. But, really, when you’re getting to the level of legal hiring, they’re looking at your first-year grades. They’re looking more at what you’re doing in law school. They will see your resume, so it could definitely be valuable to them what you did before. But, hopefully, if we’ve done our job, even if you’ve come straight through, you are, by no means, at a disadvantage in the hiring process.

Do you like to see some experience that is closely related to law? [20:20]

As I mentioned before, it could be nice to see because you get the sense that someone knows what they’re getting into. You get the sense that this is a considered decision, and they’re not just applying to law school because they don’t know what else to do. If somebody has been a paralegal at White & Case for two years and they’re applying to law school, I think they know what a lawyer does. If somebody has never had any sort of professional-level job, maybe those skills won’t be there. Maybe they are kind of flailing around and don’t know what to do next.

Sometimes I get asked if applicants should leave non-legal work experience on a resume. They had to work through school or had to work to support their family during the summers. I say, absolutely leave that on. I like to see people who have had to put themselves through school. It shows character. It shows grit. It shows determination. I, personally, was a waitress in college and I had to support myself. I love to see that. Not everybody can afford to take these unpaid internships on the Hill. We want those people who can’t afford to do that, and who maybe had to work a service job over the summer or work as an RA, for example, during college. Maybe those paying jobs prevented them from getting some fancy internship. It doesn’t matter. I see that as life experience and work experience that will serve that person in law school and in their legal career.

Can you share what you’re looking for in the personal statement? [22:43]

We definitely encourage people to write about things that we wouldn’t otherwise know from reading their file. One of the biggest mistakes I see is someone just regurgitating or rehashing their resume. If I’m reading your personal statement, I already read your resume, so I don’t need to hear that you went to Duke, and then you got an internship on the Hill, and so on. Use this time to tell me something I don’t already know. Use this time and space to show off your writing skills. Writing is hugely, hugely important for law school. Your skills need to be at a certain point before we can admit you. Yes, it is broader than just, “Why law?”, but even if it’s not explicitly in there, I should have a great sense after I read the personal statement of why you’re going to law school.

Sometimes we get these amazing, creative writing type essays that are very well written, but I have no idea from that or from anything else in the file why this person is going to law school. Unfortunately, I can’t spend the time to interview that person and find out. The interview is not an investigation. It’s a further understanding of what I already see and like. Don’t assume you can just explain yourself away in an interview. 

First of all, not every school even interviews, but we won’t even get you to that point if you haven’t done a good job of demonstrating why law school makes sense for you at this stage of your life. Again, the essay does not need to read “I want to go to law school because…” but through what you’re explaining and the stories that you’re telling, we should have a good idea.

Do you have any guidance for addenda? [25:20]

Addenda are tricky. There are a few different types. One is a diversity essay. These are fairly common. If you’re somebody who has not already talked about your diversity in your personal statement, we always welcome you to tell us more about what makes you diverse : how you would contribute to a law school environment, your different view on the world, how you have gotten to this point. We encourage people to interpret diversity how they want, within reason and with respect to what diversity is and why it’s important. People can also talk about their diversity in their personal statement and kind of get that done all at once, but it’s not necessary.

The second is a “Why UVA” essay? We get these from time to time. They’re not required, but some people do like to send an essay telling us why they want to come to UVA, specifically. I like to read these. It helps me understand somebody’s interest. They’re by no means necessary. I do think if there’s nothing in your application that indicates to me that UVA is of interest to you, it might be worth explaining why because I otherwise might not know.

The other addenda are more practical addenda. If you’re addressing LSAT history , if you’re addressing a GPA that you think is not reflective of your capabilities, and, of course, we have the mandatory addenda if you have any character or fitness issues in your file. 

Regarding the LSAT and GPA, I tell people to be careful with these. If you’ve taken the LSAT five times and your scores are all over the place, don’t send addenda saying “I have severe test anxiety.” I don’t know what you think you’re going to be doing in law school, but it’s taking a lot of exams. Telling me you have severe test anxiety does not give me a lot of confidence. The same way that taking the LSAT 10 times to get the score that you want also doesn’t give me confidence. You don’t get to take your constitutional law exam 10 times. You get to take it once. If you get called on in class, you don’t get to redo your answer 10 times. Just be careful with what you’re explaining and what you’re telling us in these addenda.

The same applies for GPA. I see a lot of people saying they went through a trauma or they were sick or they switched majors. It’s okay if there were some extenuating circumstances that make your GPA not reflective of your abilities, but just be careful about making too many excuses. I would much rather see somebody own up to what happened and take responsibility.

Furthermore, don’t spend so much time on your weaknesses. You should be highlighting your strengths in the application , very quickly acknowledging anything that you think deserves to be acknowledged, and then putting it in the rearview. We don’t need to hear the whole saga.

Remember that real people are reading your application. I went through things in college, too, but I still had a certain GPA, and I certainly didn’t make excuses for anything. Just be careful. Again, anything that would not be otherwise obvious from the application that really was extenuating, definitely take the moment to explain it, but just don’t go too far.

We’re not trying to punish anybody for any sort of academic history, but your job with the application is to provide us with enough information that tells us that if we bring this person to UVA Law, they will do the work, and they won’t struggle. No matter how much we like their writing or their resume, we cannot bring anyone here that we don’t think is going to thrive and succeed and be able to keep up with the work. If all we have is your GPA and a bunch of excuses, we think this is going to also be what your law school transcript looks like.

What other factors do you consider beyond LSAT and GPA? [30:32]

We have thousands of applications with scores that we like and GPAs we like that we can’t admit. For me, the writing really gets me. A strong writer who really writes about something memorable. It doesn’t need to be one of these creative writing things or something so shocking. They don’t have to try to stand out necessarily but people do stand out with their writing skills and by telling us who they are, and making us want to know them more in an interview. 

A professional-looking resume goes a long way. Something that’s easy to follow. These days I see a lot of colors, photos, and icons. I just encourage everybody to do a standard resume. 

Letters of recommendation, especially lately, have been really blowing me away. If you can find two or three great people who can really write detailed letters for you because they actually know you, those can really make a difference.

In the actual application itself, we ask for people’s activities: their hobbies and interests. This might seem like a throwaway sort of question in the app, but it’s really not. That’s because at UVA, we really care about our community and how well-rounded people are. This is not a school where someone will come, go to the library, study by themselves, get a job, and leave. It is really an experience so we like to read about people’s community service, what hobbies and interests they have, and what activities they’re engaged in. 

In addition to the LSAT and GPA, all these other factors just paint a picture of a person who we would want to get to know better in an interview and somebody who we think is going to contribute here.

What role do interviews play in the admissions decision and what can applicants expect during the interview? [33:20]

For us, interviewing is really about getting to know a person a little bit better and seeing what kind of personality someone has. Sometimes people look great on paper, and it does not translate in person. Sometimes, someone really outperforms their file. Getting to know someone, even just on Zoom for 20 minutes, makes an enormous difference. We can ultimately tell if they’re going to be employable and if they’re going to be a good community member. The application has to get you to a certain point, but if you are invited to interview at UVA, that means we are seriously considering you. We have a tiny, tiny staff. We do not have time to interview people that we are not hoping to admit.

A trend I’ve seen lately, and I don’t know if this is a COVID Zoom consequence, but I see a lot of people reading from paper. They’ve tried so hard to prepare in advance and they’re reading from a screen, or they’re just kind of robotic. They’re not having a contemporaneous conversation. It’s really unfortunate because those people don’t get admitted under any circumstances. My interviews are not hard. I’m just trying to get to know you better and understand why you’re going to law school. If you have to read from a piece of paper to answer those types of questions, it’s not a good sign. People who are applying to law school are applying to be trusted advisors and counsel to people in extremely significant life situations and decisions. If you can’t carry a conversation and answer questions, it just does not bode well. 

My advice is to work on those skills and treat an interview request from UVA Law as your time to shine and to seal the deal, if you will. We’re not trying to trick you. I’m not going to ask you any math questions. It’s really just to gauge your personality. It’s a chance for you to ask me questions. Remember you need to decide which law school is right for you as much as we want to decide who’s right for us. An interview is a really rare and wonderful opportunity to get to talk to somebody who works there or who has gone there or both. 

We interview throughout the whole cycle. If we turn to the waitlist later in the year, we also will interview off the waitlist as well. It technically is a year-round thing. We try to get interviews over with by now, but they will pick up slightly in the summer.

Are Zoom interviews a COVID accommodation or is that how it has always been at UVA? [36:16]

I think long ago they were in person. The truth is we are admitting people from all over the country. It’s just not practical. I sometimes am doing eight or ten interviews in a day. I don’t have time to do them in person. Zoom, I think, is really here to stay.

We didn’t used to always interview everybody. It’s very time consuming especially when you’re short staffed but it’s worth it. Like I said, even those 20 minutes really help us get to know someone better.

Does UVA consider update letters from applicants who have something significant to tell you after they submit their application and before hearing back from you? What about waitlisted applicants? [37:12]

Yes. In both cases, yes. If you’re somebody who has submitted your application in September and now it’s January, and you haven’t heard from us, first of all, don’t worry. Again, I don’t know how much I can harp on this. We are very short-staffed. I promise we’re reading your file. If I didn’t have to read every single file multiple times, we could get you a decision within two weeks but I don’t think you want that. I think you want people who are taking the time and attention with the files.

[Read: The 9 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make on a Law School Waitlist ]

Every single file goes through me, so if you haven’t heard in a few months, absolutely, send us a note. Just say, “Hey, I submitted a few months ago. I’m still extremely interested in UVA. I appreciate the time and energy that this process takes, and I’m by no means trying to rush you, but I just wanted you to know I’m here. By the way, I retook the LSAT in December and I have a new score. You should have seen it in my file already but I just wanted to draw your attention to my new score.” Or something like, “I applied three months ago and am still patiently waiting. I recently got a promotion at work, and now my responsibilities are X, Y, Z. Not only am I submitting an updated resume, but you will also be receiving an additional letter of recommendation.” All of that is great. Fair game. Perfect. 

Also, those things that are not technically in your application, but something like the way that you have interacted with my office plays a role in your decision. I’ll just put that out there. On the flip side, when people come to visit and they’re amazing, respectful, and appreciative, that helps them too. It can help or hurt you. I want to remind people that. The way that you would email me or speak to me should be the exact same way you’re speaking to our receptionist and our students and all of that.

What would you have liked me to ask you? [41:14]

One thing that I will just say, because it’s how I’m feeling in this moment and it’s coming full circle to what we spoke about at the beginning, is how amazing the UVA community is. We are coming out the other side of COVID. We don’t have masks anymore. We don’t have any restrictions. Student life really feels back to what it was. I just can’t tell you how much it has reinforced in our community what an amazingly special place this is. I came right before this from doing a Q&A session with a whole mix of people, admitted students, waitlisted students, and people who haven’t gotten a decision yet. Our students met with them, gave them a tour, and just seeing everybody engaged and out and about was an amazing feeling. We were able to have a huge admitted student event a couple of weeks ago with 300-400 people here.

Visiting a school is one of the most important things you can do because I have heard time and time again about the feeling people get when they come here. There’s just no replacement for that. My very first year in this job was completely remote. We had no visitors. I didn’t even really come to the office except to sign things. It was very difficult and not getting to bring people to this beautiful place, not just Charlottesville itself, but our law school grounds was extremely difficult. I just am feeling, now, in this week, how grateful I am that we’re back to how it used to be because it makes a huge difference.

Where can listeners learn more about the University of Virginia School of Law? [45:09]

I think the best resource is our website at law.virginia.edu . 

I really encourage people to also check out our YouTube page . I have heard from applicants that this is really what put UVA on their radar. We have so many classes that have been recorded uploaded there. You could basically observe a law school class online. You can see speeches from our Dean. You can take a virtual tour. We have students leading virtual tours. 

Related Links:

• UVA Law Admissions
• UVA Law YouTube Channel
• Are You Ready for Law School? , Accepted’s Law School Admissions Quiz
• Accepted’s Law School Admissions Services

Related Shows:

• How to Get into USC Gould School of Law
• UCLA Law School: How to Get Accepted
• 4 Reasons for Rejection and How to Respond
• What Happened to the LSAT-Flex?

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How to write a 'why this law school' essay with examples.

Reviewed by:

David Merson

Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University

Reviewed: 2/6/24

Entering law school? Knowing how to approach the “why law” school essay is vital—it's your tool to articulate why their institution is the ideal match for your legal goals. Let's get straight to it.

Getting into law school involves more than just grades—it's about convincing the admissions team why their school is the perfect fit for you. 

In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of crafting a strong "Why This Law School" essay, using clear examples and practical advice to help your application stand out in the competitive pool of applicants. So, let's get down to the essentials that will make your essay a key asset in securing your spot at the law school of your choice.

Writing the "Why This Law School" Essay

When writing your "Why This Law School" essay, it's important to thoughtfully consider key elements to express your connection with clarity and purpose. So, let’s take a look at how to write a “why law” school essay.

Generating Ideas for Impactful Content

When you're getting ready to write your “why law” school essay, start by doing some research. Dig into the school's culture, mission, faculty, and special projects. Learn about their history and what campus life is like.

Next, think about what genuinely interests you about the school. It could be their commitment to diversity, a specific course they offer, or interesting internship opportunities . Write down these things that catch your attention.

Now, connect your own experiences, events, and skills with the things you found interesting about the school. If they're big on diversity, share your own experiences supporting inclusivity. 

If there's a specific course you like, talk about how your past courses and work experiences make you a great fit. Basically, show them why you're not just any applicant but someone who can really add to what makes the school unique.

Stating Academic and Career Goals

A concise statement sets the stage, pinpointing what draws you to the school. Perhaps it's the renowned faculty or the emphasis on practical skills. Illustrate with a personal example—maybe a transformative moment during an internship or a class—that aligns with the school's values. Showcase your connection.

Highlight how your future aspirations intertwine with the school's strengths. Whether it's honing specific legal skills or contributing to a particular aspect of the academic community, paint a vivid picture of what you aim to achieve. Keep it focused, emphasizing the tapestry of alignment between your goals and the school's offerings.

Exploring Unique Opportunities Related to Your Interests

When explaining why a specific law school captures your attention, it's crucial to move beyond generic features and explore the distinctive opportunities the institution offers. For instance, consider the case of the UC Berkeley School of Law .

Dive into specific clinics like the Environmental Law Clinic, renowned professors such as Professor Abhay Aneja , or cutting-edge research projects like the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. By delving into these unique aspects, you showcase genuine interest in what sets Berkeley Law apart.

Establishing a personal connection to these opportunities is key. It's not just about what Berkeley Law provides; it's about how programs like these align with your personal and professional goals. 

This connection adds depth to your application, demonstrating how you'll not only benefit from these opportunities but also contribute positively to the overall Berkeley Law community. Effectively communicating this alignment enhances your case for being an ideal fit for the institution.

Adding Top Academic and Extracurricular/Social Reasons for Application

Crafting a compelling application involves presenting a balanced approach that seamlessly integrates both academic and extracurricular or social reasons for your choice. Showcase a comprehensive understanding of the law school's offerings, not only in terms of curriculum but also in the broader context of the overall student experience.

To demonstrate fit, articulate how your academic pursuits align harmoniously with the school's curriculum. Illustrate how the courses, faculty expertise, and academic environment resonate with your educational goals. Simultaneously, emphasize how your extracurricular interests contribute meaningfully to the broader community. 

Whether it's involvement in student organizations, community service, or social initiatives, conveying a holistic engagement paints a picture of a candidate who will not only excel academically but also enrich the social fabric of the law school.

Knowing the Right Essay Length

If there are no guidelines, aim for around one double-spaced page, roughly 250–350 words. Format your essay like your personal statement, using "Interest in School X" in the header unless the application specifies otherwise (e.g., "Supplemental Essay One"). This ensures a smooth and organized flow of your thoughts throughout your application.

Thinking about length isn't just a detail; it's a sign of respecting the application process and the committee's time. This consideration makes your response more impactful and shows you get the importance of being concise without losing depth.

Seeking Professional Assistance

Starting your law school journey involves complexities, from crafting a strong application to excelling in standardized tests like the LSAT , GRE, Bar Exam, or MPRE. At Juris Education, our experienced admissions counselors are here to guide you through every step.

Navigating the details of expressing your achievements and overcoming setbacks can be challenging. Our team offers personalized guidance to help you strategically present your unique strengths, ensuring they connect with admissions committees.

Our consulting services are more than just advice; they make a real difference. Specifically designed for applicants dealing with challenges like low GPAs or LSAT scores, we specialize in turning setbacks into strengths, significantly improving your chances of acceptance.

We work closely with you to identify and highlight your standout qualities, tailoring your application to showcase what makes you exceptional. This personal touch sets you apart and boosts your appeal to admissions committees.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your “Why This Law School” Essay

Avoiding common pitfalls in your "Why This Law School" essay is crucial for clarity:

1. Vague Statements

When writing your essay, steer clear of vague language that could apply to any law school. Instead, focus on specific elements that make the institution unique, such as distinctive programs, esteemed faculty, or unparalleled opportunities. 

Get into the details when discussing academic offerings—highlight faculty members aligned with your interests and pinpoint programs resonating with your academic goals. This specificity not only reveals your research depth but also establishes a thoughtful connection to the school.

2. Overemphasis on Reputation

While acknowledging a law school's prestige is vital, avoid fixating solely on reputation without linking it to your personal and professional goals. Admission committees want to understand how the school's reputation aligns with your aspirations and why it's the ideal place for your legal education. 

Connect the school's reputation to your objectives to provide a nuanced perspective. For instance, if a law school is renowned for environmental law , emphasize this alignment if you're passionate about environmental advocacy.

3. Ignoring Extracurricular/Social Aspects

Don't overlook the significance of social and extracurricular factors in your decision-making process. Law school extends beyond academics; it's a comprehensive experience involving a community, networking opportunities, and extracurricular activities . Integrate both academic and extracurricular aspects into your essay. 

Discuss how the law school's social environment, student organizations, and community engagement contribute to a holistic educational experience. This showcases a well-rounded understanding of the institution and its role in your overall legal education.

Structuring Your "Why This Law School?" Essay Effectively

Let's dive into how to make your "Why This Law School?" essay stand out by structuring it effectively.

Outlining Key Points and Themes

Making your "Why This Law School?" essay easy to understand involves a strategic approach:

1. Identify School-Specific Elements

Begin by pinpointing specific aspects of the law school that catch your interest—unique programs, esteemed faculty, or notable achievements. This lays the groundwork for a focused and impactful essay.

For instance, if the law school is known for its environmental law program and you're passionate about sustainability, highlight this in your essay. Show a deep understanding of the school's offerings and how they align with your personal and professional goals.

2. Prioritize Impactful Points

Once you've figured out what matters to you, rank them based on how much they affect your decision. What stands out the most to you? What fits well with your career goals? Putting the most impactful points first helps keep your essay clear and persuasive.

For instance, if the law school has a special program where you can work directly with clients, and this lines up with your goal of getting hands-on legal experience, make sure to highlight this. The goal is to show a sincere and careful tie to the institution.

3. Create a Logical Flow

Plan your essay with a clear order, starting with the most important points. Transition smoothly between your academic, extracurricular, and personal experiences to create a cohesive story that highlights your deep understanding of the law school and why it suits you.

For example, if your interest in environmental law relates to your commitment to community service, make sure to emphasize this connection. A well-structured and logically flowing essay enhances readability and strengthens your overall argument for why the law school is an ideal match for you.

Combining Academic and Extracurricular/Social Reasons

Ensuring balance is key when shaping your "Why This Law School?" essay. It's not just about academics; it's about capturing the broader law school experience. Avoid going all-in on one side; try to reflect your appreciation for academic offerings and your potential impact on the law school community.

Discuss how your academic path blends seamlessly with the social dynamics of law school. Share how your classes and extracurricular interests harmonize, illustrating how your involvement in student organizations weaves effortlessly into your coursework.

For instance, if the law school's clinical programs align with your academic groove, delve into how it extends beyond conventional study methods. Emphasize the practical, real-world learning experiences it offers. 

By showcasing this interconnected approach, you demonstrate a well-thought-out perspective on your entire law school journey, adding an authentic and profound dimension to your essay.

Using Feedback and Editing Wisely

As you fine-tune your "Why This Law School" essay, let's talk about using feedback and editing in a smart and effective way.

1. Reach Out for Help

Before finishing your essay, get input from people you trust. Share your essay with mentors, peers, or advisors to get helpful feedback. Others can offer insights and spot areas for improvement that you might miss.

Choose people who know about the law school application process and can give constructive feedback on what you've written. Their input is essential for polishing both the content and presentation of your essay.

2. Revision Time

Revise your essay based on feedback, focusing on clarity, coherence, and strengthening your argument. Make sure to pay attention to suggestions that take your narrative to the next level. If feedback aligns with your goals, try to incorporate it. But, most importantly, trust your judgment and maintain the integrity of your narrative if a suggestion doesn't make sense with your vision.

3. Final Polishing

Before you submit your essay, focus on a last edit for grammar, style, and overall coherence. Make sure it fits the word or character limit and stays well-organized. Check how ideas flow, transitions between paragraphs, and the general readability.

A refined essay shows your dedication to a thoughtful application. Spend a moment on this final review to catch any remaining errors and guarantee your essay leaves the intended impression.

3 Examples of Successful “Why This Law School” Essays

Explore three successful examples of "Why This Law School" essays to gain practical insights into crafting compelling narratives and building strategic connections. Each “why law” school essay example has something to offer. Let’s get into them.

1. "Why Northwestern" Essay Example

Prompt : While other parts of your application give us a sense of who you are, we are also excited to hear more about how you see yourself engaging with the larger Northwestern community. In 300 words or less, help us understand how you might engage specific resources, opportunities, and/or communities here. We are curious about what these specifics are, as well as how they may enrich your time at Northwestern and beyond. (300 words max)

Essay Example

“I love Northwestern’s academic flexibility, including the freedom of the curriculum to explore a variety of fields and the emphasis on cross-department study. Also, the quarter system provides a faster pace of learning and the opportunity to take more classes than a semester school.

Specifically, I am excited by the Spanish and Portuguese departments and the classes on Hispanic and Lusophone culture, literature, and phonetics. 

For example, the accelerated Portuguese program is a perfect way to pick up the language at a faster pace using my prior knowledge of Spanish. I intend to supplement my language acquisition through the study abroad programs offered at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro or an affiliate program in Santiago, Chile. 

Additionally, the GESI program in Costa Rica is another intriguing opportunity through its intersectionality. It will allow me to combine a practical application of my language skills with studies in environmental conservation that I find a pressing and interesting issue. As an open-minded learner keen to forge links between academic fields of study, I believe I would be an excellent fit for the program.

I am also interested in Linguistics and pursuing undergraduate research or possibly undertaking the coterminal BA/MA program. The opportunity to link my research to a modern language of choice and investigate, for example, regional variation in Latin American Spanish or how Portuguese loanwords have infiltrated native Amazonian languages sounds fascinating and exciting.

Finally, the unique sense of community at Northwestern captivated me when I visited campus. The residential college system, the school spirit at Wildcat games, and the friendliness of the students I met, one of whom described the school as “the most welcoming place ever”, were all emblematic of this atmosphere for me. I think I will thrive in such a dynamic and inquisitive place.”

Why This Essay Works

This essay does a great job answering the prompt. It's clear and to the point. The applicant talks about why they're excited about Northwestern, like the flexibility of the curriculum and the quarter system. 

They also get specific about their interests, like the Portuguese program and study abroad opportunities. Plus, they mention their enthusiasm for the community at Northwestern, which is a nice touch.

2. "Why Tufts?" Essay Example

Prompt : Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short, "Why Tufts?" (150 words max)

“The cross-curricular focus and freedom of study at Tufts would allow me to pursue an interdisciplinary major and draw together my love for Spanish, Portuguese, Linguistics, and the natural sciences. This unique ability to design my own major by combining elements from a variety of academic fields definitely excites me. To support this, I intend to participate in the study abroad program in Chile or a civic semester in Urubamba, Peru that will allow me to practice my language skills while also benefitting the local community and gaining an invaluable cultural understanding through intimate homestay experience. Other than the academics, the vibrant community at Tufts also attracts me, with the warm and compassionate students acting as flattering adverts for the school. One student I spoke with described the average Jumbo as “goofy and loving” which I feel accurately matches my own character and outlook.

(144/150 words)”

This essay works because it clearly shows how Tufts University's cross-curricular approach aligns with the applicant's academic interests in Spanish, Portuguese, Linguistics, and the natural sciences. 

It also conveys the applicant's intention to craft a unique major and engage in enriching experiences like studying abroad and contributing to local communities. Additionally, it portrays Tufts as a welcoming and compassionate community through the description provided by a current student, making a strong case for why the applicant is interested in the university.

3. "Why Tulane?" Essay Example

Prompt : Please describe why you are interested in attending Tulane University (optional). (50-800 words)

“Tulane University has a unique history, deeply established in the city it calls home, New Orleans. After transitioning from a medical school to a full college in in 1847, then undergoing a name change from the University of Louisiana to Tulane in 1884, as the city changed, Tulane changed with it. Tulane is the crossroad of two distinctly different ideals: being rooted in tradition and adapting to the needs of modern society.

When the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Tulanians answered the call to serve. Scott S. Cowen, then-President of Tulane, refused to let the hurricane ruin Tulane and the CIty. Tulanians were part of rescue and clean-up teams, devoting time and resources to rebuilding their school and the city it calls home. What was most impressive, however, was their resilience.

It would’ve been easy for the student body and staff to not come back. Being as smart and service-oriented as they are, the students and faculty could’ve found another place to live and learn easily. Yet, they returned. Tulanians have a certain sense of pride and commitment to the school that I admire. 

They could’ve stayed home and not gone back, but they wanted to pick up the pieces of the school they love. It’s clear that Tulanians take ownership in their education. I want to go to a school that my peers want to go to; I want to be immersed in a community as excited about being in it as I am. That’s Tulane.

I could go on and on about Tulane’s teacher education program. I could write about how Tulane-educated teachers are leaders in their fields because they have both a degree in their area of study as well as certification to teach. Maybe I could mention the service learning requirements necessary to graduate and enter the teacher certification program, ensuring that the teachers are prepared to instill morals in the students that walk through their classroom door.

Truthfully, I could go almost anywhere to become a teacher, but only schools like Tulane that synthesize in- and out-of-classroom learning produce great ones. Tulane, like I said before, houses a resilient and altruistic student body. They served New Orleans specifically in 2005, but Tulanians serve their community every single day. Newsweek ranked Tulane 19th for service-minded schools. Likewise, the U.S. News & World Report placed Tulane in the top 25 schools for service learning. It is one of the top schools for producing Peace Corps volunteers, a program that interested me for post-graduate work.

Whether it is through Outreach Tulane, CACTUS, Wave of Green, or another similar program, I will be immersed in service work throughout my four years. Tulane stands alone in its commitment to community. Classroom education is married with service learning, producing empathetic, worldly leaders ready to set the world on fire. In my case, that will be through educating the next generation.

I need a meaningful education to be a meaningful educator. Tulane is unparalleled in its dedication to development of the students, on a personal and intellectual level. From when I touch the Victory Bell after Convocation all the way to when I say farewell at the Wave Goodbye Party at Commencement, I’ll have changed and grown, both in my mind and in my heart.

The Tulane study body is diverse and well-rounded; finding people and groups with shared interests is inevitable. I could see myself writing for the Hullabaloo or being a tutor in the After-School Newcomb Tutoring (which will bridge my learning and my intended career and give practical application to my education classes). But more so, I can just envision myself at Tulane, as a Tulanian. The willowing oak, myrtle, and cypress trees, the world-renowned research facilities, the dedicated faculty, the motivated and inspired student body, and the timeless school spirit all lend itself to a picture I can see myself in.”

This essay does a great job of showing why the applicant wants to attend Tulane University. It talks about the university's history, how it responded to Hurricane Katrina, and why the applicant is interested in their teacher education program. 

It also mentions the strong commitment to service and personal growth at Tulane. Overall, it makes a strong case for why the applicant is excited about being a part of the Tulane community.

To sum it up, writing your “why law” school essay is all about storytelling. From understanding the unique aspects of law school to combining academic and extracurricular reasons, your essay is a chance to show why you're a perfect fit. 

Explore the unique opportunities the school provides, creating a personal connection that enhances your application. Keep it simple: Steer clear of common mistakes, and make sure your essay is well-structured. And don't forget, the right essay length is more than a detail—it shows respect for the application process.

If you find it helpful, consider getting expert advice for a well-guided path to law school. Take inspiration from successful examples as you start your writing journey, creating a narrative that sets you apart in the competitive realm of law school applications.

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6 Awesome UVA Essay Examples

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UVA is a pretty selective school, so writing strong essays is essential to improving your chances. By reading former applicants’ essays and seeing what they did right and what they did wrong, you can learn how to better impress UVA admissions officers!

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our UVA essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts. 

Essay Example #1: College of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences—What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way? (250 words)

Cringing when thinking about human sacrifice in “Vida y muerte en el Templo Mayor,” I puzzled over the motive behind the Aztec practice of killing a person to appease the gods of nature.

 After a lengthy discussion with Mexican friends, I learned that Aztec civilization considered humans just one part of the natural world, rather than the dominant species. Only when the gods of nature are satisfied, they believed, can worldly creatures live in peace.

That’s when I recognized how I’ve been looking at the world from an anthropocentric model. Whether in the Four Heavenly Kings of Chinese mythology, or in the Bible story of Noah’s Ark my Christian grandma told, these stories revolve around humans’ survival and prosperity, and nature is just a backdrop.

The Aztec “nature-centric model,” truly challenged my perspective. Humans might not be as superior as we think; everything may not be about us. Reflecting on my motivations for advocating sustainability, I’m guilty of preserving the Earth for the sake of our human offspring, not for the Earth’s own sake.

The Aztec perception of humans’ relationship to nature inspired me to reconceptualize my own perspective. I expanded my framework from humanity to all creatures: why not consider the elephants our siblings, or the trees our cousins?

I reject the Aztec practice of human sacrifice, but their belief that we are but a tiny part of nature resonated deeply with me. Rather than protecting Earth with self-interest and fear, I now treat Earth with empathy and love.

What This Essay Did Well

This UVA essay is well-structured and well-written. It answers the prompt while providing valuable personal information about the applicant.

With the introduction, the student achieves the most important part of this essay: answering the prompt. This student identifies their topic of discussion— “Vida y muerte en el Templo Mayor,”— quickly, but keeps it interesting through using a complex sentence structure.

Rather than stating it explicitly, the author shows their desire to understand other cultures and positions themself as open-minded, as they took the time to have “lengthy discussion with Mexican friends.” 

The student also relates the story back to their interests and perspectives. They share how this book caused them to reflect on the way they’d been advocating for sustainability, and view their advocacy more holistically to benefit the earth itself rather than just humans. Presumably, this student is declaring environmental studies or environmental science as a major. That means that, while readers are learning about the student’s values, they also learn that values are the central motivation behind this student’s career choices. This self-reflection is important and looks great to admissions officers!

The conclusion of the essay perfectly summarizes the growth that the student has described. It shows the self-reflection that they have experienced, with some of their beliefs staying the same and others changing.

What Could Be Improved

While overall this essay is a great example, this paragraph is its weakest link:

That’s when I recognized how I’ve been looking at the world from an anthropocentric model. Whether in the Four Heavenly Kings of Chinese mythology, or in the Bible story of Noah’s Ark my Christian grandma told, these stories revolve around humans’ survival and prosperity, and nature is just a backdrop. 

That’s because this paragraph makes the error of telling, not showing . The student uses the summarizing phrase “that’s when I recognized” (which should generally be avoided) then continues to tell readers what they learned. Rather, the student could have provided a piece of dialogue from their discussion with their friend or used self-reflective questions to show us the message of this paragraph.

An example of how this paragraph could be improved:

“So you’re telling me that your culture doesn’t view humans as the main characters?” I asked my friend, still slightly baffled. When I got home, I went down a Google rabbit hole, obsessively researching Aztec beliefs. I landed on a page about the anthropocentric model. Had I been learning this model all along without even knowing? I thought about my Christian grandma’s stories—Noah’s arc, the Four Heavenly Kings, Genesis. They all revolve around humans’ survival and prosperity, and nature is just a backdrop.

This revised paragraph is much more captivating and would have strengthened the overall essay.

Essay Example #2: School of Architecture

Describe a significant experience that deepened your interest in studying in the School of Architecture. (250 words)

During my freshman year, my studio art class arranged a field trip to the National Portrait Gallery. To say I was excited was an understatement. Although I have lived near DC all my life, I never had the chance to visit its art museums. This trip would be my first time. 

When we arrived, I stood in the courtyard, waiting for directions. I don’t remember what spurred me to look up, but when I did, the sight of a floating steel and glass canopy above amazed me. It was unlike anything else in the room. The undulant form of the ceiling reminded me of being underwater, looking up to see waves dancing. What struck me the most was how its sleek and modern design juxtaposed the gallery’s Greek revival architecture. 

I’ve gone back several times since then, each time appreciating something new from the ceiling—in the shelter, it provides from the outside elements to the beautiful grid of shadows it leaves on the ground and walls on sunny days. Inspired by the relationship between the ceiling and the rest of the gallery, I have sought out ways to combine contrasting styles like classic vs. modern, organic vs. geometric, hard vs. soft, and fine art vs. crafts in my art. I’ve become hyper-aware of the physical spaces I occupy and their functional yet artistic characteristics. While studying architecture at UVA, I hope to continue exploring these relationships and apply them to my architectural style. 

This essay clearly answers the prompt and provides a tangible example for readers. 

From the intro, it is clear that the experience will be visiting the National Portrait Gallery. 

The writer uses a simple writing style for most of the essay, but shows that this straightforwardness is not due to lack of ability or effort, but is intentionally authentic. Through the phrase “ I don’t remember what spurred me to look up” the writer lets readers know that they aren’t going to tell us anything that isn’t true. This value placed on authenticity is important and tells us a lot about the student.

The student uses elaborate language to emphasize the important part of their story. The description of the ceiling—“ The undulant form of the ceiling reminded me of being underwater, looking up to see waves dancing”— is interesting and engaging. It creates an image of the ceiling in the reader’s mind, but also makes the reader want to hear more!

This final paragraph ties it all together. We learn that the National Portrait Gallery’s architecture isn’t just cool, but is inspirational for this student. Additionally, through this paragraph, admissions officers learn that this student has thought out their decision to apply to UVA’s Architecture school. They are familiar with architectural styles and already think like an architect. A student who is ahead of the game and passionate about their field of study is very important to admissions officers!

The essay could be considered unengaging at times, but there is also beauty in its simplicity that gives it an authentic feel. It lacks the bells and whistles that often accompany college essay writing and just tells the writer’s truth. While this wouldn’t be a great essay if you’re applying to creative writing, it works well for this writer and this writer’s intentions!

Still, the intro paragraph could be improved through editing the second sentence: “ To say I was excited was an understatement.” Because this writer engages with a simple style (with little imagery or elaborate descriptions), they can use descriptive language strategically to emphasize certain scenes, emotions, or aspects of their story. Because they are applying to Architecture, their excitement about art is important and this excitement could have been emphasized through more elaborate language. This would also make the essay more engaging from the start and draw the reader’s attention.

Essay Example #3

We are a community of quirks, both in language and in traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are. (250 words)

I haven’t let another person cut my hair in four years. Bangs, layers, a fringe, a bob, I have been my own hairdresser. With only me, a mirror, and scissors in hand, I enjoy having complete control over my appearance. Cutting my hair is liberating; it’s like removing dead weight off my shoulders. Messing up isn’t a concern, as I know my hair will grow back. I am proud of the freedom I have with my hair, but I haven’t always been this way. 

 In traditional Quechua culture, women have long, braided hair. One braid indicates that a woman is single, while two means she is married. Growing up surrounded by women who kept their hair long, I desperately wanted to stand out but was too afraid to break tradition. I love my Quechua heritage, but as a young girl, I thought it was silly to have braids when I wasn’t even allowed to date. Why did it matter if others knew I was single?

Eventually, my parents agreed to let me cut my hair, and for a moment I’d been looking forward to for so long, I wanted to be the one to do it. Like every time I’ve cut my hair since then, I felt like a new person. Looking back to who I was then and who I am now, I know 12 year old me would think I look cool, and she’s the only person I want to impress.

This essay is fun and interesting! Readers learn about the student’s personality, family history, and values. It is well-structured, engaging, and original.

For a short essay, a lot of words are given to this introduction. That being said, this introduction also provides a lot of the essay’s content. First, the student identifies their quirk—cutting their own hair. This topic is interesting and automatically makes readers think “oh, that’s cool!” but then the student takes it a step further by engaging readers with a small cliffhanger—“ I haven’t always been this way.” Cutting your own hair isn’t a quirk that inherently requires a deeper meaning, but this student draws us in by letting us know that there is one.

This essay’s second paragraph is where we get to know the student, which should always be a priority when writing any college essay. We learn about the student’s Quechua heritage and how it affected their childhood. We also learn about the student’s capacity for self-reflection, which seems to have existed from a young age—“ I thought it was silly to have braids when I wasn’t even allowed to date. Why did it matter if others knew I was single?”

Finally, the last paragraph brings things full circle and draws a connection between the young girl’s confusion about Quechuan braids and the current writer’s passion for cutting their own hair. The last sentence of this essay is particularly powerful—“ I know 12 year old me would think I look cool, and she’s the only person I want to impress.” 

The beginning of the final paragraph is the only part of this essay that could use some rewriting. This essay is generally well-written, so the confusing sentence structure of “ Eventually, my parents agreed to let me cut my hair, and for a moment I’d been looking forward to for so long, I wanted to be the one to do it” throws off the essay’s flow. Similarly, it is difficult to parse through the sentence “ Like every time I’ve cut my hair since then, I felt like a new person.” 

After improving the language of these two sentences, this would be a top-notch essay! This student’s personality really shines through.

Essay Example #4

Describe an engineering feat that serves the common good and why it inspires you to study engineering. (250 words)

“I hope your kids have my curly hair,” quipped my mom. “As long as they have my eyes, I’m happy,” joked my dad. While my parents were casually bantering with me at the dinner table, I was closeted as bisexual, and my mind started to reel. Eventually, I knew I wanted to have kids, and the nuclear family I had previously envisioned began to crumble. What if I couldn’t have genetically related children with my partner?

As I grappled with this question, I discovered that biomedical engineering could provide me with an answer. Gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 could allow for a same-sex couple to have genetically related children. This tool works as a precise pair of molecular scissors to cut out targeted DNA sequences in an organism’s genome. In China, researchers experimented with CRISPR and obtained live bipaternal and bimaternal mice.

CRISPR’s potential to change the world thrills me for reasons beyond my future family. With CRISPR, researchers began to cut out human DNA sequences associated with neurodegenerative diseases, blood-related disorders, and cancer. CRISPR is on the cusp of revolutionizing the medical industry, and I want to be part of innovating and discovering new uses for the technology.

Maybe one day, I’ll share a meal at the dinner table with a husband and a child who shares our features, laughing as we talk about our day. At UVA Engineering, I will acquire the tools necessary to pioneer research that could make this possibility a reality for millions of same-sex couples around the world.

This essay does a great job infusing a personal story into an engineering feat that inspires them. The intro opens with an anecdote, which is engaging and brings us closer to the writer by showing some vulnerability, as the student shares their thoughts and fears with us.

We learn about CRISPR in easy-to-understand terms. The writer lays out how it works, what it’s done so far, and how it could benefit society.

The final paragraph brings the essay full circle, with the student imagining their future family, made possible by CRISPR and the impact it could have for other same-sex couples.

There honestly isn’t much that the writer could’ve done to strengthen this essay. It’s already extremely engaging, personal, well-written, and easy to understand.

Essay Example #5: College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences – What work of art, music, science, mathematics, literature, or other media has surprised, unsettled, or inspired you, and in what way? (250 words)

Every ten years the state and congressional district lines open up to the public; the only piece of art influenced by the fluctuating votes of human souls. The bold black lines, separating communities with luscious green lawns from those with concrete playgrounds, are redrawn redirecting millions of dollars and sparking waves of protests on state capitol steps. In its sum, the wonky headphones and salamander shapes reflect the imperfect art of gerrymandering. Within its components, the fabric is sewed with the sweat and tears of communities. From ones with family obligations rendering them unable to advocate for themselves to communities a five-minute walk from the state capitol. 

In its final form, the line strokes between streets, bayous, and freeways surprise me. Instead of equal representation and distribution of power, districts group communities voting in accordance to a political party with communities who do not vote – essentially maintaining an iron grip on power. To challenge it, I have gone into non-voting communities helping register voters and have taken the time to listen to families terrified of the political process. One of my most cherished memories was meeting an elderly man who had immigrated to the U.S. and became naturalized but never registered to vote. For years, he watched his community change and never understood why he could not stop the process. Now, every time I see the district lines, I sense the unsettled doubt that within each district resides one person taken advantage of and never nurtured with civic love.

The subject of this essay—gerrymandering—is a surprising choice for this essay, as most people wouldn’t consider it a “work of art, music, science, mathematics, literature, or other media,” but more of a concept. Still, the author makes it work by likening the gerrymandering lines to a work of art.

The writing in this essay is very descriptive and rich with imagery, with phrases such as “luscious green lawns” and “salamander shapes.” We can clearly visualize how unusually these districts are drawn.

The author also incorporates a personal connection through their work in registering voters. We see that they care about helping others participate in the political process and exercise their civic rights/duties.

One of the biggest weaknesses of this essay is that it spends nearly half the space describing gerrymandering, leaving not enough room to discuss how it’s impacted them personally.

The intro paragraph helps us visualize gerrymandering very well, but the wording of many sentences is confusing (some are even not grammatically correct, and it doesn’t seem that this was a conscious decision, such as this line: From ones with family obligations rendering them unable to advocate for themselves to communities a five-minute walk from the state capitol) . It takes a few sentences to even realize what the topic of the essay is, and that is a critical flaw when admissions officers need to read essays quickly. 

The author should’ve introduced their topic more simply, especially since gerrymandering is an unexpected subject for this essay. They could’ve also cut out several lines to focus more on the work they’ve done in their communities. The story about the immigrant man is underdeveloped and vague; the writer could’ve shared more specific details about their interaction or even included some dialogue.

The impact of this topic on the student’s identity and future goals is also unclear. Do they plan to try to work to end gerrymandering or increase access to voting? The last sentence of the essay is a missed opportunity: Now, every time I see the district lines, I sense the unsettled doubt that within each district resides one person taken advantage of and never nurtured with civic love . This line is not only difficult to understand, but ends on a sad note rather than looking towards the future with how the student hopes to make an impact.

Essay Example #6

We are a community with quirks, both in language and traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are. (250 words)

I sit at a booth at California Pizza Kitchen as my legs swing back and forth, barely scraping the floor. With a mischievous grin, I grab a red crayon and scribble on the black-and-white coloring book with my own mission in mind. One times two equals two, times two equals four, times two equals eight, and so on. After I fill the page, the napkins in the dispenser in front of me become my canvas. When I finish, red numbers sprawl across the workbook and neatly ordered napkins on the table, mimicking a college professor’s chalkboard. My masterpiece is complete.

At five years old, I cherished multiplying numbers by two until I reached numbers in the millions, and my love for simple math became a staple of my personality. When I entered high school, I was delighted to discover my passion for mental math reflected in the activities I pursued:

( 310 total seconds – 162 seconds ran) / 2 laps left = 74 seconds per lap. During a 1600m dash, I recalculated the average pace I needed to meet my goal after every lap and adjusted my stride accordingly. 28 rows * 36 seats per row = 1008 total seats. During a chorus class, I calculated the number of seats in the auditorium we sang in with enthusiasm.

My arithmetic may not always serve a practical purpose, yet I find comfort in making sense of the little things in my life. The math problems penned with a red crayon may seem trivial to some, but they represent my curiosity seeking a better grasp of the world around me.

This essay paints the student as intellectually-engaged and ambitious. We see all the different ways they incorporate mental math into their life.

The anecdote at the beginning shows us exactly what it may be like to spend time with the student in an everyday setting, which helps admissions officers visualize what the student may be like on-campus.

While well-written, the essay falls a bit flat since the student spends almost all the allotted space describing the quirk rather than discussing what it means to them.

They also explicitly tell us the significance of their quirk by saying it “represent[s] my curiosity seeking a better grasp of the world around me.” This is redundant since they already show their curiosity through the details they reveal, such as counting the number of seats in the auditorium during chorus.

The topic of this essay may simply not be ideal since there isn’t much of an emotional backstory, unlike the third essay example where the student cuts their own hair. As you’re selecting a quirk, you should ensure that there is an opportunity for you to share your identity, emotions, and thoughts more deeply.

Where to Get Your UVA Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UVA essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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When dermatologist Dr. Adewole “Ade” Adamson sees people spritzing sunscreen as if it’s cologne at the pool where he lives in Austin, Texas, he wants to intervene. “My wife says I shouldn’t,” he said, “even though most people rarely use enough sunscreen.”

At issue is not just whether people are using enough sunscreen, but what ingredients are in it.

The Food and Drug Administration’s ability to approve the chemical filters in sunscreens that are sold in countries such as Japan, South Korea, and France is hamstrung by a 1938 U.S. law that requires sunscreens to be tested on animals and classified as drugs, rather than as cosmetics as they are in much of the world. So Americans are not likely to get those better sunscreens — which block the ultraviolet rays that can cause skin cancer and lead to wrinkles — in time for this summer, or even the next.

Sunscreen makers say that requirement is unfair because companies including BASF Corp. and L’Oréal , which make the newer sunscreen chemicals, submitted safety data on sunscreen chemicals to the European Union authorities some 20 years ago.

Steven Goldberg, a retired vice president of BASF, said companies are wary of the FDA process because of the cost and their fear that additional animal testing could ignite a consumer backlash in the European Union, which bans animal testing of cosmetics, including sunscreen. The companies are asking Congress to change the testing requirements before they take steps to enter the U.S. marketplace.

In a rare example of bipartisanship last summer, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) thanked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for urging the FDA to speed up approvals of new, more effective sunscreen ingredients. Now a bipartisan bill is pending in the House that would require the FDA to allow non-animal testing.

“It goes back to sunscreens being classified as over-the-counter drugs,” said Carl D’Ruiz, a senior manager at DSM-Firmenich, a Switzerland-based maker of sunscreen chemicals. “It’s really about giving the U.S. consumer something that the rest of the world has. People aren’t dying from using sunscreen. They’re dying from melanoma.”

Every hour, at least two people die of skin cancer in the United States. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in America, and 6.1 million adults are treated each year for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The nation’s second-most-common cancer, breast cancer, is diagnosed about 300,000 times annually , though it is far more deadly.

Though skin cancer treatment success rates are excellent, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70. The disease has cost the health care system $8.9 billion a year , according to CDC researchers. One study found that the annual cost of treating skin cancer in the United States more than doubled from 2002 to 2011, while the average annual cost for all other cancers increased by just 25%. And unlike many other cancers, most forms of skin cancer can largely be prevented — by using sunscreens and taking other precautions.

But a heavy dose of misinformation has permeated the sunscreen debate, and some people question the safety of sunscreens sold in the United States, which they deride as “chemical” sunscreens. These sunscreen opponents prefer “physical” or “mineral” sunscreens, such as zinc oxide, even though all sunscreen ingredients are chemicals.

“It’s an artificial categorization,” said E. Dennis Bashaw, a retired FDA official who ran the agency’s clinical pharmacology division that studies sunscreens.

Still, such concerns were partly fed by the FDA itself after it published a study that said some sunscreen ingredients had been found in trace amounts in human bloodstreams. When the FDA said in 2019 , and then again two years later , that older sunscreen ingredients needed to be studied more to see if they were safe, sunscreen opponents saw an opening, said Nadim Shaath , president of Alpha Research & Development, which imports chemicals used in cosmetics.

“That’s why we have extreme groups and people who aren’t well informed thinking that something penetrating the skin is the end of the world,” Shaath said. “Anything you put on your skin or eat is absorbed.”

Adamson, the Austin dermatologist, said some sunscreen ingredients have been used for 30 years without any population-level evidence that they have harmed anyone. “The issue for me isn’t the safety of the sunscreens we have,” he said. “It’s that some of the chemical sunscreens aren’t as broad spectrum as they could be, meaning they do not block UVA as well. This could be alleviated by the FDA allowing new ingredients.”

Ultraviolet radiation falls between X-rays and visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Most of the UV rays that people come in contact with are UVA rays that can penetrate the middle layer of the skin and that cause up to 90% of skin aging, along with a smaller amount of UVB rays that are responsible for sunburns .

The sun protection factor, or SPF, rating on American sunscreen bottles denotes only a sunscreen’s ability to block UVB rays. Although American sunscreens labeled “broad spectrum” should, in theory, block UVA light, some studies have shown that they fail to meet the European Union’s higher UVA-blocking standards.

“It looks like a number of these newer chemicals have a better safety profile in addition to better UVA protection,” said David Andrews , deputy director of Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that researches the ingredients in consumer products. “We have asked the FDA to consider allowing market access.”

The FDA defends its review process and its call for tests of the sunscreens sold in American stores as a way to ensure the safety of products that many people use daily, rather than just a few times a year at the beach.

“Many Americans today rely on sunscreens as a key part of their skin cancer prevention strategy, which makes satisfactory evidence of both safety and effectiveness of these products critical for public health,” Cherie Duvall-Jones, an FDA spokesperson, wrote in an email.

D’Ruiz’s company, DSM-Firmenich, is the only one currently seeking to have a new over-the-counter sunscreen ingredient approved in the United States. The company has spent the past 20 years trying to gain approval for bemotrizinol , a process D’Ruiz said has cost $18 million and has advanced fitfully, despite attempts by Congress in 2014 and 2020 to speed along applications for new UV filters.

Bemotrizinol is the bedrock ingredient in nearly all European and Asian sunscreens, including those by the South Korean brand Beauty of Joseon and Bioré , a Japanese brand.

D’Ruiz said bemotrizinol could secure FDA approval by the end of 2025. If it does, he said, bemotrizinol would be the most vetted and safest sunscreen ingredient on the market, outperforming even the safety profiles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

As Congress and the FDA debate, many Americans have taken to importing their own sunscreens from Asia or Europe, despite the risk of fake products .

“The sunscreen issue has gotten people to see that you can be unsafe if you’re too slow,” said Alex Tabarrok , a professor of economics at George Mason University. “The FDA is just incredibly slow. They’ve been looking at this now literally for 40 years. Congress has ordered them to do it, and they still haven’t done it.”

Michael Scaturro | KFF Health News

Virginia News | UVA professors condemn school leaders over…

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Virginia news | uva professors condemn school leaders over response to ‘peaceful protest’ by students.

In the letter, which was particularly scathing toward President Jim Ryan and Ian Baucom, the provost, the professors also demanded answers about the intensity of the police response, who approved it and why, and whether protesters at the school could be guaranteed the ability to protest peacefully.

The letter is the latest example of faculty and staff members at universities across the country stepping into the tense relationship between administrations and students protesting the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, keeping watch over encampments, acting as a liaison between the two groups or pushing to protect the free speech rights of their students. Others, including pro-Israel professors, have sought to build other avenues of support for students.

Faculty members at Emory University and Columbia University are among those who have either taken or pushed for no-confidence votes in their school presidents.

Some professors, faculty and staff members have gotten caught in police sweeps and arrested as law enforcement has moved to evict students and their tent encampments from campuses. Videos of their treatment — including one that showed Annelise Orleck, a 65-year-old labor historian at Dartmouth College, taken to the ground by police — have further intensified the debate over the police response.

“What makes the situation unprecedented is the crackdown on student speech — that’s what has sort of marked the departure here and that’s what has led faculty to speak out,” said Erik Linstrum, a University of Virginia professor who helped draft and circulate the letter. He added that “there’s just an extremely aggressive and intolerant response to a certain kind of speech.”

The professors were careful to note that they spoke as individuals, rather than on behalf of their departments. And in the letter, they did not take a stance on the pro-Palestinian protest, emphasizing that “whatever our divergent views about the cause for which the protesters were advocating, the virtues of inquiry and debate as well as the importance of critical questioning are fundamental.”

Asked to comment on the letter, Brian Coy, a spokesperson for the university, pointed to a Saturday statement from Ryan, which the letter had dismissed as “replete with platitudes, half-truths and evasions.”

He added that Ryan and Baucom “have been deeply engaged in every step of this episode and spent the day yesterday in the university’s command post helping to oversee U.Va.’s response.”

“Their charge to every official involved in this matter was to do everything possible to protect the rights of the protesters, as well as the rights and safety of the rest of our community,” Coy said of the two men. “This protest endured peacefully for four days before demonstrators began intentionally flouting university policies and resisting efforts to secure their compliance.”

But several professors and students have questioned the school’s decision to bring in police to remove the tents set up Friday, adding that university policy on whether recreational tents were allowed without a permit was unclear as of Saturday morning. (University officials said Saturday that the school noticed and updated a document “that inaccurately referenced an exemption to the policy.”)

The school has also said that police officers were met with “physical confrontation,” which protesters and some observers have denied.

“I did not observe anything at all — when I saw that statement, I was shocked,” said Laura Goldblatt, an English and global studies assistant professor who did not sign the history professors’ letter but was among the faculty members present Saturday. She added that “everything they’re being charged with only happened when police started to aggress upon them.”

In the letter, which is still collecting signatures, the professors invoked not only the principles of the university’s founder, Thomas Jefferson, but some of their own lessons to students about nonviolent protests.

Linstrum, whose area of study has focused on British imperialism and decolonization, said he had not been involved in the protests but headed over to the encampment Saturday when he heard that police were coming. He said the letter came together as colleagues expressed outrage over seeing some of their students caught in the clash and not receiving a response from some administrators when they pleaded for intervention.

“There was a very clear sense from very early on, even as things were happening yesterday, that some response was imperative — that we couldn’t let something like this go unanswered,” he said.

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At Justice Alito’s House, a ‘Stop the Steal’ Symbol on Display

An upside-down flag, adopted by Trump supporters contesting the Biden victory, flew over the justice’s front lawn as the Supreme Court was considering an election case.

A photo obtained by The Times shows an inverted flag at the Alito residence on Jan. 17, 2021, three days before the Biden inauguration. Credit...

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By Jodi Kantor

Jodi Kantor, who has been reporting on the Supreme Court, including the behind-the-scenes story of how the justices overturned the right to abortion, welcomes tips at nytimes.com/tips .

• May 16, 2024

After the 2020 presidential election, as some Trump supporters falsely claimed that President Biden had stolen the office, many of them displayed a startling symbol outside their homes, on their cars and in online posts: an upside-down American flag.

One of the homes flying an inverted flag during that time was the residence of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., in Alexandria, Va., according to photographs and interviews with neighbors.

The upside-down flag was aloft on Jan. 17, 2021, the images showed. President Donald J. Trump’s supporters, including some brandishing the same symbol, had rioted at the Capitol a little over a week before. Mr. Biden’s inauguration was three days away. Alarmed neighbors snapped photographs, some of which were recently obtained by The New York Times. Word of the flag filtered back to the court, people who worked there said in interviews.

While the flag was up, the court was still contending with whether to hear a 2020 election case, with Justice Alito on the losing end of that decision. In coming weeks, the justices will rule on two climactic cases involving the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, including whether Mr. Trump has immunity for his actions. Their decisions will shape how accountable he can be held for trying to overturn the last presidential election and his chances for re-election in the upcoming one.

“I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,” Justice Alito said in an emailed statement to The Times. “It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs.”

Judicial experts said in interviews that the flag was a clear violation of ethics rules, which seek to avoid even the appearance of bias, and could sow doubt about Justice Alito’s impartiality in cases related to the election and the Capitol riot.

The mere impression of political opinion can be a problem, the ethics experts said. “It might be his spouse or someone else living in his home, but he shouldn’t have it in his yard as his message to the world,” said Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia.

This is “the equivalent of putting a ‘Stop the Steal’ sign in your yard, which is a problem if you’re deciding election-related cases,” she said.

Interviews show that the justice’s wife, Martha-Ann Alito, had been in a dispute with another family on the block over an anti-Trump sign on their lawn, but given the timing and the starkness of the symbol, neighbors interpreted the inverted flag as a political statement by the couple.

The longstanding ethics code for the lower courts, as well as the recent one adopted by the Supreme Court, stresses the need for judges to remain independent and avoid political statements or opinions on matters that could come before them.

“You always want to be proactive about the appearance of impartiality,” Jeremy Fogel, a former federal judge and the director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, said in an interview. “The best practice would be to make sure that nothing like that is in front of your house.”

The court has also repeatedly warned its own employees against public displays of partisan views, according to guidelines circulated to the staff and reviewed by The Times. Displaying signs or bumper stickers is not permitted, according to the court’s internal rule book and a 2022 memo reiterating the ban on political activity.

Asked if these rules also apply to justices, the court declined to respond.

The exact duration that the flag flew outside the Alito residence is unclear. In an email from Jan. 18, 2021, reviewed by The Times, a neighbor wrote to a relative that the flag had been upside down for several days at that point.

In recent years, the quiet sanctuary of his street, with residents who are Republicans and Democrats, has tensed with conflict, neighbors said. Around the 2020 election , a family on the block displayed an anti-Trump sign with an expletive. It apparently offended Mrs. Alito and led to an escalating clash between her and the family, according to interviews.

Some residents have also bridled at the noise and intrusion brought by protesters, who started showing up outside the Alito residence in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion. Other neighbors have joined the demonstrators, whose intent was “to bring the protest to their personal lives because the decisions affect our personal lives,” said Heather-Ann Irons, who came to the street to protest.

The half-dozen neighbors who saw the flag, or knew of it, requested anonymity because they said they did not want to add to the contentiousness on the block and feared reprisal. Last Saturday, May 11, protesters returned to the street, waving flags of their own (“Don’t Tread on My Uterus”) and using a megaphone to broadcast expletives at Justice Alito, who was in Ohio giving a commencement address . Mrs. Alito appeared in a window, complaining to the Supreme Court security detail outside.

Turning the American flag upside down is a symbol of emergency and distress, first used as a military S.O.S., historians said in interviews. In recent decades, it has increasingly been used as a political protest symbol — a controversial one, because the flag code and military tradition require the paramount symbol of the United States to be treated with respect.

Over the years, upside-down flags have been displayed by both the right and the left as an outcry over a range of issues, including the Vietnam War, gun violence , the Supreme Court’s overturning of the constitutional right to abortion and, in particular, election results. In 2012, Tea Party followers inverted flags at their homes to signal disgust at the re-election of President Barack Obama. Four years later, some liberals advised doing the same after Mr. Trump was elected.

During Mr. Trump’s quest to win, and then subvert, the 2020 election, the gesture took off as never before, becoming “really established as a symbol of the ‘Stop the Steal’ campaign,” according to Alex Newhouse, a researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder.

A flood of social media posts exhorted Trump supporters to flip over their flags or purchase new ones to display upside down.

“If Jan. 6 rolls around and Biden is confirmed by the Electoral College our nation is in distress!!” a poster wrote on Patriots.win, a forum for Trump supporters, garnering over a thousand “up” votes. “If you cannot go to the DC rally then you must do your duty and show your support for our president by flying the flag upside down!!!!”

Local newspapers from Lexington, Ky. , to Sun City, Ariz., to North Jersey wrote about the flags cropping up nearby. A few days before the inauguration, a Senate candidate in Minnesota flew an upside-down flag on his campaign vehicle .

Hanging an inverted flag outside a home was “an explicit signifier that you are part of this community that believes America has been taken and needs to be taken back,” Mr. Newhouse said.

This spring, the justices are already laboring under suspicion by many Americans that whatever decisions they make about the Jan. 6 cases will be partisan. Justice Clarence Thomas has declined to recuse himself despite the direct involvement of his wife, Virginia Thomas, in efforts to overturn the election.

Now, with decisions in the Jan. 6 cases expected in just a few weeks, a similar debate may unfurl about Justice Alito, the ethics experts said. “It really is a question of appearances and the potential impact on public confidence in the court,” Mr. Fogel said. “I think it would be better for the court if he weren’t involved in cases arising from the 2020 election. But I’m pretty certain that he will see that differently.”

If Justice Alito were on another court, Mr. Fogel said, the flag could also trigger some sort of review to determine if there was any misconduct. But because the Supreme Court serves as the arbiter of its own behavior, “you don’t really have anywhere to take it,” he said.

Aric Toler contributed reporting. Julie Tate contributed research.

Jodi Kantor is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and co-author of “She Said,” which recounts how she and Megan Twohey broke the story of sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, helping to ignite the #MeToo movement.    Instagram • More about Jodi Kantor

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UVA Law Students Boost First-Generation College Applicants With Essay Help

UVA Law students (left) offered feedback to local students (right) on their college application essays. Photo illustration by Warren Craghead

When Ariell Branson, a second-year student at the University of Virginia School of Law, learned there was an opportunity to help high schoolers from first-generation backgrounds like her own with their college application essays, she was all in.

She earned an English degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and had successfully shared her narrative before with college admissions officials. What’s more, she could empathize with the aspiring scholars, she said.

Branson was among about a dozen UVA Law students who helped 19 Charlottesville High School students last fall with their college essays. All of the high schoolers were accepted to institutions of higher learning.

One of the students received a full ride to Syracuse University. In addition, five of the youths received the Charlottesville Promise Scholarship, which also considers students’ personal statements and provides up to $13,000 for students with financial need.

This school year was the first in which members of the Virginia Law First-Generation Professionals student group, the Student Bar Association and other interested law students partnered with the local AVID college preparatory program.

“It meant a lot to be able to offer some of the insight I have gained since I was in their position,” Branson said. “I had limited information when I was applying to colleges, and I was very grateful for the chance to help students develop their narratives.”

Chelsea Park, the AVID coordinator, said the partnership simply made sense.

“By having first-generation law students reviewing the essays of young adults who were the first members in their own family to apply to college, we were able to build a connection between individuals who could relate to one another in a unique and special way,” Park said.

Law students offered constructive feedback about how the essays could be presented in the most powerful ways.

Branson said her most useful advice was on how to weave the first-generation college student narrative into the applications, and how to emphasize why that makes for a strong, determined learner.

Charlottesville senior Adiba Khaydari was accepted to 11 schools, including Penn State and George Mason University.

“I liked how easy the process was, to just share my essay and receive helpful and nice comments on how to improve it,” Khaydari said.

Colin Lee ’21, a co-chair of the SBA Community Engagement Committee, spearheaded the effort. While the high schoolers varied in terms of their family incomes and backgrounds, some of their stories were dramatic.

“I was so impressed by the students and their willingness to share their stories,” Lee said. “With the two essays that I read, one student discussed sleeping on a bamboo bed and having a single outfit to wear each year, and the other discussed his experience as a refugee from Nepal. It really puts things in perspective as an essay reader.”

Other law students who provided essay recommendations included Armina Manning ’21, Atifah Safi ’22, Dean Dixon ’21, Kaylen Strench ’21, Juhi Desai ’23, Joseph Romero ’21, Kelli Finnegan ’22, Lindsey China ’23, Sean Blochberger ’22, Nicole Pidala ’21, Niko Orfanedes ’22 and Page Garbee ’21.

Professor Bonnie Gordon of the Department of Music, in her capacity as faculty director of UVA’s Equity Center, helped AVID by reaching out to Professor Anne Coughlin for advice on identifying law students who might want to assist. Coughlin contacted Lee because of his SBA role.

“This is a high-impact project, and we should express our gratitude to Colin and his cohorts,” Coughlin said. “They are local heroes.”

Park said she anticipates the Law School partnership will continue into the next school year.

Branson said she’s eager to help again — and noted that her mom will receive her own bachelor’s degree in two weeks.

Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.

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